Kunming
Capital of Yunnan Province and a famous historical and cultural city in the centre of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau 1,891 metres above sea level, with mild humidity, an average annual temperature of a pleasant 15 degrees Celsius, and flowers blooming in all four seasons. A world-famous tourist resort, Kunming holds such major attractions as Dianchi Lake, West Hill, West Hill Forest Park, Yunnan Ethnic Village, Grand View Pavilion, Qiongzhu Temple, Golden Hall, Yuantong Temple, Cuihu Park, and the Garden of the World Horticultural Exposition. The 300-square-km Dianchi is Yunnan's largest alpine lake known as "Highland Bright Pearl" for its vast expanse of liquid silver and graceful scenery. Standing by Dianchi Lake is Yunnan Ethnic Village, a huge congregation of ethnic villages in which visitors are entertained with a diversity of folk singing and dancing and folklore gigs. Dianchi Lake itself is surrounded by many scenic attractions, including Dianchi National Holiday Resort, West Hill Forest Park, and Grand View Pavilion. China's largest cast-bronze hall is found in Jindian (Golden Hall) Scenic Zone on the camellia-covered Mingfeng Mountain to the northeast of Kunming. From May 1 to October 30, 1999, Kunming was the venue of the last international horticultural exposition, which was a resounding success. The large group of buildings erected for this exhibition are found in the Garden of the World Horticultural Exposition, now open permanently as a new tourist attraction.
Stone Forest
Eighty-four km southeast of Kunming is Stone Forest in Shilin (Stone Forest) County, a 350-square-km topographical turmoil wrought by a jungle of 100 or so groups of monoliths in shapes ranging from overhanging cliffs to grotesque boulders. "Number One Bizarre Spectacle Under Heaven, " as the Stone Forest is nicknamed. The natural spectacle is made all the more alluring by its inhabitants, the Sani people, whose peculiar habits and customs never fail to keep the visitors mesmerized. Grand celebrations are held during the Torch Festival, which on the 24th day of the 6th lunar month.
Dianchi Lake
Lying south of Kunming City and covering an area of more than three hundred square kilometres, is the largest lake on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. With its shimmering water, sailboats, and adjacent rice fields, the lake is a favourite attraction for visitors.
Dali
Dali in northwest Yunnan is a famous Chinese historical and cultural city and a national scenic zone : A rich heritage dates back to the days when the city was the capital of the kingdoms of Nanzhao and Dali. Dali is a major habitat for the etchnic Bai people, whose folkways are at once tiem-honoured and distinctive. The ancient city of Dali was first built during the early Ming; today only two city gate-towers are still there. The dwellings of the Bai people, however, are in perfect condition. There is something tranquil about the streets, and one of them, " Foreigners Street", is, as the name suggests, frequented by foreign visitors shopping or having a good time in teahouses. The Three Pagodas of the now defunct Chongshen Monastery, standing stately at the foot of Changshan Mountain and by Erhai Lake, have been around for more than 1.100 years. The Pagodas, the Mountain and the lake are representative of the serene scenery of Dali.
Diqing
Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Yunnan is a major stop on the Shangrila travel route. A 315-km section of the Kunming - Lhasa Highway conducts from Dali to Zhongdian County, the seat of the prefecture 659 km from Kunming. Situated where Jinsha, Nujiang and Lancang rivers run abreast on the southeast edge of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, Diqing's landscape encompasses snow-clad peaks, deep ravines, vast prairies, alpine lakes and virgin forest, a landscapes with all the elements implied in the word " Shangrila".
Xishuangbanna
It takes 50 minutes to fly the 692 km from Kunming to Jinghong, capital of Xishuangbanna Prefecture in southwest Yunnan. There the land is covered with layer upon layer of primitive forests and tropical rain forests, forming what is billed as "Mid-air Park". Some 5.000 kinds of tropical plants and hundreds of rare birds and animals call Xishuangbanna home.