Yunnan Chuxiong Travel Guide

Situated in the north-central of Yunnan Province, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture neighbors Kunming to the east and Dali Bai Autonomous Region to the west. It is separated from Lijiang by the Jinsha River to the northwest and bordered by Sichuan Province to the north. Chuxiong is the transportation, water conservancy, energy, big data and logistics hub of Yunnan. But what makes Chuxiong well-known are Artifacts of Yuanmou Man were found here, who lived in the region around 1.7 million years. It is therefore regarded as the birthplace of Chinese human civilization.

Although the Yi People, Chuxiong's largest minority group, has the most historical presence in the area, the large majority of the population is now Han Chinese. The Yi people are still highly celebrated and maintain a large influence on the city's art and customs.The city also has a large presence of Bai and Hui people.

Black is the predominant color for Yi costumes in this area. While different tribes of Yi have their own styles. Axi Dance under the Moon is the popular dance of the Axi Tribe. The 'three courses of wine' is the most courteous reception the Yi minority offers to their guests.

In Chuxiong, the ethnic festivals, costumes, songs and dances represented by Yi culture are colorful and unique. The Ancient Town of Yi People showcases the traditional architecture and culture of Yi. Restaurants, handicraft workshops, snack streets and bars are scattered among them. Every night, the Yi people sing and dance in their costumes. Every year on June 24 of the lunar calendar, a great number of people gather here to celebrate the biggest festival of the Yi people, Torch Festival.   

● Top things to do in Chuxiong

Like many other cities in Yunnan, Chuxiong is the place where a great number of ethnic minorities gather. Yi is the main ethnic groups in Chuxiong. What’s more, Lisu, Miao, Dai, Hui, Bai and other ethnic minorities can be found here. Therefore, the traditional festivals of Yi, Lisu, Miao, Dai, Hui and Bai, unique local operas, dances, music and other art forms are the common entertainment methods in Chuxiong. Multi-ethnic settlement makes Chuxiong Prefecture full of colorful ethnic culture, whether the festivals or the food.

When you step on the beautiful and tranquil land, travelers will see colorful ethnic culture.The grand Yiren Ancient Town, the magical Ten-Month Solar Calendar Park, Lufeng World Dinosaur Museum and spectacular Yuanmou Earth Forest, etc. are the best places for tourists.

● Yuanmou Earth Forest is a wonderful natural wonder in China and even in the world. After millions of years of crustal movement, the rain and wind has carved the land of Yuanmou into a strange shape.

● Lufeng is the site of numerous Jurassic dinosaur discoveries, first found there in 1938. Most well known is Lufengosaurus, a Jurassic prosauropod. More recently, teeth and a skull of Ramapithecus, a Miocene period primate related to the orangutan, have been found in Lufeng.

● Yis Ancient Town takes the style and the sentiment of Yi Minority as principal factors, adopting features of other minorities of Yunnan and the gardens of Jiangnan. Visitors could enjoy the Yi’s primitive customs, delicious food, songs and dances and the torch festival, etc.

● Originally built in 1504, Chuxiong Confucius Temple was rebuilt in the 1680s after being damaged in an earthquake. Today, it is one of the very few historical sites in Chuxiong City to be included on China's national heritage list.

● Zixi Mountain Forest Park is the largest nature park in Yunnan Province, it contains a wide variety of plant and animal species. Historically, the area was very important to Chinese Buddhists and at one time there were claimed to be 88 temples and 77 nunneries here.

● Chuxiong Food&Drinks

The Yi ethnic people in Chuxiong take mutton as a household dish to treat guests. Roasted pig along with a local flavor is the traditional cuisine. The cold chicken has been a name card in food for travelers to Yuanmou County.

squab is a part of celebratory banquets for holidays such as Yizunian New Year, usually served deep-fried. Taste crispy and glossy , the meat is tender and juicy.

Fried Pumpkin，Bean Jelly, Yi Ethnic Buckwheat cakes are signature delicacy of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture.

● Chuxiong Weather

Chuxiong Prefecture enjoys a pleasant climate and belongs to the subtropical low latitude plateau monsoon climate. Due to the high mountains and deep valleys, the vertical climate change is obvious. The climate characteristics of the entire Chuxiong Prefecture are: short in winter and summer, long in spring and autumn; large daily temperature difference, small annual temperature difference; no cold in winter, no heat in summer; distinct dry and wet seasons. The average annual temperature falls to around 15-21℃. Like most cities in Yunnan, the temperature varies greatly during the day but only slightly during the course of the year.

With favorable weather all year round, Chuxiong is a beautiful place worth traveling, especially from March to October-the best time to visit Chuxiong when blooming flowers, ripe fruits and festival activities all gather together.

● Chuxiong Transportation

Chuxiong is served by the Guangtong-Dali Railway between Kunming and Dali.Chuxiong Railway Station was opened in 2018, is now the only railway station in the city serving passenger trains. The old south and west stations are no longer in use. Cities linked to Chuxiong by rail include Kunming, Nanning, Guilin, Dali, and Lijiang.