Yunnan Guide – Intro & Top Destinations (5A & 4A Attractions)

Yunnan Province is located in China’s southwest with Kunming serving as the capital of the province. It is adjacent to Guizhou and Guangxi in the east, Sichuan in the north, Tibet in the northwest. It has an international border with Myanmar in the west and Laos and Vietnam in the south.

The total area of ​​Yunnan Province is 394,100 square kilometers. As of August 2019, Yunnan Province has 8 prefecture-level cities, 8 autonomous prefectures, which are subdivided into 129 county-level divisions. See Cities and Counties further below.

In 2018, the resident population of Yunnan Province was 48.295 million, with a total production value of 1.7881 trillion yuan, the added value of the primary industry was 249.886 billion yuan, the added value of the secondary industry was 695.744 billion yuan, and the added value of the tertiary industry was 842.482 billion yuan. The per capita GDP 37,136 yuan.

Climate

The climate of Yunnan belongs to the subtropical plateau monsoon type.

The northwestern part of Yunnan has a cold-zone climate, with no winter in summer and short spring and autumn. The eastern part of Yunnan and eastern Yunnan have a temperate climate. The southwest and southwestern Yunnan belong to the low-heat valley, and some are in the Tropic of Cancer. To the south, into the tropics, there is no winter in the summer, and it rains into the autumn. In the province, there are three climates of cold, warm and hot (including subtropical).

The average temperature in the province, the hottest (July) monthly average temperature is between 19 °C and 22 °C, the coldest (January) monthly average temperature is above 6 °C ~ 8 °C, the annual temperature difference is generally only 10 ° C ~ 12 ° C. It is cooler in the morning and evening, and hotter at noon, especially in winter and spring. The daily temperature difference can reach 12 °C ~ 20 °C. The province has a long frost-free period. The southern border has no frost all year round. The frost-free period in the south is 300-330 days, and the central region is about 250 days.

The wet season (rainy season) is from May to October, with 85% of rainfall concentrated; the dry season (dry season) is from November to April, and precipitation accounts for only 15% of the year. The geographical distribution of precipitation differs greatly.

Wildlife

Yunnan has the highest number of animal species in the country. There are 1,737 vertebrates, accounting for 58.9% of the country. Among them, 793 species of birds, accounting for 63.7%; 300 species of mammals, accounting for 51.1%; 366 species of fish, accounting for 45.7%; 143 species of reptiles, accounting for 37.6%; 102 species of amphibians, accounting for 46.4%.

There are many rare and protected animals in Yunnan, and many animals are only found in Yunnan.

Ethnic Groups

Yunnan is the province with the largest ethnic group in China. In addition to the Han nationality, there are 25 ethnic minorities with a population of over 6,000. Among them, 15 ethnic groups are unique to Yunnan, and the population accounts for more than 80% of the total ethnic population of the country.

At the end of 2015, the number of ethnic minorities in the province reached 15.83 million, accounting for 33.4% of the province’s total population. It is one of the three provinces with a minority population of more than 10 million. There are 6 ethnic minorities with a population of more than 1 million in the province; 9 with less than 100,000 and less than 1 million; 8 with less than 10,000 and less than 100,000; and more than 6,000 with less than 10,000. The ethnic minorities in Yunnan are interlaced, showing large mixed habitats and small settlements.

Ethnic groups include the Yi, Bai, Hani, Tai, Dai, Miao, Lisu, Hui, Lahu, Wa, Nakhi, Yao, Tibetans, Jingpo, Blang, Pumi, Nu, Achang, Jinuo, Mongols, Derung, Manchus, Sui, and Buyei.

Language

Yunnan is a multi-ethnic province with rich and colorful languages. The Han language of Yunnan belongs to the Northern Languages ​​(Southwest Mandarin). The languages ​​of other ethnic groups belong to the Sino-Tibetan and South Asian languages. In addition to the common Chinese language of Hui, Manchu and Shui, all the ethnic groups in Yunnan have their own language, and 22 ethnic scripts are used. Among them, the Yi language language has a certain historical origin with Thailand. The Naxi people have a long history of Dongba culture, and the Dongba script is a hieroglyph that is still inherited.

Industry

The largest pillar industry in Yunnan is the tobacco industry. The sugar industry and the tea industry are traditional backbone industries other than smoke in Yunnan. The rubber planting industry is an important traditional industry in Yunnan. The flower industry is an emerging industry in Yunnan and a key province for sugar, tea and rubber. It is also Asia’s largest fresh cut flower export base.

GDP

Review In 2018, Yunnan Province achieved a total production value of 1,788.112 billion yuan, 8.9% over the previous year. Among them, the added value of the primary industry was 249.886 billion yuan, up 6.3%; the added value of the secondary industry was 695.744 billion yuan, up 11.3%; the added value of the tertiary industry was 842.482 billion yuan, up 7.6%. The three industrial structures were adjusted to 14.0:38.9:47.1. The province’s per capita GDP was 37,136 yuan, an increase of 8.2% over the previous year.

In 2018, the per capita disposable income of Yunnan residents was 20084 yuan, an increase of 9.5% over the previous year. The per capita disposable income of urban residents was 33,488 yuan, an increase of 8.0%; the per capita disposable income of rural permanent residents was 10,768 yuan, an increase of 9.2%. The per capita consumption expenditure of urban residents was 21,626 yuan, an increase of 10.6%. The per capita living expenditure of rural residents was 9,123 yuan, an increase of 13.6%.

Airports

As of 2018, Yunnan Province has operated 15 civil transport airports, with Kunming Changshui International Airport as the core, and 14 other trunk feeder airports as the supporting airport network system. The province’s passenger throughput exceeds 1 million passengers.

Main airports

• Kunming Changshui International Airport 昆明长水国际机场
• Lijiang Sanyi International Airport 丽江三义国际机场
• Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport 西双版纳嘎洒国际机场
• Diqing Shangri-La Airport 迪庆香格里拉机场
• Dali Airport 大理荒草坝机场
• Zhaotong Airport 昭通机场
• Wuhu Airport 泸沽湖机场
• Pu’er Simao Airport 普洱思茅机场
• Baoshan Yunrui Airport 保山云瑞机场
• Linyi Airport 临沧机场
• Wenshan Puzhehei Airport 文山普者黑机场
• Tengchong Hump ​​Airport 腾冲驼峰机场
• Dehong Mangshi Airport 德宏芒市机场
• Wuyuan Airport 沧源机场

Rail

By the end of 2018, Yunnan’s railway operation mileage was 3,848 kilometers, including 1,026 kilometers of high-speed rail, and 9 cities were connected to the railway, of which 7 were high-speed rail. There are 8 railway projects under construction, 4 of which are scheduled to be completed and operated by the end of 2020.

The major High Speed Rail Stations in Yunnan are Kunming Railway Station, Chuxiong Railway Station, Dali Railway Station, and Lijiang Railway Station.

Ports

There are 5 main rivers and their tributaries in Jinsha River, Minjiang River, Honghe River, Nanpan River and Nujiang River, with a total length of 14,200 kilometers. Among them, there are more than 8,000 kilometers of waterways that can be developed and utilized, and there are more than 30 plateau lakes and 5,500 reservoirs of various types.

Main ports: Jinghong Port, Simao Port, Shuifu Port, Qijiang Port, Kunming Port, Dali Port.

Attractions

Yunnan is typified by karst caves, virgin forests, flowers, cultural relics, traditional gardens, and ethnic customs. There are more than 200 scenic spots in the province, and there are 134 scenic spots above the national level A, including 12 national scenic spots and 53 provincial-level scenic spots. There are 6 national historical and cultural cities, 11 provincial-level historical and cultural cities, 6 national historical and cultural towns, 14 provincial-level historical and cultural towns, and 14 provincial-level historical and cultural villages.

AAAAA Attractions

Potatso National Park (普达措国家公园)

Location: Diqing, Yunnan

Potatso National Park or Pudacuo National Park is a 1,300-square-kilometre (500-square-mile) national park located in Shangri-La County, Yunnan Province. Pudacuo National Park has geological features, lake wetlands , forest meadows, river valleys, rare animals and plants, etc. The original ecological environment is well preserved and is part of the ” Three Parallel Rivers ” World Natural Heritage Site.

Stone Forest (昆明市石林风景区)

Location: Kunming, Yunnan

The Stone Forest or Shilin is a notable set of limestone formations about 500 km2 located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China, near Shilin approximately 90 km (56 mi) from the provincial capital Kunming. The tall rocks seem to arise from the ground in a manner somewhat reminiscent of stalagmites, or with many looking like petrified trees, thereby creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. Since 2007, two parts of the site, the Naigu Stone Forest (乃古石林) and Suogeyi Village (所各邑村), have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the South China Karst.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山)

Location: Lijiang, Yunnan

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a mountain massif or small mountain range in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, in Yunnan province. The view of the massif from the gardens at the Black Dragon Pool (Heilong Tan) in Lijiang is noted as one of China’s finest views. The mountain is part of Yulong Snow Mountain National Scenic Area and National Geological Park, an AAAAA-classified scenic area. The Park operates a tourist cable car that takes you to an observation platform at an elevation of 4,506 m (14,783 ft) and if you feel up to it you can climb a few hundred steps to one of the highest observation platforms in the world at an elevation of 4,680 m (15,350 ft) for close views of the snow peak.

Three Pagodas (崇圣寺三塔)

Location: Dali, Yunnan

The Three Pagodas of the Chongsheng Temple are an ensemble of three independent pagodas arranged on the corners of an equilateral triangle, near the old town of Dali, Yunnan province, China, dating from the time of the Kingdom of Nanzhao and Kingdom of Dali in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Three Pagodas are located about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) north of Dali old town. They are at the east foot of the tenth peak of the massive Cangshan Mountains and face the west shore of the Erhai Lake of ancient Dali.

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园)

Location: Xishuangbanna, Yunnan

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden is located in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna, covering an area of 1125 ha. Over 13,000 species of tropical plants are preserved in its 35 living collections.

Old Town of Lijiang (丽江古城)

Location: Lijiang, Yunnan

Old Town of Lijiang is the historical center of Lijiang City, in Yunnan, China. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town has a history going back more than 1,000 years and was once a confluence for trade along the “Old Tea Horse Caravan Trail” and is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges.

World Horti-Expo Garden (世界园艺博览园)

Location: Kunming, Yunnan

It is located in the northeastern suburb of Kunming, 6 kilometers from the urban area, bringing together horticultural achievements around the world. It includes five pavilions of China Pavilion, International Pavilion, People and Nature Pavilion, Science and Technology Museum, and Big Greenhouse, 34 exhibition gardens in China’s domestic exhibition area, and 30 exhibition gardens in foreign exhibition areas. There are also many special landscape parks and corporate exhibition areas.

Tengchong Volcanic Scenic Area (腾冲热海风景区)

Location: Baoshan, Yunnan

Tengchong is a famous geothermal scenic spot in China. There are 64 geothermal activity areas in the whole area, and there are more than 80 hot springs. The highest water temperature is 96.3 °C. Among them, the most powerful and external display is the Tengchong Hot Spring, which is about 8 kilometers in the west of the city. Surrounded by green hills, it is full of water, with sulfur ponds in the north, Songshan Mountain in the south, Zhongxiao Temple in the east and Banana Garden in the west.

AAAA Attractions in Yunnan Province

Yunnan Cuisine

Yunnan cuisine is known as Dian cuisine (滇美食). It is predominantly spicy but varied and diverse due to the mix of ethnicities. It is also one of only two provinces featuring a traditional cheese which is made by the Bai people and known as Rushan (乳扇) and made from cows milk, and Rubing (乳饼) when made from goats milk.

Popular dishes include Crossing Bridge Noodles (过桥米线) whose common ingredients include thin slices of ham, chunks of chicken, chicken skin, strips of bean curd sheets, chives, sprouts, and rice noodles. Other popular dishes include Steam Pot Chicken (气锅鸡), Yiliang roast duck (宜良烤鸭), and Jidou liangfen (鸡豆凉粉) which is a type of jelly made from ground chickpea or lentils.

The area is also, of course, famous for Pu’er tea and in modern times coffee production.

Cities and Counties

Administrative divisions

Major Cities