Jianshui & Visiting Ethnic Markets and Hiking around Yuanyang

MILEAGE

 Kunming 470km Jin Shui He on China-Vietnam border 540km Return Kunming

TOUR DESCRIPTION

D1---Start from Kunming in the morning, drive to Jianshui, a small cultural and historic city in south Yunnan. We will spend the afternoon visiting some sites around town. First see Confucius Temple, a construction aged over 700 years, whose size ranks the biggest in province and the second of country, then Wan Yao Village, the cradle of famous Jianshui Purple Pottery, we will see how workers are making clay into elegant jars, vases or other nice vessels in different shapes. Finally we stroll in Zhu Family Garden, a private residence built in late Qing Dynasty 100 years ago, covering an area of 20,000 square meters and with labyrinthian arrangements of yards, pathways and elaborately-furnished rooms. Stay in the Garden for night.

D2---In the morning, see the Chaoyang Gateway Arch built in 1389,  it's the east gate tower (called also The Yinghui Gate) of former city wall surrounding Jianshui, now serving as a landmark of the city. Do a relaxing walk around the old part of town, see 600-year ancient well that is still feeding people, visit local tofu workshop to meet people and discover how local life is going on. Long drive to Jinping, a small mountainous county bordered with Vietnam in the south, from where border is only 40 km away. Miao and Yao are main residents of Jinping, during our long drive across their rice terraces and villages, do random stops for stretch, taking photos or short visit to ethnic villages along the way. Night in Jinping.

D3---Market day of Jingping, a colorful and lively day of county seat, ethnic people living on vicinal mountains gather in town for sale or purchase every 6 days, when several central streets and markets will be crowded with ethnic people in traditional costumes, mostly Red-top Yao, it's quite interesting to see many red and pointed hats moving quickly in stream of people, besides, some Hani, Akha, Yi and Miao women are also playing active roles in the market. After spending the morning in Jinping, we drive 40 km to Jin Shui He, a small town seated on China-Vietnam border, between two counties a river flows quietly serving as the boundary marker, en route we pay visit to some ethnic villages of Yao or Miao. Night in Jin Shui He.

D4---Market day of Jin Shui He, a festive gathering of Indigo Yao, another branch of Yao Nationality, who are famous for planting indigo and using it to dye fabrics. Market is not quite big, but very brisk, some ethnic groups like Hani, Miao, Yi and even minority people from Vietnamese side make this market especially colorful, in locality, Market of Jin Shui He is more known as Nafa Market. After spending some time in the market like the local, we go to Niu Jiao Zhai by a long drive, short exploration to ethnic villages en route, before arrival we stop at Lao Hu Zui for the view of sunset, if weather's ideal, countless terraces filled with water would reflect rosy light to give wonderful view. Night in Niu Jiao Zhai.

D5---Today is the market day of Niu Jiao Zhai, an occasion that falls every 4 days, very colorful and crowded assembly of ethnic people and all kinds of imported or native merchandise. Hani people here are differently dressed from that of other places, and due to less annoyance of tourists, they are normally opener and more friendly. We spend a relaxing morning in the market observing the most lively sides of countryside life, taking photo or chatting with local people. After market we drive to Mengpin, along scenic road get over mountains to Shen Chun, a small town famous for view of rice terraces, en route we can get off car and do some relaxing hiking across villages by sections, for nice view, for stretch or for meeting ethnic people. Night in Shen Chun.

D6---Today is the market day of Shen Chun, a crowded and noisy occasion full of Yi and Hani women in colorful costumes, they bustle around to sell native produces or to buy daily commodities. After market we set out for our scenic hiking of some hours across the most beautiful rice terraces of Yuanyang, on the way enjoy wonderful view of rice terraces to our hearts' content, scenery around us would give an illusion that we are walking in picture. Ancestors of Hani people spent more than 1200 years assarting thousands of terraces on sidehills, as well creating the most inspiring scene in southern Yunnan. On late afternoon, at the trail end we get picked up by car then drive back to Jianshui. Stay in Jianshui.

D7---A relaxing morning, enjoy some free time in Jianshui, then move out of town to visit Tuan Shan, an age-old village enlisted amongst the 100 Protected Memorial Buildings of the World by WMF in 2005, for its well-maintained style and features of 19th. Century, here numerous ancient civilian dwelling houses still remain intact and folk traditions are still performed in its original way. After we drive back to Kunming, en route drop in Mongolian village near Tonghai, the only place in province where Mongolian people live, villagers are descendants of soldiers who came from north on expedition to Yunnan 700 years ago, we will try to  find out how their life is changed after getting off horseback. Tour ends upon arrival in Kunming.