Highlights of February 2017 Yunnan Excursions

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This eleven-day Yunnan [1] trip, February 12 to February 22, 2017, covered close to 3000 km in distance. There was no single central theme focusing on one place or region. Logistically, the tour centered on the capital city Kunming [2]. We traveled in all the cardinal directions, and thus I called the trips excursions. We visited a few peculiar geological formations and land forms, cultivated terraced fields, and most interestingly we had a 6-mile walk in the blossoming canola fields [3].  Yunnan is a province in the southwest of China bordering Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.  I'll visit the border towns next time.

I stayed an extra two days in Kunming to visit places frequented by tourists. Those included the Provincial Museum, which was recently renovated. It was very informative to spend a day there. When I am in a large city and not pressed by time, I often use the public transportation to get a first-hand feel of the city and its people.

We had 19 people in total, including the tour leader. The tour leader was a thoughtful and experienced young man who specializes in outdoor and exploratory trips. This was the second trip I took with him. More information can be found at http://www.worldhey.com/.

About Yunnan

Yunnan in China

Yunnan is noted for its very high level of ethnic diversity. Among China's 56 recognized ethnic groups, 25 are found in Yunnan. It is the most southwestern province in China, with the Tropic of Cancer running through its southern part. The northern part of the province forms part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau [4].

We basically traveled in the northeastern part of Yunnan on this trip. The altitude ranges from 230 meters to 2000 meters, with many micro climates in between. The changing terrain also creates many terraced fields and is home for diverse flora and fauna.

To my surprise, I found that the tequila plant thrives in Yunnan. I could not clearly identify whether it is "agave azul" [5]; that type could be used to produce tequila for sure. Yunnan is known in China for its tobacco products.  Going for liquor production is a questionable proposal here :-)

Around the 3rd century BC, the central area of Yunnan around present day Kunming was known as Dian. Many Han Chinese brought into Yunnan an influx of Chinese influences, the start of a long history of migration and cultural expansion. The Yunnan area remained an autonomous state or group of semi-autonomous states for more than a thousand years, with frequent conflicts and wars against Chinese dynasties and peace time in between. In 1273, Kublai Khan finally created the province and, after the Burmese campaigns, it included significant portions of upper Burma. Since then, Yunnan has remained a province of China, with complicated border ambiguities with her neighbors.

It is interesting to note that railroads were built more than 100 years ago in this region. The opening of the Kunming area began in earnest with the completion in 1906–1910 of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway [6] to Haiphong in North Vietnam (part of French Indochina). This was built in the frenzy of early railroad building in China [7].

Highlights and Pictures

Here are some annotations and background for the pictures throughout the trip.

1) Earth Forest at Yuanmou Langbapu

Earth Forest in Langbapu

Earth Forest in Yuanmou

The direct translation from Chinese 土林 is "earth forest" in the area of Langbapu, Yuanmou County [8].  These land forms are quite soft, and thus calling it a stone forest might be a bit misleading.

Land forms are peculiar in the Yuanmou area. Although the formation of these geological protrusions is different from that of Hoodoos, it reminds me of the Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah [9].

2)  Canola Fields in the Luoping area

Canola Field in Luoping Area

Canola Moment in Luoping

Canola Field Collage in Luoping Area

Walking in the midst of Canola Fields

This was probably the most enjoyable part of the trip.  We were fortunate to have the flowers blossoming, and the weather was gorgeous when we made the 6-mile hike in the canola fields.

Our tour leader found this secluded area a few years back. He developed a long-term relationship with a farmer family in the area.  We had real superb country dinners with local ingredients all from the land.


The canola fields are used to produce canola oil for human consumption. The shape of canola seeds is similar to that of string beans. The seeds are harvested to produce canola oil. The oil content is amazing high, about 44%.

I was told that there are about 20 to 30 million mu's (Chinese acres, which is 0.1647 Imperial/US acre) of canola planted for oil production in Yunnan every year. A farmer gets about 1200 RMB ($200 USD) per mu for the seeds they gather. The extraction of oil from the seeds is typically done downstream in a more industrialized setup.

Open Seating Country Dinner

Paul next to the Cliff

 I overcame my fear of coming close to the edge of a cliff on a local hill. The next most fearful thing would be to dangle my feet out into the open from the cliff.

Cascading Falls in the Luoping Area

The cascading falls in the Luoping area were quite a pleasant surprise. Although they were not huge in size and varied in form, it reminded me of the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia [10].

3) Terraced fields in Yuanyang area

Yunnan Yuanyang Terraced Fields at Sunset

Yunnan Yuanyang Terraced Field Walk

Photography Enthusiasts for their best shots

Yunnan is mountainous with many rivers and cultivated terraced fields. The terraced fields have beautifully lit views with reflections at sunset and sunrise.

This attracts many photography enthusiasts aiming to obtain a few good shots of the terraced fields during a short window of few minutes. Equipment for advanced photography can be heavy and varied; I found that local porters were hired for transporting them. It was not unusual to find them engaging in occasional arguments, juggling and jostling for positions.

We spent a few hours walking and strolling on the ridges of the terraced fields to see them up close. A few children were catching loach (mud fish) with a specially crafted bamboo stick.














4) Yunnan's deepest lake Fuxian Lake and Kunming's Green Lake

Yunnan Fuxing Lake

Kunming Green Lake (Cui Hu) and Migrant Birds

Fuxian Lake [11] is 155 meters deep at its greatest depth.  It is known for its unique fauna. It is tranquil and undisturbed. The lake would be a good place to visit and relax, or even for retirement. Green Lake [12] in the Kunming city happened to have migrant birds when I visited.

Epilogue

I was able to take many good pictures with my simple iPhone and iPad. Nevertheless, there are many challenges for the unprepared and uninitiated.

1) Difficult and unacceptable toilet facilities some of the time.
2) Garbage can be seen in creeks. People throw things out of their personal property, and there is no good city planning for collection and recycling.  This is unfortunately a myopic view of the world that disconnects us from our environments. In my view, we have schizophrenia at the societal level.
3) There are many winding roads in this area with no roadside mirrors. Horns are used often to warn oncoming traffic.  Drivers have to figure out how to pass each other if it is too narrow for both to travel at the same time.
4) Noises of drones in scenic areas are not uncommon. They are used presumably for aerial videography or photography.

5) Many of these places were not well known until the advent of the Internet and fast communications. However, the development pace for these new travel destinations is too fast and not planned for sustainability. We are destroying the natural beauty and resources in a hurry for short term gains.

References:
[1] Yunnan - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnan
[2] Kunming - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunming
[3] Canola - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola 
[4] Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnan%E2%80%93Guizhou_Plateau
[5] Agave (tequila plant) - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave
[6] Yunnan-Vietnam Railway - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunming%E2%80%93Hai_Phong_Railway
[7] Chinese Railroads - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport_in_China 
[8] Yuanmou County, Yunnan, China - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuanmou_County
[9] Bryce Canyon National Park - https://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm
[10] Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia - http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/98 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plitvice_Lakes_National_Park
[11] Fuxian Lake - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuxian_Lake
[12] Kunming's Cui Hu (Green Lake) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Lake_(Kunming)