The province of Yunnan, which means ” Behind the Clouds” is located in the southwestern part of China. The province was once very isolated but is today rather easy to reach for tourists.
Chinas population is dominated by the han-people (92 %), but you can also find approximately 56 different minorities here. Some of them specific for China. In Yunnan you can find 26 different ethnic groups, related with people in Burma, Laos and Thailand. I met several groups as hani, dai, bulang and akka during my stay.
The only chinese province I have been able to visit, yet, is Yunnan.
My trip into Yunnan started in the vietnamese bordertown Lao Cai, where I walked over the bridge to Hekou and from here continued into the province by bus. I visited towns as Jianshui, Yuanjiang, Jinghong and Kunming. Some of them opened for tourists as late as 1994.
The visit at the Yanzi-cave, The Swallows Cave, one of the biggest in Asia. My base for excursions in the autonomic Dai-area, Xishuangbanna, was the capital Jinghong. From here I went to Menghun, with a marvelous Saturdaymarket, and to Manfeilong with its beautiful ”White Pagoda” - Feilong Bata.
Unforgetable is also my trekk to the small Hani-village Shaikhola where I stayed for several days toghether with the inhabitants.
Also the bicycletour among small villages outside Jinghong is worth to mention. In some of the villages they had never met westerners!
From Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, I visited the more than 250 miljon years old ”Stoneforest” in Shilin, with very interesting shaped stones.
The area around Thonghai where you find
some interesting old mongolian villages, dated back to the days of Kublai
Khan, several
hundred years back. The people in these villages have preserved their mongolian heritage
in great extent.
A visit in the Yunnan-province offers old, well preserved, chinese
culture, very
beautiful nature, meetings with interesting ethnic-groups and old traditions. The area is
still visited by few tourists.
Yan Tong temple.
Kunming
Hani chief with wife. Shaikhola
Stone forest.
Shilin
View from the hani village Shaikhola
The White Pagoda at Damenglong
Yunnan landscape
Market in Menghun
Women with wood
Market in Menghun
Saniboy.
Shilin
Buddhastatue.
Manfeilong
Nudelsoap,
a common
breakfast
