The news was updated on Sep. 10, 2019.

Nakeli, with only 66 households, is a small and seemingly secluded village hidden in the mountains of south Yunnan’s Ning’er Hani and Yi Autonomous County. It used to play as a key stop on the renowned “Tea-Horse Road” in southwest China where innumerable horsemen and merchants visited, stayed and then plodded on with their journey from there on a daily basis. And now, it has been transformed into a popular touristic site. The legendary culture of caravans arouses the interest and curiosity of crowds of tourists.

The “Horse Crying Spot”

If you set off from Ning-er, a slightly awkward bridge would soon come into your sight after about 40-minute drive along the winding road down to the river bank. This is a steel-made suspension bridge paved with broad and bulky planks on it. You could verily feel the splashing rapids underneath your feet while standing on the bridge.

Nakeli is located in the mountain some hundreds of meters above the river. It, in fact, can only be reached by stepping up a precipitous stone path along cliffs. The village itself looks like a place of centuries ago, with many old folk houses erecting inside. Houses are interconnected by numerous small stone pathways, and villagers can be found peddling plantains and cured pork at corners.

According to Pan Jianhua, a local publicity officer, “Na-ke-li” is a word deriving from the Dai minority of Yunnan. “Na is field, ke is bridge, and li simply means good. So Nakeli can be literally translated to ‘a good field beside bridge’”.

The Tea-Horse Road is a tough ancient trade route traversing through the mountainous areas of southwest China which connects today’s Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet together. And Nakeli village was a crucial stop sitting right on this route where nearly every long-distance caravan had to pass through. “People also called this place ‘Ma-ku-li,” meaning the ‘spot that even makes horses cry’,” Pan said.

The Culture of Caravans Still Remains

Nakeli has a glorious past. Its history can be traced back to the early period of Tea-Horse Trade beginning more than a thousand years ago. And its status as a prosperous economic hub lasted until the early 20^th century, when trade of Yunnan’s famed Pu’er tea for the horses of Tibet, or vice versa, could be seen in the village every day.

Such boom apparently stimulated the local economy of Nakeli. A large number of caravanserai thus started to flourish around the village. The Rongfa Caravansary is an example. Built in 1931, Rongfa has witnessed the vicissitude of Nakeli for almost two centuries. “My family has run this place for generations, and I still remember the heyday of tea-horse trade when this street outside my house was flooded by all kinds of people,” said the owner, Li Tianlin.

The caravansary remains the same as it looked like decades ago. The manger still sits at its old place outside the door. Those old items on display – kettles, oil lamps, bronze horse bells and linen sacks – seem to have endless stories to tell.

Eco-Tourism Brings New Chances

Today, neither merchants nor horsemen can be encountered on these rugged stone slabs. The cultural legacies of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, however, have been well-preserved. The footprints left deep in rocks by horse shoes are the best evidence. In 2013, this part of the road near Nakeli was selected by the State Council of China as a Key Cultural Relics Site under the State Protection.

The Rongfa caravansary has been turned into a small museum and restaurant where tourists are able to learn the history and culture about the Tea-Horse Road, and taste a few local delicacies. And every time when ethnic festivals arrive, the villagers of Nakeli would all put on their traditional costumes for singing and dancing. Souvenir shops selling various kinds of handicrafts have also been built up in the village.

Tourism has greatly changed the destiny of Nakeli and let it revive again. This must be something that those caravans of hundreds of years ago could never foresee.

Source from Yunnan Gateway.

Where is Cangshan Mountain?

Cangshan Mountain is situated in the west of Dali Old Town and Erhai Lake. It is very popular to get from Dali Old Town to Cangshan Mountain either by bus, bike or walking.

Distance from other famous attractions in Dali

• About 1.9 km from Dali Old Town
• About 2.6 km from Three Pagodas of Dali
• About 6 km from Erhai Lake
• About 25.7 km from Shuanglang

How to Get to Cangshan Mountain?

There is tourism cableway in Mt. Cangshan. Next station is located in west of a racetrack in Dali March Street, and the previous station is Zhonghe Temple. Travelers also can choose to climb Cangshan Mountain.

By Bus: No.4, 9 Bus is available from Dali Old Town to Gantong Temple Station and walk about 2 kilometers to Lower Station of Gantong Cableway. There are direct sightseeing buses running between Dali Old Town and Ximatan Cableway / Gantong Cableway.

By Bike: Rent bicycles in the old town and get out of Cangshan Gate and ride another 1 kilometer to the foot of Cangshan Mountain.

By Walk: Get out of South Gate and walk west along Yita Road for about 1.9 kilometers or get out of Cangshan Gate (West Gate) and walk along about 1 kilometer to the footpath

Legend

It is said that in a year, plague spread at the foot of Mt. Cangshan, two siblings used the magic arts they learned to drive away the plague to the top of the hill, and they buried it in the snow to freeze to death. In order to make the plague never be resurrected, sister turned into a snow peak as a snow god to guard the Mt. Cangshan. Dali was not magnificent without Mt. Cangshan snow landscape.

Main Attractions

1.Cangshan Mountain “Nineteen Peaks”

Cangshan Mountain, also called Diancang Mountain, is the main peak of Yunling Mountain range. It consists of nineteen peaks from north to south, including Yunnong Peak, Canglang Peak, Wutai Peak, Lotus Peak, Cloud Peak, Heyun Peak, Sanyang Peak, Lan Peak, Xueren Peak, Yingle Peak, Guanyin Peak, Zhonghe Peak, Longquan Peak, Yuju Peak, Malong Peak, Shengying Peak, Foding Peak, Ma’er Peak and Sun-setting Peak. All these peaks are over 3500 meters and among them, seven are over 4000 meters and the highest peak is Malong Peak with an altitude of 4122 meters.

2.Cangshan Mountain “Eighteen Streams”

Besides the magnificent peaks, there are streams located between two peaks, with eighteen clear and bright streams flowing down to the Erhai Lake. The famous streams include Xiayi Stream, Wanhua Stream, Yangxi Stream, Mangyong Stream, Jinxi Stream, Lingquan Stream, Baishi Stream, Shuangyuan Stream, Yinxian Stream, Meixi Stream, Tao Stream, Middle Stream, Green Jade Stream, Dragon Stream, Qingbi Stream, Mocan Stream, Tingming Stream and Yangnan Stream.

3.Scenery along Jade-Cloud Road

Jade Cloud Road is a flat, paved walking path at an altitude of 2600 meters of Cangshan Mountain. The famous “Jade Cloud” usually appears in the late summer and early autumn and there is a “Jade Belt” floating in the nineteen peaks of Cangshan Mountain. The 18-kilometer Jade-Cloud Road begins from Matong Peak, passing Dragon Stream, Yuju Peak,, Green Jade Stream, Longquan Peak, Middle Stream, Zhonghe Peak, Tao Stream, Guanyin Peak and Meixi Stream, altogether six mountain peaks and five streams.

Wether you take cable car or hike up the mountain, it is advisable to first hit Zhonghe Temple with a small square to enjoy beautiful view of Erhai Lake and Dali Old Town. After that, pass several sites, like Phoenix Eye Cave, Dragon Eye Cave, Seven Fairy Ladies’ Pool, Cangshan Mountain Grand Gorge and Gantong Temple.

4.Scenery at the Top of Cangshan Mountain

Ximatan, the highest pool on Cangshan Mountain, is located between Yuju Peak and Longquan Peak, at an altitude of 3920 meters. Every year in Spring and early Summer, the azalea blossoms around the Xiamtan Pool, forming a very beautiful and breathtaking scene. It is about 20 meters from Ximatan to the top of Cangshan Mountain. When taking a walking along the way, travelers can enjoy panoramic view of mountains and rivers, villages and fields in the west side and overlook Jizu Mountain in the east and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the north. Getting at the top of Cangshan Mountain is the best way to enjoy mountain scenery, Erhai Lake and the whole Dali Old Town.

Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake

in the Morning Sunshine

5.Xima Pool

Located at the junction of Yuju Peak and Longquan Peak, Xima Pool is about 3,920m (12,860 feet) above sea level, only around 20m (66ft) from the top of Cangshan Mountain. It’s actually an artificial lake built in the Nanzhao Kingdom period. Xima means “cleaning horse” in Chinese, and the name of the pool derives from a story that troops once cleaned their horses here while climbing Cangshan Mountain.

As an important scenic spot along Jade Belt Road, Qilongnv Pool is made up of seven ponds. The pool is in the middle section of Heilong Stream, about 4.5km (2.8 miles) from Qingbi Stream.

At the foot of Yunnong Peak of Cangshan Mountain lies Butterfly Spring. Visitors can enjoy not only the crystal clear water but also the various species of butterfly that frequent the area.

The Dragon-eye Cave is on Piyu Cliff, located on the southern slope of Longquan Peak in Mt. Cangshan, to the west of the ancient city of Dali. The towering cliff is like a rampant blue dragon. A path along the cliff leads to the Dragon-eye Cave at the top. By the mouth of the cave, there is a stone bridge called the Immortal Bridge. Across the bridge comes the Mouse Road, which leads to the Xuandi, Wendi and Yuhuang pavilions.

Gantong Temple or Tangshan Temple, is on the southern slope of Shengying Peak in the Mt. Cangshan, 5km south of the ancient city of Dali. The temple faces Erhai Lake, with its back to the snow-covered Mt. Cangshan in the south. It was built in the early years of the State of Nanzhao (early ninth century). It is composed of the Main Court and the Great Hall to the west of the Court. To the left of the front of the Hall is a bronze bell weighing hundreds of kilograms and to the right there was originally a big drum with a diameter of nearly two meters. But the drum no longer survives. The temple is appreciated as the foremost in Southwest China for its quiet environment, imposing halls and numerous ceremonies.

Recommended Visiting Routs

Route One: Relaxing & Energy Saving Way to the Halfway

Cable Car Used: Gantong Cableway

Altitude: 2600 m

Features: Relax Sightseeing around Qingbi Stream and Jade-Cloud Road

Travelers take Gantong Cableway from lower station to upper station with 15 minutes’ transfer. When reach the upper station, travelers can take a walk around Qingbi Stream and Jade Cloud Road. The whole journey takes about 2~3 hours. It is a very relaxing way to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Cangshan Mountain at the halfway and this classic route is recommended to those travelers who want a relaxing sightseeing.

Route Two: Fast & Energy Saving Way to the Top

Cable Car Used: Ximatan Cableway

Altitude: 3920 m

Features: Changeable Scenery along the way; reach the highest point of Cangshan Mountain

Take sightseeing bus in Tianlongbabu Film Studio and get off at the Baihexi Lower Station to take Ximatan cableway to get up to Ximatan. Traveler could appreciate changeable scenery and pass through Seven Dragon Pools along the way for 5348-meter cableway with 35 minutes’ transfer. After enjoy the breathtaking scenery on the top of Cangshan Mountain, return back to Xiamatan Upper Station and take cable car to get down. The whole journey may takes about 2.5-3 hours.

Route Three: In-depth Hiking along Jade-Cloud Road

Cable Car Used: Zhonghe Cableway up, Gantong Cableway down

Altitude: 2600 m

Features: In-depth hiking along Jade-Cloud Road for 10 kilometers

Take Zhonghe Cableway up to the halfway of Cangshan Mountain first and begin your hiking journey. The hiking trail of Jade Cloud Road is about 11.5 kilometers which takes about 5~6 hours. The stone path is fairly flat and winds around six mountains, passes five waterfalls and three temple. There are also side trail jutting out from the Jade Cloud Road near the waterfalls that lead upward to clear pools, more waterfalls and excellent vistas.

Recommended Tours

1 Day Dali Cangshan Mountain Hiking Tour to Xiaocenfeng Peak 4092M

1 Day Dali Easy Hiking Tour to Cangshan Mountain

Best Time to Visit Cangshan Mountain

The best time to visit Cangshan Mountain is March to May, September to November. In the spring time, travelers should take Ximatan Cablway to reach up of the mountain and you’ll find azalea blossoms with different kinds of colors at the altitude of 4100 meters.

Nearby Attractions

Dali Ancient Town

Dali Old Town is a historic town with rich culture located between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake with profound Bai culture. Wander in the old town to have leisure exploration about city gates, old towers, old streets, temples, churches, museums, shops and bars…

Erhai Lake

Erhai Lake (Ear-shaped Sea), reputed as “Pearl of Plateau”, is the second largest highland lake of Yunnan. Taking a boat and cycling around the lake are fantastic ways to explore “Silver Cangshan Mountain and Jade Erhai Lake” scenery.

Three Pagodas

Three Pagodas, the symbolic building of Dali, was first built in the time of Nanzhao Kingdom and Dali Kingdom in 9th and 10th century. Looking from a distance, the pagodas are like three ballpoint pens standing between the magnificent Cangshan Mountain and elegant Erhai Lake.

Useful Travel Tips

Recommended Visitig Ways:

• A cable car is now available on the Cangshan Mountain with day tours at the foot of the mountain. The route of cable cars starts the west of Dali ancient town and stops at Zhonghe Temple. It costs 35 yuan for a round trip ticket. There, visitors can walk along Yudai Lu, a 18km newly built path on the waist of the mountain.
• At the foot of the mountain, local people rent horses, so visitor can choose to ride a horse to Zhonghe Temple. It costs about an hour and about 80 yuan.

Attraction Travel Tips:
1.    The roads on mountains are very intricate, so it would be safer if visitors only walk along Yudai Road.
2.    None of the cultural sites along the road charges admission fee, but there is not enough time for tourists to visit all sites within a day so it is advisable that visitors pick some sites that you are interested in to visit.

Cableway Running Time

Ximatan Cable Car Running Time: 08:00~17:00; Gantong Cable Car Running Time: 08:00~17:00; Zhonghe Cable Car Running Time: 09:00~16:00.

Chongsheng Temple

Three Pogadas’ mother building was known as Chongsheng Monastery and used to be the royal temple of the Kingdom of Dali and one of the largest Buddhist centers in south-east Asia. It was originally built at the same time as the first pagoda but was destroyed in a fire in the Qing Dynasty reign period. The temple was later rebuilt in 2005. It was recorded that Qianxun Pagoda had been split in an earthquake on May 6th, 1515 AD in Ming Dynasty. However, it miraculously recovered ten days later in an aftershock. The most recent record of severe earthquake in the Dali area occurred in 1925. Only one in a hundred of the buildings in Dali survived, but the Three Pagodas were undamaged.

Why is Chongsheng Temple so special?

Chongsheng Temple is the evidence of the prosperous Buddhism of Dali. Which is the Royal Temple of Dali Kingdom. It is famous at home and abroad, especially the Three Pagodas. Three Pagodas is the symbol of Dali.

Where is Chongsheng Temple?

It is located in Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas Tourism Culture Area, 1.8 km north away from Dali Ancient City in Yunnan Province.

How to Get to Chongsheng Temple?

1.Take No.19 bus at north gate of Dali Ancient Town to Three Pagodas Park

2.Take mini-bus from Xiaguan,3 yuan per person

3.Walk from Dali Ancient Town to Three Pagodas

4.Take a coach, 4 yuan per person

History

The original Chongsheng Temple was burned in Xianfeng Period of Qing Dynasty. According to the historical book, Chongsheng Temple was built in 834-840, enjoying thousands of rooms and Buddha Sculptures etc. A thousand years ago, Chongsheng Temple was the royal temple of Naozhao Kingdom and Dali Kingdom. In Dali Kingdom of Song Dynasty, the emperor believes in Buddhism, so Chongsheng Temple becomes more prosperous. The Three Pagodas stands there for more than one thousand years.

Main Attractions

1.Historical Culture Experience Area
Historical Culture Experience Area including the Nanzhao Jianji Big Clock (Bell Tower), Yutong Guanyin Hall, two rare picture scrolls, Duangong Tomb, and Bodhi Park.

2.Nanzhao Jianji Big Clock (Bell Tower) 

Nanzhao Jianji Big Clock is one of the five treasures of ancient Chongsheng Temple. The original clock was made in AD 871, Nanzhao Jianji period 12th year, so it was called Nanzhao Jianji Big Clock. According to “Travels of Xu Xiake” recorded: “the clock is big, its diameter is several zhangs (a Chinese unit of length = 3 1 / 3 meters), several chis (a Chinese unit of length =1/3 meter) thick and its sound can be heard from eighty lis (a Chinese unit of length, approximately equal to 5oo meters) away…” It is the treasure of the temple with Three Pagodas, but it was destroyed by war during Qing dynasty Xianfeng Period and Tongzhi Period (AD 1856-1872). Recasting in 1997 Nanzhao Jianji Big Clock is typical Buddha clock, and the clocks is divided into upper and lower two parts, the upper part has six paramita patterns, weighing 16.295 tons, and it is the largest clock in Yunnan province.

3.Yutong Guanyin Hall
Yutong Guanyin Hall enshrined Yutong Avalokitesvara, Acuoye Avalokitesvara, Fushi Avalokitesvara, Brahman Monk Avalokitesvara, and Udakacandra Avalokitesvara. Yutong Avalokitesvara originally cast in Nanzhao Zhongxin period second years (AD 899), it was exquisite statues, known as “Wu Taotzu-like painting”, but it was destroyed during the cultural revolution. In 1999, according to the remaining photos of the late Qing Dynasty people carefully recast the Yutong Avalokitesvara in the late Qing dynasty, 12.6 meters high, 11 tons weight. Its modeling made according to the male’s body and female’s looking in Dali area: kindly, kind-hearted woman’s face, tall and straight man’s figure, which is different from the central China area. Acuoye Avalokitesvara is special Dali avalokitevara, also is the statue that Dali people revered the most.

4.Duan Gong Tomb
Duan Gong Tomb is located in the west of Chongsheng Three Pagodas, 350 meters east from Ganxun Tower. After the Ming dynasty chorography called it Pingzhang Tomb, originally it was circular mound, about 8 meters in diameter, 2 meters high, and there were the stone columns above, now there are only left a mound, tomb building has been destroyed. In August 1996, Duan Gong Tomb was managed by Three Pagodas Administration and developed and utilized step by step according to “Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas Administration Protection and Construction Planning”.

5.Religious Culture Tourist Area

Religious Culture Tourist Area is the restoration and reconstruction ancient Chongsheng Temple architectures in 2005. Architectural style is collected the essence of the architecture of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and on the main axis there is in turn: the gate, Free Life Pond, Approach Bridge, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Maitreya Temple, 11 sides Guanyin Hall, the Great Buddha’s Hall, Acuoye Avalokitesvara Pavilion, Mountain Stone Memorial Arch, Wanghai Building. Aside the central axis and the next axis has: monk room, the abbot courtyard, guest room, Arhat hall, Thousand-Buddha Gallery, the Founder Hall, Dharmapalas Hall, Buddhist Institute, etc. All bracket system windows and doors of the temple and the decoration for the details all used toon carved precisely thinly, and in terms of colored drawing, the buildings adopted highest specification of golden dragon and golden phoenix and different colors. 617 (pieces) of Buddha, ritual items are all cast in bronze of thousands of tons, of which 599 (pieces) of Buddha and painting set the records of the top of China.

6.Reflection Pond 
Behind the Three Pagodas, there is a Reflection Pond which got its name from the graceful clear reflections on the water of the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple. The authentic Three Pagodas and the reflections create a fantastic pictures – six pagodas in one scene. Travelers, especially photographers, should cover the Reflection Pond into your visit for some awesome pictures.

Best Time to Visit Chongsheng Temple

March and April is the best time to visit Chongsheng Temple, during that time there are a lot of festivals and activities. Lots of festivals and activities of Bai nationality centered on period from March to April every year, traveling during this time tourists can enjoy the full-bodied ethnic customs. Tourists can choose to go during the Third Month Fair (from March 15 to March 21 in lunar calendar, the west of Dali Sanyue Street) and Butterfly Activity (April 15 in lunar calendar in Butterfly Spring). Dali annual average temperature in Dali at that time is about 15 degree, so March and April is also the best time to travel Dali.

Nearby Attractions

Three Pagodas 

The magnificent and well-known Three Pagodas are the symbol of Dali, which was first built in the time of Nanzhao Kingdom and Dali Kingdom in 9th and 10th century. Looking from a distance, the pagodas are like three ballpoint pens standing between the magnificent Cangshan Mountain and elegant Erhai Lake.

Erhai Lake

Erhai Lake (Ear-shaped Sea), reputed as “Pearl of Plateau”, is the second largest highland lake of Yunnan. Taking a boat and cycling around the lake are fantastic ways to explore “Silver Cangshan Mountain and Jade Erhai Lake” scenery.

Useful Travel Tips

1. Battery Cars

Battery cars in the tourist area are available in several spots – Entrance Gate, Reflection Pond, Daxiongbao Hall, Wanghai Tower. It takes 25 Yuan for battery cars.

2. Photography Tips

Photographers should catch the best scenery of Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple in two famous spots – the Reflection Pond and Wanghai Tower. The Reflection Pond is a good site to capture full-face photo, pagoda, blue sky and white cloud reflection in the water, in this way, “the six pagodas” would get into your pictures. Standing on the top of Wanghai Tower, travelers can capture full view of Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple in a line and Erhai Lake from afar.

Book the Songtsam Benzilan Lodge in Diqing and stay at cheap Inn and Guesthouse. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, nice entertainment and visit the popular tourist attractions around the Guesthouse. Check the Rooms Types, Prices, guest Reviews, Breakfast, Dining, Facilities of Songtsam Benzilan Lodge in Diqing. Discover genuine guest reviews of the comfy rooms along with the latest prices and availability – book now.

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Why is Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden so special?

Xishuangbanna Tropical Plants Garden is the biggest and richest botanical garden in China nowadays, which has established relationship with over 50 counties worldwide, and its international influence moves up gradually. Now, it is the National Education Base of Science and the National Tourism Spot.

1.National AAAAA Scenic Spot
2.Research institution attached to Chinese Academy of Science
3.National Education Base of Science

Where is Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden?

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden is located in Menglun Town of Mengla County, Xishuangbanna. It is built on the Gourd Island of Luosuo River, which is the branch of Lancang River.

Distance from nearby cities

96 km from Jinghong City
100 km from urban area of Mengla County

How to Get to Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden?

Travelers can take the bus to Menglun Town or Mengla County in Jinghong Passengers Station, then get off in Menglun, 16-20 yuan for ticket. It will cost you about 1 hour. After arriving at Menglun Passenger Station, you can get to it after 10-minute walking.

If you departure from Kunming or Puer, you can take the bus to Mengla and take off in Menglun Town.

History

In April of 1958, Tropical Botanical Garden was built in Xiaojie Street of Menglong in Jinghong. Then it was moved to Menglun Town of Mengla County because of public security in the end of 1958. Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden was established on the Gourd Island formally on January 1^st of 1959. It was attached to Kunming Ecological Research Institute. In January of 1978, it was changed to Tropical Botanical Research Institution of Yunnan Province attached to Chinese Academy of Science. It was entitled as National AAAAA Scenic Spot in July of 2011.

Main Attractions

1.National Tree and Flower Garden (国树国花园)

The majority of countries have their own national trees and flowers which are the symbol of a country and the reflection of their value and culture. The 1.3 hectare garden was built in 1999 to celebrate 99 EXPO, the World Horticultural Exposition. There are 55 national trees and flowers from 66 countries, such as Plumeria rubra var. Acutifolia from Laos ans azalea from Belgium. All of them contend in beauty and fascination.

2.Famous People and Trees Garden （名人名树园）

The garden occupies an area of 3.7 hectares and has a collection of 343 tropical plants. There is a statue named as a tour in the forest which reflects the life and work of Professor Cai Xitao and his students. Professor Cai invested his lives and medicine and discovered that the Mayten tree has the function of killing cancer cells and planted it in artificial ways. He also planted a Dracaena which we can get medicine of invigorating the circulation of blood from it. There are also the trees planted by celebrities, the acacia olive whose seed is heart-shaped planted by former president Jiang Zeming, the native olive planted by former premier Li Peng, the tower tree planted by Prince Philip of Britain. The rare plants here are deserve to mention. This is the poison tree, people in the ancient times applied the poison to arrowheads and the one who was shot would die instantly from blood clotting. We can also see the Traveler Trees which looks like a peacock spreading his plumage which grows in deserts and store a lot of water for travelers.

3.Tropical Forest Scenic Area (热带雨林景区)

Tropical Forest Garden has an area of 80 hectares. It is a place for in-situ conservation and removing of plants. There are over 100 kinds of rare and endanger plants. The main scenic area represents the typical feature and plants of the tropical forest, like banyans with board-like root, plants killer, one-tree forest and air corridor etc. It is a comprehensive place of plants collection, conservation, research and education.

4.Rare Flower Garden（奇花异木园）

There are 243 species of rare plants, a lot of them are hardly seen in China. We can taste the mysterious fruit which can turn from sour to sweet. Then, we can appreciate the performance of the dancer–dancing grass. It is sensitive to sound and moved with music. Actually, because the pressure of cells at the tip of the leaves is different from other parts. When there is sound is over 45 decibels nearby, air will vibrant and the pressure of cells will change with the music, so the leaves will move slightly. There is also the shy girl, sensitive grass. When touched, the leaves will drop and shut. There are some liquid bubbles in the stems and they are like bags to store nutrient. When they are touched, liquid will flow out of those bags into leaves. Naturally, leaves will drop and shut due to gravity, after a while, when the bags are refilled, the leaves will recover.

5.Baizhu Garden (Garden of Hundreds of Bamboos) (百竹园)

Baizhu Garden was built in 1965 at first, planting more than 250 kins of bamboos. They are diverse bamboos from south Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan and southeast Asian.

Recommended Tours

1 Day East XishuangBanna Tour to Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden and Dai Minority Garden

4 Days Best XishuangBanna Tropical Forest and Ethnic Minorities Discovery

6 Days Xishuangbanna Tropical Rain Forest Adventure and Ethnic Culture Education Tour

6 Days XishuangBanna and Puer Tropical Forest Birding Tour

10 Days South Yunnan Ethnic Minority and Tropical Rain-forest Photography Tour with China Border Culture

Nearby Attraction

Wangtianshu Scenic Spot

Wangtianshu Scenic Attraction is the only oasis at 21 degrees north latitude, and has been recognized internationally as China’s unique tropical rainforest. What is the most impressive in the park are the towering Shorea chinensis (Sky Trees) that are the rainforest iconic images in South and Southeast Asia. An Air Corridor (Kong Zhong Zou Lang), 2500 meters long and 36 meters high, has been built on the high canopies. It remains a challenge to both visitors and scientists. The well-protected tropical rainforest that was discovered by the Chinese reputed botanist Mr. Cai Xitao (1911-1981) and witnessed by Prince Philip of the UK, surprised many people when it was unveiled to the outside world.  With hotels and air corridor, you can travel and lodge here.

Best Time to Visit Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Belonging to tropical rainforest climate, Xishuangbanna’s dry season is from November to April the next year and rainy season is from May to October. With annual average temperature of 21c, it has long summer and no winter. With cool and pleasant four seasons, the best time for traveling Xishuangbanna is from October to April the next year.

Try to avoid Chinese public holidays, such as Labor Day (May 1st to 3rd) and National Day (October 1st to 7th). It is recommended that you start your day early so as to avoid crowds.

Useful Travel Tips

●Protect the environment, do not pick the flowers, feed the animals and catch the insects.

●Do not smoke in the garden.

●Please park in the suitable place according to the regulars.

●It is better to prepare some mosquito products and sun block in case of insects and sunlight.

●Respect the local customs of Dai and other minorities.

Why is Pudacuo National Park So Special

Being one of the most bio-diverse regions in China’s Yunnan Province, Pudacuo National Park is the first national park in Chinese mainland which was announced on June 25, 2007. With its crystal-clear lakes, undulating mountains and gurgling streams, Pudacuo National Park is definitely a wonderful natural wonderland. Among China’s 2,500 nature reserves, Pudacuo is the only one meets the standards for national parks established by The World Conservation Union. In addition to its rare vegetation and mammal species, the stunning natural beauty of landscape is unmissable for visitors as well.

Where is Pudacuo National Park – Location

Situated in the east of Shangri-La, Pudacuo National Park is about 22 kilometers and 40 minutes’ drive from Shangri-La downtown area. It is about 26.2 km from Songzanlin Monastery and 25.1 km from Dukezong Old Town and Guishan Hill.

How to Get There

By Bus: At Shangri-La Bus Station, there are buses running to Pudacuo National Park at 08:00, 08:30, 09:30 and 10:00. And the return  time is 14:00, 14:30, 15:00 and 16:30.

By Minivan Rental: Tourists can hire minivan to Pudacuo National Park at the square in Dukezong Old Town. 

By Taxi: It takes 40 minutes from Shangri-la County; a single trip costs CNY 80 and a round-trip costs CNY 150.

History and Culture 

Pudacuo National Park was announced on June 25, 2007, and is notable as the first national park in China to meet International Union for Conservation of Nature standards. It is a provincial nature reserve with an elevation between 3500 meters and 4159 meters, as well as an important part of the “Three Parallel Rivers” scenic area.  

Main Attractions

Bita Lake

Bita Lake, lying in the heart of Pudacuo National Park is crowned as a pearl of the Plateau with an average depth of 20 meters. Being 3 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, Bita Lake sits on an altitude of 3,530 meters. As legends told, the lake was said to be incarnated from a piece of mirror belonged to a Goddess when she attempted to mend the sky. A small wooden island serving as a shelter for a variety of rare species of birds was built in the center of the lake.

Shudu Lake

Shudu Lake as one of the biggest lakes in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is 3,705 meters above the sea level. Covering an area of 15 square kilometers, the lake is renowned for its stunning natural sceneries especially in every spring and summer. Visitors here can hear the sound of flute, see herds of yak and goat grazing beside the lake.

Militang Pasture

The area between the Bita Lake and Shudu Lake is the Militang Pasture which is the largest pastureland in Pudacuo National Park. Militang Pasture is dotted with yaks and cabbage-like grass. The term Militang in Tibetan refers to “the Buddha’s eye” because of its eye-shaped appearance from a bird’s view angle.

The news was updated on September 6, 2019. 

At the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in 2017, a set of traditional Tibetan costumes impressed the public a lot. Called “clothes for Shangri-La local lords,” the costume set was made by Shangri-La Pengsongcuo Ethnic Clothing Company.

The company’s general manager Pei Chu said this set of clothing for local chieftains has long been out of sight. In 2011, he came across a sleeveless jacket in a Tibetan house, and Pei thus began his years of investigation and data collection over the costume set. In 2017, he restored the whole set of the Traditional costume for Tibetan chieftains in history.

Pei Chu’s company was established in Shangri-La in 2012. Now arrays of clothes are on display at the company’s stores: traditional costumes, weddings costumes, and clothing for other celebrations. Cloths are of various materials, textures and colors, meeting different needs of the customers.

To further popularize the traditional Tibetan costume, Pei Chu began to incorporate modern fashion elements into traditional costumes design. “Tibetan costumes in Shangri-La are different from those in other Tibetan areas,” said Pei Chu. “These costumes air the aesthetic taste and sentiments of the Tibetan people, as well as their wish for a better life.”

Source from http://english.yunnan.cn/html/2019/ethnics_0906/17670.html

Why is Heijing Ancient Town So Special

Heijing Ancient Town has a long history. The unearthed relics of stones, potteries, and bronze wares have proved that as early as 3,200 years ago, ancestors of some minority groups already worked and multiplied on the land. During the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, 56 temples and nunneries were built, and steles of high historic and artistic values have been maintained. With traditional folk residences, archways, and religion architectures, Heijing Ancient Town is well conserved in a traditional style as others do in China. Among them, 27 have been listed as county-level cultural relics protection units, and are known as “the treasure house of historical relics – the living fossil of Ming and Qing Dynasties”. 

Where is Heijing Ancient Town

Heijing Ancient Town is located in the northwest of Lufeng County, Chuxiong Prefecture, 200 kilometers from Kunming and 75 kilometers from Chuxiong.

How to Get There

• In Chuxiong Passenger Station, there are buses to Heijiang Town.
• It is very convenient to Heijing Station by train from Kunming Railway Station.
• After arriving in Lufeng County, car rental or self-driving is the recommended way to get to Heijing Ancient Town.

Introduction of Heijing Ancient Town

It was because of the salt that Heijing had become a well-known place. Its economics thrived; it became a trading hub luring people from different areas. Central mainland Chinese cultures and frontier ethnic cultures merged here. It became a cultural kaleidoscope representing diverse historical relics, ethnic cultures, architectural cultures, religious cultures, and cuisine which probably can be seen anywhere.

Now, the Heijing Ancient Town has long lost her glory of being the predominant salt provider of Yunnan Province. However, there are streets and alleys that still maintain a touch of the Tang and Song Dynasties. The residential architecture, stone inscription, carvings, pagodas, dolmens, performance stages, temples, and salt well are well preserved from the Ming and Qing Dynasties three to four hundred years ago. The Grand Courtyard of the Wu Family especially represents the perfectly preserved typical architectures of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. People from all over China as well as around the world come here.

Unlike the Lijiang Ancient Town with bridges and streams scatted all over in an orderly manner, the Heijing Ancient Town, which is less known, presents itself with an atmosphere of tranquility and slowness, bringing you back in history and escaping from this busy, bustling world.

Best Time to Go

The Heijing Ancient Town is suitable for tourism all year round. The area belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate, with warm spring and heavy drought, no summer heat, cool autumn, no cold in winter, small annual temperature difference, large daily temperature difference, and obvious dry and wet seasons. The annual rainy season is from May to October, and the annual average temperature is 15-21 °C.

Nearby Attractions

The Grand Courtyard of Wu Family
The Grand Courtyard of Wu Family is a typical Ming and Qing architecture that has been preserved to now. The Grand Courtyard of Wu Family was built in the 16th year of Daoguang in Qing Dynasty. It was expended in the 7th year of Xianfeng in Qing Dynasty and was built along the mountain. It is a “王(Wang)-shape”, with a unique layout. It consists of four patios with 99 houses. It, with a building area of ​​10,000 square meters, is well-connected and is one of the rare ancient residential buildings in Yunnan.

Feilaisi Temple
Feilaisi Temple is located at the hillside. Because of the steep mountain, looking from the bottom of the mountain, the whole temple is like a big bird entwined in the mountain. It seems to be flying and it also seems to have just landed from the sky. Therefore, Feilaisi Temple got its name. Looking down from the temple, the Longchuanjiang River(龙川江) passes through the deep canyon, and the town’s buildings are dotted on both sides of the river.

Heijing Confucius Temple
The Heijing Confucian Temple is located in the Longchuanjiang River Gorge(龙川江峡谷), Lufeng County, Chuxiong Prefecture. The Heijing Confucius Temple was built in the 45th year of Ming Wanli (1617). It was repeatedly destroyed by mudslides in the Qing Dynasty and was repeatedly rebuilt. The Confucius Temple is large in scale. There were 13 scholars (进士), which could show the prosperity of Heijing culture education.

The news was updated on September 5, 2019. 

Smelliness is actually a different fragrance.

“It smells terrible but tastes great.” This saying has encouraged crowds of diners to try their first stinky dish.

Among the Chinese smelly dishes, the Changsha stinky tofu, the Beijing bean juice and the Guangxi snail jelly have countless fans.

In Yunnan, houttuynia, sour bamboo shoots, stinky tofu, smelly vegetables, and stinky ginseng are emitting unique flavors, waiting for the diners.

Houttuynia

Houttuynia cordata (also known as fish mint) is rated by netizens as one of the ten most unpalatable dishes.

How smelly is Houttuynia? For those who don’t like it, the dish reminds them of a dead, smelly fish.

But Yunnan people really love this smell, putting the vegetable into cold dishes, soup, and fried meat.

The Yunnan cooks tried many ways to bring out the “fragrance” of Houttuynia, so that more people will fall in love with it.

Sour bamboo shoots

As a pickled dish, the smelly bamboo shoots are highly popular in the Yunnan localities of Xishuangbanna and Dehong. Locals say they simply can’t live without the dish.

Interestingly, the same dish can be slightly different to individual diners. They may say it is fragrant, smelly, sour, monkey-like, or others.

Stinky tofu

Unlike its Changsha peer that is black and smelly, Yunnan stinky tofu is white and less stinky.

In Yunnan, the stinky tofu bits are mostly grilled before serving, and the grilled Jianshui tofu is the most famous. 

Grilled stinky tofu is particular to Yunnan. In south Yunnan’s Jianshui County, grilled tofu stalls are highly visible around the ancient town. A well-grilled yellow tofu can immensely satisfy the diner.

Smelly vegetable

The stinky vegetable, with its academic name being Acacia pennata, is long, thorny but tender leaves that are edible. We do not know why Yunnan people love the thorny wild vegetable.

The stinky vegetable can be cooked into soup, fried with egg or cooked with fish, resulting in unique local dishes.

Stinky ginseng

The stinky ginseng is a plant particular to Yunnan, with its roots giving off a strong smell. Many would shrink from its odor, let alone a bite on it.

But Yunnan folks love the stinky roots because of its nourishing nature.

Washed and stewed with chicken or pork ribs, the stinky ginseng will give off much less odor. So just try it and you may get used to smelly dishes.

In the eyes of stinky-dish lovers, smelliness is the essence of fragrance.

In Yunnan, stinky but tasty dishes await you. If you are brave enough, you will definitely make a difference in appreciating the food culture here.

Source from http://english.yunnan.cn/html/2019/flavor_0905/17662.html

YUNNAN PROVINCE, China — China researchers are reporting the discovery of Mayan pyramid-like buildings under Fuxian Lake in China’s Yunnan province.

“Gengwei, a professional diver, told reporters on December 19th, 2005, that images from sonar scans showed that a large relic covering at least 2.4 square kilometers sits underwater in Fuxian Lake.

“He said eight main buildings were found all under the water, including a round building and two large high buildings with floors that liken to the Mayan pyramids of Latin America.”

The round one has been described as similar to a colosseum in architecture, with a 37-meter wide base and a gap to the northeast.

One of the large, high buildings has three floors, a 60-meter wide base and lots of small steps linking the floors. Another is even larger, with a 63-meter wide base standing five floors and a total 21 meters high.

A 300-meter long and 5 to 7 meter wide rock road connects the two buildings.

The complex, located in present-day southern Yunnan province, is believed to be from an ancient civilization dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties, approximately 2,000 years ago.

Fidel Castro’s Cuba meanwhile is laying claim to being the home site of the lost city of Atlantis.

Soviet-born ocean engineer Paulina Zelitsky, the president of the Canadian-based company Advanced Digital Communications (ADC), had detected what could be Atlantis in deep waters off Cuba.

On May 28 2002, National Geographic News reported on the recent discovery of megalithic ruins some 2,200 ft. below sea level off the coast of Cuba. Interviewed for the story was geologist, Manuel Iturralde, Director of Research at Cuba’s Natural History Museum and consulting geologist for Canadian exploration company ADC, based in Havana, Cuba.

According to a 2001 Special Report by Gateway to Atlantis author Andrew Collins, “The discoveries were made last summer during deep-sea surveys made by Paulina and a trained scientific research team aboard the Cuban research vessel, Ulysses.

“Sonar images revealed `an extensive series of structures’ over a several-mile area in darker and lighter shades. The site is close to the edge of the underwater geological feature known as the Cuban shelf, which falls off sharply in a series of shelves which drop down to several thousand metres, and it is one of these shelves, in around 600-700 metres of water, that the structures are to be found.”

Fuxian Lake stretches out through Chengjiang County, Jiangchuan County and Huaning County in Yunnan Province, about 60 kilometers to Kunming City, spanning an area of 212 square kilometers.

The lake is ranked third largest in Yunnan, right after the Dianchi Lake and the Erhai Lake. Also the deepest lake in Yunnan, it is 155 meters deep at its greatest depth.

One day, Geng Wei, a specialized diver, found a strange phenomenon under the lake. He discovered many stone materials, including flagstones and stone strips with thick moss above them, could be seen.

Geng Wei believed the stones might be from a remote time. However, why were they underwater? Where did they come from? With these questions, Geng remember a mystical legend about the lake . Local people often said residents could see a city-like silhouette under the lake from the nearby mountains on a fine, calm day.

Was it the ancient city mentioned in the legend? In order to explore this riddle, Geng dove into the waters some 38 times to carry on surveys. He finally wrote a report to notify related official departments and experts in Yunnan Province of his findings.

Archaeology under the Lake

To unveil the mystery, a Chinese submarine archaeology team stationed in Fuxian Lake also became involved. Members had discovered lots of blocks scattered on the lake bottom. With the advanced use of detectors, they saw stones that formed a wall seen on a sonar display along with various flagstones. High stairs appeared in front of them. Flagstones covered with moss seemed to reveal an ancient sunken city.

The team members found the scope of the site under Fuxian Lake was extremely big, and the traces of construction were everywhere. After several days of observation and analyses, experts estimated the scope of the area is between 2.4 square kilometers to 2.7 square kilometers. Where is it from?

Some experts speculate the site might be the ancient city of Yuyuan, which disappeared mysteriously many hundreds of years ago.

Han Shu (a classic Chinese historical writing covering the history of the Western Han Dynasty, 206 BCE-9 CE), once recorded that Yuyuan City was north of Fuxian Lake.

Was the site under the lake the city recorded in Han Shu? To determine this point, the researchers first tried to determine whether the site’s age tallied with history. They needed to find items that correlated with human life. After a half-month’s survey, earthenware was spotted by inspection team members.

The experts believed that, from this earthenware, the site was possibly from the Warring States to the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, in order to find a more exact time, they had to find a subject that could be used for carbon 14 testing.

A City of Han Dynasty

After failing many times, team members finally found some shells attached to blocks. Through a test for carbon 14, an accurate time was discovered-the item was 1750 years old. This result proved the site was sunk during the Han period. However in the Tang Dynasty, there were still records about Yuyuan City remaining on land. Therefore, the lost city is not Yuyuan.

Another Guess

Some experts believe that, from the structure of the under-lake construction, it is extremely similar to the construction styles of the ancient Dian Country, a country with a high level of civilization. After BC 86, it mysteriously disappeared.

But other experts are suspicious, saying it is too early to make this conclusion because archaeology is a long and complex process. Solving the riddle of the old city requires longer-term archaeological excavation and careful research.

Other Riddles within Fuxian Lake

Along with the discovery of the sunken city, Fuxian Lake has taken on mythic proportions, almost as unfathomable as a Greek fable. Only parts of the secrets in the body of water have unfolded. Legends have prevailed for more than a 1,000 years.

Pegasus in Fuxian Lake

On October 24, 1991, a man named Zhang Yuxiang was fishing on the tranquil lake. Suddenly, he and others claim that a shining disk sprang out of the lake as a big fog formed. The disk vanished in the air. The boat was tossed by sudden waves. This strange phenomenon shocked Zhang and other people with him.

Actually other legends like this have spread for a long time.

According to ” Cheng Jang Fu Zhi”, a book in the region of Emperor Daoguang, a horse-like animal lived in the lake. Its body was pure white with red spots on its back. Sometimes it rapidly flew out of the water. People who saw were lucky. Does the Pegasus really exist in Fuxian Lake?

Secret of Bronze Castings

On an ordinary hill, Li Jiashan , in the west of Fuxian Lake, the Army patrols day and night. What do they protect? Long years ago, there was an ancient battlefield. However, as massive bronze castings were excavated, this mountain became a mystical treasure hill.

These castings came from the last stage of Warring States to the initial period of Eastern Han Dynasty, and were considered as a significant discovery of the culture of the ancient Dian country. More than 5,000 bronze castings were excavated.

There was another strange phenomenon that occurred in Li Jiashan. Lightening has struck there many times. According to experts, massive amounts of metals must be buried there, accounting for the attraction of the electrical jolts. Are there still many bronze castings in Li Jiashan?

There are many legends local people recall. An ancient fable had a description of “people who sank together with the old city and now live underwater.” And some people once said, “when diving, they have spotted mummies standing in the lake.”

It may be that nobody really knows the many secrets and miracles behind the beautiful scenery of Fuxian Lake?

ADDRESS 10 Huanhu Donglu, Chengjiang , Yuxi
玉溪澄江县环湖东路10号 PHONE (0877) 6688888