Yunnan boasts its rich tourist resources. Tourists can always find a pleasing place there even in cold winter. Today, we recommend you some featured places to visit.

For those who feel depressed in bleak winter, to admire beautiful winter-flowering cherries that are in full bloom on Wuliang Mountain would be a superior choice.

Cherries on Wuliang Mountain are in full bloom. [Provided to InKunming]

The winter-flowering cherries bloom on Wuliang Mountain every December. [Provided to InKunming]

Admiring flowering cherries on Wuliang Mountain

Wuliang Mountain is located in Jingdong Yi Autonomous County(景东彝族自治县) of Pu'er City and Nanjian County(南涧县) of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. The mountain stretches over 89 kilometers from north to south, 50 kilometers from west to east, and covers 233.55 square kilometers. Its main peak reaches 3,375 meters.

Wuliang Mountain was called Mengle Mountain(蒙乐山) in days of yore. The mountain was firstly renowned by the public for Tianlongbabu(天龙八部), a famous novel written by Jin Yong(金庸), a famous Chinese writer.

In Jin's novel, Wuliang Mountain was endowed with mystery and with many legendary stories happening there. In the real world, the mountain was rated as a National Nature Reserve in 2000. It is featured with precipitous peaks, dense forests, varied species, as well as delicate sceneries.

Travel tips:

The valley with winter-flowering cherries is sited in Wuliangshan Town(无量山镇), Nanjian County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. Cherries bloom there in December every year.

The valley is about 51 kilometers away from the downtown of Nanjian County.

Intended visitors can selfdrive there via G5 Hangzhou-Ruili(瑞丽) Expressway from Kunming or Dali, then head over Nanjian County via G214 Expressway. After arriving at Nanjian County, visitors had better drive in the direction of Yun County(云县) via the former G214 Road for about 11 kilometers, and will see the gate of the valley.

Visitors can also take buses to Nanjian County, and then transfer buses from Nanjian County to Yun County. The gate of the valley is set on the roadside.

The nearest lodging place is in Wuliangshan Town.

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Besides enjoying beautiful flowers, to take a bath in a hot spring is also a super excellent choice for getting warm in the winter. With regard to hot springs in the province, we can't help mentioning the famous Thermal Sea Scenic Area of Tengchong County.

Picture shows a volcano in Tengchong County. [Provided to InKunming]

Picture shows a hot spring in the Thermal Sea Scenic Area of Tengchong County. [Provided to InKunming]

Enjoying a hot spring bath in Tengchong County

The thermal area of Tengchong County is a well-known volcanic geothermal field in China. With around 80 large hot springs distributed there, it is crowned as the best host spring site across the country. The thermal area is a visual feast as well as an important scientific base. It is said the thermal sea which possesses varied mineral substances has geat health value to human beings.

Expect for the hot springs, Tengchong County is also famous for its volcanoes. The county has a total of 99 volcanoes, 25 of which are of great ornamental value. The most representative volcanoes are located in the Volcano Park Scenic Area.

The Thermal Sea and the Volcano Park Scenic Area is prepared for the assessment of national 5A level scenic spot this year. It was evaluated as a national 4A level scenic spot in 2003.

Travel tips:

The Thermal Sea and the Volcano Park Scenic Area is 20 kilometers away from the downtown of Tengchong County. The Thermal Sea Scenic Area and the Volcano Park Scenic Area charges an admission fee of 30 yuan and 40 yuan each visitor respectively.

Tengchong County is about 700 kilometers away from Kunming, which may take around a 12-hour's drive. Intended visitors can drive along the G56 Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway via Kunming-Chuxiong-Dali-Baoshan.

Riding buses or taking planes are also available for visitors to get Tengchong County.

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Recently, traditional villages have become hot tourist destinations after the issue of the Chinese Traditional Villages List. We have unveiled several remote ancient villages of Yunnan previously. Today, we introduce you two more featured traditional villages in Yunnan.

Picture shows the full view of the "stone city". [Provided to InKunming]

Boshan village(宝山石头城): a rock-featured village in Lijiang

About 120 kilometers away from Lijiang Ancient Town sits the Baoshan Village. The village is located on the bank of Jinsha River(金沙江), and belongs to Baoshan Town, Yulong Nakhi Autonomous County(玉龙纳西族自治县), Lijiang City. It has witnessed a history of 1,300 years. At present, 108 Naxi families live there.

Baoshan Village is also called the "rock town". Dwelling houses in the village are all built on a 0.6-square-kilometer's mushroom-shaped rock. In addition, furnitures in the village, such as beds, water tanks, cabinets, etc are all made and caved on the basis of the rock.

The village is surrounded by 3 cliffs on its south, west, and north, and the Jinsha River on its east. Only a stone gate and a path in its southwest connect the village with the outer world.

Over the past years, Baoshan Village has underwent great development in tourism. More than 10 hotels have been built in the village. However, its unique dwelling houses are still reserved.

Travel tips:

The "rock town" is about 110 kilometers away from the Lijiang Ancient Town.

There are direct buses connecting Lijiang and Baoshan Village. Buses depart from Lijiang at 8:00 every day and charge about 50 yuan each person. Visitors can also charter a minibus or a taxi to get there.

Riding a bus to Baoshan Village may take about 6 hours, and chartering a minibus or a taxi may take about 5 hours.

Lodging price in the village is about 20 yuan per person.

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Most people are familiar with the Lijiang Ancient Town and the Dali Ancient Town. However, few people know remote villages there. We just introduce the Baoshan Village of Lijiang City, then we will present you the Sideng Village, a traditional village in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.

Picture shows the scenary of Sideng Village(寺登村). [Provided to InKunming]

Sideng Village: a paradise in the Ancient Tea & Horse Trade Route

Sideng Village is located in Shaxi Town(沙溪镇), Jianchuan County(剑川县), Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.

The village is named after Sideng Street. In Bai people's dialect, Sideng Street literally means a street with a temple. The Xingjiao Temple(兴教寺) in Sideng Street is the largest preserved temple of a Buddhism tantra, Acarya(阿吒力).

Sideng Village was boomed since Tang (618 A.D-907 A.D) and Song (960 A.D-1279 A.D) Dynasties for the prosperity of the Ancient Tea and Horse Trade Road. At that time, the village was crowned as the most beautiful village and the paradise for caravans.

Architectures such as antique drama stages, alleys, Bai people's dwelling houses, ancient temples are well reserved in the village. As the only preserved ancient bazaar in the Ancient Tea and Horse Trade Road, the village made its mark in the 101 World Monuments List in 2002 by the World Monuments Fund.

Nowadays, the village has seen faster development in tourism. Many foreign tourists have visited the time-honored village. They enjoy sitting still in the village, as if listening to the clear jingling of horse bells echoed over hundreds of years.

Travel tips:

Intended visitors can go to Jianchuan County by bus first, then transfer to Sideng Village.

Minibuses also connect Sideng Village and Jianchuan County in the terminal bus station of Jianchuan County, which charge about 8 yuan per person.

Jianchuan County is about 126 kilometers from Dali, and about 503 kilometers from Kunming. Buses that depart from Kunming, Dali, Lijiang to Jianchuan County are provided.

Visitors can also go to Sideng Village by self-driving. You are recommended to drive via the G56 Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway to Dali first, and then drive along the Yunnan-Tibet Road via Zhoucheng(周城)-Dengchuan(邓川)-Eryuan(洱源) for about 120 kilometers. After arriving at South Chudian Town(出甸南镇) of Jianchuan County, you should keep driving in the direction of Shibao Mountain(石宝山) for about 10 kilometers and turn left in the fork of the road. Then you should drive for another 12 kilometers, and you will arrive at Sideng Village.

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(Editors: Tracy, Cathy Chen)