If you are looking for an organized trip to Yunnan, you are in the right place. Traveling in China can be complicated by the language barrier so the route includes an experienced guide who has lived in Yunnan for years and will make your trip much easier. Also, getting around China, looking for stations, buying…
If you are thinking about going to work as an English teacher in China, you are wondering what it must be like and what requirements are needed; here I am going to tell you a little about my experience during the 3 years I was working for a Chinese school in the city of Kunming,…
Here is a list of the best of Yunnan; the essential places to visit if you are planning a trip to Yunnan. Yunnan is a province in southwestern China that is known to be the most diverse in the whole country. Every year, more and more people are coming to Yunnan to learn about its…
During my stay in Yunnan (China), I crossed the land border between China and Vietnam, passing through Hekou (Yunnan, China) and Lao Cai (Vietnam). It had been five years since my first visit to Vietnam, and I was eager to return. We spent two weeks visiting Vietnam and returned to China via the same border,…
Living in China is quite an experience and, after 7 years in China, if there is one thing I have been able to prove is that this country is so different that it surprises you every day. Even when you’ve been there for a while, and you think you’ve seen it all, suddenly, it surprises…
I went on a trip to Sichuan to see the province just north of Yunnan, where I have lived for years, working as an English teacher in Kunming. Western Sichuan (四川) not only borders Tibet, but is an area that formerly belonged to a region of Tibet until 1955 when it was annexed to Sichuan…
400 years old, Wengding is reputed to be the best-preserved village in all of China. After the Monihei festival, we went to Wengding (翁丁村). This village has the privilege of being the best preserved Wa village in China and it is even said to be the last real tribal village left in China. From Cangyuan…
Monihei（摸你黑）is a mud festival held in southwestern Yunnan, specifically in Cangyuan, a city bordering Myanmar. The tradition of this festival is based on spreading mud on people to spread health and prosperity. It’s believed that the more muddy you get, the better. Held every May 1 and 2, this festival comes from the Wa ethical…
After two and a half years in Yunnan, just when I thought I couldn’t see anything more beautiful than what I had already experienced and that I had visited all the major landmarks in the province, I went on a trip to Puzhehei and discovered what would become one of my favorite places in Yunnan….
The Rice Terraces of Yuanyang (原阳) are located south of Yunnan in Honghe Prefecture. This entire area is famous for its large expanses of rice fields, which are undoubtedly some of the most spectacular rice terraces of China. Ninety-five per cent of Yuanyang’s population is engaged in agriculture, 88% of whom belong to different ethnic…
During my trip to Lijiang, I took a couple of days to go trekking at Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡), which turned out to be the most breathtaking experience I’ve had in China so far. Tiger Leaping Gorge is the name given to the canyons carved by the Yangtze River, located 60 km from Lijiang, in…
On one of our trips through Yunnan we went to visit the Puer tea fields. Puer (普洱) is located southwest of Yunnan. It is an area known for being the place where the famous Puer tea is grown and named (普洱茶). I took advantage of my first week of Christmas vacation (just four days) to…