Daguan Pavilion Park
Daguan Park, located in the southwestern suburb of Kunming City, is a picturesque lakeside park. In the 35th year of Emperor Kangxi(1696),Wang Jiwen, governor of Yunnan, carried out a largescale construction of a…
A Comprehensive Guide to Exploring Lijiang Old Town
Nestled in the heart of Yunnan Province, Lijiang Old Town is a captivating destination that transports visitors back in time. This ancient city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a true gem that…
Golden Temple
Located on Mingfeng Hill 7 km (4.3 miles) northeast of Kunming, the Golden Temple was first built in 1602 in the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and is also known as…
Stone Forest (Shilin)
The majestic Kunming Stone Forest stands as one of China’s most captivating natural wonders. Rising from Yunnan Province‘s emerald landscape, these ancient limestone formations tell a story 270 million years in the making….
Shibaoshan in Jianchuan: The “Dunhuang of the South”
Tucked into the forested slopes 25 kilometers southwest of Jianchuan County, Shibaoshan (Stone Treasure Mountain) remains one of Yunnan’s most criminally undervisited cultural treasures. We’ve watched travelers spend days hunting for “authentic China”…
Western Hills
Western Hill – The forest reserve on the west bank of the Dianchi lake consists of the Huating, Taihan mountains, which extend for more than 40 kilometres at an altitude of 2,500 metres…
Jizu Mountain Travel Guide: Cable Car, Temples and Day Trips from Dali
Jizu Mountain (Jizushan, Chicken Foot Mountain) is a Buddhist pilgrimage mountain in Yunnan and a full day trip from Dali. Most visitors take the cable car up to Jinding Temple on the 3,248…
Jinsuo Island, Dali: Ferry, Longgong Cave and a Quiet Bai Village
Jinsuo Island (金梭岛) is the largest island in Erhai Lake and the only one where a Bai fishing community has lived for generations. It sits off Haidong on the lake’s east shore, five…
Dali Old Town: Tickets, Layout & What to Skip
Dali Old Town is free to enter, with no ticket needed at any of its four gates. But only part of what’s inside is worth your time. Much of it is rebuilt shopfront…
Erhai Lake, Dali: Which Shore, Real Prices & Scams to Skip
Erhai Lake is a 250-square-kilometer freshwater lake beside Dali Old Town in Yunnan, China. It’s framed by the Cangshan mountains and ringed by Bai fishing villages. Pick one shore, one activity, and half…
Weibao Mountain (Weibaoshan): Taoist Temples, Walking Routes and What to Skip
Weibao Mountain (Weibaoshan, 巍宝山) is Yunnan’s best-known Taoist mountain. It stands 10 km southeast of Weishan Ancient Town in Dali Prefecture. Stone paths link more than 20 temples, including the shrine of the…
Zhoucheng Village, Dali: Tie-Dye Workshops, Village Life & Day Route
Zhoucheng Village is the largest Bai village in Yunnan, 23 km north of Dali Old Town. Bai tie-dye is still made in its family courtyards. Most visitors come to dye a scarf or…
