Yaoan County Administrative Divisions

Yao’an County (姚安县) is administered by Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (楚雄彝族自治州) in central Yunnan Province. Covering approximately 1,699.50 square kilometers, the county is divided into six towns and three townships, with a total of 77 village and community-level administrative units, including 13 communities and 64 administrative villages.

Yao’an's territory can broadly be understood through three geographical zones: the basin area, semi-mountainous area and mountainous area. The basin towns have better transportation, more concentrated cultural resources and stronger visitor reception facilities, while the mountainous areas are characterized by ethnic communities, forests, traditional village life and relatively undeveloped cultural landscapes.

For international visitors and Yaso Trip study tours, Dongchuan Town and Guanglu Town are the most practical bases for transportation, accommodation and itinerary coordination. Mountainous townships are better suited to small-scale cultural fieldwork, ecological study and specialized research groups because some villages have limited foreign-language services and visitor infrastructure.

Administrative Divisions and Tourism Characteristics

Dongchuan Town

Dongchuan Town (栋川镇) is the county seat and the political, economic, cultural and transportation center of Yao’an. The Qingling River runs through the basin, while the town's urban communities form the main service center for the county.

Important villages include Haizixin Village (海子心村), Dalongkou Village (大龙口村) and Qiming Village (启明村). The town is suitable as a starting point for county-level cultural programs, agricultural experiences and local museum-based study activities. For inbound groups, it functions primarily as a transportation and accommodation hub rather than a remote cultural destination.

Guanglu Town

Guanglu Town (光禄镇) is the cultural and tourism center of Yao’an and is also recognized as a National Famous Historical and Cultural Town. The well-known Guanglu Ancient Town is located here.

The town includes Guanglu Community, Jiucheng, Fuguang, Jiangwei, Xiaoyi, Banliu, Houying, Wuhai, Xinzhuang, Tizi and Caohai administrative areas. Important villages include Chaoyang Village (朝阳村) within Guanglu Community, Jiucheng Village (旧城村), Xiaoyi Village (小邑村) and Caohai Village (草海村).

Guanglu combines historical architecture, traditional villages, ethnic culture, intangible cultural heritage and rural landscapes. Its cultural resources include Longhua Temple, the Yao’an Lu Military and Civilian Commander’s Office, local Meige traditions, Bazi-style folk singing, revolutionary history and rural flower landscapes. Guanglu is particularly suitable for inbound study tours, historical-cultural research and traditional village experiences.

Mixing Town

Mixing Town (弥兴镇) contains both basin and mountainous landscapes and includes Yao’an's second major agricultural basin. Its administrative villages include Mixing, Guanzhuang, Shangtun, Dacun, Zhujie, Xiaojv, Daju and Hongmei.

Daju Village (大苴村), Xiaojv Village (小苴村) and Zhujie Village (朱街村) are among the villages with stronger cultural and tourism value. The area preserves traditional village clusters and historic buildings dating from the Ming and Qing periods. Its agricultural landscapes also provide opportunities for studying highland farming traditions and rural settlement patterns.

Guantun Town

Guantun Town (官屯镇) is strongly associated with the development and transmission of Meige culture, an important component of Yi oral tradition.

The town administers Guantun Community together with Shanpo, Lianchang, Balazha, Mayou, Putao, Sanjiao and Huangnitang. Important cultural villages include Mayouping Village (马游坪村) in Mayou, Balazha Village (巴拉鲊村) and Putao Village (葡萄村).

Yi cultural traditions, Yi embroidery, traditional village life and the wetland environment around Yangpai Reservoir create strong potential for ethnic-culture study tours and intangible cultural heritage programs.

Qianchang Town

Qianchang Town (前场镇) is a mountainous township with a strong Yi cultural character. Its administrative areas include Xinjie Community, Zhuangke, Shihe, Wangchao, Xincun, Xiaohe, Mushu, Baizitian and Xinmin.

Mushu Village (木署村), Baizitian Village (稗子田村) and Xinmin Village (新民村) are notable for their traditional ethnic culture. The area also combines mountain temples, waterfalls, flowering landscapes and local festivals.

For visitors, Qianchang is more suitable for small-scale cultural immersion, ethnic festival experiences and mountain ecological exploration than for large conventional tour groups.

Taiping Town

Taiping Town (太平镇) is primarily a rural and forested mountainous area. Its administrative villages include Taiping, Baishidi, Laojie, Geju, Wangchao, Xincun, Xiaohe and Xinmin.

Baishidi Village (白石地村) and Geju Village (各苴村) are representative rural destinations. The local landscape combines extensive orchards, forest resources and wild mushroom habitats, creating opportunities for agricultural tourism, rural experiences and forest-based ecological education.

Dahekou Township

Dahekou Township (大河口乡) is a high-altitude mountainous area with a significant concentration of ethnic minority communities. It administers Dahekou, Dalishu, Lianshui, Jizi, Dabaizhele and Haoziqing.

Dabaizhele Village (大白者乐村) and Haoziqing Village (蒿子箐村) are representative mountain communities. The area is characterized by forests, valleys, steep mountain terrain and traditional Yi village environments.

Because transportation and visitor services are more limited, Dahekou is best suited to small research groups, ecological fieldwork, hiking and specialized cultural study programs.

Shizhong Township

Shizhong Township (适中乡) occupies the eastern mountainous part of Yao’an and is home to several ethnic communities. It administers Shizhong, Sanmu, Yueming and Changhe.

Changhe Village (菖河村) and Yueming Village (月明村) are important local villages. Changhe is associated with traditional honey production, while the surrounding mountain environment provides opportunities for studying ecological agriculture and multi-ethnic rural communities.

Zuomen Township

Zuomen Township (左门乡) is both a mountainous ecological area and an important site for revolutionary history and the transmission of Meige culture.

Its administrative villages include Zuomen, Piela, Yangla, Biba and Disuo. Disuo Village (地索村) and Biba Village (哔叭村) are representative cultural communities.

The township combines high mountain forests, revolutionary heritage, Yi traditional music and dance, including Hulusheng-related cultural traditions. It is particularly suitable for red-history study tours, ethnic cultural research and highland ecological fieldwork.

Yao’an County Administrative Division Table

Note: The table focuses on administrative villages and representative cultural or tourism villages with clear educational and visitor value. Yao’an contains numerous smaller natural villages and resident groups that are not individually listed here.

Ethnic Villages of Yao’an County

Yao’an's ethnic villages are particularly valuable for visitors interested in Yi culture, traditional village life and intangible cultural heritage. Three representative locations include Xiguan Village (西关村) in Guanglu Town, Chaoyang Village (朝阳村) in Guanglu Town, and Mayouping Village (马游坪村).

These communities can be incorporated into carefully designed cultural programs focusing on traditional architecture, village settlement patterns, handicrafts, oral traditions, traditional music and everyday rural life. For international visitors, smaller community-based visits are generally more appropriate than large-scale group activities in remote villages.

Traditional Town of Yao’an County

The most prominent historic town in Yao’an is Guanglu Ancient Town (姚安光禄古镇) in Guanglu Town. Its historical environment, traditional architecture and connection with local ethnic culture make it an important cultural destination within the county.

For Yaso Trip, Guanglu is especially useful as a cultural-study base because it can connect historical research with traditional villages, intangible cultural heritage, revolutionary history and rural landscapes. Together with Dongchuan Town, it can also provide a practical base for organizing wider county-level cultural and educational itineraries.