Overview>

Yunnan literally means "South of the Clouds". As one of China's most beautiful provinces it enjoys a varied climate and diverse terrain that contains around half of all the plant and animal species in the country. One-fourth of China's ethnic minorities live here, including Yi, Miao, Dai, and Tibetans. Yunnan is bordered by Vietnam, Laos and Burma. Archaeological remains dating back to the 2nd century BC has been discovered in the region. Yunnan is no doubt one of the most alluring travel destinations in China. Yunnan is China's leading producer of tobacco and cigarettes, with all the supporting industries (paper, filters and packaging). Other agricultural products include tea, rubber, sugar, wood, resin, orchids and other exotic flowers.

The climate in Yunnan is the best in China. Temperatures rarely reach freezing in winter and the days are crisp and sunny. The rainy season lasts from late May through August.

Kunming, the city of perpetual spring is Yunnan's pleasant capital. Kunming boasts sparkling blue skies, red earth, and green forests with thousands of medicine herbs and hundreds of rare plants and flowers. At the south side of Kunming you'll be thrilled by the spectacular scenery of the Stone Forest, which has 80 hectares (almost 200 acres) of limestone formations that date from 270 million years ago.