25 of the 55 ethnic minorities of China live in Yunnan, representing the 38% of the province’s population . This means an incredible variety of languages, cultures and traditions.
Women from Yunnan
Most men don’t wear typical clothes even if they are part of one of the minorities while women tend to use more often their beautiful clothes. Here a few photos of women of all ages with our without the traditional outfit 🙂
Shangri-La
Despite the terrible fire that destroyed half of the historical center in January 2014, Zhōngdiàn (now called Shangri-La) remains a fascinating place. A big Tibetan community lives in the aerea together with other ethnic minorities (especially the Chinese Han).
A part from discovering the city, we visited the beautiful Sumtseling Monastery, we discovered some Tibetan villages and learned about Tibetan lifestyle.
Lijiang
This little jewel is incredibly beautiful but unfortunately too touristic. We found the small villages of Suhe and Baishà, easily reachable by bike or motorbike from Lijiang, more authentic. So if you are in the area, don’t miss them!
There are several ethnic minorities living in the area. The Naxi group seems to be the biggest.
Shaxi
Less visited than other places in Yunnan, Shaxi has still some charme left from the old times, when it was part of the Ancient Tea and Horse Road. The two main ethnic groups in the area are the Bai and the Hi.
The highlight of our stay: renting a bike and going around the tiny villages and fields surrounding Shaxi 🙂
Dali
We liked the ambience of Dali but found it too touristic. Nevertheless it was worth to spend there a couple of days, to enjoy the nightlife and go for a day tour around Erhai Lake to admire the beauty of nature and of people taking selfie 🙂
Jianshui
Jianshui is the most authentic and preserved old town we have visited in Yunnan province and therefore one of our favorite place!
Yuanyang rice terraces
If you are looking for the best panorama photos, go to Yuanyang! Unique landscapes and typical Hani villages make Yuanyang amazingly beautiful.
The best way to discover the area is to follow the trekking path passing through rice fields and villages. On the way you will see awesome sceneries and you will meet local people working in the fields.
Is it worth to go in Yunnan?
Absolutely yes! Above all if you go off the beaten track, where you can still see traditional Yunnan life without being surrounded by hundreds of tourists 🙂
Ciao carrissimi, che bello ritrovarvi attraverso il blog, e poi che festival di fotos: una tappa una più bella dell’altra! Spero che state bene. Abbiamo ricevuto la vostra cartolina qualche gg fa, grazie! Quasi 2 mesi per arrivare. I panda sono ora con noi sul camino del salotto. Vi serve l’indirizzo mail della mia amica che ha vissuto diversi anni in Nepal (o mi sono persa una tappa ;-))? Baci, Sabine
LikeLike
Ciao Sabine ! Adesso siamo in Nepal 🙂 Se puoi mandaci l’indirizzo della tua amica! Baci
LikeLike
Ciao, vedo solo ora vostro messagio: ecco l indirizzo di Floriane (parla sia inglese che francese) floriane.clement@gmail.com
E stata qq anno fa a vivere a K.. Adesso e tornata in Francia. Quest’estate l avevo avvisata del vostro viaggio e forse contatto. Tutto bene? Baci
LikeLike
Noi tutto bene 🙂 Pronti per ril trekking nell’Annapurna. Grazie per il contatto!
LikeLike