You Need These Yunnan Travel Guides

The province of Yunnan, the name of which in Chinese means "south of the clouds" is located in Southwest China bordering Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. It is home to rugged mountainous terrain, ranging from alpine mountain ranges to rainforests, and hosts most of the biodiversity in whole China as well as 25 different ethnic minorities.

Yunnan has a lot to see, whether you are interested in nature, culture, or history. It is a vast area that can be explored by travelling by yourself or on a sightseeing tour around Yunnan. There is an enchanting natural rock formation called a Stone Forest outside the capital city of Kunming, as well as many nice temples and parks inside the city that is said to enjoy eternal spring weather.

Lijiang, a beautiful town located on the foot of the imposing Yulong mountain and home to the Naxi people, is among the most popular travel destinations in Yunnan. It hosts a World Heritage –listed old town that has its fair share of temples, restaurants, and cafes, as well as a theater with performances of traditional music. The other historic and cultural sites in Yunnan include the historic center of Dali, the ancient town of Chuxiong, and the ethnically Tibetan mountain county of Zhongdian, also known as Shangri-La. There are also nice golf courses in Yunnan to enjoy.

Local cultures & nature. Yunnan is famed for its wide diversity of 25 different ethnic minority groups whose diverse customs can be seen around the province that is filled with festivals. Actually, Yunnan is the most culturally diverse province in China. It is also China’s most biologically diverse province with over 15,000 species of plants as well as about half of the whole China’s bird and mammal species, including tigers and Asian elephants. The mountainous terrain in the province is challenging but also very rewarding for trekking in Yunnan, and the many rivers flowing across the region offer some good rafting possibilities. The Three Parallel Rivers National Park in Northwest Yunnan is another World Heritage Site in the province. There are also tropical rainforests in the Xishuangbanna area in the South Yunnan.

The climate in Yunnan is tropical monsoon climate that offers a lot of variation in temperatures caused by altitude. The winters in Yunnan are temperate and summers are nicely warm. Some rainfall is received throughout the year, but especially during summer months.

Yunnan travel can be done by air via the international airport in the capital city Kunming, or by train or bus. There is even a boat connection to Yunnan from Thailand via the Mekong River. Traveling inside Yunnan can be done by train or bus, depending on which part of the province you are heading to.

Yunnan has lately become a popular place to visit, so there are plenty of hotels in Yunnan as well as cheaper accommodation available. Restaurants in Yunnan are available in most towns around the province. Car rental in Yunnan has also become possible recently. Yunnan is generally a safe region to travel, although pickpockets operate in local cities and traffic in the steep mountainsides can be dangerous. English is usually not understood outside bigger hotels and tourist attractions in Yunnan.