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Yunnan China Adventure: 6 Incomparable Places of Interest in Southwestern China
Yunnan China Adventures
We aren’t done yet, and we shouldn’t be. When it comes to finding some truly incomparable places of interest that you must see, visiting China and spending time in their richly blessed Yunnan province, in particular, is something that any traveler should consider doing. Apart from the point that it is indeed crawling with UNESCO Heritage sites, the fact of the matter is, Yunnan is so beautiful in its own right. And there’s no need to doubt that, because there are a lot of incomparable places to visit and experience here, especially in cities, towns, and even villages around Kunming, Jianshui, Honghe, Mengzi, and Yuanyang.
Because it’s being bordered by Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, you are guaranteed to have distinctive colorful cultures wrapped around in beautiful landscapes and ethnic customs. You will for sure be fascinated by its spectacular natural scenery, snow-capped mountain peaks, sapphire-like lakes, but even more so with its unbeatable places of interests. From gardens, houses, temples, and caves, you’ll be sure to have a taste of its historical and cultural ethnicities. Needless to say, your Yunnan China Adventures will not be fully complete, without adding a few tourist attractions to visit that isn’t really too touristy, but more like off the beaten too.
I had the pleasure of wandering around Yunnan, and at the same time, getting a grip of their local coffee drips. What I discovered was that this particular province in China is so gorgeous, especially if you get the chance to see their local attractions and share conversations with locals. The highlights of the experiential adventures I had were with the help of some local friends. I’d like to let you in an option - in case you are interested to sit back and let a Yunnan tour allow you to have that less touristy, tailor-fitted itinerary and adventure, you may want to consider Zomya.co to reveal that hidden local-preferred, off the beaten kind of worth it travel guide that can only be done in Yunnan. Yes, this includes all these items below, which can only be found strategically scattered across Yunnan. What do you think, yes?
Yuanshidong Cave
The Yuanshidong Cave or Guanyindong is the “first cave of South of Yunnan, built during the Qing dynasty, and it has so many interesting artifacts combined in one venue: from different styles of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Can you believe it, there are no tourists or photographers that you can see, if you decide to go before lunchtime. Be sure to go up the cave, after offering some prayers below. You’ll be stunned to see an unbelievable panoramic view of the town, with matching provincial fog, and that sacred atmosphere of the small cave makes the 100 plus steps all worth it. Don’t forget to notice the fascinating mix of zodiac statues scattered around the rooftop and pillars of the place.
Zhujia Family Garden
Who wants to talk about movie-like settings? If you do, then this garden is for you! Jianshui’s Zhu Family Garden is the “Grand View Garden at Southwest Border of China” is the most legendary tourist attraction in Jianshui. Okay, so maybe it’s not too off the beaten, a bit touristy, but since it’s rather far from Kunming, it’s relatively less crowded with foreign tourists but more popular for local tourists coming from other towns and villages within China. You should not miss this place that’s an accommodation, sightseeing, and historical heritage of Jianshui. You’ll be amazed to see the cinematic-looking gardens and the abounding Chinese bonsai plants everywhere! Not to mention, the place is roomy, you can easily spend at least half a day to relax and enjoy the different sceneries and areas of this place.
Yuantong Temple
It’s an excellent idea to offer a prayer here. Unlike other Buddhist temples, which are built on a "climbing up" style (you have to climb to reach it), when you enter this oldest and the largest Buddhist temple in Kunming, the Yuantong Temple is reachable by descending along a gently sloping garden path. What you’ll like the most though is that the architectural style is spectacular, especially its palace, octagonal pavilion and at present the only one Theravada Buddhism of the China mainland — copper Buddhist hall. Although yes, since it is also in Kunming, it can be a touristy, especially during peak hours and seasons, it’ll be nice to swing by this time when there are not many tourists, preferably around weekday mornings!
Temple of Tianjun
Not much write-up about this online, because it isn’t as well known or as massive as the other temples around this town. Nonetheless, the Temple of Tianjun should merit a visit, especially if you want to pray to their sixty plus gods and deities. Definitely, off the beaten and not touristy by any standards, this spacious place of worship is where some of the locals go visit to pray and offer requests. On a typical weekday, it’s pretty much empty and all you can witness are local puppies playing around and some chirping birds resting inside the temple grounds. It’s very peaceful and there’s an ancient feel to it that you will enjoy for sure.
Confucius Temple
Last but certainly not the least, you have to know that the leader among the list of temples to visit in this side of Yunnan is this key national historical highlight known as the Jianshui Confucius Temple. It happens to be the second largest in China, after the one in Confucius' birthplace! It has more than 700 years of history and culture preserved. You shouldn’t be surprised since this is a city that used to be their main trading link between Kunming and everything south. Aside from the towering statue of Confucius, it’s also a good idea to explore this place with a book in one hand to enjoy the feeling of being philosophical like the one and only Confucius!
The Grand Mosque of Shadian
In case you didn’t know, Yunnan has the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, known as the Grand Mosque of Shadian. This grandiose mosque can actually hold more than 10,000 people to do prayers; you shouldn’t wonder, because the design has said to be inspired by the Nabawi Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Very opulent and magnificent! You’ll see a different side of spirituality in China through the hallways, the pillars, gold-embelished walls, and fine chandeliers. Be sure to decide to visit during weekday early to late afternoons, so as to experience the whole mosque by yourselves.
ZOMYA.CO: Experiential Adventures in China
Providing one of a kind travel experiences, through the off the beaten path adventures in China’s Yunnan and Eastern Tibet. Building bridges between local people and authentic cultures, like traditional villages, ethnic markets, and local cuisines. Tailor-made itineraries to give you a different perspective on traveling in China.
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[YUNNAN EXPERIENTIAL ADVENTURES] Read the rest of the Yunnan China Travel Series:
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