24 Day Southwest China Minority Tour

- Jiaxiulou: Built in 1598, and is one of the symbols of Guiyang. The tower is a timberwork building with attics,and twelve stone pillars at the bottom.It is surrounded by a marble balustrade. Jiaxiu Tower is linked with the Fuyu Bridge which connects both the south and north banks.

- Shiqiao Miao village: People in Shiqiao Miao Ethnic Village still use their old and traditional way of making paper, using the bark of mulberry trees has the material. This paper making method has gone through over one thousand years of history, and materials have been extended to make color papers with different plants.
- Qingman Miao Village: Qingman Miao Village is located 23 kilometers southwest of Kaili City. Here visitors will at local ethnic families how their traditional clohes are made and dyed.

- Xijiang Miao Village: Xijiang Miao Village, also called the "homeland of Lusheng", is the largest Miao villages in Guizhou.

Geographic location: 36 km northeast of the county town of Leishan.

- Chejiang Dong people’s village: Chejiang Dong people’s village is situated alongside a river near Rongjiang County. It is one of the largest Dong people’s village in area, exceptionally picturesque-scenic and peaceful. The big Banyan Tree in the village was planted 300 years ago.
- Jidao Miao Village: Jidao Miao Village is set in idyllic surroundings where life is poor and simple. Local people tend their fields for many generations and live in traditional wooden houses that are hundreds of years old. The whole village has a tranquil atmosphere.

- Basha Miao Village: Basha Miao Village is home to about 1000 ethnic Miao villagers. They live in wooded houses, and still pratise the living customs and dressing traditions of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
- Zhaoxing Dong Village: It is the largest and oldest Dong village in China and the world. There are five Drum Towers, Wind & Rain Bridges and traditional stages in the village.

- Tangan Dong Village: Hailed by some as the "most primitive Dong village in China", Tang'an Dong village offers a harmonious scene balancing nature and humanity. The village was built on a steep mountain slope overlooking terraced paddy fields. The village contains ancient wooden buildings, a traditional drum tower, theater stage, and gravel yard adjacent to some residential houses, and a well provided water supply.

- Huangguoshu Waterfall & Tianxing Qiao Scenic Area: Huangguoshu Waterfall Scenic Area is one of the largest waterfall groups in China. It comprises 18 falls on the ground and 4 falls underground. The largest waterfall is as high as 68 meters, with a width of 81 meters.

- The Dragon Palace: 27 km from Anshun and 132 km from Guiyang,it made up of a great number of karst caves stretching fifteen kilometers long, running through some twenty hills and connecting over ninety caves. An underground river flows through the caves, leaving some dry and some wet. At the moment only 840 meters of the stone tunnel is open, having been divided into six "halls". The cave, 80-meter high and 50-meters at its widest point, contains some fantastic stalactites and is entered by boat from Tianci Lake. It is known as one of the spectacles of Asia.

- Forest of 10,000 peaks in Xingyi: It is a worthwhile place for visiting. It is an exquisite karst hill landscape with almost no difference from the scent of Guilin.
- Maling Gorge/Stars Art Gallery: A national scenic spot, the gorge is located 10 kilometres from Xingyi. Look from above, the gorge seems to be a bottomless crevice. It is considered as °the spectacular crevice of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau", the numerous permanent waterfalls and seasonal waterfalls consist a gorgeous view.

- The Stone Forest: It is a notable and magnificent set of karst formations located about 90 kilometers from Kunming City. The various karst landsape emenate from the ground due to millions of years' of earth movement. The area around is home to ethnic groups such as Yi and Sani. Their folk customs, beautiful embroideries and ethnic dances will leave you a deep impression.

- Zhu Family Garden: Located in Jianxin Street, the private garden of the Zhu family has a total area of 20,000 square meters. Built in late Qing Dynasty by Zhu Chaoying and his brother, the building is a typical local residence with distinctive features. The planned yards and gardens and well, the furnished rooms and halls and the structure of the architecture make this a very special place. After visiting here, you will have a more specific understanding of ancient houses in China.
- The Chaoyang Tower: The Chaoyang Tower is located in the east end of Jiangzhong Road in Jianshui. It was the east gate tower of Jianshui Town. It was built in the 22nd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (A.D.1389). The tower has the gable and hip roof with three eaves. It’s 24.45 meters high, 26.8 meters wide and 12.31 meters deep. It was classified as the historical and cultural site under provincial protection in 1993.
- Jianshui Confucian Temple: Covering an area of 76,000 square meters, the Confucian Temple is locate in the north of Jianshui. It is the second largest in China and was built in Yuan Dynasty over seven hundreds years ago. It provides valuable historical data for the study of Confucianism, the ancient examination system and traditional Chinese architecture.

- Yuanyang Terrace Field: Yuanyang Terrace Field is located in Honghe County, in southern Yunan Province. It has an area of an area of 20,000 square kilo meters. It is 200 to 2000 meters above sea level. Its history can be traced back 2000 years. The first tribe to settle this area and construct terraces for farming purposes was the Hani ethnic group. This incredible piece of engineering was not discovered until 1980s and now listed as one of China World Heritage Site Candidates.Enjoy a spectacular view from scenic mountain terraces at Duoyishu Village. To Climb to Tiger Mouth Pass overlooking an extensive view of terraces. Experience the folk culture at Qingkou Hani Ethnic Village. The best time to see the magnificent terraced rice fields is during February and March.

This is the time when the villagers water the terraces in preparation for ploughing. The water in the fields reflects the sunshine to create many colors. In September when the rice is ripe, the mountains turn a golden, yellow color. Choose the time that suits you to come to Yuanyang.

During spring, the weather and temperature in Yuanyang can vary greatly during the day. It can be cold in the morning and evening and warm at noon and is often raining. Please bring the suitable clothes and camera equipment.



In Yuanyang, according to local custom, the local market will be held at different villages in week in turn. The Hani people and Yi people from the surrounding area all come to market and this provides many photo opportunities.

- Mongolian Village in Haitong: At the foot of Fengshan Mountain on the western side of the lake, some 15 km. from the county seat of Tonghai, there are about four thousand Mongolian people living there

- Houses of Bai People in Xizhou: The village is a housing complex of Bai people formed from ancient times. In the center is the Square Street, surrounded by many shops. In the village you will see ethnic people dressed in their typical traditional clothes, busy with their daily chores. The local houses are very old, with exquisite paintings of artistic value on the outside walls.
- Zhoucheng elaborate batik crafts: Zhoucheng is a town inhabited by Bai people. The town is famous for its batik or wax printing crafts. Numerous batik shops can be found here. You can see the making process of making batik, and you can also buy some very delicate batik at reasonable prices.
- Cruise on the Erhai Lake: Erhai means “Ear-Shaped Sea” in Chinese because of its shape. Boating on the lake and around its islands provides a good way to enjoy the scenery, and you will also visit a fishing village nearby, where you can see local fishermen use trained cormorants to catch the fish.
- Three Cups of Bai Tea ceremony: The tea ceremony, known as "three cups of tea (san dao cha)," is part of the ethnic Bai's traditional routine of treating guests. Its history can be dated back to the Tang Dynasty, when Fan Chuo recording in a book on Barbarians (ethnic minorities),which says that "The barbarians gave me a drink, which was a cooked mixture of peppercorn, ginger and cassia. The famous tourist and explorer in Ming dynasty also noted "first a cup of clear tea, then a cup of salt tea, and last a cup of honey tea."

- Ancient City of Dali: The ancient city of Dali is located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. Built in 1382, it has traditionally been the settlement by Bai and Yi ethnic groups. The local people like planting trees and growing flowers, so there is a garden at almost every household. Dali is also famous for the many types of marbles it produces.
- Shaping Market: The Shaping Market is held in Shanping, an ancient town of 30 kilometers from Dali City. As you walk through this vibrant local market, you can see many ethnic people dressed in their traditional costumes, selling various products. It is a good place to view local people’s life, and buy some specialties and handicrafts made by the ethnic people.
- The Scenery of Cangshan Mountain: Dengchuan County of Eryuan.on the Cangshan Mountain, the vertical distribution of plants is obvious. There are more than 3,000 kinds of plants on the Mountain, which makes it one of China’s storehouses for plant resources. The four wonders on Cangshan Mountain are Cloud, Snow, Peak and Brook.Together with Erhai Lake, the imposing mountain range makes Dali a true vacation getaway.

- The Black Dragon Pool: Listed in the Collections of Famous Pools of China, the Black Dragon Pool deserves more attention. The Black Dragon Park is named after the Black Dragon Pool. It is a good place for sightseeing and enjoying leisure time.
- Lijiang Ancient Town: The old town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has a long history and splended culture. It is famous for its orderly layout of waterways, bridges, wooden-structure houses, cobblestone streets and relaxing atmosphere. Cars are not allowed in the old city in order to protect the wnvironment. There are numerous bars and coffee shops where you can idle away.

- The Mural in Baisha Village: Baisha village is one of the Naxi Minority villages in Lijiang and is more special because of the collection of murals in the village. Painted over a thousand years ago, they combine the cultures of Han, Tibetan and Naxi people displaying the life stories of the Tibet Buddhism, Confucian and Taoism. The unique artistic style and precious historical content of the murals attract visitors from home and abroad.
- Yunshanping on Jade Snow Mountain: It is a large patch of pasture tucked away hidden amongst a virgin spruce forest on the eastern side of the Yulong Snow Mountain.

- Tiger Leaping Gorge: Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest river canyons in the world. Some small hamlets dotted there, mainly lived by Naxi people. Spring is considered to be the best time to visit, because the melting snow flows down from the mountains and make the river turbulent at its narrow points.

- Lake Bita and Lake Shudu: "Bita" means in Tibetan a place with a dense oak forest and "Bitahai" means a quiet lake. The Bitahai Lake is surrounded by mountains covered with ancient pines, oaks and rhododendrons, just like an emerald in the heart of the mountain. Shudu Lake is located in northeast of Shangri-la,it is one of the largest fresh water lakes on the Diqing plateau. The lake is surrounded by a forest of fir,spruce and silver birch, and is home to lots of wild animals such as bears,golden cats, deer and pheasants.
- Visit Tibetan Family : Traveling in Tibet, you should definitely visit some Tibetan families. Tibetans are hospitable and they will prepare lots of special and delicious food for visitors, such as wines of highland barley wild oat, butter tea, milk residue, fried paste and Zanba, roast sheep and Tibetan hot pot. Besides, the decoration and the structure of those houses are unique.

- Songzanlin Lamasery: Occupying an area of 33 hectares, Songzanlin Lamasery is the largest Buddhist lamasery in Yunnan Province. Built in 1679 in the style of Potala Palace in Lhasa, the Lamasery stores many Buddhist statues and precious cultural treasures.
- Lake Napa: A lake in the depths of the Yila Grassland. The mirror-like lake lay peacefully in the vast grassland.

Location：Located at northwestern part of the Zhongdian county seat, Napahai Lake is 8 kilometers from the county seat.
- Visit local family: Walk around the ancient town, you will be interested at people's local dayily life, then we have the oppotunity to visit one family and get to learn the custom and tradtions that have been passed down generation by generation, see how their everyday life's like, and enjoy a lunch made by them.