Yun nan-Routes 08

Focus:
Yun Nan, an exotic province located at the south western border of China, has been an important path to Southeast
Asia. The region has so many of nature's wonders. This trip will take you from subtropical woods and rivers, to
highland lakes; from stone forests to glaciers upon the ever white snow mountain peaks.

Who should look into this trip?
This is a dream trip for people who like to meet different native ethnic groups and visit cultural and historical sites.
From small towns to villages, we will meet and learn about more than 10 native ethnic groups with gorgeous culture,
warm etiquette and fascinating customs.

This is a great trip for all age travelers. Please see Flexibility info.
This is a special summer family trip. Children are out of school; take them to this meaningful and fun trip!
This is a unique chance for artists. Wheather you are a painter, photographer, designer or architect, this trip is
so colorful and unique that you will find a great inspiration. As I am an artist, all the sites I selected are
breathtaking!!
This is also a trip for single women and men, cultural learners, nature lovers and food lovers.

Description:
Below are just a few highlights of the many beautiful places we will see on this trip.

Colorful ethnic heritage and historical locations:
The spectacular Grand Terrace, built by Hani people 3000 years ago. The grand terrace spans three counties. There
are tens of thousands of acres of rice fields built upon mountains. The water in the terrace reflects sun and moon
light. It is one of the most successful man-made creations in China.

We will stop at some local ethnic markets. In a small local market you can find 6 to 7 ethnicities like Hani, Black
Yi, Dry Dai, Yao, etc., wearing their traditional costumes, buying and selling fruits, food and other supplies.

We will visit one of the oldest folk music groups in the world: the Na Xi folk music, rooted in the 14th century. These
ancient songs are played on ancient instruments, and accompanied by folk singer elders.

We will visit the 900 year old city of Lijiang, located on the path of the Southern Silk Road. Lijinag has kept the
outstanding traditional Bai style houses. The town itself represents Bai people's brilliant architectural skills. This
beautiful and unique Ancient City was listed in the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1997.

We are going to see several ethnic villages. What may be the oldest pottery village in China is one of the most
interesting segments in the trip.

We will visit a couple of temples and lamaseries, to learn more about their culture and stunning architecture. During
the trip, we may be lucky enough to enjoy a Tibetan holiday race.

Nature's wonderland:
The unique natural scenery in the Stone Forest is well known as the "Museum of Earth Physiognomy Sculptures".
This magical work of nature, a typical example of Karsts landscape, is one of the four most famous landscapes in
China.

The "Tiger-Leaping Rock" in the Jinsha River, located between two snow mountains, is another breathtaking spot.

Shangri-la is a bright jewel shining upon the top of the Qingzang highland region. In local Tibetan language,
Shangri-la is called Xiangba-la, which means "a place full of propitious wishes". When the American author James
Hilton wrote his book "Lost Horizon", he translated this Tibetan name as Shangri-la, which is used today in China.
This is a most picturesque place that combines snow mountains, canyons, highland grassland, lakes, forest, yaks
and Tibetan villages.

I cannot list all the places we will visit, but from the brief descriptions above, you can see it is an exceptional trip!
Please see some of the photos from Yunnan.

What is not included in this trip:
Where we are going, there will be no big city shopping malls, no fancy hotels with a spa in the room. There will be
no lying down on the beach or by a swimming pool the whole day.

During our journey, we will visit some large and medium-size cities, as well as smaller towns and villages. A
detailed daily itinerary will be provided to you after you are signed up. A free seminar will be provided before the
trip, and during the trip there will be a couple of China history & culture seminar/discussion sessions.

This will be one of the most memorable and unique summer trips you will ever experience. Don't miss this
opportunity to join our group to visit Yun Nan and make a lot of new friends!