Kunming Changshui International Airport (Google Map)
3 Hours Before Flight Time
Pick up in Kunming Changshui international airport. After being greeted by your local guide at the airport or railway station, get settled into the hotel and then spend the remainder of the day to roam this city on your own.
Morning drive and immerse yourself in the Stone Forest which covers an area of 400 sq. km. (98,842 ac.) in Lunan and is really the marvelous spectacle of nature. The Stone Forest now is praised as one of the four most famous natural scenarios in China. After lunch continue the drive to Jianshui, a famous ancient city in southeastern Yunnan. Upon your arrival, we will visit the third largest Confucius Temple in China. Built with a traditional Chinese architectural style, Jianshui Confucius Temple enjoys a history of more than 700 years. Next you will walk around this city, see the well preserved ancient buildings and the daily life of local people. Try the local BBQ Toufu snacks. Stay overnight at Jianshui.
This morning you will continue exploring the folk houses and culture in Jianshui. The first sight is the Zhu’s Family Garden, which enjoys a high reputation as the “Grand View Garden in southern Yunnan”. This place is the residential house of two rich brothers in Qing dynasty. Walking through the exquisite courtyards to see the l hall, antique furniture and delicate wood carvings, you still will be astonished by the rich life that its former owner once led. Afterwards, head to the Tuanshan Village, which is the only intact cultural village of the Qing Dynasty existed currently in Yunnan. This village is a perfect place to learn about the culture and customs of the Yi ethnic minority as it was ever their habitation for centuries. As you finish visiting the village, drive to Yuanyang, a beautiful county which is famous for its rice terraces and Hani Minority. Late in the afternoon, stop at the Tiger Mouth Village to catch the sunset on the terraces. Then drive to the hotel and prepare for the next day. Stay overnight at Yuanyang.
Another photography day in this tour as you will spend the whole day to admire the spectacular scenery of the rice terraces in Yuanyang. This early morning, you will take this photographic opportunity by seeing the sunrise at Duoyishu Village. Next with a visit to some local markets in Shengcun the where you will see the local ethnic people dressed in their traditional clothes and their life style. Afterwards hike through the rice terraces fields along the hiking trail from the Jingkou Hani Ethnic Village to Bada Scenic Area, immerse yourself into the breathtaking scenery of the sunset. the visual impact of these boundless rice terraces can be overwhelming. Stay overnight at Yuanyang.
This morning you will drive back to Kunming. En route, you will visit Xingmeng village, the Mongolian minority at the Xingmeng village trace their ancestors back to the soldiers and followers of Khublai Khan who conquered Yunnan in the early years of Yuan Dynasty some 7 centuries ago. They still keep their minority traditions in costumes and language and pray annually to the statue of Khublai Khan at a small temple at the back of the village. In the evening, you may enjoy the grand dance musical “Dynamic Yunnan” before you return to the hotel (optional). This show is an outstanding innovation on the Chinese stage in recent years. Stay overnight in Kunming
