The Guihua Temple is named the Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery in Tibetan. It is located at the foot of the Foping Mountains, 5 km north of Zhongdian County and occupies an area of 500 mu. The monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Yunnan Province, and also one of the famous monasteries in the Tibetan area. It now has over 700 Buddhist monks.The Guihua Temple was built in 1679 under Emperor Kang Xi's authorization after the fifth Dalai Lama sent a report to him, who named the temple "Gedan Songlin".Emperor Yong Zheng granted it the name "Guihua Temple". The temple w…more>>

Dukezong, a Tibetan town located in Shangri-La, offers sanctuary to all those seeking refuge from the busy city life. Dukezong's authentic Tibetan dwellings, gilded prayer halls and pagodas, and lanterns of various shapes lighting the way along narrow, winding lanes are permeated with the grace as well as the mystique of antiquity that enchants visitors the moment they set foot in it. Dukezong was a key stop on the Ancient Tea-horse Road and a focal point for Han-Tibetan exchanges. It is the largest and best-preserved Tibetan city among China's 147 Tibetan counties. It is also site of the larg…more>>

At the southern foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 13 kilometers (nine miles) northwest away from the Old Town is a small lamasery named Yufeng Temple - one of the Scarlet Sect lamaseries of Lijiang. First built in 1756 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Yufeng Temple used to have nine courtyards, but only the gate tower, the main hall and two courtyards have remained after so many years' historical vicissitude. The beautiful sceneries around Yufeng Temple are special gifts from the deity. The temple backs onto a snow mountain and faces a meadow. It is surrounded by the …more>>

Built during the late Song Dynasty and the early Yuan Dynasty，the Old Town of Lijiang has no city walls. It rests on Lion Mountain in the west and borders on Elephant Mountain in the north. Surrounded by green hills，it looks like a jade ink slab，thus the name Dayan Town ("yan" homophonously for ink slab).The center of the town is the town is the Sifang Street surrounded by five main streets (Xinhua，Wuyi，Qiyi， Xinyi，and Guangyi) leading in all directions. Among these main streets is a web of alleys and paths which run through the whole town.The old town has made good use of water from…more>>

Locating between 100 04'-100 16'east longitude and 27 03'-27 40' north latitude, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Mountain) is the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Consisting of 13 peaks, among which Shanzidou is the highest one with an altitude of 5,600 meters (18,360 feet), Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade…more>>

Thirty-three km. from Xiaguan lies the town of Xizhou by the side of Erhaj Lake and the Wanhua Brook. Historically, it was a military fortress of Nanzhao Kingdom and a temporary palace of the King of Nanzhao. Because of its favourable geographical situation, the town used to be a commercial centre before 1949 and there were more than 140 national capitalist families among whom the Yan's, the Dong's, the Yin's and the Yang's were the biggest ones in capital. Their houses are of the typical Bai design known as "Sanfang Yizhaobi" (a courtyard rooms on three sides and a screen wall on th…more>>

Travel some 27 kilometers south of Dali and you will come to a popular beauty spot known locally as the 'Butterfly Spring'. Situated at the foot of Mount Shenmo, the first of the peaks of Mount Cangshan the spring rises to form a square shaped pool that is shaded by the dense foliage that lines its banks. The pool is some 50 square meters overall and above it is an ancient decumbent tree. This is the famous 'Butterfly Tree', so called as in the short interval as spring turns to summer, its fragrant blossom attracts thousands of butterflies. These small multi-colored creatures fly around the po…more>>

Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, with a history of more than 2400 years, owes its importance to the fact that it was the gateway to the celebrated Silk Road that facilitated trade with Tibet, Sichuan, Myanmar and India. Today the city is the political, economical and cultural center of Yunnan and the provincial center for transport, science and technology and consequently has become the most popular center for tourism in Southwest China.Kunming enjoys a pleasant climate and does its best to live up to its title of 'the City of Eternal Spring'. Whenever you are planning to go, the temperat…more>>

The Stone Forest is in the Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, Yunnan Province. It covers an area of 2,670 square kilometers and is divided into several scenic areas with names like Greater Stone Forest, Lesser Stone forest, Outer Stone Forest, Underground Stone Forest, Stone Forest Lake, and Da Dieshui Fall. The Stone Forest was formed by karst two million to thirty mullion years ago. The Forest was contains peaks, pillars, stalagmites, depressions, underground rivers, and caves. The fantastic stone pinnacles rising abruptly from the ground resemble a huge, dense forest. Many of the stone…more>>

In the western suburbs of Kunming lies Western Hills. They are also called 'Sleeping Buddha Hills'. For looked at from a distance, they have the appearance of a giant sleeping Buddha. They have also been given another name - 'Sleeping Beauty Hills' for the hills when viewed together look like a beautiful young lady laying beside Dianchi Lake with her face upward and her hair trailling into water. You can see the outline of her face, chest, and legs clearly.Western Hills boasts an excellent environment with flourishing flowers and dense forest, providing tourists an excellent environment to enj…more>>

Three pagodas, about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) northwest of the ancient city of Dali, occupying a scenic location at the foot of Mt. Cangshan facing Erhai Lake, has a history of over 1,800 years. It is a symbol of the history of Dali City, and a record of the development of Buddhism in the area. As its name implies, Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle. This is unique in China. A visit to theThree Pagodas should not be missed by any visitor to Dali City.The middle pagoda, Qianxun Pagoda, 69.13 meters (227 feet) high, is one of the highest pag…more>>

Baisha murals are mostly from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Among the 55 existing murals, the largest one is at the Dabaoji Hall of Baisha. Most Baisha murals depict religious stories, and one characteristic is to combine several legends into one picture. They are an artistic Crystallization combining the Naxi, Tibetan, Bai and Han styles. The world famous Lijiang Fresco mixed the stories in Buddhism, Taoism and Lamaism into one picture. The bold and creative way is incredible and could not be imagined in other religious paintings in China. The Naxi's tolerance for other cultures and the loca…more>>

It is said there is a fairyland beneath the colorful clouds of southern China. A place blessed with fresh air, clear streams, breathtaking snow-capped mountains, and an undisturbed landscape inhabited by a friendly group of people. Life in this fairyland is so peaceful, a fairyland called Lijiang, located at the hub of Tibet, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.While the geographical position of Lijiang City is remote, it has the advantage of ensuring a pleasant year round climate and a wide variety of tourist resources in the 20,600 square kilometers area. The earliest recorded history of Lijiang c…more>>