A close encounter with volcanoes in Tengchong

A row of volcanoes is visible through the morning mist. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

For domestic and foreign tourists alike, China's Yunnan province offers a long list of destinations among which Tengchong county is lesser known but can be a great delight once discovered, just as a team of CRI reporters recently found out.

The main sightseeing spot in the county is Tengchong National Geological Park nicknamed "a museum of geological features" for its diversified landforms created by frequent volcano eruptions hundreds of years ago.

As Tengchong county is located in an area where the Indian plate meets the Eurasian plate, a complicated fault belt creates occasional volcanic eruptions. There are as many as 99 volcanoes of various sizes in the area surrounding Tengchong, the last eruption of which occurred in 1639. According to scientific research, Tengchong's volcanoes are now dormant. The frequent movement of the tectonic plates also has created a large number of hot springs.

The local government has made full use of the area's geological resources and branded the county as a destination for both sightseeing and leisure. Besides tourists, the National Geological Park also receives students who come for field studies or outdoor camping trips and serves as a venue for company employee training.

How to get there Regular overnight trains connect Tengchong with Kunming, capital city of Yunnan province. It takes about nine hours by car to drive to Tengchong from Kunming. The county also has an airport with flights to and from major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou.