Major Places of Interest in Yunnan Kunming       (Altitude: 1890 meters) Capital of Yunnan, the political, economical, cultural, scientific and technological center, has a history of more than 2400 years. It was the gateway to the Silk Road that promoted trade with Tibet, Sichuan, Myanmar and India. The city is one of China's best tourist destinations. Kunming is known as a city of "Eternal Spring" without cold winter and hot summer, the average temperature is 9ºC in winter and 23ºC in summer. Annual average temperature is 15.1ºC.With the karst landform, exotic ethnic minorities, rich culture, Kunming is attracting more and more visitors from home and abroad. Main Scenic Spots Stone Forest: A world natural heritage site and world geological park with numerous stone peaks, pillars, and stalagmites stemming from underground and towering into the sky, looking like a vast forest of stone, hence the name "Stone Forest". Western Hills: A forest park, a place to have bird's view of Kunming, a place for hiking and trekking, is a mountain range with several temples, grottoes, pavilions, footpaths. Bamboo Temple: A Buddhist temple famous for the 500 life-sized clay statues of arhats. Dianchi Lake: Lies to the south of Kunming, 370 square kilometers in area, 44 meters in depth, and 1,885 meters in altitude, is the eighth largest lake in China and the largest in Yunnan Province. For its exceptional charms the lake is nicknamed "Pearl" on Plateau. The Golden Temple: Celebrated for the heaviest bronze temple in China, 6.7 meters in height and 7.8 meters in width, and cast of 250 tons of solid bronze, and a 18-ton bell which is the third heaviest one in China. Dali        (Altitude: 1970 meters) Located in southwest Yunnan, Dali is 400 kilometers away from Kunming. It was once the capital of Nanzhao State, the political, cultural and economical center of Yunnan in the ancient history. And Dali boasts of one of the country's seven freshwater lakes-Erhai Lake and 19 mountain peaks and 18 streams. Major Tourist Attractions Three-Pagoda Temple: Renowned for the majestic three pagodas which were built between 823 and 1108. The main pagoda has 16-stories with close eaves and hollow inside. It stands 69.13 meters. The other two octagonal flanking pagodas, one in the south and the other in the north, are ten-story, each rising 42.19 meters And the Temple was the Buddhist center of Nanzhao State. Old Town of Dali: 13 kilometers south of new town-Xiaguan, at the foot of the Cangshan Mountains in the west and overlooks the Erhai Lake in the east, the town was built in 1382 A.D. as the capital of the Dali State. The original city wall was 8 meters high and 6 kilometers long with four gates and towers in the east, the west, the south and the north. Presently only the southern and northern gates remain. The layout of the ancient city resembles a chessboard. Inside there are the typical houses of the Bai ethnic minority. The brooks from the Cangshan Mountain flow through the streets and lanes then finally into the Erhai Lake, and there are many historical relics and places of interest. The famous "Foreigners' Street" boasts of many tea houses, antique shops, Chinese and Western restaurants. Erhai Lake & Cangshan Mountains: The Lake is 40 kilometers in length, and 7 to 8 kilometers in width. With crystal clear waters and isles, a boat ride is worth your while. The Mountains: The 19 peaks extend 50 kilometers from the north to the south with 18 streams running into the Lake, is known for the four spectacular views: "Clouds, Snow, Peaks and Streams". Chicken Foot Mountain: 90 kilometers from the new town. It is one of the five famous Buddhist mountains in China. A complex of temples remains there. The three peaks in the front and the ridge at the back resemble a chicken foot, hence the name. From the second floor of the Lengyan Tower on the top of the hills, the Cangshan Mountains, the Three Pagodas and the Erhai Lake can be seen standing face to face to the west, and the snowy Yulong Mountain to the north. Lijiang       (Altitude: 2410 meters) 200 kilometers to northwest of Dali, it's celebrated for its rich local Naxi ethnic minority culture, magnificent snowy mountains, picturesque sceneries. Major Tourist Attractions The Old Town: One of the world cultural heritage sites, which was built in the middle of a flatland at the foot of the Yulong Snow Mountain. It got its name "Dayan Zheng"(the Town of Big Ink Slab) because the town is surrounded by tree-covered mountains on all sides with crystal clear water running in the middle of it. It has the appearance of a big jade ink slab. The town covers an area of 3.8 square kilometers. Black Dragon Pool: A park situated just at the foot of the Elephant Hill with the reflection of Yulong Snow Mountain in the pool, structures include the One-cent Pavilion, Moon-Embracing Hall, Five-Phoenix Hall and the Five-Arch Bridge, are found there. Along the side of the Elephant Hill, there are also a number of new springs that flows out of the Pool; to the south of the pool is a small waterfall where the water also flows into the Old Town. The Yulong (Jade Dragon) Snow Mountain: The highest point in the mountain reaches a height of 5596 meters. Above the height of 4500 meters, you can find 19 marine glaciers extending to a width of 30 meters and approximately 100 meters in length. There are cable cars available that will bring you to a height of 4506 meters above sea level. Looking from afar, the mountain resembles a Jade Dragon, hence the name "Jade Dragon Snow Mountain". First Bend of Yangtze River: A sharp turn of the River from the south to the north, forming part of a spectacular view. Tiger-Leaping Gorge: Lies between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain, this spectacular site is about 55 kilometers north of Lijiang. A tiger was said to leap across the gorge with the help of a large rock in the middle of the rapid river, hence the name. The Gorge is divided into upper, middle and lower sections. The whole length of is about 30 kilometers. The narrowest part of the gorge is only 30 meters. The deepest is more than 3000 meters which is believed to be the world's deepest. Lugu Lake: 200 kilometers from Lijiang, deepest point is 93.5 meters, one of the deepest in China. The lake is home to the Musuo people, a subgroup of the Naxi ethnic minority who retain the vestiges of a matriarchal society, and known for its exotic marriage customs. Shangri-La       (Altitude: 3280 meters) 190 kilometers further northwest to Lijiang, a Tibetan inhabited region, In 1939, the British novelist James Hilton wrote a book named "Lost Horizon", in which he described a paradise-like and peaceful land. He named it Shangri-La. According to the historical record, in 1944 there was indeed an American transport plane which crashed in the town of Zhongdian in Yunnan while flying over the Sino-Indian air route. After a careful investigation into these events, it was determined that the beautiful "Shangri-La" described in "Lost Horizon" is, in fact, the county of Zhongdian. Main Scenic Spots Bitahai Lake: At an elevation of 3539 meters, it is 25 kilometers away from the town. Big trees that cast shadows on the lake reflect a charming landscape, which varies in four seasons. It is most fascinating, however when intoxicated fish floating in the lake after they eat azalea petals. Napahai Lake: A seasonal lake lies on the northwestern grassland of 8 kilometers away from the town. Whenever the autumn comes, many kinds of birds will come. They would fly over and stay around the tents of herdsmen casually. The Gandansongzanlin Monastery: A Tibetan Buddhist temple, 3 kilometers away from down, it was built in the Ming Dynasty as one of the 13 big Lamaist Temples in the region. It is composed of well-arranged flat-roof houses row on row from the foot to the top of the hill, like a neatly set-up castle. Meili Snowy Mountain: The highest peaks of Yunnan, lies to the north east, 184 kilometers away from town. There are 13 peaks which average elevations are over 6000 meters. Among them, the Kagebo peak with 6740 meters high above the sea level is the highest one in Yunnan. Xishuangbanna       (Altitude: 500 meters) Located in the subtropical zone of south Yunnan, Xishuangbanna enjoys a mild and humid climate. The boundless primeval forest and the countless rare and precious animal varieties make Xishuangbanna the unique place in the country. Places of Interest Wild Elephants Valley: It is actually a nature reserve for tropical rainforest and wild lives. Here in jungle live about 70 wild Asian elephants. Wild elephants usually come out at night, so people built a small hotel on tops of trees in forest for tourists who want to observe wild elephants closely. Manfeilong White Stupas: Locating at the Manfeilong Village of 67 kilometers away from Jinghong city, the group of stupas were built in 1204. They are very famous in Southeast Asia and there is a huge footprint in its niche there which was said to be left by Buddha and very sacred to Buddhists. Ganlanba: An area lying by the Mekong River where you can see the most typical Dai villages and picturesque countryside views. Tropical Botanical Garden: Located on Gourd Island of Menglun Township, 96 kilometers from Jinghong City. The garden covers an area of around 900 hectares. And more than 3000 kinds of tropical and subtropical plants from home and abroad grow there. Octagonal Pavilion: An architecture displaying craftsmanship of Dai people, 80 kilometers away from Jinghong, and served as a meeting room for senior monks. Mekong River: 1187.5 kilometers long in Xishuangba. The upper section is 135 kilometers long from Jinghong to Tiger Leaping Gorge while the lower section is 40 kilometers in length from Jinghong to Ganlanba. Tengchong       (Altitude: 1600 meters) Located in the western part of Yunnan, and 700 kilometers away from Kunming, this area is composed of hot springs and clusters of extinct volcanoes as well as beautiful natural sceneries and points of historical and cultural interest. Ruili       (Altitude: 760 meters) A foggy town, 839 kilometers from Kunming, it is a beautiful land covered by green subtropical rainforest, and dotted with big Banyan trees, each one looking like a forest. Hinayana Buddhist temples can be seen everywhere around the area. It is also a center of border trade between Laos, Burma. Liuku       (Altitude: 900 meters) Located in northwestern tip of Yunnan and 580 kilometers away from Kunming, Liuku is the capital of Nujiang prefecture. It is a destination under further exploration, yet it offers breathtaking views with the Great Canyon of Nu River extending 600 kilometers in Yunnan only! What's more, the average depth of the River is more than 2000 meters! Jianshui       (Altitude: 1300 meters) 220 kilometers south of Kunming , it is renowned for its old constructions like the city gate, the Zhu's Family Garden, the bridge west of town, the Confucian temple, etc. It is also one of the earliest developed cities in south Yunnan that enjoys the fame of being an ancient cultural city and important gateway. Since the Yuan Dynasty, it was the political, cultural and communication center in south Yunnan. Yuanyang       (Altitude: between 150-1650 meters) 90 kilometers from Jianshui, it's one of the best places to view the terraced fields which extends kilometers from mountain top to valley bottom, and it is an ideal place to experience local ethnic minorities'lives. Luoping       (Altitude: between 722-2468 meters) 229 kilometers from Kunming, famous for its annual rape flower festival with a world of rape in full bloom in early spring. The area is made up of three parts: the Jiulong Waterfalls, the Duoyi River and the Three Gorges of Lubuge. Puzhehei       (Altitude: 1400 meters) 286 kilometers from Kunming, it is made up of numerous lakes, brooks, peaks, caves, which connected with each other. It is a perfect combination presenting a picture of peaks in the water, caves in the peaks, brooks in the caves. In summer, it is even nicer with the lotus in bloom. On the 21 kilometers of aquatic tourist route connecting 54 lakes, you can see more than 300 peaks, large expanse of lotus, 83 caves.