Yunnan - The province south of the clouds

Yunnan is a landlock province in the south-west of China. It is the most diverse province in all China, being home to 25 out of the official 55 ethnic minorities in the country. The diversity in both cultures and landscapes has made it one of the trendiest destinations for domestic and foreigner travelers alike.

Many travelers fly into the province through its capital city, Kunming, but due to its position the province is also a land gataway to Southeast Asia: it borders Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, and many backpackers can be seen here, on their way from or to these countries.

From the mountain treks around the city of Lijiang and the ethnic-Tibetan villages near Shangri-La, to Thai vibes in Xishuangbanna and the UNESCO World heritage site rice terraces in Yuanyang, from the yellow sweeps of Canola flowers in Luoping to the the rocky formations of the Stone Forest of Shilin, Yunnan will amaze you with its people and natural landscape, making you want to stay a little bit longer!

Things you might not know about Yunnan

🍄 Wild mushrooms hotpot
Yunnan is one of the global biodiversity hotspots and has more than 600 species of wild edible mushrooms. During the wet season in summer, locals head to the many mushroom hotpot restaurants
🍵 Pu'er tea
Yunnan is one of the first tea-producing regions in the world and the fermented Pu'er tea takes its name from the Yunnna region where it is traditionally produced
🐴 Ancient Tea Horse Road
Yunnan was an important part of the trading network of the Ancient Tea Horse Road (Southern Silk Road) and in the old cities of Shangri-La, Lijiang, and Shaxi you can still find many well-preserved relics, including old caravanserais.
☕ Specialty coffee producers
In the past few years, traders, roasters, cafe owners and connoisseurs are discovering Yunnan as a producer of specialty coffee Arabica beans, noted for its sweet flavor.
🤤 At the crossroads of flavours
The flavors and techniques used in Yunnan cuisine are a blend of famously spicy Sichuan food in the north, light and seafood oriented cooking in eastern China, and fresh Thai flavors in the South. You can't leave without trying its most famous dish: “Crossing the Bridge Noodles”!
🤹‍♀️ The Chinese hippie province
In other parts of China, Yunnan is seen as a place where artists, musicians, and all sorts of free-thinkers can go and live the simple life, surrounded by natural beauty, enjoying good weather, and basking in the company of like minded nonconformists.
💃 ‍The Mosuos' Kingdom of Women
The Mosuo are a minority of about 50,000 living near Lugu Lake in the Tibetan Himalayas. Their society is matriarchal, meaning that women are the head of the household and take business decisions. Women can change partner freely, following a tradition known as "Walking marriage", where a man is invited to a woman's private sleeping room to spend the night and walk back to his mother's home in the early morning.