Chuxiong Prefecture Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)

Explore the oldest 'indigenous' inhabitants on Earth

🌞 Yuanmou Earth Forest, a geographical wonder full of mystery, as if we are in a distant and ancient planet. 🌏 Whenever the sun rises, the sunlight shines on the earth forest, the whole world seems to be surrounded by golden light, so beautiful that it takes one's breath away. 😍 👣 We first arrived at the entrance of Yuanmou Earth Forest. As soon as we entered the scenic area, we were shocked by the sight in front of us. A vast earth forest stands on the earth, each 'earth pillar' seems to be telling its own story. Among these 'earth pillars', my favorite is called 'Dizhu Peak'. It towers into the clouds, standing in the center of the earth forest, like a guardian, silently guarding this magical land. 😊 🌸 In the depths of Yuanmou Earth Forest, we also found a sea of pink flowers. These flowers, against the backdrop of the earth forest, look especially delicate. I feel as if I am in a fairy tale world, feeling the magic and beauty of nature. 🌸🌺 🌳 On this magical land, we also had a unique camping experience. At night, we sat around the campfire, looking up at the stars, enjoying the tranquility and harmony of nature. This camping experience made me deeply feel the beauty of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Tents, campfires, food, starry sky... everything is so perfect! ✨✨ In conclusion, Yuanmou Earth Forest is one of my favorite places. Here, I felt the magic and beauty of nature, and also experienced the beauty of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. If you also want to explore this mysterious earth forest world, you can take a trip on the spur of the moment! 🌈🌍 Earth Forest Geography of Nature Experience Coexistence of Man and Nature

Chuxiong Yuanmou Tulin Scenic Area is located in an area that is not easy to get to as there are only one or two trains per day that go to this area of China. If you want to visit - and you should - it is a great natural wonder - make sure you plan ahead for transportation and hotels. #happynewyear #happynewyear

Early Spring in Southeast Yunnan - A Riot of Colors Between Heaven and Earth (Part II): Yuanmou (Langbapu) Earth Forest

Today's destination is the Yuanmou Earth Forest. The bus travels from Kunming for 4-5 hours, arriving in the afternoon at the Yuanmou Earth Forest located in Chuxiong Prefecture of Yunnan. Although named 'forest', the Yuanmou Earth Forest has no trees; and though made of 'earth', it boasts a rich palette of colors and a variety of shapes. Sculpted by millions of years of wind and rain, the Yuanmou Earth Forest has become enchantingly beautiful. Set against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds, it resembles a mythical world. The unique and irreplaceable scenery is like majestic temples, formidable watchtowers, grand pagodas, and luxurious ancient castles - a masterpiece of nature beyond count. The Yuanmou Earth Forest is primitive, desolate, and rugged, with gullies, barren hills, and secluded valleys forming a wild ancient world. Thus, it has also become a popular filming location for many movies, including 'A Simple Noodle Story', 'The Promise', 'Little Big Soldier', 'The Zodiac Mystery', and 'Monster Hunt 2', among others. The beauty of the Earth Forest leaves you forever immersed in wonder, from shock to being unable to extricate yourself. It's like abandoned castles and ancient palaces, both tragic and time-worn, are displayed before the eyes of the world. Wandering through the Earth Forest, one can marvel at the greatness of nature and one's own insignificance. Langbapu Earth Forest, also known as Xinhua Earth Forest, is more than 30 kilometers away from Yuanmou County. The earth pillars of Langbapu Earth Forest are tall and dense, with a complete range of types. The tops are predominantly purplish-red, the upper-middle part is gray, and the lower-middle part is based on yellow. The tallest pillar reaches 28 meters. Viewed from above, Langbapu Earth Forest looks like a beautiful scar carved into the earth, perfectly blending the boundless expanse and the long history of nature. Facing it is like confronting a heart-stopping desolation and a profound silence of the ages. Langbapu Earth Forest is the best in terms of landscape quality, color richness, layering, and impact within Yuanmou County, rivaling even the Bryce Canyon in the United States. The magical and spectacular sights of the Yuanmou Earth Forest allow everyone to capture exquisite and unparalleled works with the press of a shutter. The best times for photography are during the morning glow and sunset, when the mountain patterns are clearly defined, the tones golden, vivid, and rich, creating dreamy and hazy masterpieces of light and shadow! Yuanmou Earth Forest

This otherworldly space is real, not a dream

The Yuanmou Earth Forest, located in Yuanmou County of the Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, was formed 1.5 million years ago. Coming here is like entering a distant and ancient planet. Walking among it, one marvels at the beauty of nature's creations, and it's hard to believe that one can actually traverse such a magical land. The Zanda Earth Forest in Tibet's Ali region is even larger and more spectacular, but I only saw it from the highway without actually walking into it. This time, truly entering the Yuanmou Earth Forest, the experience is completely different. Xu Xiake mentioned the Yuanmou Earth Forest in his 'Travel Notes in Dian, Volume 13', describing it as 'piled up like mica, as if one is amidst auspicious clouds and golden millet.' The earth forest is beautiful, especially at sunset. In the glow of the setting sun, the colors become even more vivid.

This is not Jiangnan, but Yunnan Yi Ancient Town

I am Brother Yan who lives in Yunnan. In Chuxiong City, an hour's drive from Kunming, I found a niche ancient town that 90% of people don't know about - Yi Ancient Town. What amazed me the most is that although Yi Ancient Town is a Yi ethnic ancient town, it is very similar to Jiangnan Water Town. A clear green river connects the entire ancient town. 🌊 Walking along the river through the ancient town, weeping willows, arch bridges, ancient towers, Yi buildings... It seems to have come to the misty Jiangnan, and every shot is beautiful. 📷 Key point❗️ There are very few tourists in Chuxiong, and the ancient town is very quiet, you can stroll around leisurely for a day. 1️⃣ How to get to Yi Ancient Town Depart from Kunming, Dali or Lijiang, take the high-speed rail to Chuxiong Station🚄 for one hour, and you can reach Yi Ancient Town by taxi or bus, no tickets required. 2️⃣ Travel guide During the day, it is recommended to stroll along the river through the ancient town, navigate to 'Fengxi Bridge', you can take pictures all the way, there are also some Yi ethnic houses and characteristic small shops, very beautiful. You can stay near Yi Ancient Town at night, the night market is very lively, you can take a night cruise. There are often people performing the local left foot dance at the entrance of the ancient town, which is very interesting. 3️⃣ Recommended photo spots 🟡 Fengxi Bridge: It looks very much like Jiangnan ancient building, very suitable for taking ancient style or Yi ethnic portraits 🟡 Craftsman Tea Making: A whole row of buildings are very beautiful 🟡 Haiyuntian: Standing on the bridge, with the ancient building as the background, there is a sense of crossing You can play in Yi Ancient Town for 1 day. If you still have spare time, you can go to the nearby 2km Taiyangli Park to play, a large area of pink Zi Dai grass is super beautiful.

Yunnan Trip | Have you ever seen the ancient Yi town at night? It's worth a visit

🏠Attraction: Yi People's Ancient Town Yi People's Ancient Town 📍Address: Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Chuxiong City, Yunnan Province 🎫Ticket: Free🆓 - Upon my first visit to the Yi People's Ancient Town, I was greeted by a bonfire party. Every night, people dance around the bonfire, locals and tourists alike, everyone dances together. Even I, who have never danced before, couldn't help but join in, laughing unrestrainedly and dancing to my heart's content. Letting go of stress, only happiness and joy remain🔥 - The ancient town is quite large, and it takes at least 3 hours to walk through. The night market is full of snacks, and you can eat your way from the streets to the alleys, enjoying to the fullest🉑️ - Many have seen the ancient town during the day, but at night, it is filled with human warmth and Yi ethnic charm. It makes one exclaim, what belongs to the nation belongs to the world👍 - I hope my share is useful to you, and I'm happy that you've seen my share~ If you find it useful, please like and save it. Your likes are the motivation for me to keep updating💪 -

Use the limited time to discover the beauty of the world~

This is the ancient Yi town in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture🤩~ A commercialized ethnic town😐, not particularly fun, with shops and stalls everywhere🛍. But it's great for taking photos📷~ Rest for half a day🕛, a two-hour drive🚗, coming from Yuanmou County, the national road is winding and bumpy, with only about 30 kilometers of highway🛣. 🚶Bought three bottles of water on the way🥤, and finally reached the destination🎯. With limited rest time🤔, it's also important to take a look at the surrounding scenery🌅, whether it's worth seeing or not, you won't know until you go🤷. Because we are aware that the nature of our work makes our lives very compact🙁, and we also know that if it weren't for working here, we might never come here for tourism in our lifetime🤦. So, in the limited time, let's take a closer look at the beauty of this world🥰~

Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture

One of the cradles of mankind, located in the Jinsha River basin, it bears the traces of the Yuanmou Man. It borders Kunming to the east, Dali to the west, and connects to Pu'er and Yuxi to the south. 📌 Visiting Yunnan is very worthwhile to experience the traditional culture of the Yi people. Yi Ancient Town

It's really Kunming! It's my private collection of 'National Geographic' scenery! It's not Xinjiang! It's not even Sichuan West!

Another 'National Geographic' style beauty Such a beautiful unfiltered jelly water is really in Kunming In Dongchuan, Kunming! I chased a blue 'sea' It's so romantic There are so many people who like the Jinsha River I have to post it here to let you know Yunnan Kunming and its surroundings have a vast expanse of Fuji blue jelly water, the endless mountains and canyons in the distance... Quiet, leisurely, the sun's raging river... It's a fairyland in the camping site!! This is the Jinsha River section of Dongchuan Port, Kunming, Yunnan Once a breathtaking outdoor treasure... Off-road, hiking, adventure, camping, crossing... Tips : 5h departure from Kunming Ma Di (Xiaohekou) Shot on 2021.5.1 Afterwards, I didn't see any bloggers taking notes~ The Jinsha River that I can't forget in my heart Ah! If uu has been there recently, you can share the current situation here in the comment section!!

Yunnan Yuanmou Jinsha Lake|This place is incredibly beautiful!!

|This place is incredibly beautiful!!. There is a lonely tree here And there are lively black goats The water of the Jinsha River really has magic, it looks like a sapphire from a distance, but it turns into a green jade up close Navigation: Bingnong Village (It's most convenient to travel with a one-day hiking group) Journey: It takes nearly five hours to drive from Kunming to the river. The journey is very hard. After getting off the highway, there is a long winding mountain road. The road condition is good, but there are many sharp turns, so you need to be prepared with motion sickness medicine and patches. The whole journey is very easy to hike, it's a very leisurely tour. But to take beautiful photos, sunlight is very important. With sunlight, the river water has vitality. There are no supply points along the river, so you need to bring enough water and dry food. There is a small village by the river. We ate at a villager's home. The villagers are very warm and simple. We ate freshly killed local chicken, but the villagers are not very good at cooking, the chicken soup was really too salty JinshaRiver

The Jinsha River is not what I imagined!!!

What I imagined was the 'golden sand water hitting the warm cloud cliff', but the Jinsha River in the Yuanmou section has become a 'large lake' with calm water due to the construction of the Wudongde Hydropower Station. The river is clear and green, coupled with the unique mountain scenery of the dry and hot river valley, it has a special beauty. A Red Army Memorial Hall has been built by the Jinsha River to commemorate that glorious revolutionary history. The memorial is built on a peninsula. You can park your car on the side of the road and walk over a long rainbow bridge to get there. Here you can receive patriotic education and it is also an excellent place to enjoy the scenery of the Jinsha River. Jinsha River

Dianzang Line 70

Dianzang Line 70 2023.09.24 Dianzang Line arrived at the second stop of the day at 10:00: Jinsha River Bay. This is an important scenic spot on the way from Meili Snow Mountain to Shangri-La, 'The First Bend of the Jinsha River', also known as Moon Bay, Jinsha River Bay, Jinsha River Big Bend, etc. Jinsha River Bay is located in Zigeng Township, Derong County, Sichuan, at the junction of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet. Here there are high mountains and deep valleys, layers of mountains, and cliffs. The mighty Jinsha River, coming from the hinterland of Tibet, seems to want to ease the fatigue of long-distance running when it is about to break through this Yunnan-Sichuan fortress, so it slows down and draws an 'Ω' arc around the pyramid-like Rizhui Peak. Unexpectedly, this impromptu work has created a geographical wonder in the world - the First Bend of the Jinsha River. Jinsha River

Kunming Surroundings | The Millennium Salt Capital - Heijing Ancient Town

Heijing Ancient Town day trip, there is only one train per day. 🦦 Travel Tips: 🚄 Kunming Station to Heijing 22.5💰, there is only one train per day, departing at 6:25 am and 4:22 pm. The morning time is quite early, if possible, you can find a place to rest near Kunming Station for the night. It's advisable to bring more drinking water, as there are almost no shops in the area. 🐎 Transportation: After the train arrives, there is a certain distance to Heijing Ancient Town. Upon exiting the station, there will be cars 🚗 and horse-drawn carriages 🐎 offering rides, with the price being five💰 per person. About Food: We randomly chose a small shop opposite the vegetable market to eat beef rice noodles, which were very affordable at only 8💰 per bowl and the meat was plentiful. We ate at Wu's at noon, which was a bit pricey. We ordered salt-baked chicken and pomegranate flower, and personally, I think the taste was just homemade, not as amazing as some netizens have described. Ancient Town Street: Suitable for a leisurely stroll, taking photos, and when tired, you can find a shop by the river to sit, rest, and space out. Temples: There seem to be several temples, and they all appear to charge an entrance fee. Interested friends can go have a look, and at Dalong Temple, you should be able to see Heijing. Baishi Spring Well: Requires a ride to get there (five💰 per person), tell the locals it's Yanyuan Valley, which is actually a place for hiking, the whole journey takes about half an hour. There are caves carved out on the mountain, so be sure to do good sun protection before climbing, although there are shaded pavilions along the way, it's really hot when the sun is out.

The peach blossoms are blooming one after another

🌟Highlights: 1. Take the high-speed train from Kunming to Lufeng, then transfer to the direct bus from Lufeng to Tuguan. It's a 70-plus kilometer drive, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes. 2. The peach blossoms are blooming, and you can take beautiful photos effortlessly. 3. Few people and beautiful scenery 4. Cultural landscapes of Lufeng: the hometown of dinosaurs—Dinosaur Valley, the Western Yunnan Highway, Jiuguan Shida Pu including the Lianxiang Pass, the salt capital, and the salt-producing area—Heijing Ancient Town (there are direct buses to each attraction) 5. The food is inexpensive (Lufeng rice is very tasty)

Yunnan has another super niche and low-key ancient town worth visiting—Heijing Ancient Town

I discovered another super niche and low-key ancient town in Yunnan, the once prosperous but now forgotten 'Millennium Salt Capital'—Heijing Ancient Town. The ancient town and its surrounding natural scenery are all in earthy yellow, giving a sense of desolation and barrenness. Some remaining buildings and slogans make one feel as if they have traveled back to the 1960s and 1970s. The ancient town is quite small, and it takes only about two hours to stroll around. There's not much commercial activity, so it's recommended to return on the same day or to visit other places. 📌Heijing Town, Lufeng City, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture. 🚃Take the green-skin train from Kunming to get there directly, about 2.5h. 🚗If driving by yourself, it takes about 2.5h from Kunming and about 1.5h from Chuxiong.

Chuxiong, Yunnan, is a hidden gem for travelers in Yunnan

It is known as the 'Hometown of Dinosaurs,' 'Lufengpithecus,' 'Yuanmou Man,' and features the Yuanmou Earth Forest, Lion Mountain Peony, Zixi Mountain Tea, and the Yi Solar Calendar. Come and experience the charm of the Yi people in China! In Chuxiong, you can see dinosaurs, wander through the Earth Forest, dress in Yi ethnic clothing to stroll through the ancient Yi capital, and deeply experience the slow-paced lifestyle. 🚗Transportation: You can fly directly to Kunming and then take a train or bus to Yuanmou County. 📍Train: There are several train routes from Kunming to Yuanmou. Trains starting with 'K' take about 4 hours, and a hard seat ticket costs around 40 yuan. 📍Bus: There are public buses from the Northwest Bus Station in Kunming directly to Yuanmou County, which takes about 3 hours to reach Yuanmou. ☀️Attractions: ✅Yuanmou Earth Forest: The Earth Forest is a group of columnar landforms shaped by soil deposits. Here you can see a variety of sand sculptures and mud carvings and a mysterious and bewildering geological landscape, making you feel as if you are in a magical palace of art. ✅Heijing Ancient Town: One of the four great ancient towns of Yunnan, it has been a place for tribute salt since ancient times. There are streets and alleys with Tang and Song Dynasty styles, residential buildings with Ming and Qing Dynasty styles, as well as steles, stone carvings, ancient pagodas, stone archways, ancient stages, and ancient temples, ancient salt wells, salt boiling households, etc., especially the well-preserved Ming and Qing architectural typical Wu family courtyard, all worth exploring slowly. 📍Famous attractions in Heijing Ancient Town include the Wu Family Courtyard, Longci, and Feilai Temple. ✅Zixi Mountain Scenic Area: The forest and exotic flowers and trees cover more than 96% of the area, with over 1500 species of plants and various natural landscapes, making it the largest forest park in Yunnan. 📍The camellias produced locally are a unique feature of Zixi Mountain. In the camellia garden near Ziding Temple, there is a camellia mother tree from the Yuan Dynasty, which is over 600 years old. ✅World Dinosaur Valley: This site has world-class dinosaur burial and excavation sites, which are the Jurassic late period dinosaur graveyards that shocked the world 180 million years ago. 📍There is also the world's number one mounted dinosaur fossil specimen and fossil boutique display. More than sixty Lufeng dinosaur fossil skeletons are mounted and displayed on the Santaplatz, with a majestic and truly shocking presence, setting a Guinness World Record!

The tranquil and deserted Lianxiang Pass fades from its former bustle

Like a scene from a fantasy world of immortals and martial heroes, it is truly worth visiting for photography. This year, the rapeseed flowers bloomed particularly early, and recently it is the peak of their bloom, which perfectly complements the ancient post roads. The small path in front of the fortress gate, which is a necessary pass from Zhongqing to the ancient capital of Yunnan, was historically known as 'Yixi Road,' an important part of the ancient southwestern Silk Road. Among the 'Nine Passes and Eighteen Lodges,' only the third pass, Lianxiang Pass, still exists today! It was originally built during the Ming Dynasty. The small village at this pass and the local residents live in harmony. Life is as plain as water yet profoundly real. From the entrance to the end of the pass, it stretches 750 meters, with five pass towers, one stone arch bridge, and dozens of salt merchant courtyards built along it. The ancient streets, residential courtyards, and Sanhua Temple are all there, with the hard bluestone road still clearly showing the hoof prints from years gone by.

Lianxiang Pass

The Ancient Tea Horse Road of Lianxiang Pass in Lufeng County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, is located on Yaostation Street, Jinshan Town. 'Lianxiang Pass' was established in the Ming Dynasty (the 16th year of Chongzhen, AD 1643). It consists of four major parts: five pass towers, ancient streets, residential courtyards, and Sanhua Temple. The total length from the entrance to the end of the pass is 750 meters, with five pass towers, one stone arch bridge, and dozens of salt merchant courtyards, truly a rare sight. The ancient post road of 'Lianxiang Pass' is 2 meters wide, paved with hard local bluestone. Despite years of erosion by wind and rain, the hoof prints left by horses can still be clearly seen. The 'Lianxiang Pass' tower is over 12 meters high and nearly 9 meters wide, a three-story building. The lower level is a semi-circular city gate hole made of bluestone, and the second and third levels are wooden structures with circular corridors, battlements, and more. After entering the gate, another 50 meters leads to a pass tower called 'Guojie Tower', which is also a three-story building with flying eaves and a majestic presence; 200 meters further inside the pass is the 'West Gate Tower'; 50 meters from the West Gate Tower is the 'Chongguan Tower', which is the exit passage; outside the Chongguan Tower is also built the 'Dengmen Tower'. When you enter the ancient houses of the past, they are almost more than 100 meters deep, with three quadrangles and a layout of interconnected towers. Inside the courtyard, there are carvings of dragons and phoenixes, and the craftsmanship of the hollow-carved doors and windows is exquisite.

The peach blossoms are blooming one after another

🌟Highlights: 1. Take the high-speed train from Kunming to Lufeng, then transfer to the direct bus from Lufeng to Tuguan. It's a 70-plus kilometer drive, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes. 2. The peach blossoms are blooming, and you can take beautiful photos effortlessly. 3. Few people and beautiful scenery 4. Cultural landscapes of Lufeng: the hometown of dinosaurs—Dinosaur Valley, the Western Yunnan Highway, Jiuguan Shida Pu including the Lianxiang Pass, the salt capital, and the salt-producing area—Heijing Ancient Town (there are direct buses to each attraction) 5. The food is inexpensive (Lufeng rice is very tasty)

Lufeng Dinosaur Valley

The hiking trail at Lufeng Dinosaur Valley is truly amazing! Along the way, you can see the interesting settlement organization within the village of Dinosaur Valley, the beautiful Yunnan-style vernacular architecture, and an ancient path at the entrance of the village that is filled with historical vicissitudes. Then, as you reach the mountain, you walk along the old trail of the Yunnan-Burma Railway, overlooking from the mountain, the scenery of the valley below is unobstructed, and you can also see several beautiful bridges and tunnels—these are the nationally protected 'Yunnan-Burma Railway Dinosaur Valley Bridge and Tunnel Group'. The bridge and tunnel group, once part of the railway line, has now been abandoned and become a monument, but it has been revitalized in outdoor tourism, spontaneously completing adaptive reuse without the help of professional architects or planners.