Yuxi City

Located in the center of Yunnan Province, Yuxi City is the home of Yunnan tobacco, the largest cigarette factory of Asia is located in Yuxi. The Maotian Mountain Zoolites are internationally regarded as the Holy Land of Paleobiology. The bronze utensils discovered near Lijia Mountain reflect the brilliance of the ancient culture of Yunnan. Fuxian Lake is one of deepest lake of Yunnan. Xinping county is famous for the legacy of Flowery Belted Dais and E Shan county is the homeland of ancient Yis, who are famous for its mud bricked architecture in China.

Geographical Location:

Yuxi City is in the centre of Yunnan, only 60 kilometer away from Kunming. The city is close to Kuming on its Northeast; South joints with Honghe Yi & Hani Prefecture, to its Southwest and due West is Si Mao Prefecture, and Cuxiong city to its Northwest. The whole city covers an area of 1,5285 square kilometers.

Yuxi is located in the western margin of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the topographical terrain is higher onthenorthwest and southeast is lower, the complex terrain consisits of mountains, valleys, plateaus, basins. In the territory of the western area is the Ailaoshan Mountain ranges with ??14,660 square kilometers, snow caped Daxueguo mountains with an elevation of 3137 m ,is the highest point in the Yuxi. There are historical sites within Fuxian Lake, Xingyun Lake, Qilu Lake, Yangzonghai Lake, the four highland lakes with a total area of ??298 square kilometers.

Population & Nationalities

Yuxi city's population is 203.4 million, ethnic minority population is 64.61 million, which takes up31.76% of the total population, except Han, there are also Yis, Hanis, Dais, Hui(Muslims), Mongolians, Bais, Miaos, Lahus. The city has the jurisdiction of Asan county, Xinping county, Yuan Jiang county and other three ethnic minority autonomous counties, which are Eshan Yi Autonomous Region (renamed Eshan 1956), which is the first Yi autonomous county in Yunnan. Each nationality has its own unique history, culture, language, costumes, rituals, festivals and local customs, such as Yi's "Flower Drum", Hani's date party, "Claudio Abbado," Dai people's "Zhi Huo Que ¡°, Lahu's wonderful music and unique Love Song "Re Men", Mongolian unique charm of the festival "Naadam"; Miao's " Cai Hua Shan" ; Bai's "Flower stick dance," Yi's "Torch Festival", flowery belted Dai's unique culture and costume and their "Flower Street" Festival.

Yuxis Attractions

Just 55 miles South of Kunming is the city of Yuxi, its history dates back to 220BC and the Qin Dynasty. Modern Yuxi is best known for the Yuxi Cigarette Company,. Fuxian Lake is the second deepest lake in China and you can actually swim in Fuxian Lake. The water is a clear bluish green. At times you can see as far as 20 feet down. The best time to visit the lake especially if swimming is on the agenda is between May and October when the weather is at it's warmest. Mount Gushan Island is the only island in Fuxian Lake. On the sixth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, people visit Mount Gushan for the temple fair.

Yuxis population is just over 2 million with 32% coming from Han, Yi, Hani, Dai, Hui, Mongolia, Bai, Miao and Lahu people. In addition to Lake Fuxian, Yuxi is surrounded by mountains, valleys, lakes and plateaus. Though people claim the weather is ¡°spring like¡± all year round, expect to find some seasonal variation with a rainy season, and some patches of both hot and cold weather. It is hottest in June and coldest around Chinese New Year.

Other than Fuxian Lake, the other attractions include: Mt. Mopan Scenic Area, Mt. Yuanlao Scenic Area, Mt. Xiushan, Mt. Maotian (known for it's fossil finds), Xingyun Lake (3 miles from Yuxi), Yudai River, Nie Er Park, Huilong Ecological Park, Xiangbi Hot Spring, Nine-Dragon Park (5 miles from Yuxi) and Qiangchuan Lijia mountain (17 miles from Yuxi). All sites are accessible by bus.

It takes about 2 hours to get to Yuxi. Buses depart from Kunming's Nanyao bus station on a regular basis. Yuxi's main bus station is on Shanhu Rd. where buses departing to Kunming can be found. For buses to Yuanjiang, Chengjiang and Jiangchuan use the Chengxi Bus Station located on Qixing Street.

Flowery Belted Dais in Xinping

Flowery beltedDai people has three subtgroups of Dai Ya; Dai Ka; and Dai Sha. Flowery Dais do not believe in Buddhism, no script, they do not celebrate Water Splashing Festival like other Dais in Xishuangbana and other regions in Yunnan and southeastern countries either, the social and cultural status are still kept as before the Buddhism introduced into the China. Flowery Belted Dais believe in animism of primitive Shaman, they only worship the Dragon for rain.

Flowery Belted Dais in Xinping claim themselves as the descents of the ancient royal family, who came down southwards from today's Kunming and Dianchi Lake area. At present, Flowery Belted Dai's unique culture interested scientists who are studying and researching of the originalities of Dais, Dans, Laos in Southeastern Asia, it is a key link to the emigrational route from China to such countries of Laos, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and india.

Flowery Belted Dai' costumes and accecries are gorgeously bright, blacken teeth body tattoo are the legacies of ancient Dian Kingdom. Flowery Belted Dai dresses are mainly embroidery silk decorated with numerous dazzling silver buckles, pendants, several pairs of rings on both hands; dozens of arm silver bangles on the both arms, a full set of clothes and accecerrys make them will not be able to work in the fields, they only wear them to participate in ceremonial activities, as a symbol of wealth and social status; besides, the weather in Honghe River Valley is suptropical, warm and humid, heavyly decrated outfit is not suitable for work, some people said: it is another proof that Flowery Belted Dais are truly the royal offprings of Ancient Dian Kingdom.