Map of Yunnan Province

Author: Wang Ruiping, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Yunnan Province, located in southwestern China, covers an area of 394,000 square kilometers with an average elevation of 2,000 meters and a population of 40 million. It borders Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam in the west and southwest, with a land boundary of over 4,000 kilometers. The province is divided into 17 prefectures, cities, and autonomous prefectures, with Kunming as its capital. Yunnan is one of the birthplaces of the Chinese nation. As early as 1.7 million years ago, Yuanmou Man thrived here. It was an important passage and port of the ancient southern Silk Road in China. The landscape is magnificent, and the ecological environment is exceptionally beautiful. There are high mountains with snow-capped peaks reaching 6,740 meters in elevation, yet no one has ever reached the summit. There are ancient and dense primeval forests, perilous and deep gorges, stone forests formed by karst landscapes, and attractions like the Jiu Xiang Cave System. Yunnan has 25 ethnic minorities, making it the province with the most ethnic groups in China. The numerous ethnic groups, diverse languages, and varied customs create a colorful tapestry of folk culture, adding a mystical charm to Yunnan. Yunnan has 10 national-level scenic areas and 48 provincial-level scenic areas. The main tourist routes are: the southeastern Yunnan tour route centered around Stone Forest, Ailu Ancient Cave, Qiubei, Puzhehei, Luoping, and Rubuge; the northwestern Yunnan tour route centered around Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Diqing; and the southwestern Yunnan tour route centered around Kunming, Simao, and Xishuangbanna. Yunnan is a vital gateway for China to Southeast Asia. With convenient transportation, abundant tourism resources, and increasingly improved tourism reception facilities, Yunnan Province has become one of China's most developed tourism provinces and is an ideal travel destination. A journey of nature in Yunnan, a journey of mystery in Yunnan.