Yunnan Province Attractions
Golden Temple Park
Golden Temple Park (Jindian gongyuan) includes two of Kunming’s most notable temples. Taihe Temple is Yunnan’s most active and important Taoist temple. The Golden Temple, from the Ming Dynasty, also Taoist is made almost entirely of bronze, weighing 280 tons, and is the heaviest and b...
Golden Temple Park (Jindian gongyuan) includes two of Kunming’s most notable temples. Taihe Temple is Yunnan’s most active and important Taoist temple. The Golden Temple, from the Ming Dynasty, also Taoist is made almost entirely of bronze, weighing 280 tons, and is the heaviest and best preserved of China’s four largest bronze temples.
How to get there: Golden Temple Park is located on Phoenix Song Mountain, 8 km northeast of Kunming, near the World Horticultural Exposition Gardens. A 15 RMB cable car will take you to the Golden Temple from the Expo Gardens. Bus 10 will take you there from Yuantong Temple. A taxi from the center of town will cost 20 - 30 RMB.
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Kunming City Zoo
Kunming is not world famous for its zoo. The zoo is probably what one would consider a "standard Chinese zoo" and comes outfitted with all of the required amenities, including lots of steel bars, cages, and of course, concrete. There are a few nice parts of the zoo, es...
Kunming is not world famous for its zoo. The zoo is probably what one would consider a "standard Chinese zoo" and comes outfitted with all of the required amenities, including lots of steel bars, cages, and of course, concrete. There are a few nice parts of the zoo, especially the undeveloped area, and it might make a nice sunny afternoon if you can handle the borderline animal cruelty. If parents with younger children are running out of ideas, a family might also enjoy the zoo. Be advised though, it is rumored that a Chinese child was mauled to death by a tiger from one of the shows at the zoo last year. The author is not aware of the current status, but as of recently people were welcome to take photographs with some of the big cats (for a fee of course) at the zoo with little safety precautions taken.
How to get there: The Kunming City Zoo is between Yuantong Dong Lu and Yuantong Jie near Yuantong Temple, not too far from Yunnan University. Tell a taxi driver "Kunming Dongwu Yuan."
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Green Lake Park
Green Lake Park (Cuihu gongyuan) is downtown Kunming’s nicest (and only) park. Compared to lakes in other cities, like Xi Hu in Hangzhou, Green Lake Park is not all that special. However, it is a nice place to take a sunny afternoon stroll and is conveniently located betwe...
Green Lake Park (Cuihu gongyuan) is downtown Kunming’s nicest (and only) park. Compared to lakes in other cities, like Xi Hu in Hangzhou, Green Lake Park is not all that special. However, it is a nice place to take a sunny afternoon stroll and is conveniently located between Yunnan University and the Bird and Flower Market.
The entrance fee to the islands in the park is 2 RMB. It is probably worth the entrance fee, but there is nothing inside that is so wonderful - mostly old people playing majiang and hanging out. If desired, one could rent a paddle boat to take out on the lake.
Green Lake is pleasant all year round, but the best time to visit is during the winter when red-beaked gulls from Siberia migrate south and make their home in Cuihu and Dian Chi for the coldest months of the year (Dec - Feb). During that time it tends to get a bit chilly in Kunming, but the temperature rarely drops much below freezing (0 degrees C / 32 F). The road bordering the park is lined with restaurants, cafes, tea houses, hotels, and bars.
How to get there: Green Lake Park is located in Downtown Kunming near Yunnan University. There are many buses that will get you there, including the number 1, 101, and 133. On the number 1 bus, get off at the Yunnan University stop and walk south. The 133 circumnavigates the park, stopping in 3 places around Green Lake. Take bus 101 from the train station, which will also circumnavigate the park. From Yunnan University walk south - Green Lake is located between Dong Feng Xi Lu and Hua Shan Xi lu, Wenlin Jie and Renmin Zhong Lu. If you take a taxi, tell the driver "Cuihu gongyuan."
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Yunnan Province Articles
Beatiful place of Lugu Lake
ladies and gentlemen,today i am going to talking the beatiful place lugu lake .
...ladies and gentlemen,today i am going to talking the beatiful place lugu lake .
lugu lake is a national four -a area which is located in a provincal senic area at the junction of sichuan and yunnan provinces,the people living there are the minority ethnic group called the moso.the moso people is the only matriarcal societyand still use the walking marriage systerm .
lugu lake is sourounded by the green mountains ,the forests there are abandant ,beatiful scenery ,freash air ,and clear water.
there is a interesing local legend spreading on the formation of lugu lake.in the long past ,here was a village and the village had a orpha.everyday he went out to grazi animals,of couse he is good at feeding animals,one day he fell asleep on a tree on the hill dreaming of a big fish said to him :good boy i feel very sorry to you ,from now on you neednt bring your lunch any more,just cut the meat on me.when the boy woke up ,he searched the fishand finally found it in a cave.he cut a peice of the meat and buned it to eat .it tasted very delicious.the nest day he went there again,he found it amazing that where he cut off yesterday now covered withed fresh meat again .some geady found out this .they wanted the fish for themselves and used nine houres and nine cattles with a hard pull,finally pulled the fish out the holl.than dester came.a instant flood started spewing out from the holl,and unindated the village .while a moso women was feeding pigs ,two of her children were playing by her side.the mother roushed to see the flood and put the babies to a pig troogh,unfortantly the motjer was dronwed under the water.the children who were drafting in the trough then became the moso ansestors
so here we have the story of the moso race .these people history has been tied to the beatiful lugu lake .
does it leave a deep impression on you ?if so,if you have time and money please catch it ,you wlii be moved by the beatiful place.
When is the BEST time in Lijiang?
Spring(Mar to May) is the best season to Lijiang.
Neither cold nor hot, average temperatue is about 17゜C,Blue and clear sky every day,Jade Dragon Snow Mountain can be seen from every where,and flowers in blossom,few toursits.
...Spring(Mar to May) is the best season to Lijiang.
Neither cold nor hot, average temperatue is about 17゜C,Blue and clear sky every day,Jade Dragon Snow Mountain can be seen from every where,and flowers in blossom,few toursits.
Winter is also very nice season to Lijiang,especially to visit the Jade Dragon Snow mountain and
The Yangtze River,During Nov to Jun,it's the dry season,most clean and blue sky in the year,it's very
warm in the daytime,temperature usually above 12゜C,up to 25゜C,but it could be -7゜C at night. You might find you're the only tourist in the old town,as Very few tourists come in Winter. It's also the
cheapest season to come.
Autumn(during Sep to Oct) is not bad,it rains some times,the problem is too many tourists and no
snow in the Mountain.
Summer(during late Jun to Agu) is a very bad time to come to Lijiang.Heave rain very offen, a lot of landslide, too fogy to see the snow Mountain,acctually very little snow in the mountain in Summer.Very very Crowded everywhere! Much more expensive to come,as everything double the price.
So Spring>Winter=>Autumn>>>>Summer
To go or not to go
I saw some comments on travel website saying:Lijiang's a place like Chinese Disneyland full of tourists and souvenir shops,so I don't reccommend travellers to go there.
...I saw some comments on travel website saying:Lijiang's a place like Chinese Disneyland full of tourists and souvenir shops,so I don't reccommend travellers to go there.
Based on my experience,I regard 90% of the total tourists are stupid! They are just traveling in Longly Planet,which means staying in the hotels where LP reccommends to stay,seeing what LP tells to see,eating in the places where LP reccommends to eat! Who wrote the LP? Travellers! As I've never seen a word in the LP written by Lijiang Local. Stop following the Longly Planet,as it only takes you to the touristy places.Lijiang with a total area of 20,000 Square kilometers, only 10% of the area is touristy where you see big groups of tourists,the rest area are very few visited by tourists. So,don't be hesitated to come to Lijiang,it's still a very nice place for tourists(it's said it's one the 100 places people should visit in their lifetime),but you need some correct information before coming here.
Nice but not touristy places in Lijiang:
1 Daju(the real Shangri-la in the world)
2 Stone Drum Old Town
3 Yuhu Village
4 Places by the Yangtze River most are very nice
5 Zhiyun Tibetan Buddhism Monastery
6 Wenhai,a village inhabited by the Naxi,the Tibetan and the Yi,it's a beautiful valley surrounded by snow mountain.2800 meter in altitude and 25 kms away from Lijiang Old town,nice place for hiking!!!
Top Yunnan Province Tours
$157 Per Day
Lijiang highlights tour
Day 1 Take direct flight to Lijiang, or transfer from Kunming to Lijiang. Day 2 Tour around the Old Town, including the Sifang Square, Lion Hill and Zhongyi fruit and vegetable market; Black Dragon Pool; Luch in beautiful leisure Shuhe Old Town, then drive 1/2 hrs to Lashi Lake for horse riding around Naxi villages and boating on the peaceful lake. Dinner in a Naxi family. For culture lovers, you may check out the Naxi Antient Music Concert at 8pm.. Mr....Read more
Day 1 Take direct flight to Lijiang, or transfer from Kunming to Lijiang. Day 2 Tour around the Old Town, including the Sifang Square, Lion Hill and Zhongyi fruit and vegetable market; Black Dragon Pool; Luch in beautiful leisure Shuhe Old Town, then drive 1/2 hrs to Lashi Lake for horse riding around Naxi villages and boating on the peaceful lake. Dinner in a Naxi family. For culture lovers, you may check out the Naxi Antient Music Concert at 8pm.. Mr. Xuanke, the conductor of the band, who stayed 29 years in prison as a high scholar in last century, has amazing stories sharing with you. Day 3 Drive 40 kms to the Jade Dragon Snow Mt., watch the show Impression Lijiang, which is something you can not miss coming to this area ( 70 munites long). Then take cable car to the Glacier Park ( altitude at 4500 meters), or Yak Meadow ( 3800 meters high), or Spruce Meadow ( 3300 meters high); Blue Moon Valley, where the water is naturally blue and green; Yufeng Lama Temple and Baisha Fresco on the way back. In Lijiang, 10 percent of population is Tibetan. Tibetan Buddhism came to Lijiang and Naxi people in 700 A.D.. Day 4 Drive 2.5 hrs to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Due to your health and energy level, we can either go to the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is the most beautiful part, or just the normal tour spots for 2 hrs walking along the river. Drive back to Lijiang. Day 5 Take a morning flight to your next destination.
$300 Per Day
lijiang tiger leaping gorge white water terrace to Shangri-la
Fourdays trip from lijiang to shangri-la back to lijiang Day1 Pick up from lijiang 2hours drive byprivate car to qiao tou ,then hike from qiaotou take 5hours to tea hourse sleep there....Read more
Fourdays trip from lijiang to shangri-la back to lijiang Day1 Pick up from lijiang 2hours drive byprivate car to qiao tou ,then hike from qiaotou take 5hours to tea hourse sleep there. Day2 after breakfast start tea hourse take 4hours to walnut garden,have lunch there then walk down to see the middle gorge take3-4hours then back sleep at walnut garden Day3 after breakfast take two hours private car to white water terrace look around there one hour then straight to Shangri-la 3hours by car,look around old town ,lapa sea stay in Shangri-la over night Day4 leave morning to see the Blue month valley,or Pudacuo National Park,after lunch take 4hours back to lijiang
$1200 Per Day
9 Days Standard Tour of Kunming ——Dali ——Lijiang and Shangri-La
Day1
...Read moreDay1
Meet you outside the baggage claim area at Kunming Airport and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day is on your own to explore the city.
Kunming hotel
★★★★
Day2
Full day tour to visit the Qiongzhu Temple and the Stone Forest the Stone Forest scenic area is composed of seven scenic spots, including the Big Stone Forest, the Small Stone Forest, Naigu Stone Forest, Da Die Shui, Long Lake, Moon Lake, Zhiyun Cave and Qifeng Cave. The Stone Forest is really a typical model of China's Karst,
Kunming hotel
★★★★
Day3
Take an early morning flight to Dali. Visit the Erhai Lake Park, the Three Pagoda Temple and the Dali Old Town, the Three Pagoda Temple is made up of three ancient independent pagodas standing in a symmetrical triangle.
Dali Old Town -The history of Dali Old Town can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty when Dali was the capital of Nan Zhao Kingdom.
Land Scape hotel
★★★★
Day4
It takes about three hours' driving to Lijiang and transfer to the hotel. On the way to Lijiang, visit the Bai Traditional House in Xizhou and Zhoucheng, famous for tie dyeing. Visit the Square Street of the Lijiang Old Town. Lijiang Old Town was originally built in the later period of 13th Century. It has an elevation of 2400 meters (about 1.5 miles) and covers an area of 939 acres. The population of the old town is over 25,000, most of which are Naxi people. What is interesting is that Lijiang Old Town is the only Chinese historical and cultural town built without city wall.
Lijiang Grand hotel
★★★
Day5
Visit the Baisha Village and a local Naxi family, the Baisha Murals, the Rock Joseph's Former Residence in Yuhu Village. Afternoon is free for you to enjoy the small bridges, swift streams, cobbled streets and grey tiled roofs of the Residential Houses in the Lijiang Old Town. Enjoy the Naxi Ancient Music and Dance Performance at Dongba Palace in the evening
Lijiang Grand hotel
★★★
Day6
Drive to Shangri-La and transfer to the hotel. On the way to Shangri-La, visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the First Bend of the Yangtze River and the Stone Drum Town. the Tiger Leaping Gorge lies in the upper reaches of the Golden Sand River. Its total length is 18 kilometers (11.2 miles), with the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the east and the Haba Snow Mountain in the west. The vertical height of the gorge is 3,790 meters (12,434 feet), thus it is the deepest gorge of the world. Since the narrowest part is only 30 meters (98.4 feet) wide, the tiger could just leap from a reef to the other side of the river. So it gained the name Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Shangri-La Paradise Hotel
★★★★★
Day7
Visit the Songzanlin Temple, the biggest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Yunnan, the Bitahai Lake, Shudu Lake and a Tibetan family. Songzanlin Temple - As the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province,
The Bitahai Lake is in the shape of trumpet shell, encircled by mountains. Covering an area of 148 acres, the lake is 40-meter (131 feet) deep and has an altitude of 3504 meters (11,496 feet). The plants around the lake are various, including spruces, pinares, oaks, white birches and azaleas.
Shudu Lake - As one of the biggest lakes of Shangri-la County, the plants around the lake are lush and the wild animals are various, such as the musk deer, golden cats, samburs, Tibetan eared pheasants, bears and panthers.
Shangri-La Paradise Hotel
★★★★★
Day8
Take flight to Kunming. Visit the Golden Temple, the Daguan Park and the Flowers and Birds Market. Check in at the hotel
Golden Temple - was built in the Ming Dynasty. The Mingfeng Hill was also named Xiangdu Hill. Since then, the scenic area around the temple has become a well-known Taoist attraction of Yunnan.
Daguan Park - The Daguan Park in Kunming is located on the bank of the Dianchi Lake and faces the Western Hills which are on the other side of the lake. It is said that the original site of the Daguan Park was a small temple built by a monk for giving Buddhist lessons. Several years later, the governor of Yunnan Province Wang Jiwen was attracted by the beautiful scenery here and decided to construct a park by adding halls, pavilions, rockeries and porches. The most notable attraction in the park is the Daguan Pavilion.
kunming hotel
★★★★
Day9
Your pleasant China tour ends as we transfer you to the airport and help you board the flight back home
End of the tour