10 Things to do in Yunnan That You Shouldn't Miss

May 18, 2021 Terina Blouin

Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country. It spans approximately 394,000 square kilometres (152,000 sq mi) and has a population of 45.7 million (as of 2009). The capital of the province is Kunming, formerly also known as Yunnan. The province borders the Chinese provinces Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, and the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the countries Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar.
Restaurants in Yunnan

1. Jinsha River

China
Excellent
75%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
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5.0 based on 4 reviews

Jinsha River

Jinsha or Kinsha is the upper-stream of Yangtze River and the largest river in Yunnan Province.

2. Yuantong Temple

Yuantong Jie, Kunming China http://explorechinatibet.com/attractions/yuantong-temple-kunming/
Excellent
47%
Good
41%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
2%
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 252 reviews

Yuantong Temple

Reviewed By DereckDC - Guiyang, China

I went the weekend of the tomb sweeping festival. Not too many people. The entrance fee is ¥6. I was there for maybe 45 minutes. You may take more time if you are able to read Chinese or if you have more than one person in your party. Decent place to take pictures (not of the inside of temples of course).

3. Cangshan Mountain

Across Dali,Yangbi County and Eryuan Counry, Dali 671000 China +86 872 268 3551
Excellent
58%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
2%
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1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 332 reviews

Cangshan Mountain

Reviewed By JY-has-to-travel - Singapore, Singapore

Took a Didi from our AirBnB near Ancient town which costed 21 CNY to to Gantong cablecar station. Cabled up to Jade Belt road, and had a very enjoyable hike from that point till Zhonghe cablecar station before cabling down. Well paved route. Tranquil. Few hikers/ walkers. Just need to carry 500ml water with you as there are vendors selling water at each cablecar station point. Xima pool upper cablecar was closed due to strong winds. In my opinion, Qilongnv pools were mediocre. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the walk thoroughly and would be happy to do it once more if we ever visit Dali again.

4. Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia)

100 km NW of Lijiang Hutiaoxia Town, Shangri-La County 674402 China
Excellent
64%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,192 reviews

Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia)

Reviewed By 12Maren - Hanoi, Vietnam

I have quite a severe fear of heights but I also enjoy a nice hike and good views so I did not want to miss out on this one. For me, there were two critical areas on the hike. The first one was at the very top of the 28 bends where there is an exposed rocky turn that gave me extreme vertigo so that I had to go on all fours. The second bit was the stretch of the trek shortly after Halfway Guesthouse going towards Tina's where the path becomes very rocky and narrow plus you share it with a pipe. This is also where the infamous waterfall crosses the path. I had to do this bit extremely slowly holding my partner's hand and looking at the path, nowhere else. The pictures my partner took here still give me vertigo. Overall I did it and I am glad I went but I would not be able to do it again knowing exactly what it is like now. Anyone that is worried about the heights might consider just hiking to Halfway Guesthouse and arranging alternative transport from there. A few final thoughts: - I am of moderate fitness and did not find it too strenuous overall. - We stopped at Naxi Guesthouse which was a great way of doing it as the guesthouse is the best in the gorge and you start the next day well rested to tackle the 28 bends. The ascent to Naxi Guesthouse is already exhausting! You are also ahead of anyone arriving by bus that day and have the path to yourself. - Second day we went from Naxi Guesthouse to Tibet Guesthouse with lunch at Halfway. Long day but doable. - Yes the bridge construction is visible at the start of the trail but it didn't bother us. You face the other way anyway and once completed this will be an amazing train ride. - Ignore the people complaining about roads and electricity lines, the whole area is still incredibly scenic and who are we to deny the local people a more comfortable lifestyle? - We went in mid November and it was perfect. Sun and blue skies every day, not too cold at night and barely any people on the trail. - Walnut Grove at the end of the trek is lovely and we ended up staying two nights at Tibet Guesthouse to relax and soak up the peaceful atmosphere. - Our bags were stored at Jane's, we are unsure if this place still functions as anything other than bag storage. We were going to have lunch there before starting the trek but they didn't do food. It looked very run down. - We arrived at the start of the trek by private driver from Lijiang, after dropping of our bags he drove us to the start of the path. This is recommended unless you want to walk up a dusty road. - We took a bus from Tina's to Shangri La, departs 3.30pm and costs 55RMB per person. It makes a ten minute stop at Jane's for people to collect their bags.

5. Old Town of Lijiang - China

No.57, Xuetang Rd, Dayan Township, Gucheng Dist, Lijiang 674100 China +86 888 511 1118
Excellent
56%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
2%
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1%
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4.5 based on 5,093 reviews

Old Town of Lijiang - China

Reviewed By GodBlessMali - Shanghai Region, China

I visited a few old towns in China, but this one has to be my favorite one to date. During my time in Lijiang, I didn't even bother going to the city because the old town was so much fun not to mention that the food was incredible. While morning are very quiet as shops open rather late, the evenings were far from boring. The bar street sure made for some nice evenings while the afternoons allowed me and my friend to visit more of Old Town while trying out different food (such as tofu ice cream (don't judge until you try it)), Chinese wraps and of course the flowers cake. As for dinner, the ribs hot pot is fantastic! I shouldn't forget to mention that the buildings are beautiful, and I strongly recommend you check the small alleys as you might be surprised by what you may see.

6. Dongchuan Red Land

Xintian Town,Dongchuan District, Kunming 654109 China
Excellent
59%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
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4.5 based on 167 reviews

Dongchuan Red Land

Reviewed By Au_and_Family - Singapore, Singapore

Dongchuan Red Land is a place of beautiful and colorful terraces. We have a rental car with a driver cum guide to bring us there. We saw many colorful terraces as we were driven to see Shuipingzi Rice Terrance (the Moon Rice), sunset at Luoxiagou in Songmaopeng, then to Huagou Thousand years of Nagarjuna—Red Soil Grand Sight. Sunrise next day at Damakan was marred by foggy morning weather. Later in the morning, we saw Qicai Slope (colorful slope), Jinxiuyuan, and Yuepuao—Luoshi Bay. It was a wonderful colorful experience.

7. Kunming West Hill (Xishan Forest Park)

West of Kunming's suburb, Xishan District, Kunming 650100 China
Excellent
40%
Good
48%
Satisfactory
11%
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4.5 based on 201 reviews

Kunming West Hill (Xishan Forest Park)

Reviewed By shuyajing - Kunming, China

A whole day tour of West Hill is neccesary and the best way to exploreing this park is by walking if you love hiking. One way from the park entrance to Dragon Gate is about 5-6 km, echo-friendly bus is a good choice too for senior citizens or family with kids. The entrance of the park is an artificial street to imitate the ancient town life of native Kunmingers, but you do find some good snacks and local specialties here. Along the winding road with virgin forest, there are several temples and a beautiful magnolia garden to stopover. By the end of the road, there is the essence of the park, Dragon Gate, a stone gate and group of ancient buildings located in the middle of a high cliff with stairs and tunnels dug and cut through the rocks. When you take a short cableway to the cliff top, you can enjoy most stunning panaromic view of the Kunming City and Dianchi Lake, which definitly is the highlight of the tour.

8. Kunming Dragon Gate

At the top of Xishan, west of Kunming's suburb, Xishan District, Kunming 650100 China +86 871 6842 6668
Excellent
49%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
10%
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4.5 based on 374 reviews

Kunming Dragon Gate

Reviewed By lohb2015

Expect to climb and a steep hike up, hence not very suitable for wheelchairs and young children. Enjoy a breathtaking scenery by taking the gondola as well as the open air car ride activity. Best way to get there is to take the metro to the Xishan train station and walk 100m to the western hills scenic and ticketing area where they sell bus rides up the slopes at 12.50rmb. If u want to visit the yunnan cultural village, this is the place to take the gondola downward as well There are also many local food stalls. U need at least 4-5 hours and expect lots of walking!

9. Yunnan Shaxi Ancient Town

Southwest of Jianchuan County, Dali China +86 139 0888 4354 http://www.localchinaguide.com/attractions/shaxi-ancient-town/
Excellent
73%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
3%
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4.5 based on 289 reviews

Yunnan Shaxi Ancient Town

Reviewed By mattodowd - Beijing, China

We were here for Chinese New Year eve and the atmosphere was lovely, with lots of people on the streets setting off firecrackers, children playing and fireworks. I've been to many ancient towns in China, and this was one of my favourites. There are some really quaint bars, restaurants and souvenir shops, and lovely mountain views. Would recommend staying a night here, as the atmosphere in the evening is excellent. There are plenty of hotels/hostels inside the town. Entry is free. The village is located in between Lijiang and Dali. You may wish to combine with a trip to Shibaoshan (石宝山), just 14km away. Name in Chinese: 沙溪古镇

10. Green Lake (Cui Hu)

No.67 Cuihu South Road, Wuhua District, Kunming China
Excellent
38%
Good
42%
Satisfactory
17%
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2%
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4.0 based on 792 reviews

Green Lake (Cui Hu)

Reviewed By richardmS8948WS - Singapore, Singapore

Nice park full of local culture -- especially on a Saturday with all the dancing Aunties. I'd recommend you have a coffee in the Cafe on Bamboo Island. Actually don't I like how quiet it is there and I don't want too many people to discover it :)

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