Yunnan
云南 · Yúnnán
Lijiang Old Town (Dayan) · Photo: chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0
4Cities
75Sights
Cities in Yunnan
1–2 daysKunming昆明Mild weather all year and the gateway to Yunnan.
2–3 daysLijiang丽江A canal-lined old town under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
2–3 daysDali大理Erhai Lake, Bai villages and a laid-back old town.
2–3 daysXishuangbanna西双版纳Tropical rainforest, Dai culture and the Mekong.Top sights
石林风景区Stone Forest (Shilin)A UNESCO-listed maze of grey limestone pillars, 90 km southeast of Kunming.
云南省博物馆Yunnan Provincial MuseumBronzes of the ancient Dian kingdom and the story of Yunnan’s 25 ethnic minorities.
翠湖公园Green Lake ParkThe city’s favourite park: lotus ponds, dancing groups and, in winter, clouds of gulls.
丽江古城（大研古城）Lijiang Old Town (Dayan)A UNESCO-listed Naxi market town of cobbled lanes, canals and wooden houses.
黑龙潭公园Black Dragon PoolA spring-fed pool with a marble bridge and pavilion, framed by Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on clear days.
木府Mu PalaceThe rebuilt residence of the Mu family, the Naxi chieftains who ruled Lijiang for centuries.
大理古城Dali Old TownA walled Ming-era town of stone streets, Bai-style gates and streams running down from the mountains.
洱海生态廊道Cycling the Erhai Lake corridorA car-free lakeside path on Erhai’s western shore, through fields and Bai fishing villages.
崇圣寺三塔Three Pagodas of Chongsheng TempleThree white pagodas, the tallest over 1,100 years old, with a huge rebuilt temple behind.
告庄西双景星光夜市Gaozhuang Starlight Night MarketJinghong’s big night market by the Mekong: rows of lantern-lit stalls with grilled food, tropical fruit, clothes and handicrafts.
野象谷Wild Elephant ValleyA rainforest reserve where wild Asian elephants sometimes come to drink, seen from raised walkways and a cable car over the canopy.
中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenA huge research garden on a river island at Menglun, with palm and bamboo collections, giant water lilies and a patch of real rainforest.