China Travel Guide: Yunnan

Pudacuo National Park

Established in 2005, Pudacuo National Park in Yunnan's Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture is the first of its kind in China. Covering an area of 602.1 square kilometers, the national park is more than 3,500 meters above the sea level and about 40-minute drive from the downtown of Shangari-La, the capital of Diqing.

The region of this park contains more than 20 percent of China's plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species, though it comprises only 0.7 percent of the country's land area.

It is notably home to vulnerable black-necked cranes, many rare and beautiful orchids, and Himalayan Yew, a coniferous tree whose extracts are a source of the anticancer drug, paclitaxel.

The Chongsheng Temple and the Three Pagodas, Dali

Chongsheng Temple and the Three-Pagoda Culture Tourist Area is a national 5A scenic area and a famous Buddhism tourism resort in Southwest China, is 1.5 kilometers to the northwest of Dali Old Town.

It sits in front of the Erhai Lake and up against Cangshan Mountain. At the feet of the Three Pagodas, in this isolated and mountainous region you can feel the grand ideals and serenity of Buddhism.

Built in Nanzhao Kingdom of Tang Dynasty (883-840), Qianxun Pagoda – the main pagoda, is 69.13 meters high. Other pagodas to the north and south, both with heights of 42.19 meters, were built during the reign of Duan Zhengyan and Duan Zhengxing in the kingdom of Dali (1108-1172).

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was founded in 1959. Its average annual temperature is 21.4℃. It is a research institution engaged in scientific research, species preservation, scientific communication, development of science & technology and a well-known scenic spot.

XTBG's 1,125-hectare area includes a 250-hectare patch of well-preserved primary tropical rainforest. XTBG's excellent preservation of over 13,000 species of plants in its 35 living collections has enhanced its reputation for being one of the most diverse botanical gardens for outdoor plants in the world.