Yiliang Railway Station is located in Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, China. It is a major transportation hub in the region, serving both passengers and cargo. This page provides information on the location, train schedule, and train timetable for Yiliang Railway Station.

Location

Yiliang Railway Station is located in the southeast of Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, China. It is situated on the Shanghai-Kunming Railway, which runs between Shanghai and Kunming. The station is about 10 kilometers away from the city center and is easily accessible by bus or taxi.

Train Schedule

The train schedule for Yiliang Railway Station is constantly updated, so it is recommended to check the latest information on the official website or at the station. However, as of the time of writing, the following trains are scheduled to depart from Yiliang Railway Station:

Train Timetable

The train timetable for Yiliang Railway Station is available on the official website or at the station. The following is a sample of the train timetable for Yiliang Railway Station:

Kunming to Yiliang Railway Station Trains Schedule

The following trains are scheduled to depart from Kunming Railway Station to Yiliang Railway Station:

Note: The above information is subject to change without notice. It is recommended to check the latest information on the official website or at the station before traveling.

Zhaotong Railway Station, also known as Zhaotong East Railway Station, is located in Shiguai Street, Longtoushan Town, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, China. It is a major railway station on the Shanghai-Kunming Railway, serving passengers and cargo. This page provides information on the location, train schedule, and train timetable for Zhaotong Railway Station.

Location

Zhaotong Railway Station is located in Shiguai Street, Longtoushan Town, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, China. It is situated on the Shanghai-Kunming Railway, which runs between Shanghai and Kunming. The station is about 20 kilometers away from the city center and is accessible by bus or taxi.

Train Schedule

The train schedule for Zhaotong Railway Station is constantly updated, so it is recommended to check the latest information on the official website or at the station. However, as of the time of writing, the following trains are scheduled to depart from Zhaotong Railway Station:

Train Timetable

The train timetable for Zhaotong Railway Station is available on the official website or at the station. The following is a sample of the train timetable for Zhaotong Railway Station:

Kunming to Zhaotong Railway Station Trains Schedule

The following trains are scheduled to depart from Kunming Railway Station to Zhaotong Railway Station:

Note: The above information is subject to change without notice. It is recommended to check the latest information on the official website or at the station before traveling.

Cherry Blossoms Valley of Wuliangshan Mountain

Cherry Blossoms Valley of Wuliangshan is in the tea plantation of Huaqing Tea Company of Dali. Many Taiwanese merchants rented this tea garden many years ago. Because of the growth of tea trees, they planted winter cherry blossoms in the tea garden. A few years later, as the cherry tree grows up, the gorgeous photos have brought a considerable tourism industry to the local area, and it has become a popular tourist destination favored by many people in a short time. 

Where is Cherry Blossoms Valley of Wuliangshan?

Cherry Blossoms Valley of Wuliangshan is located in De’an Village of Wuliangshan in Nanjian County. It is close to the Lingbao Mountain National Forest Park, 51 km from the county seat. 

How to get to Cherry Blossoms Valley?

There are several shuttle buses to Nanjian every day in the high-speed passenger station. The fare is 28 yuan and the journey takes about 2.5 hours. There are also the bus to Nanjiang in Kunming Western Passenger Station. The price is 128 yuan, and the journey takes about 5 hours.

From NanJian County to Cherry Blossoms Valley, , the shuttle bus to Shale will pass through the cherry blossom valley scenic spot at 8:30, 9:30 and 13:30, 14:30, 15:30. The journey takes about 2 hours and the fare is 15 yuan.There are special buses for the cherry blossom valley in the booming period since 2015. The first bus departs at 9 o’clock. Because it is a direct bus, the journey is shortened by about half an hour.

Nearby Attractions

Wuliangshan Mountain National Nature Reserve(无量山国家级自然保护区)

Wuliangshan National Nature Reserve is located in the southeast of Nanjian County, in the middle and upper part of Wuliangshan Mountain. The west part is the Lancang River Valley. It is a narrow strip with a length of 33 kilometers from north to south and 6 kilometers from east to west. The total area of the reserve is 7583 hectares.

Lingbaoshan National Forest Park(灵宝山国家森林公园)

Lingbaoshan National Forest Park is part of the Nanjian Wuliangshan National Nature Reserve. It is the watershed of the two major river systems of the Yuanjiang River and the Lancang River. The total area is 811.2 hectares and the peak is 2528 meters above sea level.

Shidong Temple of Nanjian(南涧县石洞寺)

Shidong Temple in Nanxun County is located on the deep side of the left side of Nanjian County, 39 kilometers south of the National Highway 214. According to the ancient “Dingbian County” records: the stone cave is between the cliffs, and there are stone Buddha sitting in it. The temple is simple and unique.

Useful Tavel Tips

Best Time to Visit: They are open from late November to mid-December every winter, and the flowering period lasts for about 25 days. Therefore, people who want to see the cherry blossom valley style must confirm the flowering period.

There are basic facilities in Cherry Blossoms Valley of Wuliangshan. Travelers can eat and stay in the area.

The news was updated on August 2, 2019. 

The First Tropical Fruit Festival of Xishuangbanna was held in Jinghong city, southern Yunnan province, between July 26 and 28.

Xishuangbanna, as one of a few places locating in the tropical area around China, is particularly abundant in fruits.

The festival invited fruit growers from 8 different townships, 4 independent farms and a number of agricultural cooperatives to attend and bring their fresh and sweet tropical fruits to tourists.

Besides, various types of events and activities were carried out during the festival to show the special fruit culture of Xishuangbanna, including parade, fruit feast, games and cooking demonstrations.

The fruit festival is one of many activities that Xishuangbannna has organized or plans to organize this summer. Others include one food festival and a real-life escape room game. 

Butterfly Spring

Butterfly Spring where thousands of butterflies flutter among the branches and blossoms and over the spring forming an amazing ‘ Kingdom of Butterflies’. Above the pool there is an ancient tree known as the Butterfly Tree, because its fragrant blossom attracts thousands of butterflies in the short interval of spring turns to summer. These colorful creatures fly around the pool and settle on the tree in great clusters as they sip the nectar from the blossoms. This spectacular sight has given rise to a local festival when Bai people gather around the tree on 15 April for the Butterfly Meet. Then the youth will seek to engage with their loves. The Bai also refer to the Butterfly Spring as the ‘Allegiance Spring’ as it is here that true and lasting love may be found.

Why is Butterfly Spring so special?

Butterfly Spring is the gather place of butterflies. Butterfly Spring where thousands of butterflies flutter among the branches and blossoms and over the spring forming an amazing ‘ Kingdom of Butterflies’. Travelers can view the spectacular sights of thousands of flying butterflies and booing blossom.

Where is Butterfly Spring?

Butterfly Spring is located under the Yunnong Peak of Mt. Cangshan, 27 km south of Dali Ancient Town.

How to Get to Butterfly Spring?

1.From Dali Ancient City, hire a taxi or local car, which costs CNY 60-100; or take a bus from the West Gate to the scenic area and the bus fare is around CNY 4.

2.From Dali city, take a bus from Xiaguan Town Bus Station and the fare is CNY 5-10.

Main Attractions(Three Wonders)

Spring

The first wonder is “spring”. Butterfly Spring is soaked from the sand bed, the water quality is especially clear filtered by the thick sand layers without any pollution. The springs come from Butterfly Spring, in recent years the waters have been stored up in three pools by park managers for people to watch, the largest pool is about 10 mu. The park of Butterfly Spring contains a Butterfly Museum which keeps lots of species of butterflies.

Butterfly

The second wonder is the “Butterfly”. In Butterfly Spring, there are many different kinds of butterflies, every year in March to May, some butterfly is as big as a palm, and some is as small as bee. April 15 became Butterfly Party by the Bai people. Xu xiake described it in his travel notes: “There are thousands of butterflies, many of them may even connect with each other by head and tail and hang from the Silktree Albizzia to the water’s surface. The sight is so magnificent and wonderful.”

If tourists miss the Butterflies Party, there is a new butterfly pavilion in the south of Butterfly Spring, which reproduces the butterfly ecology, species and the butterfly culture in Butterfly Spring that provides the visitors who can’t visit the Butterfly Party the valuable information of Butterfly Spring wonder.

Tree

The last wonder is the “tree”. In the Butterfly Spring Park, there is “the beauty of the Butterfly Spring is green, please take good care of flowers and trees” environmental sign, this sentence show the beauty of the Butterfly Spring is green. The fernleaf hedge bamboos, the Christmas trees are seen along the passageway, and after the spring there are the pine forest, palm grove, tea grove, rhododendron forest, and some local unique aromatic incense tree species like albizzia. The acacia tree in Butterfly Spring, when the flowering season in early April, its petals just look like the hidden butterfly during the day, and its petals fold and smell fragrance at night. The poet praise the butterfly is the “flying flowers”, and this albizzia is “still butterfly”. All kinds of flowers bloom in the third and fourth month of every lunar year on Yunnong Peak. The big Silktree Albizzia gives off a faint fragrant scent. The scent attracts the butterflies, so thousands of them congregate around the Butterfly Spring.

Recommended Visiting Routes

Hours Couple Sightseeing Route

Sightseeing Time: 2 to 3 hours

For the crowd: couple

Arrival pattern: Special vehicle in the scenic spot, self-driving

Attractions on route: East Gate—Cuizhu Avenue—Xu Xiake Garden—Small Memorial Archway —Butterfly World—Five Dragons Spray Pond—Butterfly Spring—Big Crescent Moon Pool—Butterfly Museum—South Gate

Hours Family Sightseeing Route

Sightseeing time: 3 to 5 hours

For the crowd: family

Arrival pattern: special vehicle in the scenic spot, self-driving

Attractions on route: East Gate—Cuizhu Avenue—Xu Xiake Garden—Small Memorial Archway—Butterfly World—Five Dragons Spray Pond—Butterfly Spring—Big Crescent Moon Pool—Butterfly Museum—Wanghai Pavilion

Best Time to Visit Butterfly Spring

The Butterfly Party will be hold in April 15th every year in lunar calendar, at that time thousands of butterflies fly from all quarters, flying around the spring, many of them may even connect with each other by head and tail which is so magnificent. 

Useful Travel Tips

It is any time to have a butterfly flying in Butterfly Spring, in addition to April each year, in the other time people can not see the wonder of thousands of butterflies congregate around, so it is not recommended to visit Butterfly Spring in unsuitable time.

Why is Babao Scenic Area So Special?

In the Babao Scenic area, one river (Babao River), two waterfalls(Sanla三腊, Gefeng戈峰), three shoals(Tianfanglei shoal田房磊滩, Shiyakou shoal石丫口大滩, Pearl shoal珍珠滩), three caves(Tang Na汤那, San La三腊, Yafang cavern牙方溶洞), four oddities(peculiar spring, peculiar wind tunnel, peculiar stone, peculiar wind) and five ancient relics(ancient cliff painting, hominid site, ancient writing, ancient cultural relics, ancient bridge) are the most attractive and interesting. Babao Zhuang ethnic town is rich in unique ethnic culture including ethnic crafts, flavor snacks, local products, traditional festivals, customs, traditional clothing, residential buildings and so on, strange, ancient and plentiful in layers.

Where is Babao Scenic Area?

Babao provincial-level scenic area is located in the southeast of Guangnan County, Wenshan Autonomous Prefecture, 160 kilometers away from Wenshan. The Babao scenic area is dominated by peaks cluster, peak forests and karst waterfalls. It is composed of four sections, including Babao, river, Tangna karst cave汤纳溶洞 and Sanla waterfall三腊瀑布, with a total area of 68 square kilometers. Annual average temperature is 16.5 ℃, it is not cold in winter and not hot in summer.

About Babao Town

Babao Town has a long history. There are many ancient bridges on the Babao River, most of them are stone arch bridges of Ming and Qing dynasties. Near ten antique stone arch bridges list on Babao River, which adds many scenery and interests for Babao Town. Bridges are mainly Duihe bridge对河桥, Babao double bridge八宝双桥, Tianfang bridge田房桥, Poxian bridge坡现桥, Namu bridge那木桥 and Binzhou bridge宾州桥, etc, among them, Babao double bridge is well preserved, and was listed as the key cultural relic protection object by the provincial government in 1988. Many ancient hominid sites not only prove the long history of the Babao, but also show that it is one of the birthplaces of mankind. Paleolithic site at Yujiayan cave of Baile village百乐村余家岩洞, Neolithic site at Longgen cave of Anling village安令村龙根洞, Neolithic Cliff painting and Neolithic site at Tianfang village田房村 and so on, have become a place that many science and educational personnel yearns for.

Main Attractions

1. Sanla Waterfall三腊瀑布

Sanla waterfall, located at the Sanla village, 12 kilometers east of Babao town, is also known as “Xiangquan waterfall响泉瀑布”. The Babao river flows here, pouring down from a cliff more than 10 meters wide, and the waterfall was divided into three levels, with a drop of more than 120 meters.

2. Tangna Karst Cave汤纳溶洞

Bamei Village is surrounded by mountains and is not accessible by road. Bamei village mainly relies on two natural limestone karst caves to get in and out the village, one is behind the village, one is in the front of the village. The villagers have to touch the rock faces and take the bamboo raft, canoe or boat to pass through a water cave which is several kilometers long. This water cave is called Tangna Karst Cave.

Nearby Attractions

1. Bamei Scenic Area坝美景区

Bamei village of Bamei Town, Guangnan County is surrounded by mountains. Because of its unique karst landforms, caves, rivers and villages, people in and out of the village must sail through the cave. The land in front of the village is flat and open and behind the house there are green bamboos, which are similar to the Jin Dynasty litterateur Tao Yuanming陶渊明 described the Peach Blossom Spring桃花源, so it is called “The Last Xanadu”. People at Bamei are dominated by Zhuang people.

2. Puzhehei 普者黑

The Puzhehei Scenic Area is in Qiubei County of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, 13 kilometers away from county seat. It is a charming fairyland boasting beautiful karst landscapes, lakes and the unique cultures of the Zhuang, Miao, Yi and Bai ethnic groups.

Best Time to Visit

Tour is suitable all year round, but the best time to visit is from June to October.

How to Get There

You have two ways to get to Babao Scenic Area of Guangnan County, Wenshan.

1. By Long-distance Bus

Long-distance route is Kunming-Wenshan-Guangnan-Babao, you need to transfer three times. After arriving in Guangnan County, you can take the regular bus from Guangnan County to Babao Town, about 2 hours.

Kunming East Bus Station-Wenshan Bus Terminal

Departure Time: 7:20-20:10

Price: 126 or 117 or 140 CNY

Distance: 317 kilometers

Consume Time: 4-4.5 hours

Wenshan Bus Terminal-Guangnan Bus Terminal

Departure Time: 6:20-17:40

Price: 47 CNY

Distance: 178 kilometers

Consume Time: 2.5-3 hours

Guangnan Bus Terminal-Babao Bus Terminal

Departure Time: 7:10

Price: 20 CNY

Distance: 80 kilometers

Consume Time: About 2 hours

Tips: The price and time are for reference only, specific with actual condition. More prices and departure time, you can ask for details at bus terminals.

2. By Railway

Now, train is more convenient and faster than long-distance bus from Kunming to Guangnan County. After arriving in Guangnan county, you can take the shuttle bus to Babao.

Kunming Station-Guangnan County Station

Departure Time: 10:36, 12:00, 12:19, 13:35, 13:52, 17:12

Price: 119.5 CNY

Distance: 424 kilometers

Consume Time: About 2.5 hours

Kunming South Station-Guangnan County Station

Departure Time: 7:30-17:40

Price: 109 CNY

Distance: 417 kilometers

Consume Time: About 2 hours

Accommodation in Babao Town

You can stay overnight in Babao Town or return back to the county seat of Guangnan County.

1. Guangnan Babaogong Hotel广南八宝贡酒店

Address: Close to Guangnan Bus Terminal, Guangnan County, Wenshan文山自治州广南县广南汽车客运站附近

Tel: 0876-5155999

Starting Price: 352 CNY

2. Guangnan TeAnNa Hotel广南特安呐酒店

Address: No.255, Beining Road, Guangnan County, Wenshan文山壮族苗族自治州广南县北宁路255号

Tel: 0876-5151299

Starting Price: 260 CNY

3. Yinhe Hotel广南银河大酒店

Address: Shangmao Street, Babao Town, Guangnan County, Wenshan文山州广南县八宝镇商贸街

Tel: 0876-3068286

Starting Price: 98 CNY

Useful Travel Tips

1. Zhuang People live there. So you are supposed to learn some culture and custom of Zhuang minority in advance, respect zhuang minority culture.

2. In highland area, temperature difference is large between daytime and night, you must bring sun cream, sunhat, sun glasses, umbrella, coats and some medicines that protect from heatstroke.

Tours Including Babao

8 Days Yunnan-Guizhou Karst Landform Tour and Ethnic Minorities Discovery

46 Days Yunnan Panorama Photography Tour with 25 Ethnic Minorities Discovery and Three Parallel Rivers Hiking Adventure

39 Days Yunnan 25 Ethnic Minorities Discovery and Photography Tour

Jianhu Lake Wetland

Located in Jianchuan County of Dali, the northwest of Yunnan, Jianhu Lake(剑湖) is one of the most important plateau wetlands in Yunnan. The Jianhu Wetland Nature Reserve is composed of Jianhu Lake, Yuhua Reservoir, the surrounding watershed and forest. It streches to 12.3km long from north to south  and 6.2km wide with an elevation of 2186m. It’s a typical plat写文章eau wetland, and one of the most representative types  in the Northwest Yunnan Plateau. With the crystal water and none pollution, it is also called as the Minor of Plateau.

How to get to Jianhu Lake Wetland?

You can take a shuttle bus from Dali Coach Station to the Jianchuan Coach Station, then you need to take a chartered local mini-bus to the Jianhu Lake.

Culture

Local people who are living around the Jianhu Lake would visit the sea on every June 15th on lunar calendar, as if the villagers are celebrating a carnival. Villagers visit the sea around the Jianhu Lake where the villagers host the guests. It seems like that the hosts in the village are the hosts but they are the guests when they leave,.

Young people would sing and dance along the way, and the elderly would talk about ancient sayings. Guests are served with the tea and candy through the village. It’s very helpful for villagers not only to have more contact with each other and to enhance friendship, but also to cultivate temperament and entertain themselves. And this can go on constantly.

Characteristics

Jianhu Lake is a rift lake formed by the accumulation of water when the neotectonic movement was in the process of rising and falling. Surrounded by undulating hills and mountain ridge basin, there are Jianhu Lake, West Lake and a number of ponds to be remaining.The main stream of Lancang River called Yangbi River flows through the Black Huijiang Lake.The river called Jinlong River, is an important source of water for the lake.Except the Jinlong River, Yongfeng River, Lion River and other dozens of import water flows over there. With the  catchment area of 918 km and the average water depth of 2.7 m, the total capacity has reached 206000 m.

Due to the destruction of vegetation around the lake, which results in soil erosion, a large number of sediments were washed into the lake, so the area of Jianhu lake decreased and shallowed year by year. The area of Jianhu Lake decreased from 9.36 km to 6.23 km at the beginning of the founding period. In the meanwhile, the water storage capacity decreased by 62.9% from 45.32 million m to 16.8 million m.

Biological Resources

Climate

Jianchuan County sits in the Hengduan Mountains,which summer mainly belongs to  the subtropical weather system. With the pressure of the west wind, the warm and humid air of the region from the Bay of Benga flows to control the abundant and concentrated water.Winter mainly belongs to  westerly weather system. The lower part of the dry area has strong wind, less rainfall and sufficient sunshine, so that the circulation of situation constitutes a clear climatic characteristics of Jianchuan County.

Animal Resources

There are 15 species of fish living in the Jianhu Lake. Excluding alien species, the indigenous fish only consisits of 8 species, such as  Crucian Carp(鲫鱼), Loach(泥鳅), and Yellow Snakehead Fish(黄鳢). There are only eight kinds of indigenous fishes, but 4 of them are  unique fishes including the plateau loach(泥鳅), perch carp(鲈鲤), Yunnan split belly fish(裂腹鱼) and Qilu carp(杞麓鲤).

There are 94 species of birds belonging to 62 genera and 32 families in the Jianhu Wetland Reserve, accounting for 11.6% of the number of birds in Yunnan Province (810 species). Accounting for about 7.5% of the total number of birds in the country,  there were 42 species of birds, accounting for 44.7%. According to the types of birds, there are 12 species of water birds in the lake area, accounting for 12.8% of the birds in the protected area. There are 42 species of birds in the lake and wetland, accounting for 44.7 %.

Plant Resources

There are 4 groups of grassland swamps in the swamp-type group.The submerged vegetation is the most abundant vegetation type in the protected area, and the vegetation type with the highest degree of diversity is so rare and unique to the state. There are 443 vascular plants in Jianhu Nature Reserve, belonging to 281 families and 281 genera. The quantitative structure of the seed plants in the reserve is relatively poor, which reflects the ancient and conservative nature of the flora in the area in some extent

Jianhu wetland vegetation is divided into swamp vegetation type and shallow water plant wetland vegetation type.

(1) Swamp Vegetation Type Group

The Jianhu Lake swamp vegetation is mainly composed of Grasses, Polygonaceae, Compositae and other herbaceous plants, which the coverage is more than 90%. It belongs to the grassland marsh wetland, which is distributed in the lakeside zone, the lakeshore and lake transition zone around the lake, including Form Cynodon dactylon（狗牙根群系）, Form Polygontum hydropiper（水蓼群系） and Form Schoenoplectus tabernaeomonta（水葱群系）.

(2) Shallow Water Plant Wetland Vegetation Group

Shallow water plant wetland vegetation group consists of shallow water wetland plant community. The Jianhu wetland plant community is distributed in the lake. The aquatic plants are rich in the world, such as Common ducksmeat（紫萍）,Lemna duckweed（青萍）, Water caltrop（菹草）, Hornwort（金鱼藻）, etc. In the meanwhile, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau also is rich in  the unique species of cauliflower. including floating plants, floating leaf plants and submerged plants, of which submerged plant communities were dominant.

According to the”national key protected wild plant list (the first batch)” released by the State Forestry Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture in September 1999, Provincial Jianhu Wetland Nature Reserve has a national level I protected plant called Chinese yew（红豆杉） ; a national level II protected species called Semen integrifoliae（金铁锁）. In addition, the sea cottage was listed the national level II protected plants in 1987 by the “National List of Rare and Endangered Plants”; Ottelia（海菜花） has been Yunnan provincial key protected plants.

Main Attractions

Jinhua Mountain sitting in the northern foot of the Manxian Forest Area  covers an area of 2097 hectares. Built in hundreds of years ago, it has been a resort with its volley pavilions and never-dried-up water. The biggest advantage of the Jianhu lake is not been polluted and damageed, maintaining its natural scenery. You can see the view of “mirror” from far away, in the meanwhile,you can go through countless fishes. Bai people are living along the Jianhu lake where tourists can enjoy beautiful scenery and landscapes in different seasons,. In the past,,the local Bai people would dress in costumes for visiting along  the Jianhu Lake on every June 15th of the summer, which was called “visiting the sea” and became the ancient customs.

Ancient people praised the landscapes in Jianhu Lake as  “Eight Sceneries of Jianhu Lake”. The first scene is “Haimen Moon”. According to Jianchuan state written by the Qing Emperor Kangxi “Haimen Qiuyue”  is about”Mid-Autumn evening and Haimen water first moon”. And the second scene is”sea fishing lights.”  Unfortunately,  “Haimen Moon” doesn’t exsit now because of the decreasing of the water. Jianchuan,  which has been an ideal place for tourists to stay when they  go to Yunnan Lijiang, Diqing, is 129 kilometers away from Yunnan Dali.

Landscapes

As for the Jianhu wetland, the geomorphic structure and landform type are very simple. But the whole expansion of the Jianhu Lake Basin and the nature reserve reveals the diverse types of geological landforms, complex structure and prominent features. Specifically for the following several aspects:

 (1) Diverse landforms;
 (2) The landscape combination among mountains from north and south;
 (3) Based on the original type and the primary landform;
 (4) Special landform development and so on.

The main landform types include mountainous landforms, valleys and dams (basins). As for the mountain topography, the highest elevation reaches 2833 m with the lowest elevation of 2186 m.

Useful Travel Tips

You can visit Jianhu Lake in all seasons.
Please protect the environment of the non-pollution lake.
Pay attention to the traveling distance, it’s 129 kilometers away from Dali City to the Jianchuan County.

Nuodeng Salt Wells and Salt Museum

Nuodeng Salt Well is a representative salt well, enjoying a good reputation. In 109 B.C., Emperor Wudi of west Han Dynasty conquered Yunnan and set up Yizhou prefeture, including 24 counties, among them was Bisu County which is the area along along Bijiang River valley. “Bi” means salt in Bai Language, and “Su” means people producing salt. Nuodeng Salt Well has a history of over 2000 years since it was exploited in Han Dynasty. The Nuodeng Salt Well was a 21-meter deep well. People in ancient times got the brine by drawing salt water from the well by hand and then the brine was delivered to each family to boil. The fantastic Nuodeng Salt Well and Salt Museum can take you to view more about the booming salt industry.

Why is Nuodeng Salt so special?

It is the one of top five salt wells in China. As the important part of Salt Horse Road, it was prosperous in the ancient time, so you can visit many historic sites here and know more detail information in Salt Museum.

History

Nuodeng is an exquisite village of Bai ethnic group in Yunlong County, west of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. According to historical materials, Nuodeng enjoys a history of more than 1,200 years. It is well-known for its natural salt and ham.

Built on a sharp mountain, villagers’ houses were connected layer by layer. Usually, the back door of a house in front is linked with the courtyard of the family behind. Most buildings are well preservation of the complexes featuring Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and are called the “living fossils” of ancient buildings of Bai people.

Nuodeng used to be a tribe which was blooming because of salt. People here have been engaged in boiling salt, thus, it was a key economic trading town in the west of Yunnan Province. There is a salt well in the ancient village, around which salty water oozes all the year round. Grains of salts can be seen in the dry areas of the well.

Nuodeng Salt and Nuodeng Ham

Nodang salt contains potassium, but no iodine. Nuodeng salt has a light taste and strong penetrability. Nuodeng salt can get into the food deeply. Therefore, the salt of ham can be preserved for a long time, and it is not too salty. With the Nuodeng salt, the deliciousNuodeng ham can be marinated, so the Nodang salt is hailed as the first delicious food by people in the mountains. 

Nuodeng Ham is one of the three famous hams in Yunnan. Made with unique recipe, the ham tastes crispy and smells good.

A Bite of China”, a TV show that’s sparked a wave of food buying among gourmet-seeking gastronomes, eager to taste something new. In this documentary shot by CCTV there is a six-minute-long video about the Nuodeng Ham, which gains the ham considerable fame. The natural salt well makes the special flavor of Nuodeng Ham as a traditional regional specialty dishes. 

Useful Travel Tips

1.A lot of festivals and events of Bai nationality focused on March to April each year, travel at this time you will feel rich ethnic customs.

2.When the weather is fine in Nuodeng, the sunshine is heated, and ultraviolet light is strong. People should avoid direct sunlight, and the sun hat preparation is required during outdoor activities, a pair of sunglasses will make you comfortable in the trip.

3.Respect local custom of ethnic minority.

4.If you get a chance, you can see the process of producing salt in Nuodeng.

 

Xinhua Silver Village in Heqing County

Xinhua Village of Caohai Town is a typical Bai village and a cultural tourism area on the origin village. Xinhua Village enjoys the charming landscape, large area of wetland and the crystal well. It is the unique scenery of highland. Xinhua Village enjoys the long history of silver art and handicrafts. Xinhua Village was called as the Home of Silver. It was entitled as the national 4A scenic spot by national tourism department in 2009 and put in the list of the Chinese traditional villages.

Why is Xinhua Village of Caohai Town so special?

Xinhua Village enjoys the long history of over 1000 years. The locals began to make the silver handicrafts since Nanzhao Kingdom.

In 2001, it was entitled as the Hometown of Chinese Folk Art and the Chinese Folk Culture Village.
In 2006, Xinhua Village won the title of “Top Ten Famous Towns in Yunnan”.
In 2009, it was entitled as the national 4A scenic spot by national tourism department.

Where is Xinhua Village?

With altitude of 2000 meters. Xinhua Village is located at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain, 5 km north of Heqing County, Dali of Yunnan Province. It is the important part of the visiting route of Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La.

510 km from Kunming City
128 km from Dali Ancient Town
39 km from Lijiang City
12 km from Lijiang Airport

History

Xinhua Village is an ancient village with “small hammer knocking for a thousand years”. Xinhua Village has a long history of ethnic handicraft processing. According to records, in the Nanzhao period of the Tang Dynasty more than a thousand years ago, the Xinhua people used the handicrafts such as silver and bronze to make a living, and passed on the handicrafts in the form of family transmission.

While inheriting the craftsmanship, Xinhua people continue to absorb the cultures of the surrounding ethnic groups and formed a variety of silverware crafts with exquisite skills and exquisite patterns. These handicrafts offer a high cultural value and collection value. More than 10 craftsmen represented by Mu Binglin and Dong Zhonghao were awarded the title of “Master of Folk Crafts” by UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture and Industry. Therefore, Xinhua Village has also been recognized as a “civil craft master village”. The silver handicrafts of Xinhua Village maintain the most primitive methods. They carry on the family workshops and passed down from generation to generation.

What to See

Xinhua Village is a paradise where the migratory birds inhabit and also rich in groundwater resources. The pools, lakes and springs are scattered all over the place. The Qingshui River, Wulong River and Qinshui River are intertwined and form the water system network. Every family has a spring, forming the unique plateau water town scenery in Xinhua Village. Xinhua Village has a unique plateau grassland wetland with an area of more than 10,000 mu. Every winter, nearly 10,000 migratory birds spend the winter here. According to statistics, there are 514 rare plants in the Caohai Wetland of Xinhua Village and 53 species of endangered and protected animals in the country. The Caohai Wetland has beautiful scenery and charming scenery. It has the charm of the southern country and the rural scenery.

Xinhua Village is a “treasure house of Bai culture”. Xinhua Village has a long history and splendid culture. Xinhua Village also has rich Bai customs and colorful culture. There are many ethnic festival, arts and culture festival, and lotus flowers etc. Xinhua Village can show you both the charming scenery and colorful ethnic culture.

Useful Travel Tips

If you visit the Xinhua Village, you can discover the silver and handicrafts culture of Xinhua deeply. 

Please respect the local ethnic custom and belief. 

Shiziguan Pass of Shibaoshan Mountain

Shiziguan Pass is a mountain pass of Shibaoshan. Shibaoshan Mountain(石宝山) is 25 km south of Jianchuan County. It has a lot of stones like the shell of turtle. It is famous for the grottoes and sculptures of Shiziguan Pass. On the opposite of Shizhong Temple, Shiziguan Pass enjoys many grottoes of Nanzhao Kingdom, especially the family of Xi Nuluo(细奴逻), representing the history and development of Nanzhao. It is an approving visiting route to hike from Shiziguan Pass, then get down the mountain and climb up to the Shizhong Temple. 

Recommended Hiking Route

It is an approving visiting route to hike from Shiziguan Pass Parking Lot, then Shiziguan Pass to Shizhong Temple. Along this route, travelers can appreciate more fantastic landscape of Shibaoshan and learn more the Buddism Culture and history of Nanzhao Kingdom. 

1. Walk along the gentle slope from Parking Lot of Shiziguan Pass. It takes you about 20 minutes to Shiziguan Scenic Area and grottoes.
2. Keep forward to the narrow path which is only for one person. After going through the narrow path, travelers get to the deep valley. We can appreciate the Shizhong Temple and Shizhong Grottoes far away.
3. It takes 20 minutes to hike from deep valley to Shizhong Temple, which is one of the oldest temples of Dali. The hiking will end with the splendid Buddhism culture.

Useful Travel Tips

When the weather is fine in Dali, the sunshine is heated, and ultraviolet light is strong. People should avoid direct sunlight, and the sun hat preparation is required during outdoor activities, a pair of sunglasses will make you comfortable in the trip.

Nearby Attractions

Jizu Mountain in Binchuan County, Dali
Golden Summit Temple of Jizu Mountain in Binchuan County, Dali
Zhusheng Temple of Jizu Mountain in Binchuan County, Dali
Shizhong Mountain Grottoes
Shizhong Temple of Jizu Mountain in Binchuan County, Dali

Reflection Park of Three Pagodas

Reflection Park(倒影公园) is behind the Three Pagodas, and there is a Reflection Pond in the park 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. With the diverse directions, travelers can appreciate the differnt relections of the Three Pagodas. In winter, Cangshan Mountain was covered by snow. The reflection will be more charming and unique.

What to See

The oval reflection pool is clean and quiet. The most distinctive feature of the reflection park is that pool can reflect the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple.

The park was built in the 1980s. The poolside is decorated with silver birch, cedar, weeping willow, etc. It is surrounded by rattan frames, marble tables and benches, long columns and small streams around the lake. On the west side of the pool, there is a Dali monument pavilion. Walking along the corridor, travelers can get to Yangbo Pavillion in the pool. There is a small island on the south side of Libo Pavilion, with a pair of vivid white cranes statues on the island.

Useful Travel Tips

When the weather is fine in Dali, the sunshine is heated, and ultraviolet light is strong. People should avoid direct sunlight, and the sun hat preparation is required during outdoor activities, a pair of sunglasses will make you comfortable in the trip.

The reflection park deserves to visit when you visit the Three Pagodas. It is the ideal place for you to appreciate the whole view of the Three Pagodas.

Nearby Attractions

Three Pagodas in Dali
Cangshan Mountain
Dali Ancient Town
Erhai Lake

Golden Summit Temple

Located in the summit of Tianzhu Peak on Jizu Mountain, Jinding (golden summit) Temple(金顶寺) is the top attraction of Jizu Mountain. It consists of Duguangtai, Maitreya Hall, Lengyan Tower and Daxiong Hall. Jiding Temple enjoys the long and profound history, also the best place for appreciate the landscape, appreciating the sunrise from the east, Cangshan and Erhai Lake in west, the forest of Xiangyun in south and Jade Dragon Mountain in north. The traveler Xu Xiake(徐霞客) also climbed the Jizu Mountain and appreciated four sights here.

History

Golden Summit Temple has gone through a lot. Firstly, monks built the temple here; In Jiajing Period of Ming Dynasty(1522-1566, scholar of Dali Li Yuanyang built Puguang Hall; in 1600, Censor Sun Yu(御史孙愈) built the Guangming Pagoda according to the requirements of monks; in 1641, Mu Tianbo(沐天波) moved the copper temple from Yingwu Mountain(鹦鹉山) of Kunming to Tianzhu Peak in Jizu Mountain(鸡足山天柱峰) and destroy the Puguang Hall. To the 30 years of Kangxi Period of Qing Dynasty(1691), the hall was burned, and the copper temple and pagoda were left. Lengyan Pagoda was built in 1929 by Long Yun(龙云). During the Anti-Japanese War, it was a natural buoy for foreign aid materials flying over the Tuofeng.

Accommodation

There are several hotels on the top of Jizu Mountain, such as Jinding Temple Guesthouse(金顶寺接待部), Jizu Mountain Hotel. Travelers also can stay at the hotels at the foot of Jizu Mountain, like Dali Zhusun Hotel(大理竹笋庄园).

Useful Travel Tips

• Cable car and horse riding are available if you don’t want to climb up to the Jinding Temple.
• Please do not take the photos of the Buddha to show your respect.
• Wear more clothes as the top of the mountain can be cold.
• When the weather is fine in Dali, the sunshine is heated, and ultraviolet light is strong. People should avoid direct sunlight, and the sun hat preparation is required during outdoor activities, a pair of sunglasses will make you comfortable in the trip.

Nearby Attractions

Jizu Mountain in Binchuan County, Dali