China: Yunnan Province, 2nd: The Bradt Travel Guide [2 ed.] 1841621692, 9781841621692

Table of contents :
Cover
Contents
Introduction
Part One. General information
1. Background information
2. Practical information
Part Two. The guide
3. Kunming
4. Kunming to Xiaguan
5. Dali and Erhai Lake
6. Lijiang
7. The road to Lugu Lake
8. Shigu, Weizi and Tiger Leaping Gorge
9. Zhongdian and Deqin
10. Baoshan and Tengchong
11. Ruili and the Borderlands
12. Jinghong
13. Exploring Xishuangbanna
14. South to Hekou
Appendix 1. Language
Appendix 2. Further information
Index

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Yunnan Province

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, Shop 'til you drop in the modern capital, Kunming Experience the rumblings of live volcanoes at Tengchong Slurp noodles in open-air markets Tackle the towering cliffs of Tiger Leaping Gorge Visit Shilin's eerie petrified forest Explore the UN ESCO-protected cobbled alleys of Lijiang's old town Stephen Mansfield is aBritish photographer and writer who lives in Japan. Martin Walters, the updater, is a naturalist based in Cambridge.

www.bradtguides.com Published in the UK by Bradt Travel Guides Published in the USA by The Globe Pequot Press

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ISBN-10 I 841621 69 2 ISBN-13 978 I 841621 69 2

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Aland of prayer, plateaux and ethnic peoples, Yunnan exudes the magic once associated with mainstream China - and boasts less of the bureaucratic hassle. Here the scent of magnolia and lilies fills the air, colourful birds flit in the tropical rainforests of the south and the very lucky can ~pot snow leopards among the glacierlaced peaks of the Deqin region. Bradt's new edition of Yunnan covers everything from visa requirements and independent overland travel to cultural etiquette, including an in-depth language section. This ground-breaking guide . allows the traveller to relax and rejuvenate amid stunning natural beauty.

Yunnan Essentials THE BASICS

GETTING STARTED IN MANDARIN

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X.IZANG ZIZHIOU

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Tiger leaping Gorge - one of the world's deepest gorges page 158

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Dali - centre of Bai culture page 107

GUIZHOU

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Jianshui - site of the increible Confucius Temple page 241

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!s and chairs translates into a grim humour in many restaurants, where not only cats and dogs appear on the menu, but also turtles, salamanders, pangolin, bear and monkey brain. Health food in Yunnan, as elsewhere in China, is more likely to mean snake blood, extracted bear bile, ground tiger's paw, and shreds of rhino horn than carrot juice and tofu. Considered antidotes to fatigue and a short life, these products, now in increasingly short supply, are highly esteemed. The Chinese market for body parts in medicine is fuelling the illegal poaching of tigers, particularly in India and other neighbouring countries and hastening the demise of this big cat. Having said that, there are many officially protected animals in Yunnan. Among the 379 vertebrates listed as worthy of state protection are snub-nosed monkeys, hoolock and white-handed gibbons, Asian elephants, snow leopards, slow and pygmy lorises, great pied hornbills, Lady Amherst's pheasants, crested ibis and black-necked cranes. Yunnan offers exhilarating birdwatching, with avifauna quite unlike anywhere else in China. It has more species endemic to China than in any other province save Sichuan. Laughing thrushes, flycatchers, babblers, parrotbills, warblers and tits are all very well represented. In the far south and southwest of the province many bird species are at the very north of their ranges and in some cases only foray a few hundred miles into China. 5

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homogeneous. The Han Chinese may be numerically dominant, accounting for 94% of the population, but 55 distinctly different nationalities - C hina's ethnic minorities - occupy over 60% of the country's land mass, a great deal of which is in potentially vital economic and strategic border areas. Xishuangbanna has the highest concentration of ethnic groups in the whole of China. Many minorities have kin on the other sides of the borders. The Yao are known in Laos as the Mien, the Miao as the Hmong, while the Jingpo are called the Kachin in Burma. This rich diversity presents a formidable ethnographic map. Yunnan's importance in terms of southeast Asian population flows cannot be underestimated, the region being the gene pool for the so-called Tai (Dai) races. The Tai probably originated in southern C hina's Kwangsi region. Sixth-century Chinese records speak of Tai peoples inhabiting an area south of the Yangtze River. 13

The real dispersal of tribes had probably begun as early as the 1st century AD, as a result of expansion by the Han Chinese into the Red River delta region of Vietnam. Proto-Tai people, under increasing pressure from the expansionist Han Chinese, moved from Kwangsi, southwest into Yunnan and to the Sip Song Chau Tai region of present-day north western Vietnam. The Tai were sufficiently unified by the 8th and 9th centuries to establish their own kingdom in Nanzhao in the west and northwest ofYunnan province. The Tai appear in Chinese records from this period as the 'barbarians beyond the Yangtze'. Under increasing pressure and persecution from the land-hungry Han Chinese, tribes began moving towards the southwest in large numbers. By the middle of the 13th century the level of migration increased dramatically as invading Mongol armies under Kublai Khan swept into Nanzhao, capturing its capital, Ta-Ii, in 1253. The Cultural Revolution and disastrous Great Leap Forward were grim times for Yunnan's minorities. Attempts to dismantle the so-called 'four olds', meaning old culture, ideas, customs and habits, were often brutal. Village shamans and priests, regarded as conveyors of superstition, were rounded up and either interned or sent to work in communes, headmen were quickly dispatched to re-education camps, and old burial customs were replaced with cremation. Although Yunnan's minorities are now referred to as 'equal brothers' with the Chinese, Han chauvinism still exists. Yunnan's rich and bewildering trove of ethnic minorities includes names like the Buyi, Jingpo, Pumi and Dulong, groups few of us have ever heard of Their highly distinct cultures and ethnic diversity, and the fact that relatively little has been written about them, make these groups some of the most intriguing minorities left in Asia, and their habitat, at least until now, one of the least exposed to tourism. Strikingly individualistic, with their own styles of dress, customs, beliefs and rituals, many of the ethnic minorities ofYunnan live a life apart. Others have bent to pressures imposed by an increasing number of Han Chinese and allowed themselves to be thoroughly Sinonised. The dismantling of ethno-geographical divisions and the integration of the minorities into mainstream Chinese life is clearly a mixed blessing. 'Ethno tourism' is increasing every year, inspired by the survival of authentic living cultures. The gradual disappearance ofYunnan's forests as a dietary, medical and cultural resource, not to mention the protective canopy it affords to the more socially introspective hill tribes, is an issue of great concern. But it should also be said that the traditional lifestyles of some of the minority groups use their environment sustainably. This is especially true of the Buddhist Dai people who revere the forest and maintain holy hills in a forested state. There is something of a minority revival afoot in the southwest of China. Local festivals and customs are receiving more state endorsement and support, preferential choice is given to the children of minorities in education such as university places, and minority families are exempt from China's one-child policy. In every aspect of life the cultural quality of the minorities is improving. Some, however, fear that these micro-cultures are being increasingly packaged for the delectation of the tourist market, that ethnic groups are the victims of a campaign that portrays them as 'happy, innocent children of nature' as one brochure puts it. The economic development of the minorities, the last to have benefited from China's recent prosperity, however desirable, is certain to erode and modify their cultures.

Despite attempts by the communists to reduce its influence, Buddhism is enjoying a considerable revival in today's China. All religions have to be registered under Chinese law, and there is a good deal of state control, but freedom to worship, 14

though frowned upon by the Atheist Party, is guaranteed under the law. A softening in the government's policies towards Buddhism has spurred the restoration, redecorating and reoccupancy by monks and lamas, of temples, monasteries and other religious sites. Alms-giving and other forms of donation to the Buddhist clergy which were illegal, are now acceptable practices, and attendance figures at religious festivals, ceremonies and other rites have increased as China reconnects with its cultural past. The state's support for the restoration ofTibetan monasteries and lamaseries, and its enthusiastic endorsement for the revival of religious and ethnic festivals, is largely linked to tourism, particularly foreign tourism. Chinese Buddhists follow the widely practised Mahayana, or 'Greater Vehicle' doctrine of Buddhism, also common in places like Japan and Korea. The essence of Buddhism is expressed in the Four Noble Truths which conclude, putting it simply, that all life is suffering and that the cause is desire. Only the extinction of our cravings by detaching ourselves from material and physical desires, can break the cycle of suffering and inch us closer to nirvana, a word that can be broadly translated at 'extinction of the self'. In this highly causative world we are responsible for our actions in both our present and former lives. We are accountable for the evil actions or wrongdoings that accumulate during our lifetimes and must atone for them by suffering in future lives. Suffering in this life as a result of past incarnations is unavoidable, but acts of merit in the present cycle can improve our lot in the next. Nirvana is often achieved through daily meditation, but the most direct way to achieve this is by following the Buddha's Eight Fold Path of right understanding, right speech, right conduct, right purpose, right vocation, right thinking and right effort. A person's chances of improving his or her karma and enjoying a higher form of existence in the next life can also be improved by following some basic moral tenets, which include prohibitions on killing any living thing, stealing, falsehood and the consumption of alcohol. The very opposite in many ways of Chinese style communism, tolerance and a remarkable acceptance of man's fallibility characterise Buddhism. Neither authoritarian nor prescriptive, nor exclusive in its attitude towards its followers or other religions, Buddhism simply offers a way forward for those who wish to follow it. Gaining merit for the afterlife is less important to Chinese Buddhists than improving the quality of this one. In the same way that animists hold rites to ensure a good harvest, Buddhism in modern China has, through suitable offerings and the honouring of certain saints, deities and other religious figures, been coopted as a means of achieving materialistic or life-improving ends. This pragmatic approach to religion, propitiating the divine as a means to an end, is apparent in the number of people at Buddhist or Taoist temples praying for success in business, entrance to a good university, recovery from illness, or any number of favours and requests. In normal everyday life there are many ways in which to achieve one's desires: These include offering food and alms to monks, supporting local temples with monetary gifts, and offerings of fruit, flowers, gold leaf and incense. Becoming a monk for a period of time or dedicating a son into the monkhood, something that is still practised to a limited extent among certain groups in Yunnan like the Dai in Xishuangbanna, are other ways of currying favour with the powers that be. One popular belief among the people of southern Yunnan is that a family whose son has entered the monkhood, even for only a very short period of time, will be spared the torments of hell. Taoism is China's only truly indigenous religion. The founder of Taoism, Laotzu, is believed to have been born in 604Bc. His Tao Te Ching, much read among New Agers in the West, is an extremely short tract, and there is some doubt that 15

the master really intended his ideas to form the basis of a religion with temples, festivals, rites and all the other trappings of institutionalised beliefs. Dao, the Way of the Universe, is the core of Taoism. Nature is the engine that drives all life, and certain practices, including physical and spiritual exercises, meditation, and formerly alchemy, must be followed in order to align yourself with the dao and maintain balance and harmony. The concept of yin and yang, the feminine-masculine duality is well known. In your travels through Yunnan you are sure to come across several Taoist temples and shrines and even, if you are lucky, a Taoist festival. Despite its temples oflearning and the offerings made at them, Confucianism is more of a philosophy or moral code than a religion like Buddhism and Taoism, instead of Christianity and Islam. Confucius, who lived at more or less the same time as Lao-tzu, wished to change the organisation of Chinese society through its administrative and educational systems. His seminal writings, The Analects, were widely applied after his death with the support of the thinker and writer Mencius, who helped to promote the master's principles through his own work, The Book ef Mencius. The influence of Confucianism on Chinese society, seeping into every walk oflife, cannot be overstated. Its rigid authoritarianism, its stress on allegiance to rulers, strong patriarchal family values, ancestor worship and emphasis on obedience, have been endlessly exploited by unscrupulous rulers. Yunnan's most famous Confucian temple is the marvellous Temple of Learning inJianshui. Yunnan has a sizeable Muslim community, mostly descended from Arab traders and soldiers of fortune who found lucrative work in the area after Kublai Khan's Mongol armies subdued the region in the 13th century. Most cities and many towns have a mosque. Muslim quarters are often easy to recognise from their concentration of restaurants, frequently white-tiled affairs, with strips of winddried beef, a conspicuous absence of pork, bags full of raisins and spices, and a green crescent emblem above the door. Most of the Muslim population was wiped out in the terrible reprisals that followed the Muslim Rebellion of 1855-73. An ancient and pervasive animism in which spirits exercise great power and influence over the destinies of men, pre-dates Buddhism by many centuries and exerts a hold over many of the remoter hill tribe communities. The communists regarded all such practices as superstition, witchcraft and black magic. The jungles, forests and remoter highlands ofYunnan are inhabited by a host of different spirits. Many ofYunnan's ethnic minorities follow their own idiosyncratic forms of spirit worship, which often have an admixture of Buddhism, Taoism and ancestor worship. The paramount deities are the gods of the soil, and complex rituals connected to the cultivation of rice and other crops are conducted. This belief system is common on the other side ofYunnan's southern borders, particularly among groups like the Hmong and Yao in Laos and Vietnam where a combination of animism, ancestor worship and elements of primitive Taoism, is presided over by local sorcerers and shamans. The wearing of protective tattoos was quite common among many tribes until recently, especially in remote villages. Amulets are worn for the same purpose. Astrologers and other kinds of diviners are often consulted. In urban areas it is quite common to come across spirit mediums whose ability to make contact with the spirit world and occasionally relay messages from the dead and departed, is in increasing demand. Catholic and Protestant missionaries did well in the southwest during the period of Western incursion into China in the 19th century. Methodist missionaries gained many converts among hill tribes like the Miao. There has been a small rekindling of Christianity in Yunnan, although the number of converts remains low and the influence of Christianity on the social order slight. The 16

Protestant Church is required to be affiliated with, and answerable to, the state controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the Catholic Church with the Catholic Patriotic Association. Tensions exist between the Catholic Church and the state because the church refuses to disavow the Pope as its spiritual leader. Much to China's chagrin the Vatican maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead. Only atheists are allowed to become members of the Communist Party. The restriction has meant a very low membership figure among the minorities, most of whom profess to some form of religion.

Chinese is an uncommonly difficult language to learn. This is understood by the Chinese themselves who, generally speaking, will not expect you to know their language to any degree of fluency. A few words and phrases are useful though, not just to help explain yourself, but to break the ice (see Appendix 1 for useful words and phrases). China's official language, the one everyone will learn at school, is called Mandarin in the West, but known in China as Putonghua. It is also known as Hanyu, the 'language of the Han'. Despite its apparent complexity, Chinese grammar, following the basic 'subjectverb-object' pattern of European languages, and having a much simplified system of grammar with no tricky articles, tenses and singular-plural distinctions, is easy enough to master. The stumbling block for most foreigners is the tonal system, the scores of sounds, homonyms, rising, falling and neutral tones that are difficult but essential to differentiate if you wish to express yourself clearly and meaningfully. Learning the characters is time-consuming and requires enormous concentration on the part of foreigners. There are over 50,000 registered ideograms in Chinese, though many of these are anachronisms now and found only in classical literature. Educated .Chinese are said to be familiar in their daily lives with seven or eight thousand characters. Half that number would allow you to read a newspaper with a fair level of proficiency. Although proficiency in foreign languages is limited mostly to the young, well educated and urban, the importance of English in the economic development of China has now been finally recognised. An increasing number of Chinese study abroad and are returning with different language skills. Many cities have an English Corner which takes place one day a week, usually on a Sunday. You may also be approached sometimes by people eager to practise their English, although this seems to be less common in Yunnan than other places. Although there are many forms of Chinese, including Cantonese, Shanghainese and Fujianese - as well as culturally and geographically determined tongues like Tibetan, and countless dialects of which Yunnan has more than its fair share Mandarin Chinese is the overarching language that makes it possible for most, though by no means all, Chinese to communicate with each other. Among Yunnan's minority nationalities there are four main language groups: the Tibeto-Burman, Mon-Khmer, Miao-Yao and Tai-Zhuang. A large number of dialects are also spoken. Though taught in schools, Chinese is largely understood as a second language. Chinese characters are mostly used as a written medium, although some minorities have retained their original scripts.

17

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2 Practical Information If you wish to travel quickly in China, never be in a hurry .. . Emulate, too, that leading trait in the Chinese character, and never understand anything which you do not wish to understand. An Australian in China, GE Morrison, 1895 Betel nuts and palm

Morrison was an obnoxious enough traveller, a wealthy white man among peasant farmers and Yunnanese coolies, always ready to thrash a native for insolence and with all the time in the world to be discourteous. He did, however, get a few things right. For the long-haul traveller, China at times can seem more ordeal than pleasure. Surly manners, infested hotels and bland food are only half the story. Finding yourself in a border town having your visa checked by a self-important and over-zealous official is enough to put most people off travelling to C hina's remoter, potentially more interesting, regions. When in doubt, or if you think a verdict might go against you, plead ignorance. In recent years, however, China has become much more geared to the needs of tourists, and this is certainly true of attractive destinations such as Yunnan, where new roads, hotels and restaurants seem to spring up almost overnight, and where foreign travellers are more and more welcome.

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Yunnan is generally acknowledged to have China's best overall climate. Its varied weather means that there is always somewhere else to go if you encounter bad weather. Generally speaking, most travellers agree that spring, from March to May, and the autumn months from September to November, are the best overall times of the year. Spring and autumn are usually dry, with plenty of sunny days and Kodachromeperfect skies. Yunnan's sobriquet, 'The Kingdom of Flowers and Plants', justifies the tourist hype during the spring months when the countryside bursts into flower. Autumn in the north is particularly lovely for the changing colours of its leaves. Spring can be very hot and humid in the south and southwest, however. If you like steamy weather, then head for Xishuangbanna or Dehong. Late May to September is the rainy season. This can seriously upset your travel plans, so you may have to be flexible. Roads are often blocked or partially washed away in places like Dehong and Deqin in the far northwest. If you find yourself trapped by the rain , check out the weather forecast and move on. Likewise, higher altitudes can be freezing during the autumn and winter months, roads frozen over or blocked by snow. Public holidays and the Chinese New Year are notoriously congested times to travel. It may also be difficult to obtain air tickets at these times or to book accommodation. Timing your visit to coincide with a festival will add interest to your itinerary. Many ofYunnan's best festivals take place during the spring and autumn months. 19

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China is eight hours ahead of GMT, 16 ahead of US Pacific Standard Time, 13 ahead of US Eastern Standard and two hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time.

OPERATORS UK Audley Travel New Mill, Witney, Oxon OX29 9SX; '\ 01993 838200; e [email protected]; www.audleytravel.com China Direct 109-110 Ferguson Cl, London E14 3SJ; '\ 020 7538 2840; f 020 7536 9088; e [email protected]; www.chinadirecttravel.co.uk China Holidays 4 Glentworth St, London NW I 5PG; '\ 020 7487 2999; e [email protected]; www.chinaholidays.co.uk Chinil Tours Ltd IO Locke King Cl, Weybridge, Surrey KTIJ OTA; '\ 01932 828997; f O1932 828692; e [email protected]; www.tourchina.co.uk Drilgon Cambridge International '\ 01223 351964; www.dragoncambridge.com Emperor Tours Ltd 30 Maylands Dr, Sidcup DAl4 4RY; '\ 020 8306 7388; f 020 8306 7790; e [email protected]; www.emperortours.co.uk Exodus Grange Mills, Weir Rd, London SWl2 ONE; '\ 0870 950 0039; f 020 8673 0859; e info@ exodus.co.uk; www.exodus.co.uk Explore Worldwide Ltd Nelson Hse, 55 Victoria Rd, Farnborough, Hants GUl4 7PA; '\ 0870 333 4002; e [email protected]; www.explore.co.uk Imaginative Traveller I Betts Av, Martlesham Heath, Suffolk IP5 7RH; '\ 0800 316 2717; e online@ imtrav.net; www.imaginative-traveller.com

Intrepid Travel 76 Upper St, Islington, London NI ONU; '\ 01373 826611 ; f 01373 858351 ; e [email protected]; www.intrepidtravel.com llagical Chima Ltd PO Box 253, Sale, Cheshire M33 3WU; '\If O161 962 9054; e enquiry@ magicalchina.co.uk; www.magicalchina.co.uk llagic of the Orient 14 Frederick PI, Clifton, Bristol SSS IAS; '\ 0117 311 6050; f 0117 311 6051 ; e [email protected]; www.magicoftheorient.com Onthegotours 68 North End Rd, West Kensington, London Wl4 9EP; '\ 020 7371 1113; f 020 7471 6414; e [email protected]; www.onthegotours.com Orlentill Travel 12 Great Newport St, London WC2H 7JD; '\ 0207 6324550; f 0207 6324561 ; e [email protected]; www.orientaltravel.co.uk Regent Holidilys IS John St, Bristol BSI 2HR; '\ 0870 499 0911; f 0117 925 4866; e [email protected]; www.regentholidays.co.uk Silk Steps Ltd Compass Hse, Rowdens Rd, Wells, Somerset BAS ITU; '\ 01749 685162; e info@ silksteps.co.uk; www.silksteps.co.uk Steppes Travel SI Castle St, Cirencester GL7 IQD; '\ 01285 651010; f 01285 885888; e east@ steppestravel.co.uk; www.steppestravel.co.uk

USA Asian Pacific Adventures 6065 Calvin Av, Tarzana, CA 91356; '\ +818 881 2745; e info@ asianpacificadventures.com; www.asianpacificadventures.com

ChinaJS PO Box 95 IS, Newark, DE 19714-95 IS; www.chinats.com Earth River Expeditions IBO Towpath Rd, Accord, NY 12404; '\ 800 643 2784; '\If 845 626 2665; e [email protected]; www.earthriver.com

ASIA &AUSTRALIA Haiwei Trilils Lijiang; '\ +86 888 572 4540; e [email protected]; www.haiweitrails.com Peregrine Adventures 380 Lonsdale St, Melbourne,

For its vibrant streets, up-to-the-minute shopping, excellent food and nearby Lake Dian.

DALi A wonderful old town full of character. The centre of the Bai minority culture, Dali sits on a fertile plain between the marble screen of the Cangshan mountain range and the blue surface of Erhai Lake. Some of the best travellers' cafes, and most relaxing hotels and guesthouses in Yunnan are found here. LIJIANCi The old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, looks and feels the way Chinese towns used to be. Old wooden and stone buildings, cobbled backstreets, gurgling streams and willow trees. Lijiang, the centre of the N axi people and their vibrant culture, has bags of atmosphere and plenty to see. However, it can be crowded with to urists in the high season, so a visit outside ofWestem or Chinese holidays is recommended if possible. TICiER LEAPING CiORCiE

One of the world's deepest gorges, with sheer cliffs, thundering waterfalls, and dramatic views of the Upper Yangtze River, the gorge is not for the faint-hearted. One of China's great natural sights.

DEQIN RECilON

Peaks that soar to well over 6,000m, a Tibetan region of glaciers, rare plants and herbs, major river basins and spectacular views of terraced valleys, distant monasteries and prayer flags, Deqin is Yunnan's most remote region. At 6740m, Meili Xueshan (Kawa Karpo) is Yunnan's highest mountain.

TENCiCHONCi A traditional town at the centre of a highly active volcanic region, Tengchong, and its nearby volcanoes, geysers and hot springs evoke an otherworldly landscape. RUILI At the remote western edge of the empire, Ruili obeys no laws except its own. A wild and woolly frontier town, by day Ruili is a great street-trading emporium on the old southern Silk Route: by night rowdy, flashy and ostentatious, a neon crystal in the jungle. CiANLANBA

The homeland of the Dai people and many other minority nationalities. The villages, ancient temples and pagodas of sub-tropical Ganlanba (the 'Olive Plain'), are easily explored by bicycle. The plain sits in the middle ofXishuangbanna, a prefecture which provides the conditions for over half of China's plant species to grow. This most southern region ofYunnan with its Rousseauesque jungles, rainforests, tropical orchards and rubber plantations, seems to be both geographically and spiritually more a part of southeast Asia than China.

JIANSHUI Victoria 3000; '\ + 61 3 860 I 4444; f + 61 3 860 I 4344; e [email protected]; www.peregrineadventures.com

The following is a personal list but one which, hopefully, includes places of historical and cultural importance, and also destinations that reflect an interest in a number of fields from temple architecture, hot springs, wildlife and trekking, to pure travel and serendipity. 20

KUNNINCi

A town of well-preserved traditional homes, ancient bridges and fasc inating backstreets, Jianshui, with its incredible Confucius Temple, is on the brink of becoming a major tourist sight.

KUNNIN(i TO HEKOU BY RAIL A must for train buffs, this old French line extends all the way from Kunming to the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. The narrowgauge line chugs through eye-catching countryside, temperate to sub-tropical, stopping at small colonial-style stations whose yellow and ochre stucco walls seem timeless. Although this journey has not been possible for some years, it has recently been re-started , and currently runs on Friday and Sunday, costing Y298 for sleeper class. 21

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E VISA AND ENTRY REQUIREl'IENTS All foreign visitors require a visa to enter C hina. Tourist· visas are valid fo r one month after the date of entry and have to be used wi thin three months of the date they we re issued. Extensions can be applied for once you are in C hina. Double-entry visas are also availab)e if you inte nd to visit a neighbouring country and then return to C ~ina. Both single- and double-entry visas can be applied fo r wi th a standard C hinese visa form . You wiH need one entirely blank page in your passport fo r the tourist visa, which _is classified as an L category. Multiple-entry six-month visas are harder to obtain and are usually granted only to businesspeople or those who have been to C hina before. Visas are obtainable wo rldwide from C hinese embassies and consulates or through accredited or specialist tour operators. H ong Kong is one of the easiest and fastes t places to obtain a C hinese visa. H ere you have the option of a 30-day, 60-day, 90day or six-month single-entry visa, or a multiple-ent:Y vis~. Pnces vary according to the validity and the speed of service you reqmre._Visas are issued by the Consulate Department of the C hinese Ministry of Foreign Affam (Kennedy Road; Mon-Fri 9.00-16.00), or from travel agents such as CTS (China Travel Service) (Floor 4, CTS House, 78- 83 Connaught Road, Central) or Shoestring Travel (Floor 4, A lpha House, 27- 33 Nathan Road; \ 2723 2306). . . . When applying for a visa you will be required to submit an application_ form, one passport-size photograph, and your passport which must be v_al1d fo r a m1rumum of six months after your entry into C hina. Fees are usually reqmred to be paid cash. C urrent fees fo r a visa from the UK Chinese Embassy are £30, £45 and £60 for single, double- and multiple-entry visas. It usually takes between three and fo_ur working days to have a normal tourist visa issued. Business visas are usually valid for three months. Officially (though rarely it's enforced) you should have a return tJCket out of the country and, when applying for the visa, list your itinerary_in detail. H owever, you should avoid mentioning Tibet or Xinjiang on your application, as listing these politically sensitive areas can affect your chances of obtaining a visa. Similarly C_hina is quite hostile towards journalists, writers and others with me?1a-related occupations, so you would be well advised to avoid mentioning such details even 1f your purpose in visiting C hina is purely for sightseeing. C lerics can also_face difficulty in obtaming visas and if you have a letter of invitation from an official body or orgarusat!on in China this would be helpful to include with your application. If you are travelling on a tour, then seek advice from your tour operator about the visa application process. Visa costs are levied more or less according to how much your own embassy 1s . charging Chinese visitors for theirs. This seems a fai~ enough practice. Visa extensions are issued, or denied, by the Foreign Affairs secuon of the Public Security Bureau (PSB) - the local police station. This means that you don't have to go back to Kunming to apply. Any large town should have a PSB office able to issue an extension. First extensions are usually no problem, but second ones are rarer. It often depends on the place, people and tourist season. Some offices ki ndly waive the fee, others charge as much as Yl 10 for an extension. Don't forget to take some backup ID just in case you lose your passport. If you overstay your visa the fines can be quite high - as much as YSOO a day.

m

@ CHINESE El'IBASSIES AND CONSULATES OVERSEAS Addresses and contact numbers for embassies and consulates may change. It is worth checking with, fo r example, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (wwwfmprc.gov.cn/eng). Australia 15 Coronation Dr, Yarralumla, ACT 2600; \ 02 6273 4780 22

Canada 515 St Patrick St, Ottawa, Ontario KIN 5H3; '\ 613 789 3434

France 11 Av George V, Paris; \ 01 47 23 36 77 Germany Markisches Ufer 54, IO179, Berlin; \ +49 30 27588 555; Kurfuerstenallee 12 53177, Bonn ; '\ +49 228 95597-27 Italy 56 Via Bruxelles, Rome 00198; \ +39 06 8413458 Japan 3-4-33 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo I06; '\ 03 3403 3380 New Zealand 2-6 Glenmore St, Wellington; '\ 04 474 9631

Singapore 11-01/03 Tanglin Shopping Centre, 19 Tanglin Rd; '\ 734 3361 Thailand 57 Rachadapisake Rd, Huay Kwang, Bangkok I031 O; '\ 02 245 7044 UK 49-51 Portland PI, London WIB IJI.; '\ 020 7299 4049. Visa Office: 31 Portland PI, London WI B IQD (09.00-/2.00 Mon-Fr9 USA 2300 Connecticut Av NW, Washington, DC 20008; '\ 202 328 2500; Visa Office: 220 I Wisconsin Av NW, Suite 110, Washington, DC 20007; \ 202 338 6688, f 202 588 9760

FOREIGN El'IBASSIES IN CHINA

Beijing Australia 21 Donzhi-menwai Dajie; '\ 0IO 6532 2331 Canada 19 Dongzhi-menwai Dajie; '\ 010 6532 3536 France 3 Dong San Jie, Sanlitun; '\ 0IO 6532 1331 Germany 5 Dongzhi-menwai Dajie; '\ 0IO 6532 2161 Ireland 3 Ritan Dong Lu, Sanlitun; \ 0IO 6532 2691

Japan 7 Ritan Lu; '\ 0IO 6532 2361 New Zealand I Ritan Dong 2 Jie, Sanlitun; \ 0I0 6532 2731 Singapore I Xiushui Beijie; '\ 0IO 6532 1115 Thailand 40 Guanghua Lu; '\ 0IO 6532 1903 UK 11 Guanghua Lu; '\ 010 6532 1961 USA 3 Xiushui Beijie; '\ 0IO 6532 3831

Some of the embassies in Beijing do not have j urisdiction for Yunnan, but the foll owing consulates cover Yunnan and should be contacted in the event of an emergency:

C'I

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US Consulate in Chengdu 4 Lingshiguan Lu, Chengdu; '\ 028 8558 3992; f 028 8558 3520 British Consulllte in Guangzhou 2nd Floor

Guangdong International Hotel, 339 Huanshi Dong Lu, Guangzhou; '\ 020 8335 1354; f 020 8331 2799

C'I

--
~

13

There are a few basic restaurants along the main road, Mengla Jie, and some Sichuanese joints along Qingnian Lu. Uigurs run kebab stalls along the mam street. 230

231

14 South to Hekou

M tJ I'd travelled by the narrow-gauge railway from Hanoi to Kunming five years before, four days and three nights, amidst marvellous mountain scenery ... I'd looked down and seen the winding track by which I'd travelled hundreds of feet below. I'd come over a steel bridge, which crossed an almost bottomless chasm. China-Burma Uigabond, Harold Rattenbury

Less visited in many ways than Yunnan's remoter but better publicised destinations, the region petween Kunming and the border crossing into Vietnam at Hekou is a rewarding area to explore if you have the time or plan on adding Indochina to your itinerary. Here you will find Yunnan's lake region immediately south of the city, old market and trade towns set along rivers, plains and fertile basins, French period railway stations, the descendants of a lost Mongolian army, the old Ming city of Jianshui with its great Confucian temple, and an area of Bronze Age tombs. Yunnan's most densely populated areas are around these lakes where many Han Chinese have settled. South of the lakes, however, a more interesting ethnic mix emerges, the Yi dominating the Tonghai region, pockets of Hui, Miao and Yao appearing further south, and the Hani inhabiting the banks and valleys of the Yuan Jiang, the 'Primary River' (the upper Red River), as it flows across the border on its course to Hanoi. As you travel south beyond the central lakes, towards the forests and reserves along the YunnaneseNietnamese border, a more luxuriant verdure asserts itself High temperatures and abundant rainfall have created great swathes of monsoon forest, montane rainforest and mossy, evergreen broadleaf forest. The forests of the southern mountains are dominated by tall and medium-size trees, with layers of bamboo, shrub, tree ferns, and a richly varied herb-layer. Naturalists are drawn here where they can see some of China's remnants of tropical fauna and flora. Rare mammals such as slow and pygmy loris, civets, mouse deer and white-cheeked gibbons inhabit this southeastern region of Yunnan. This is also the home of hornbills, several species of parrot and mynas, and emerald dove.

232

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Honths January February March April

May June

July August September October November December

Seasons

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FURTHER INFORMATION

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YUN NAN

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Backus, Charles, The Nan-chao Kingdom and T'ang China's Southwestern Frontier, Cambridge, 1981. Bonavia,Judy, The Yimgzi River, Odyssey Guides, 1999. Carne, Louis de, Travels on the Mekong: Cambodia, Laos and Yunnan, White Lotus, Bangkok, 1995. Chatwin, Bruce, Mat Am I Doing Here? Picador, 1990. Davies, H R, Yunnan: the Land Between India and the Yangtze , Cambridge University Press, 1909. Gao Fayuan, IM>men's Culture Series: Nationalities in Yunnan (26 volumes) , Yunnan Education Publishing House, Kunming, 1995. Garnier, F, Further Travels in Laos and in Yunnan (186~8), White Lotus, Bangkok, 1996. Gill, William, The River of Golden Sand, Murray, London, 1880. Goullart, Peter, Forgotten Kingdom,John Murray, London, 1957. He Liyi, Mr China's Son, A Villager's Life, Westview Press, San Francisco, 1993. He Liyi, The Spring of Butterflies, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, New York. 1986. He Zhonghua, Mere the Goddesses Live: the Naxi, Yunnan Education Publishing House, Kunming, 1995. Hoskin, John and Walton, Geoffrey, Folk Tales and Legends of the Dai People, DD, Bangkok, 1992. Ma Yin, China's Minority Nationalities, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 1994. Metford, B, Mere China Meets Burma, London, 1935. Miller, Lucien, South of the Clouds: Tales From Yunnan, University ofWashington Press, Seattle & London, 1994. Robson, Craig, A Field Guide to the Birds of South East Asia, New Holland, 2000. Rock,Joseph, The Life and Culture ofNa-khi Tribe of the China-Tibet Borderland, Franz Steiner, Wiesbaden, 1963. Shen Che, Life Among the Minority Nationalities of Northwest Yunnan, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 1989. The Ancient Na-khi Kingdom of Southwest China , Harvard University Press Cambridge, 1947. The Na-khi Naga Cult and Related Ceremonies, Seria Orientalia Roma, Rome, 1952. Tong Zhilu & Jin Zhuotang, Lijiang, New World Press, Beijing, 1988. Winnigton, Alan, The Slaves of the Cool Mountains, Seven Seas, Berlin, 1959. Zheng, Lan, Travels Through Xishiangbanna, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 1981. Zhong Xiu, Yunnan Travelogue: 100 Days in Southwest China, New World Press, Beiing 1985. Zhu Yintang, The Naxi Creation Myth, Lijiang 1991.

CHINA Dodwell, Christina, A Traveller in China, Sceptre, 1987. Hessler, Peter, River Town, John Murray, 2001 . 256

257

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WIN £100 CASH!

Thubron, Colin, Beltind the Wall: A journey Through Cltina , Penguin Books, 1988. Winchester, Simon, The River at tlte Centre of tlte Warld, Penguin, London, 1997.

PHOTOBOOKS ON YUNNAN

Various writers/photographers, Mysterious Nortltwest Ytmnan, Yunnan Science & Technology Publishing House, 1998. Yunnan, A Co,nplete Guide Series of Travel & Tourism in China , China Travel & Tourism Press, 1998. Goodman , Jim , Children of the jade Dragon, Teak House , Bangkok, 1997. Ji Weizhi (Editor in Chief) , Wildlife in Ytmnan, China Forestry Publishing House, 1999 Wu Jialin, Mountain Folks in Ytmnan , Yunnan Arts Press, 1993. Xu Zhihui (Editor in Chief) , acural Museum - ature Reserves in Ytmnan , China Forestry Publishing House and Yunnan University Press, 1999.

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Index Page references in bold indicate major entries; those in italics indicate maps. Caicun 121 , 123, camellia 5, 71 , 86, 92, IOI , 103, 121, 142 Caoxi Temple 96 caves 91, 122, 144, 158, 171, 182, 192, 245 Central Lakes 233-4 background information 3 Chenault, General 9 Bai 6, 13, 21 , 55, 56, 102, 103, Chicken Foot Mountain 92, 124 107, 108, 109, 114, 115, 117, Christianity 16, 143 120, 121 , 122, 123, 125, 165, church 17, 116, 146, 157, 176 179, 236 Chuxiong 2, 13, 72, 86, 101-3, Baisha 63, 127, 140, 142, 144, 102 Cizhong 146, 157, 176 Baishuitai 162, 171 bamboo 71 , 92, 101 , 127, 128, 189, Confucius 16, 21 , 85 crane 137, 166 213, 222, 229, 233,235, 240 credit cards 43 , see also money Bamboo Temple 902 Cultural Revolution 9, 14, 55, Bania 215 70, 116, 122, 124, 138, 140, Baoshan 7, 13, 23, 46, 61, 63, 71 , 143, 153, 202, 219 73, 105, 145, 178, 17~2. culture 62-5 183, 190,203, 220,226

accommodation 50-1 Achang 13 air travel 23-7, 34, 45 Ake 219 azalea 5, 89, 101 , 162, 172

Baijixun 146 Banguo 103 Ban Houei Xai 11 banking hours 45 see also money Benzilan 146, 168, 172 bicycle hire 4S-9, 74, 110, 167, 196, 226 birds 6, 71, 85, 108, 127, 149, 166, 171, 180,210, 215, 225, 245 birds-nest soup 245 Bi'se 235 Bita Hai 162, 172 Black Dragon Pool 56, 91, 127, 128, 132, 137, 140-1 Botanic(al) garden 157, 158, 166, 228, 229 botanist 9, 133, 140,143, 228 Boren 11, 28, bronze drums 86 Buddhism 2, 14, 15, 16, 88, 124, 142, 144, 153, 171,208, 215, 240 Bulang 13, 202, 217, 222-3 Burma Road 8, 70, 74, 95, 101 , 103, 104, 108, 189, 192, 194, 198 bus 28, 46, 73, 74, 105, 128, 203 Buyi 13, 14

262

Dadong 145 Dai people 13, 14, 21, 55, 65, 100,189, 201, 204-5, 20S-9, 213-15, 221,226,249 Dali 13, 21, 46, 107-24, 111 ,

118 beyond the city 117 festivals 114-15 further afield 123-4 history and orientation 108 what to see 115-17 where to stay 110-13 where to eat 112-13 Daluo 223 Damenglong 223-5 Dayao 103 De'ang 13 departure raxes 27 Deqin 173-7, 174 Dongba culture 137 Dongzhulin Temple 172 Dongsha River 103 Dr Ho 140, 144 Dulong 13, 14 DVT 34-5 dzo 166, 170

earthquakes 103, 11 9, 186 eating and drinking 51-4, 64-5 economy 2, 5, 10-12 elephant 8, 215 embassies and consulates 22-3 entry requiremen tslextensions

see visas equipment 42 Erhai Lake 3, 7, 21 , 103, 105, 107, 109, 117, 121-3 etiquette with mino rities 65 exchange rates 2, 43

explorers 9 Fahua Temple Grottoes 96 flora and fauna vn, 4-6, 71 , 165-6, 179-80, 213-15, 233 food market 105, 192 forests 4, 14, 16, 90, 10 1,108, 125, 127, 142, 155, 162, 165, 166, 185, 189, 194, 213, 214, 215,233 fossils 6, 103 Fungi Forest 98 Ganhai 145 Ganlanba 21 , 226--8 Gamier, Francis 9 Gejiu 245-7, 246 Gelanghe 21 9 gentian 5, 108, 155 geography and climate 3-4 getting around Yunnan 45-9 getting there and away 23 gibbon 5, 180, 189, 215,233 ginkgo 90 giving something back 65-6 Golden Temple 71 , 91-2, 124 Golden Triangle 41 , 66, 108, 190, 197, 222 Goullart, Peter 125, 133, 151 Haba Mountains 158, 161 Hani 13, 55, 56, 199,202,210, 215, 217,216, 21 9, 220, 222, 223, 233, 236, 239, 241, 245, 248 health 29-40

Hekou 21, 28, 44, 69, 72, 233, 235, 242, 247, 248 Hengduan Mountains 125, 155, 157, 158, 179 Heshun 185-6 highlights 20 Himalayas 3, 4, 27, 147, 186, 226 history 6-11 Hmong 13, 16, 179 Honghe 13, 56, 204, 216, 247 Honghe River 4 hornbill 5, 215, 233 hot springs vn, 3, 20-1 , 95, 105, 172, 183, 186-7, 192, 217, 234, 247 Hui 9, 13, 53, 72, 100, 102, 165, 174,233, 235-6, 239,241 Huxi 103 interacting with locals 62- 5 internet 49, 258 Islam 9, 16, 69, 70, 89, 115 jade 8, 56, 87, 135, 185, 197, 198, 210, 223 Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 3, 9, 52, 125, 127, 130, 131, 132, 136, 139, 141, 158 Jiangchuan 238, 239, 245 Jianshui 16, 21 , 50, 53, 72, 73, 99, 233, 239, 241-5, 242 Jiasha 247 Jiazi 145 Jingpo 9, 13, 14, 66, 189, 190, 194-5 Jinghong 200, 201-11 entertainment 207 festivals 209-11 getting around 203 getting there 203 history 202 practicalities 207 what to see 20S-11 where to eat 206-7 w here to stay 205-6 Jingzhen 209,219 Jinuo 13, 210,224, 225 Jiucun 234 Kaiyuan 72, 99, 242, 247 karst 3, 12, 96, 100, 186, 220 Kunming 2, 4, 21 , 69- 100, 76-7, 79 entertainment and nighclife 82-3 further afield 95-100 flora and flora 71 getting around 73-4 getting there/away 71- 3 history 69-70 Kunming to Lhasa 72 practicalities 84

Kunming contiuued

shopping 83 side trips 89-93 tourist information 74-5 trips around Lake Dian 93-5, 94 what to see 84-9 where to ear 80-2 where to stay 75-80 Kunming City M useum 97 Kunming-H anoi Railway 235, 242 Kunming to Xiaguan 101---o Lahu 13, 56, 217, 20, 223, 238 lakes 172,186, 234, 238 see also Central Lakes Lancang 3, 9, 146, 154, 189, 203, 209, 216, 220, 226, 228 language 2, 13, 17, 63, 109, 133, 136, 143, 158,205, 216, 249-56 Lanping 56, 109, 158 Laos 231 Lao-tzu 16 laughi ngthrush 127 leopard 149, 101, 166, 180, 189, 215 leopard, clouded 127, 172 leopard, snow 5 Li G uangxiu 91, 92 Liangwang Shan 235 Lijiang 21, 46, 125-47, 126, 130, 134 entertainment 135-6 festivals 136 further afield 146-7 getting around 129 getti ng there and away 12S-9 history and orientation 127~ natural history 125, 127 practicalities 136 side trips 142---o what to see 13~2 where to eat 132-5 where to ·stay 129-32 Lisu 13, 55---o, 125, 146, 174, 179, 189, 199, 215 Lolo 199 Long March 156, 169 loris 5, 233 Lost Horizon 173 Lufeng 102, 238 Lugu Lake 4, 53, 63, 147, 149-53 Lunan 53, 99 Luxi 46, 56, 99, 100, 151, 190 macaque 180 magnolia 5, 71, 89, 90, 101, 179, 188, 240 Mangshi 46, 71 , 105, 183, 189, 190-2, 191, 195

Mao 10, 56 maps 42-3 Marco Polo 69, 104, 180, 182 massage, traditional 115 medicinal plants 4, 5, 92, 101 , 127, 126, 155, 162, 166, 179 medicine 4, 28, 29-40, 109 medicine, traditional Chinese 78, 208 Mekong River VII , 3, 6, 9, 107, 146, 155-7, 165, 176, 182, 189, 202-3, 206, 209, 226 Menghai 52, 213, 215, 216-19, 217 Menghan 226--8, 227 Menghun 217, 222-3 Mengla 229-30, 230 Menglian 218, 220-2, 221 Menglun 228-9, 228 Mengyang 224, 225 Mengzhe 219 Mengzi 69, 81 Miao 13, 16, 17, 53, 55, 56, I 00, 233, 235, 241 , 245, 248 minorities 12-14 see also individual group names monastery 85, 90, 119, 124, 141 , 143, 147, 153, 166, 167, 169, 172, 185, 192, 219, 222, 223, 244,246 money 43-5 Mongolian 13,241 monkey 5, 101, 127, 155, 166, 172,180,215, 234 monkey, Yurman snub-nosed 5, 166,127 Moso 149, 151, 152 Mosq ue 16, 88, 234, 239 Mount Kagebo (Meili Xue Shan) 3, 4, 173, 175~ Mount Yunfeng 186--7 museum 86--7, 88, 95, 102, 115, 116, 117, 119, 137,139,141 , 182, 185, 221 , 22S-9, 236, 238,244 Musuo 63 Najiaying 234 Nanban 222 N anluoshan 219 Nanxi River 4 Nan zhao kingdom 7, 14, 69, 105, 108, 109, 114, 116, 11 7. 120, 124, 202 Napa Hai 171 natural history and ecology 4-6 see also nature reserves nature reserves 4, 6, 166, 1 2 173,183,215, 216, 229 Naxi orchestra 135, 138, 139. 140, 141 Naxi women 133, 141 , 1- -

Ninglang 56, 149, 150, 158, 170 Norzu 149, 150 Nu 13 Nu River (Nu Jiang) 3, 189 nuthatch 127 opium 4 1, 66, 108, 197-9, 216 panda, red 155, 166 pangolin 5, 166 Pauthier, J P G 9 peacock 180 Pearl River 3, 100 people 12-14 pheasant 5, JOI, 108, 127, 172, 180 photography 5 ~. 88, 248 pine 91, 95, 101 , 108, 125, 133, 137, 145, 155, 185, 194,238 politics 6--9 post and telecommunications

60-2 practical information 19 public holidays and festivals 54-6 Pu'er tea 83, 215---16, 225 Pumi 13, 14, 55, 56, 125, 149, 151 , 158 Qiaotou 158, 160-3 Qujing 7, 13, 100, 245 rail travel 21, 27-8, 72- 3, 98, 102, 104--5, 235, 242, 248 rain forest

reading , recommended 257-8 Red Army 9, 150, 156 Red Guards 9, 96, 124, 138, 142, 144, 156, 182, 227 red tape 22 religion 2, 14-17, 15, 137, 142, 151 , 171 rhododendron 4, 86, 91 , 108, 125, 156, 166, 179 Riwa 147 Rock, Dr Joseph 9, 141 , 143, 145, 157 Ruili vu, 21 , 27, 40, 47, 73, 105, 109, 180, 183, 189, 190--1, 195-9, 196, 198, 203, 245 safety 41-2 Salween River (Nu Jiang) 3, 6, 146, 155---7, 165, 179, 189, 190 Sani 96, 98---9 Shangri-la 72, 165---6, 169, 173 Shaping 56, 110, 120, 121,122 Shidong JOO Shigu 58, 63, 129, 146, 155---6 Shui 13

264

Sichuan 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 25, 49, 70, 109, 147, 149, 151-2, 165, 171-3, 175---7, 180, 204, 225 Simao 4, 13, 23, 46, 69, 71 , 202, 204,216,219, 220, 222, 225---6 social interaction 62-5 Songzhanling monastery 166-7 Scone C ity of Baoshan 145---6 Scone Forest (Shilin) 3, 6, 47, 72- 3, 96--9, 97, 98, 100, 186, 245 Swallows Cavern 245 swiftlet 2 15, 245 Tacheng 157-8 Tanhua Temple and Park 89 Taoism 2, 15---16, 133, 144 teahouse culture 52 temple 16, 21, 71 , 89, 90--1 , 92, 96, 103, 105, 112, 115, 117, 119, 122-3, 124, 141-4, 158, 172, 174, 182, 185---7, 192, 197, 208,209,210, 219, 227,239 Tengchong 3, 21, 56, 178-80, 183-7, 184, 194 terraces 127, 145, 171 , 174,216, 220, 248 Tibet 3, 7, 9, 22, 27, 49, 52, 72, 107, 124-5, 127, 157, 165---6, 169, 170-1 , 173, 174-5, 176-7, 216, 225 Tibetans 55, 63, 72, 114, 147, 156, 165, 170, 171 , 174-6 tie-dying 122 Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiaoxia) vu, 3, 129, 155, 158---63, 159, 165---6, 186 tipping 44 see also money Tonghai 73, 99, 233-4, 236, 238, 239-41, 240 , 242 travel clinics 31-2 trekking 20, 33, 40, 49, 90, 162, 176, 204, 206 cour operators 20 courist information 49-50 trains 27-8, 47-9 travel clinics 31 vaccination 37-8 visas 22, 28, 49, 72, 75, 114, 136, 201 , 207, 231 volcanoes 3, 21 , 186--7 Wa 9, 13,179, 199, 220, 222 Wading 104, 180 Wanding 190--1 , 192-5, 193 Wanjiaba 86, 102-3 Wase 121, 122, 123 Weixi 146, 155, 157-8, 173

what co take see equipment w here to eat see eating and

drinking where to stay see accommodation

women travellers 41-2 World H eritage Site VIII , 21 , 128 Xiaobanqiao 95 Xiaguan 46, 52, 71-3, IOI , 103-6, 107, 108, 109, 110, 114, 121 , 122, 128, 180, 183, 191 , 195, 203, 226 Xiaoping Deng 9, 10 Xier River I 07 Xinmeng241 Xishuangbanna VII, 4, 6, 13, 15, 19, 21 , 23, 27-9, 35, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 66, 86, 93, 104, 109, 129, 149, 189,201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 208, 2 JO, 213-31 , 214 , 249 Xizhou 120 Yading N ational Park 146--7 Yangtze River Qinsha Jiang, Changjiang) VII, 3, 4, 6, 13, 14, 20, 146, 155, 156, 157, 158, 165, 172, 186 Yangguang 234 Yao 13, 16, 17, 56,179,210,229, 231,233,245,247, 248 Yi 2, 6, 9, 13, 54, 56, 63, 72, 95, 100, 101, 102, 109, 123, 125, 145, 149, 150,179,216, 233, 234, 235, 236,239, 241 , 245, 248 Yingjiang 183, 187, 190, 195 Yongning 56, 151, Yongning Monastery 153 Yongning Plain 149, 152 Yuanjiang 109, 216 Yuanmou Earth Forest I 01 , 103 Yuanmou Man 6 Yuamong Park and Zoo 85---6 Yuantong Si pagoda 85 Yuhu 145 Yunnan Nationalities Village 93

Ancient sites and culture Take a Bradt guide to the road less travelled

Sri Lanka

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Yunnan Provincial Museum

8€r-7, 88, 102 Yuxi 2, 13, 61, 73, 204, 235, 236-8, 237, 238, 239, 245 Zheng He 8, 89, 95 Zhongdian 6, 23, 33, 45, 46, 47, 56, 62, 63, 71 , 72, 105, 129, 146, 147, 150, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166-73, 174-7 Zhoucheng 120, 122 Zhuang 13, 17, 55, 56, 100,245 Zixi Mountain I 03

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