First I should say, “welcome” to Yunnan, It’s my honor to your guide.
"Yunnan"this word refers to “the South of Clouds”, it sounds beautiful and it is really a beautiful place. Let me tell you something about this wonderful land.
Yunnan, located in the Southwest China, has a vast territory, magnificent mountains and rivers, and abundant natural resources. With an area of 390,000 square kilometers, Yunnan is the eighth largest province in China. It is an inland province, with Guizhou Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the east, Tibet Autonomous Region in the northwest, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the southwest. Outside China, Yunnan borders on Burma in the west; Vietnam and Laos in the south. With a long borderline, is the main passageway connecting China with the Southeast Asian nations.
In Yunnan, there are more than 6000 rivers which belongs to 6 river-system :the 金沙 River system, the 南盘 River system, the 源 River system, the 澜沧 River system, the 怒 River system and the 伊洛瓦底 River system. And such complex river systems cannot be found in other provinces. Not only can many rivers be found in Yunnan , but also 37 lakes with an area of over 1square kilometers can be seem here, boasting a large number of plateau lakes. For example, the Dianchi Lake was called the bright pearl of Plateau. Later we can enjoy the beautiful view. There are 700 hot springs as well, all of which attract lots of friends all over the world.
According to our Chinese culture, a perfect place should consist of both the waterscape and the mountain. Yunnan’s mountains are also famous, including the Yulong Mountain in Lijing, which was regarded as one of the key scenic spots at state level. The mountains and rivers in Yunnan are both very superb landscape.
Besides the landscape here, in my opinion there is another factor making you here, which is the climate in Yunnan. As we all know Kunming is called the Spring City that ‘s because it’s always warm as spring. The feature of Yunnan Climate is that it has little difference in the seasonal temperature but considerable difference of temperature in a day. In general, the weather is favorable throughout the year, cool in summer and warm in winter, which makes Yunnan a favorable resort all the year round.
Just because Yunnan is a province with high mountains and deep valleys, and the climate ranging from the Frigid Zone to the temperate zone and the Torrid Zone, It has a very special geographical and climate condition beneficial to many different kinds of plants. Therefore it boasts the largest of plants in China, accounting over 60% of China’s total. It is rightfully called “ the Kingdom of Plants”.
And it enjoys the fame of “the Kingdom of Animals”, “the Kingdom of Wildlife”. Many ancient animals have survived here, such as Ailurus fulgens styani and antelope. Meanwhile, there are lots of animals under national protection, such as wild elephants, wild bulls, gibbons and so on.
Oh, I nearly forget Yunnan is the “Kingdom of Nonferrous Metals” as well. The reserves of Lead, Zinc and tin rank first in China, while copper and nickel rank third.
Every friend who came to Yunnan always asked where they can visit, what they can taste, and what they can bring home to their families. And I will show you where we can enjoy the sight, what you will feel delicious after tasting, and what is suitable to take home as presents.
The famous beverage and food of Yunnan, in my opinion, you can never miss the Pu’er tea, Xuanwei Ham, Across-Bridge Rice Noodle, Steam-pot Chicken, Yiliang Roast Duck and Songrong Mushroom and Collybia Mushroom. They all taste good. I should limit my descriptions of them now, or maybe you will feel hungry.
And I suggest you buy some Yunnan Tobacco for your friends who are smokers. If for your friends, I recommend the Tie-Dyed Cloth, Marbles of Dali, Yunzi, which refers to chess pieces, and Jianshui Violet Pottery. They are all famous handicrafts.
OK, everyone. I wish you a good journey in Yunnan, and I am sure we will have a good time together.
