Ethnic Markets Map of Yuanyang County in Honghe

Yuanyang County (元阳县) is located in the southern part of Yunnan Province (云南省), within the southern section of the Ailao Mountains (哀牢山脉) and on the southern bank of the Honghe River (红河). Its geographical coordinates range from 102°27′ to 103°13′ east longitude and 22°49′ to 23°19′ north latitude. The county shares borders with Jinping County (金平县) to the east, Lüchun County (绿春县) to the south, and is adjacent to Honghe County (红河县) to the west. To the north, it faces Jianshui County (建水县) and Gejiu City (个旧市) across the Honghe River. The county spans a maximum of 74 kilometers from east to west and 55 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 2,212.32 square kilometers. The county seat, Nansha Town (南沙镇), is situated 284 kilometers from Kunming (昆明), the provincial capital, and 71 kilometers from Mengzi (蒙自), the prefectural capital.

Topography and Landforms​

Yuanyang County is situated in a low-latitude, high-altitude region characterized by rugged terrain with overlapping mountains and deep valleys. The landscape is predominantly mountainous, lacking flat plains. The elevation within the county varies significantly, ranging from a minimum of 144 meters to a maximum of 2,939.6 meters above sea level. The terrain generally slopes from the northwest to the southeast, with the Honghe River (红河) and the Teng Tiao River (藤条江) meandering from west to east. This results in a topographical pattern where the central region is elevated, flanked by lower elevations on both sides, forming a distinctive “V”-shaped landform.