Autumn is a harvesting and beautiful season, especially in Yunnan which is more colorful. Here, you will enjoy the beautiful fall scenery of Yunnan through the gold of Ginkgo Village, the red of Dongchuan and the blue of Lugu Lake.

Yuanyang Rice Terraces

The color of the harvest, the pride of Hani people.

The Yuanyang rice Terraces, located in the southern part of Ailao Mountain in Yuanyang County, Yunnan Province, are a masterpiece of Hani people. The terraces reclaimed by the Hani people in Yuanyang vary with the landscape and adjust measures to local conditions. The large croplands are reclaimed on gentle slope and wild field, while the small ones are reclaimed on steep slope and narrow field, even the edge of ditch, bottom of ridge and stone gaps can be used to bring under cultivation. So the large terraced fields can be as wide as several mu, while the small ones are as narrow as dustpans, and there are tens of thousands of mu of those terraces on one slope. Yuanyang Rice Terraces are grand in scale and momentum, extending Honghe, Yuanyang, Lvchun and Jinping counties along the entire south bank of the Honghe river. There are 170,000 mu of terraces within the boundaries of Yuanyang County alone, which is the core area of Honghe Hani terraces.

Autumn is the season of harvest, not only due to beautiful scenery, but also the fruits of Hani people’s labour.

On June 22, 2013, Hani Terraces were successfully added into the World Heritage List at the 37th World Heritage Convention, becoming the 45th world heritage site of China, which made China the second world heritage country after Spain and rank only second to Italy. Hani villages have wonderful scenery and simple folkway, and the villagers are very hospitable.

Gudong Town of Tengchong (Gingko Village)

Time stands still here, the corner where ginkgo elves rest.

In late autumn, every tree has its fall shadow, and every mountain is white with snow. Now there is a place that must go! That is the quiet and fancy Gingko Village of Tengchong! There is a quiet autumn scene like heaven where ginkgo elves rest. Every late autumn the yellow leaves fly around the house. What a beautiful scene it is! The precious century-old ginkgo trees make this small village seem simple and profound.

Dongchuan Red Land

The colorful carpet laying in Yunnan to greet friends from afar.

“Dongchuan Red Land” is located in the north by east direction of Kunming, under the jurisdiction of Dongchuan District, Kunming. The red soil developed under the high temperature and rainy conditions in Dongchuan of Yunnan Province, the sapphire-like sky, the marshmallow white clouds and the inconstant light constitute a magnificent scenery of the red land.

Every year from September to December, some of the red lands have been loosen for planting, while others have been planted with green barley, wheat or other crops. From afar, it looks so gorgeous, like a piece of color painted by god.

Lugu Lake

Walk on the clouds and feel Mosuo minority customs.

Lugu lake is located in the southwest corner of Sichuan Province, the junction of Lijiang city of Yunnan Province and Liangshan Prefecture. Known as the “plateau pearl”, it is famous for its beautiful natural scenery and charming matriarchal social culture. The shores of the Lugu lake are winding, with dense forests aside, and the six islands give people endless reverie.

There is a “blue” called Lugu lake, here you seem to be on the clouds; Feel the folk customs of matriarchal clan.

Haishe Island of Xizhou Town in Dali

Quiet Dali, as fantastic dream in “Spirited away”.

Three kilometers to the northeast of Xizhou Town in Dali city, there is a peninsula that extends to the middle of Erhai lake for one kilometer. This is a sandbank formed by the sediment from the Wanhua river in Cangshan under the waves on both sides of the east and west. From south to north, it was gradually narrowed and stretched into Erhai lake, just like “tongue(She)”, hence getting the name “Haishe”. The island is surrounded by water on three sides. By the water, there are many clams among the black sand and white spray or some withered trees soaked in water. In the center, the trees make a pleasant shade and birds sing beautifully, along the shores, fishing boats travel between the wave-light and the shadows of the trees. Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year on the “Haishe” peninsula.

（photo:zhiyuantianxiaxing）

Kunming Botanical Garden

The plant kingdom

The Kunming Botanical Garden, founded in 1938, is the largest research base of subtropical plant diversity and seed conservation in southwest China. It has a boulevard of gingko and mapl