Things to note when traveling to Yunnan

Everyone knows that Yunnan is a place where many ethnic groups live together, but how much do you know about Yunnan? The ethnic minorities exclusive to Yunnan alone account for almost 4% of China’s ethnic minorities. One, so when traveling to Yunnan, Lijiang is okay. If you go to other places, they are basically the places of ethnic minorities. Therefore, it is really necessary for you to know and remember some customs and habits of ethnic minorities.

Things to note when traveling in Yunnan 25 ethnic customs and habits to note when traveling in Yunnan

Among the 25 ethnic minorities, 15 are unique to Yunnan. They are: Bai, Hani Dai, Lisu, Lahu, Wa, Naxi, Jingpo, Bulang, Pumi, Achang, Nu, Jinuo, Deang and Dulong.

Bai people

Mainly live in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. Bai people advocate the color white, and their clothing styles vary slightly from place to place. White clothes are considered noble. The "three-course tea" consisting of one bitter, two sweet and three aftertaste is the basic etiquette of the Bai people to entertain guests and make friends. The delicacies he is good at making include milk fans, rawhide, carved plums, etc. The most grand national festival is "March Street".

Hani people

They are mainly distributed between Yuanjiang and Lancang rivers. Their costumes are black and beautiful, and there are differences in different regions. The Hani people are a people who live with music, singing and dancing, and are good at various musical instruments, dances and folk songs. The more distinctive folk houses are the "mushroom houses". In addition, the Hani people are very good at using terraces to grow rice. Their spirit is "as high as the mountains, as high as the water." Under the harsh natural conditions, they have worked hard for thousands of years. , transforming the face of the earth's mountains and rivers, it can be said that wherever there are Hani people, there are terraces.

Dai people

Many scholars often divide the Dai people into water Dai, dry (Han) Dai, and flower (waist) Dai. In fact, this is wrong. The Dai people have only one race, just because Depending on where you live, your clothing and living habits may be slightly different.

The Dai people believe in Theravada Buddhism, so all adult boys must become monks and receive novice ordination. They can return to secular life after three or five years. Those who have not become monks will be regarded as minors or uneducated.

The most grand festival of the Dai people is the Buddha Bathing Festival, also known as the Water Splashing Festival.

The dance of the Dai people is famous for the peacock dance of women and the elephant foot dance of men.

The Lisu (lisu) people

Mainly live in the Nujiang area. The Lisu people like singing and singing very much. There is a saying that "you can't do it without eating salt, and you can't do it without singing".

The Lisu people are also a very kind nation. The traditional festival "Knife Rod Festival" is said to commemorate an ancient Han hero who showed great kindness to the Lisu people. The Lisu people dedicated his life to this hero. The anniversary of death is regarded as a traditional festival of one's own nation, and symbolic rituals such as climbing mountains of knives and descending into seas of fire are used to express the feeling of being willing to go through fire and water to repay each other.

(This is the real female man)

Lahu (lahu) people

The word Lahu is a word in the language of this ethnic group, "La" The name is tiger, and "Hu" means roasting meat to make it fragrant. Therefore, in history, the Lahu people were called the "tiger-hunting nation." The Lahu people like the color black, so most of their clothes are made of black cloth and decorated with various colorful patterns. Their national delicacies include bamboo tube cooking and barbecue.

Wa people

The legend of "Sigangli" is widely spread in various areas of the Wa people. "Sigang" means cave, and "li" means coming out. It is the Wa people's respect for the ancient caves of their own nation. Memories of life.

The famous song "Awa People Sing a New Song" was composed by Yang Zhengren, a soldier of the Washan unit of the People's Liberation Army stationed in Ximeng, Yunnan, based on the folk songs of the Wa ethnic group.

Wa men play wooden drums. Wooden drums are very sacred to the Wa people and are regarded as artifacts that reach the sky. The Wa people have a motto that "life comes from water, and souls seek from drums." Therefore, the most grand festival of the Wa people is " Lamugu".

Wa women's hair swing dance

Naxi people

The Naxi people mainly live in Lijiang, Yunnan. Although the population of more than 300,000 is not a large ethnic group, But it is a nation with profound cultural heritage and its own unique national culture - Dongba culture, which is the ancient culture of the Naxi people. Dongba culture is well-known at home and abroad, attracting interest and attention from the world.

Another focus of attention for the Naxi people is "martyrdom for love." Due to various factors and the influence of Dongba culture, young Naxi men and women who love each other but cannot be together often choose to sacrifice for love. There is no doubt that the Naxi people die for love. They swore to the world that they would "rather be in pieces than in ruins" for love, and Lijiang was also known as the "city of love-sacrifice".

Naxi Laodongba

Jingpo

80% of the Jingpo people actually live in Shan State, Kachin State, Myanmar. There are about 80% of the Jingpo people in Yunnan Province. There are 130,000 people, mainly living in Dehong area. The most grand traditional program is "Munao Zongge", which means "everyone dancing" in Jingpo language.

Jingpo Munao Zong Song Festival

Jingpo Green Leaf Meal

Blang Nationality

Mainly distributed in Xishuangbanna, Pu'er and Lincang , Baoshan and other areas, due to the relatively mild climate in the residential areas, they are good at planting tea trees. Most of the famous Pu'er tea is produced in the areas where the Bulang people live.

Pumi people

Mainly live in Nujiang, Lijiang, Diqing and other areas. Although their residences are relatively scattered, their languages ????are not very different and they can communicate with each other. According to records, they are a nomadic people on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. They later migrated to Yunnan via Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan. They are one of the farthest migrating ethnic groups in China.

The Achang people

Mainly live in Dehong and Luxi areas, and some also live in Yingjiang, Ruili, Dali, Baoshan and other places. The ironware made by the Achang people is extremely famous. "Husada" is famous all over the world.

The Husa knife is also called "Achang knife". It is named after it is produced in the Husa and Lhasa areas of Longchuan County where the Achang people live. This kind of knife is extremely pure and soft. It can chop iron like clay, and the scabbard made of wood, leather, silver and other raw materials is also extremely exquisite, and is deeply loved by people of all nearby ethnic groups. Nowadays, the "Husa Sword" has also left Yunnan, is sold all over the country, and is even used by foreign friends. collect.

The Nu people

Mainly live in Nujiang Prefecture, Diqing and other areas. They are ancient residents on both sides of the Nu River and Lancang River. Due to geographical conditions, the life of the Nu people is very difficult. Because they live along two rivers, there were no bridges between the two rivers before, and ferries were only available in a few areas with slow water flow. Therefore, the Nu people invented and used bamboo ziplines to fly across the river.

For many people, the zipline is just an entertainment facility, but for the Nu people on both sides of the Nu River, it is an indispensable transportation facility, and every Nu person is a master of the zipline.

Jinuo people

The Jinuo people call themselves "Jinuo", which means "the nation that respects their uncles". They mainly live in Xishuangbanna Prefecture and were only identified as an ethnic minority in the motherland by the country in 1979. A single nation within a large family. Good at planting tea trees, Jinuo Mountain where they live is one of the six major tea mountains for Pu'er tea.

De'ang people

The De'ang people mainly live in the Dehong area. Their original name was "Benglong people". In 1985, with the approval of the State Council, they were officially renamed De'ang people. The De'ang people are also good at growing tea. Bamboo shoots are a vegetable that is available to the De'ang people all year round. There are various types of dried bamboo shoots and sour bamboo shoots as specialties.

Dulong people

The Dulong people are one of the ethnic groups with a small population in China, with a total population of only more than 6,000 people. Their only residence is at the foot of Gaoligong Mountain and on the banks of the Dulong River. Nu Autonomous County. The Dulong people have an ancient and unique custom of tattooing their faces.

When a girl of the Dulong ethnic group reaches the age of twelve or thirteen, a female elder who can tattoo her face will tattoo a pattern on her face, which also represents the girl’s adulthood. In 1967, the Dulong ethnic group’s face tattoo custom was completely abolished. There are currently less than 40 tattooed women alive. As time goes by, the ancient and mysterious tattooed women will disappear in the long river of history.

There are more than 5,000 other ethnic groups living in Yunnan Province, but there are nine other ethnic groups that are not unique to Yunnan, namely: Miao, Zhuang, Hui, Tibetan, Yi, Yao, Manchu, Mongolian, and Shui .

Miao Nationality

The main population of the Miao Nationality is concentrated in Guizhou and Hunan, and is distributed throughout Yunnan. The population living in Wenshan and Honghe areas is relatively concentrated. Australian ethnologists once lamented, "There are two ethnic groups in the world that are suffering deeply but are indomitable. They are the Miao people in China and the Jews scattered around the world." It can be seen that the Miao people are a people who have experienced hardships and are constantly migrating.

Zhuang Nationality

The Zhuang Nationality is the most populous ethnic group among the 55 ethnic minorities in China, with a population of 87% in Guangxi Province and more than 1 million in Yunnan, mainly in the Wenshan area.

Hui Nationality

Hui Nationality is the most widely distributed ethnic group among China’s ethnic minorities scattered throughout the country. There are about 700,000 people in Yunnan Province. The most famous ancient "Hui" (the ethnic group has not yet been divided into ethnic groups at that time) in Yunnan is probably Zheng He. His ancestral home is Jinning. Both his grandfather and father sailed to Mecca, the holy land of Islam. Having made the pilgrimage, he was influenced by his childhood dream of sailing on sea voyages, which laid a good foundation for him to lead the Ming Dynasty fleet on seven voyages to the Western Ocean.

Tibetans

Most Tibetans live in Tibet and Qinghai Province. The main residence of Yunnan is in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. In addition, Lijiang, Eryuan, Gongshan, Ningfan, Dali, etc. The land is also distributed. In his novel "Lost Horizon", the famous British writer James Hilton describes a place of eternal peace and tranquility far away among the mountains in the east. "Shangri-La" is Diqing. A county in the autonomous region.

Yi Nationality

The Yi Nationality was originally called "Yi Nationality". In 1956, when the ethnic discrimination in the old society was abolished, the name "Yi Nationality" had a derogatory connotation (Hua Yi Nationality is relative to Hua Yi Nationality). ), Chairman Mao Zedong proposed changing "Yi" to "Yi", which means there are "rice" and "silk" under the house (彑), food and clothing, symbolizing prosperity, so "Yi" was changed to "Yi" ". Mainly distributed in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, 60% of them live in Yunnan and are distributed throughout Yunnan. Their costumes are different. The most familiar Yi image spokesperson should be Ashima from the Shilin Yi Autonomous Region.

Yao people

The Yao people mainly live in Guangxi, Hunan, Guangdong and Guizhou provinces. There are 6.6% living in Yunnan Province, mainly in Wenshan, Honghe, Xishuangbanna, Pu'er and other areas. Due to historical reasons, there are also Yao people in some European and American countries, but they are rarely known and are called "Oriental Gypsies".

Manchus

The Manchus are mainly inhabited in the three northeastern provinces, and are also distributed in some northern and big cities. There are 12,000 Manchus in Yunnan, mainly distributed in Kunming, Baoshan, Simao, Dehong, Qujing, Lincang, Honghe, Chuxiong and other prefectures and cities. The Manchus in Yunnan mainly came to Yunnan with Qing soldiers in the early Qing Dynasty along with Wu Sangui. Later, Wu Sangui rebelled and Kangxi sent Qing soldiers to suppress it. After the rebellion was suppressed, some Qing soldiers also stayed in Yunnan.

Mongolians

The Mongolians in Yunnan were settled in Tonghai after accompanying the army to Yunnan during the Yuan Dynasty. The Yunnan Mongols, also known as the Kazo people and translated as the Kazo people, are a branch of the Mongolian ethnic group in Yuxi Tonghai, with a population of about 13,000, mainly concentrated in Xingmeng Mongolian Township. Years of life in Yunnan have made this Mongolian culture unique The customs are integrated with the local ethnic groups to form the unique Kadro culture.

Shui Nationality

The Shui Nationality group mainly lives in Guizhou Province. There are 12,000 Shui Nationalities in Yunnan, mainly living in Gugan Shui Nationality Township and Huangnihe Town, Fuyuan County.

What is it like to travel to Yunnan alone?

Check the map and decide the route

Based on the considerations of cultural scenery, comfort, safety and time , I initially decided to go to Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang.

Open the Baidu map, check the locations of the three places, check the weather conditions in each place during the trip, and then check the prices of round-trip air tickets, high-speed rail tickets, and train tickets, and determine the route by considering the time cost and cost. For Kunming→Dali→Lijiang.

Make a strategy and item list

After the route is determined, start writing the strategy. My guide is quite detailed: the places I go to every day, what attractions and delicacies are available in each place, as small as which bus to take, the duration and fare, the original price of the attraction ticket and the Ctrip/Meituan price, related Things to note...

After my friend read my guide, he joked that I could go to Yunnan to test the feasibility of the guide, and then directly post the guide online for sale when I came back.

Well, the following is a map of the guide. It’s my own experience. The actual itinerary is slightly different from the guide.

After completing the guide, I also made a list of items for myself. I wrote down the clothes and travel supplies that I needed to bring one by one, and prepared the list to prevent myself from leaving anything behind.

For me, reading other people’s strategies does not mean following other people’s routes. It means learning more about precautions through other people’s travels, so that I can be fully prepared, such as: Don’t strike up casual conversations with strangers; Yunnan has a big temperature difference between day and night, so you should bring thick clothes; UV rays are strong, so wear sunscreen; the climate is dry, so bring moisturizing lotion... This is all the information I obtained through the guide.

Booking tickets and booking rooms

After deciding on the route and strategy, you need to purchase air tickets, high-speed rail tickets, train tickets, hotel accommodations, and attraction tickets online in advance.

Since it was the off-season for tourism, I only purchased high-speed rail tickets to Guangzhou and Kunming in advance, air tickets to Lijiang and Guangzhou, and youth hostel accommodation in Kunming. The rest were just for fun. Order by the side.

It is also necessary to download several apps on your mobile phone in advance, such as Ctrip and Baidu Maps. If you don’t want to install it, WeChat now also has related mini programs, which are very convenient to use. (Oh~ I accidentally advertised~)

Prepare yourself

After being fully prepared, I still feel a little uneasy. Everything is unknown and I don’t know what I will encounter on the road. Who will, what will happen.

But now that you’ve decided, let’s go. Anyway, I have such excellent survival ability, I can know the way, be patient, polite, clever, kind-hearted, have flowers blooming, and be loved by everyone

First stop: Kunming (2 days)

Take the high-speed train from Guangzhou South Railway Station to Kunming South Railway Station, which takes about 6 hours. The scenery along the high-speed train is good, there are a lot of tunnels, and the mobile phone signal is constantly interrupted. If you don’t want to sleep, you can take a book and read it on the high-speed train, or download movies/TV series in advance and watch it on your mobile phone.

I didn’t stay long in Kunming. After deducting the time I took on the high-speed rail, it only took one day. I visited Yunnan University, Yunnan Normal University (the former site of Southwest Associated University), and Green Lake. We originally planned to go to Dianchi Lake, but the weather was bad, so we gave up temporarily.

Yunnan University (Wuhua Campus)

Huize hundreds of schools and serve the world. Yunda University is one of the earliest universities established in western China. It is adjacent to Cuihu Park. It is quiet and simple, with unique architectural style, and Chinese and European styles complement each other. Walking there feels like walking in the Republic of China period.

Huize Courtyard, Yingqiu Courtyard, Gongyuan, Zhigong Hall, Yingqiu Tower, Bell Tower... these are all worth admiring. Each building has its own unique historical significance and art. value.

For example, there are 95 steps from the south gate to Huizeyuan, which implies the meaning of "Nine-Five-Year Master".

Yingqiu Tower was designed and built by Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin. It combines Chinese and Western styles, which shows the idea of ??Liang and Lin exploring Chinese architecture.

On the tall trees, there are little squirrels jumping around everywhere. As long as you give it food, it will run towards you obediently. (Foodies are really easy to coax)

Here, I met my first friend on the journey - Taozi.

Taozi is from Xiamen and also travels alone. No matter where we go, we both meet by chance. After meeting four or five times, we smiled at each other and began to break down the barriers. We started chatting word by word. How wonderful and magical the encounter in the human world is. I must have a good constitution for being popular. (Small face)

Yunnan Normal University (former site of Southwest Associated University)

Normal University is smaller than Yunnan University. It retains the former site, memorial hall, martyrs' tombs and monuments of Southwest Associated University. , the unique historical significance attracts many tourists to visit.

The Monument to the Southwest Associated University, written by Feng Youlan, written by Wen Yiduo and Luo Yong, records the beginning and end of the founding of the United Nations General Assembly and is worth a visit.

Cuihu Park

Cuihu Park is relatively quiet, with green lakes, shady green trees, and waves in the center. It is a good place to relax.

It is said that red-billed gulls come here every year to spend the winter, which is very spectacular. Unfortunately, I came at the wrong time.

About food

Dai-style hand-picked rice, Pauluda, bean curd rice noodles, jelly, dada... I ate everything I had never seen in Guangdong. all over. Wherever you go, you eat.

A junior sister who works in Kunming took me to eat Dai food, which tasted very unique. Dai flavor is a characteristic of the Dai food culture, which is famous for its sour and spicy taste and has a delicate fragrance. The hand-picked rice and Pauluda are both delicious, and friends who are not picky eaters can try them if they have the opportunity.

About accommodation

Since I had plans to visit Yunnan University and Green Lake in my itinerary, I booked a room at a youth hostel called "Someday" near Yunnan University— amp;-tatami single room.

"Someday" Youth Hostel is located on Yuanxi Road. The layout is very unique and artistic, and the environment is very clean and comfortable. I like it very much. It happened to be the off-season, and it was raining again in Kunming, so I was the only one in the entire youth hostel. Just like that, I spent 98 yuan to rent the entire youth hostel for one night, hahaha~

Friends who want to stay here when they go to Kunming, can ask me for the proprietress’s WeChat account. She is very beautiful and super nice. .

Second stop: Dali (3 days)

On the evening of my second day in Kunming, I took the train to Dali. Arrive at Dali Railway Station at nearly 7 am. Well, yes, I slept in a sleeper berth on the train for one night, saving time and one night's accommodation fee.

As soon as you get off the train, the people in Dali are extremely welcoming. They keep asking you if you want to take a bus, stay overnight, or go to Cangshan and Erhai... I just smiled and shook my head, holding my suitcase. Take the bus to Dali Ancient Town.

There are flowers in Shangguan, wind in Xiaguan, snow in Cangshan Mountain, and moon in Erhai Lake. In this way, I started my romantic journey in Dali, walking around the ancient city of Dali, riding Erhai Lake, climbing Cangshan Mountain, visiting Tianlong Babu Film and Television City, and visiting Dali University.

Dali Ancient City

Dali Ancient City, referred to as Yucheng, was founded in the 15th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1382). It is one of the first batch of historical and cultural cities in the country. The ancient city faces Erhai Lake in the east and Cangshan Mountain in the west. It is simple and quiet.

Clear streams and simple and elegant traditional Bai houses can be seen everywhere. Regardless of whether the Bai people in Dali are rich or poor, they will grow flowers and grass in their courtyards.

Therefore, there is also a saying in the ancient city of Dali that "every house has water flowing and every household has flowers."

There are various shops specializing in tie-dye and straw weaving in the city, as well as Bai restaurants and inns. It has a somewhat commercial atmosphere, but compared to Lijiang, it is not bad.

You can visit Wenwen Building, Wuhua Building, Nancheng Building, Foreigner Street...you can visit them all. In the evening, the bar opens and the pedestrian street is crowded with people, making it even more lively.

On the first day in Dali, I met my second friend on the trip Gong Qing, a girl from Hunan. We both called the owner of the youth hostel at the same time, but I got through first and she was on the phone when she called. When I dragged my suitcase to the door of the youth hostel, I met Gong Qing. She was on the phone.

All encounters in the world are so wonderful. Just like this, we store our luggage together and meet to play Dali together.

Erhai Lake

Erhai Lake is actually not a sea, but the second largest freshwater lake in Yunnan. Because it looks like an ear, it was named "Erhai".

The circumference of Erhai Lake is more than 150 kilometers. It takes at least a day to drive an electric motorcycle and stop and go. We happened to meet up with the Dali Marathon and the Erhai Lake was under renovation, so we only rode a short section. An electric motorcycle for two people costs only 50 yuan a day, which is very cost-effective and not as tiring as riding a bicycle.

On the first day, Gong Qing and I rode motorcycles around the lake together. The journey was long and tiring, but on the way back, I enjoyed it so much that I will never forget it.

It gets dark very late in Dali, and it’s still bright at 8pm. We came back around 8 o'clock and it was getting dark. The road was very empty and long, and very quiet along the way. Occasionally, there was the sound of insects, and "Going to Dali" was playing on the mobile phone. I sang and sang softly, and my body and nerves relaxed like never before.

Cangshan Mountain

The snow on Cangshan Mountain that persists through summer is a unique feature of Cangshan Mountain’s landscape. When coming to Dali, you must go to Cangshan Mountain.

In the youth hostel, I temporarily formed a group with several other friends who were traveling alone and went to Cangshan Mountain together. The boy who led the team, Yin Liguo, came to Dali to run a marathon. Thanks to him, our tickets to Cangshan Mountain were half-priced. (Hahaha, I saved a little more, please praise me for being diligent and thrifty (^-^)V)

Cangshan Mountain is more than 4,000 meters above sea level. For those of us who come to play, it is impossible to climb up with bare hands. Yes, we take the cable car from the foot of Cangshan Mountain to the Ximatan Cableway to an altitude of about 3000M, and then climb up.

When you reach the mountain, you may experience altitude sickness, and some tourists hold oxygen bottles to suck on them. I didn’t have any reaction. When climbing a mountain, don’t climb too hard. Walk slowly. Occasionally stop to eat a piece of rose candy, take it easy, and then continue walking.

The temperature on the mountain is low, there is a bit of snow, and the air-conditioning is diffused. It is like walking into an air-conditioning cabinet. There are down jackets for rent at the cable car. I brought a windproof jacket, and it was basically not cold when I put it on. There are also friends who boldly took off their clothes and took pictures with short sleeves, which is commendable for their courage. (Applause should be given here)

After walking for more than an hour, we slowly climbed to the viewing platform of Ximatan at an altitude of 3966m. After overcoming many small difficulties, I felt a sense of accomplishment when I climbed here. Hahaha, I really want to laugh three times~~

When taking the cable car down the mountain, the girl who was traveling with me was afraid of heights and was very nervous. I turned on my phone and played Jay Chou's "Confession Balloon" to ease their tension, and the atmosphere in the cable car became relaxed and happy.

Now, every time I hear this song, I will think of the scene of going to Cangshan Mountain.

"Dragon Movie City"

One Yang Finger, Six Meridians Divine Sword... "Dragon Movie" gave the world a martial arts dream. Every time it is mentioned, it still remains My heart is racing and my blood is boiling.

The Tianlong Babu Film and Television City is at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. After climbing Cangshan Mountain, you can go for a stroll and experience the life of Dali Kingdom and Prince Duan at that time, and imagine the elegant Mr. Duan.

Dali University

If you go to Dali, you must go to Dali University.

Dali University is backed by Cangshan Mountain and faces Erhai Lake. It is more than 2,000 meters above sea level, with a broad view and majestic atmosphere. There, there is a feeling of "sending a mayfly in the sky and the earth, a drop in the vast ocean". The feeling on the ground is 10,000 times stronger than in the photos.

Articles related to Yunnan:

1. Songs suitable for listening to in Yunnan

2. 2018 Yunnan University Student Entrepreneurship Policy

3. Yunnan Where to have fun

4. A beautiful essay describing the Erhai Lake in Yunnan

5. Yunnan travel essay: Traveling to the South of the Colorful Yunnan

?