Guide to self-guided travel to Yunnan
Yunnan is located on the southwest border of China and is one of the important birthplaces of human civilization. The Yuanmou Man of Yunnan, who lived 1.7 million years ago, is the earliest human discovered in China and Asia as of 2013. Below I will bring you a self-guided tour guide to Yunnan, I hope you will read more!
NO1: Kunming
Due to the influence of the warm and humid air currents from the southwest of the Indian Ocean, Kunming has a mild climate and four seasons. It's like spring, so Kunming is also called the "City of Spring". Even though the temperature difference in Kunming is similar throughout the year, its daily temperature difference is very large. The daily temperature difference between winter and spring can reach 12-20℃. You should bring a coat and sweater when going to Kunming in this season. March to October is the best season to go to Kunming. This period is when Yunnan has the most ethnic minority festivals and the flowers are in full bloom. But also note that May to October is the rainy season in Yunnan, so don’t forget your windbreaker and rain gear.
Kunming attractions: Stone Forest, World Expo Park, Jiuxiang Cave, Daguan Tower, Yunnan Ethnic Village, Dadieshui Waterfall, Dongchuan Red Earth, Golden Horse and Jade Rooster, Green Lake, Xishan
Kunming Food: Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles (a must-eat in Kunming, the taste is really good), cold chicken rice noodles, steam pot chicken, lemongrass grilled fish, cans of stinky tofu, cans of chicken, roasted bait cubes (I think roasted bait The nuggets are not very delicious, but they are all in Yunnan, so it’s good to try them)
Kunming’s eating and drinking centers: Beidamen Food Street, Xingyuan Road, Dianchi Road, Guan Guan Middle Road, Guannan Avenue, and World Expo Avenue
NO2: Dali
Dali is "wind, flower, snow and moon". It is deeply affected by the monsoon climate of the low-latitude plateau, and the seasonal changes are not obvious. A large number of Bai people live in Dali, and their grand gatherings are concentrated between March and April. If you go to Dali at this time, you can feel the rich ethnic customs. Of course, Dali is in full bloom with flowers like Kunming in spring, making it a great place to enjoy flowers and enjoy spring outings.
Attractions in Dali: Erhai Lake, Heqing Yindu Water Village Shizu Ping Yunnan Monument, Taihe City Ruins, Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
Dali delicacies: Bai "Tuba Bowl", Dali fish casserole, milk fan, rawhide.
NO3: Xishuangbanna
Xishuangbanna is located in the tropical area of Yunnan. Under the influence of the tropical rainforest climate, although the climate is pleasant all year round, there is still some heat in summer, so it arrives in October every year. June of the following year is the best time to travel. The biggest characteristic of Xishuangbanna's climate is that it has a clear distinction between dry and wet seasons. The dry season is from November to April of the following year, and the rainy season is from May to October every year. Xishuangbanna is a Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Mid-April is the Dai Water Splashing Festival, which is the most influential and most participated celebration among the ethnic minorities in Yunnan.
Attractions in Xishuangbanna: Primitive Forest Park, Menglun Botanical Garden, Wild Xiang Valley, Dai Garden, Olive Dam, Mengla Wangtian Tree, Ethnic Customs Garden, Tropical Flower Garden, Manting Park, Jino Village, Jingzhen Bajiao Pavilion, Ethnographic Museum Xishuangbanna delicacies: steamed lemongrass buns, chicken rice porridge, pickled beef tendons, pebble fresh fish soup, pickled bamboo shoots and boiled snails, fried beef skin, yellow ant eggs, pickled beef tendons
Xishuangbanna specialty: Xiaoli Coffee, southern medicine, wild honey, Banna carpet
NO4: Lijiang
Lijiang has a plateau southwest monsoon climate, with a large temperature difference between day and night, and the overall climate is low. It is best to go to Lijiang in spring and summer. April to May is the most beautiful season in Lijiang. The lush flowers, trees and blue sky complement each other, just like a fairyland. The azaleas in Lijiang bloom in spring and are so beautiful. It rains a lot in Lijiang in summer and autumn, so tourists should not forget their rain gear.
Lijiang Attractions:
Lijiang’s attractions are mainly represented by “two mountains, one city, one lake, one river, one culture and one custom”
2 Mountains refer to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Laojun Mountain
One city refers to the ancient city of Lijiang
One lake refers to Lugu Lake
One river refers to Jinsha Jiang
Yi Culture refers to Naxi Dongba culture
Yi Customs refers to Mosuo customs
Of course there are other attractions, such as: Yushui Village, Mufu, Guanyin Gorge Scenic Area, Wangu Tower, Dongba Wanshen Garden, Xiaoluoshui Village
Lijiang cuisine: Lijiang salmon, Naxi hot pot, chicken bean jelly, chicken stewed tofu, blown pork liver, butter tea, stir-fried Bait cubes, Lijiang cured pork ribs hot pot, fried water dragonflies, Naxi traditional preserves
Tips:
1. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is 5,596 meters above sea level, so it is best to buy one before going You must know that oxygen bottles are very expensive to buy locally. A large bottle costs 100 yuan and a small bottle costs 50 yuan.
2. Lijiang salmon can be eaten three times a day. Before eating, you can shop around and decide which one to eat.
NO5: Shangri-La
Shangri-La in spring and summer is full of charming scenery, with suitable temperatures and blooming flowers. In the nearly 20 days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Diqing Plateau is colorful, and the autumn colors will continue on the endless plateau.
Shangri-La attractions: Haba Snow Mountain, Pudacuo, Meili Snow Mountain, Songzanlin Temple.
Shangri-La delicacies: braised liver and spicy seeds, Weixi tofu, rice porridge, Tibetan pastries ("Jixiangjie" fried fruit, longan buns, "Basa" pastries, fried "Xulu Xulu" ), buckwheat cake, lump meat, milk residue, yogurt, Solimar wine, butter tea, highland barley wine
Tips:
1. There are guests coming from afar, Tibetan compatriots Usually, highland barley wine and butter tea are served to visitors from afar. Toast with a full glass. When a guest drinks, he should first flick it with his index finger into the sky three times and wish "Tashi Delek" before drinking. If the guest does not drink much, he does not need to drink with the consent of the host. Generally, when making a toast, the host first invites the guests to drink three sips and then drinks the full cup three times.
2. Do not cross ritual objects or braziers; prayer tubes and prayer wheels must not be reversed; avoid others touching the top of your head with their hands.
3. Tibetans don’t like to bargain. The prices in many places are clearly marked, such as the cost of renting a horse. If you think the price is unreasonable, you can refuse it and don’t have to bargain. Sometimes the bargaining will not only fail, but will court disaster.
4. Mani stone is a sign of God in the eyes of Tibetans. The Mani stone on it is carved with six-character mantras or Buddha statues, which is a sacred object for Tibetans. When encountering religious facilities such as monasteries, Mani piles, and pagodas, you must go around from left to right. Tibetans believe that walking in the opposite direction will be a sin. Do not pick up Mani stones at will, and do not sit on piles of Mani stones.
5. Please do not bring plastic products into Tibetan areas. In order to protect the environment, plastic products are banned in this area. In addition, the sound made by the plastic bag tied to the saddle can easily frighten the horse.
NO6: Red River
January-April and September-November are the best times to go to Honghe. The scene of "one mountain has four seasons, and the weather is different ten miles away" in Honghe will surprise you. The journey unfolds slowly. (The Yuanyang terraces are the most beautiful in winter)
Red River attractions: Maitreya Bailong Cave, Pingbian Dawei Mountain, Hekou Nanxi River, Yuanyang Rice Terraces, Yuanyang Guanyin Mountain, Gejiu Manhao, Shi Pingyilong Lake, Jianshui, Kaiyuan South Cave, Jinping Jinshui River, Mengzi South Lake, Pu'er folk houses
Red River delicacies: Jianshui tofu, Mengzi cross-bridge rice noodles, bamboo tube roasted pork, ice porridge, Kaiyuan Small roll noodles, steam pot chicken
Tips: The average annual temperature in Honghe is 15℃-22.6℃, which belongs to the subtropical plateau monsoon climate. The temperature gradually rises from Yuanyang to Hekou. Remember to bring clothes for both seasons when visiting the Red River. Honghe is mountainous and rainy, so bring a poncho to keep out the rain or lay it on the ground to rest while climbing.
NO7: Chuxiong
Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture is located in central Yunnan. The terrain is mainly mountains and hills. It belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate zone. The temperature difference between the four seasons is not large, and the annual average temperature is 15-21 ℃, the climate is mild, the dry and wet seasons are distinct, and precipitation is mostly concentrated from May to October every year. Traveling in all four seasons, you can enjoy different beautiful scenery.
Chuxiong attractions: Wuding Lion Rock, Yuanmou Earth Forest, Yi Ancient Town, Lufeng World Dinosaur Valley, Chuxiong Prefecture Museum, Heijing Ancient Town, Nanhua Miyilu Style Valley, Chuxiong Zixi Mountain, Da Yao Shiyang Ancient Town, Yongren Fangshan, Chinese Yi October Solar Calendar Cultural Park, Moudinghua Foshan, Dayao Santan, Yao'an Guanglu Ancient Town, Wuding Luowu Yi Village
Chuxiong specialties: Yunquan bean paste, mint, Vermicelli, silk, Luhe rice wine, Zixi tea, triangle glutinous rice, Poria, Changhe honey, balsamic vinegar, Donghe rice black, well pomegranate
NO8: Nujiang Prefecture
Nujiang Although the state can be visited in all seasons, the summer here is hot and rainy, and the stone roads and dirt roads built near the mountains are in extremely poor condition, making the roads difficult and dangerous in the rainy season. Therefore, the best time to travel should be arranged from October to April of the following year, especially around the Spring Festival. There are many ethnic festivals. You can not only enjoy the beautiful scenery, but also participate in festival celebrations with unique local characteristics.
Attractions in Nujiang Prefecture: Nujiang First Bend, Stone Moon, Dulong River, Shuangawadi Tiger Leaping Canyon, Anti-British Monument, Charming Gong Guoqing, Qingnagong Valley,
Specialties of Nujiang Prefecture: musk deer, black bear, marble, Siyehei
NO9: Qujing
Qujing has a subtropical plateau monsoon climate with diverse climate types. The hottest month is July on average The temperature is 19℃, and the average temperature in January, the coldest month, is 14℃. The best time to travel is in spring and autumn. In summer, road conditions may be poor due to rain, and there may even be mudslides. From January to early April every year, rapeseed flowers in Luoping are in full bloom all over the city. This is the most suitable time to visit the flower fields and take photos. The prime time for rapeseed flowers to bloom is mid-March.
Qujing attractions: Luoping Duoyi River, Luliang Colorful Sand Forest, Huize Ten Thousand Mu Grass Mountain, Jiulong Waterfall, Luoping Rapeseed Flowers, Luliang Colorful Sand Forest, Pearl River Source, Shibalian Mountain, Cuifeng Mountain , Xianglu Mountain
Qujing delicacies: Xuanwei ham, hemp dumplings, Luliang salted duck, Zhanyi spicy chicken, chive flowers, steamed bait shreds, Dahe black pig, Malong scallop head, Luoping ginger, Leye Chili pepper, Xundian chestnut, Shizong tangerine, salt water pomegranate, Luoping old factory wine, Fuyuan konjac, Huize spotted copperware, Fuyuan iron pot, Luoping colored eggs, Huizeban copper, Zhanyi white water tofu
Tips:
The sunshine in Qujing is strong, especially the Duoyi River area, which is about 1,000 meters lower than other scenic spots in Luoping. Therefore, the climate is relatively hot. Be sure to bring a sun umbrella and sunscreen. Luoping is rainy in summer. Don't forget to bring an umbrella.