In the Deepest Mountains of Yunnan, There Is a County, All Mountains and No Plains, Yet It Produced a World Heritage Site

Mango Travel Diary: For those who are used to seeing endless plains in Northeast China, it's hard to imagine that there is a county with an area of 2189 square kilometers, all mountains and not a single plain. Let's go with Mango to see what this county is like.

This county is called Yuan Yang, located in the Red River Province of Yunnan, bordering Jinping County to the east, Red River County to the west, Luquan County to the south, and Jianwei City to the north. The county seat is 284 kilometers from the provincial capital Kunming and 71 kilometers from the prefectural capital Mengzi.

Mentioning Yuan Yang, people's first impression will be terraced fields. Terraced fields have become synonymous with Yuan Yang County, although there are two other major terraced fields domestically: Guangxi Longji Terraces and Guizhou Jilabao Terraces. However, Yunnan Yuan Yang Terraces are the most well-known and were included in the World Heritage List in 2013, becoming a world-class attraction.

Some say that Longji Terraces in Guangxi are the most spectacular, Jilabao Terraces in Guizhou are the largest in area, while Yunnan Yuan Yang Terraces are the most beautiful. Therefore, they attract countless tourists and photographers every year. Yuan Yang Terraces' Tiger Mouth Scenic Area was called the most magnificent pastoral landscape by American photographer US, and it was listed as one of the seven cultural attractions newly discovered in 1993 by French newspapers.

Yuan Yang is inhabited by multiple ethnic groups, including Hani, Han, Yi, Dai, Miao, and Yao. The Hani people are the majority, accounting for more than 53% of the population, and they have lived here for generations, leaving a magnificent masterpiece – Red River Hani Terraces (also known as Hani Terraces).

Because Yuan Yang County is located in the heart of the Alxa Mountains, with steep valleys and towering peaks, it is all mountains and no plains. Entering Yuan Yang's road always turns around countless bends, which makes many people who are not prone to motion sickness get dizzy, and those who are prone to motion sickness will directly vomit.

How can crops be planted in all mountains? The Hani people who have lived here for generations started to cultivate terraced fields based on the terrain since more than 1300 years ago to plant rice. They have been passed down for generations, and have cultivated more than 100,000 mu of terraced fields. The terraced fields with the most levels have more than 3700 levels, and the smallest terraced fields are less than 1 square meter, forming the magnificent World Heritage Site – Red River Hani Terraces.

Besides terraced fields, Yuan Yang also has a mineral resource that many people don't know about – gold. Yuan Yang Gold Mine is mainly located in Dabashi Township, with a gold-bearing river inside, and abundant mineral resources, known as “Mineral Kingdom” and “Land of Gold”. It was said to have attracted a lot of people to dig gold, but later the country strictly prohibited private mining, so it gradually returned to tranquility.

Nowadays, Yuan Yang County mainly relies on tourism and cultivation industries. Here produces a unique rice – Red Rice. Red Rice made rice, red rice noodles, red rice (red rice) taste fragrant and delicate, very delicious.

In addition, when you visit Yuan Yang, you must also visit the local market, which will surely open your eyes. All women wear their ethnic costumes, carry baskets, or shop or sell things on the stalls. You can see various rare and wild vegetables on the stalls, even various insects, such as bamboo insects, silkworm pupae, grasshoppers, and you can also see the eighteen monsters of Yunnan – eggs sold on skewers.

If you want to travel to Yuan Yang Terraces, you can only drive or take a bus. Currently, the transportation here is not very convenient. You can take a bus from Kunming or Jianwei to Yuan Yang’s new street town, and then take a car from the guest station entrance (10-15 yuan per person) to Doi Tu (Doi Tu), a very famous scenic spot in Yuan Yang Terraces. Yuan Yang Terraces Scenic Area is very large, divided into several scenic areas: Doi Tu, Ba Da, Tiger Mouth, and Eagle Mouth, which are separated by 10-20 kilometers, you can only take a car or stop local people on the road for a ride (between 5-25 yuan per person depending on the distance).

Yunnan Yuan Yang, besides terraced fields, do you know it also produces gold?

I am Mango, traveling and walking through China alone, welcome to follow Mango Travel Diary, sharing travel experiences every day.