How Many Stunning Landscapes Grace Chuxiong, Yunnan?
Because when you open the first volume of a middle school history textbook
"The Yuanmou Man, dating back approximately 1.7 million years, is currently confirmed as the earliest ancient human in China."
(From PEP edition "Chinese History · Grade 7 Volume 1". The image below shows the human evolution timeline and the position of Yuanmou Man within it. Dating back about 1.7 million years, Yuanmou Man is the earliest representative of ancient humans in China and one of the earliest Homo erectus in East Asia or Eurasia. Illustration by Zheng Borong/Planet Institute.)
A dinosaur fully mounted by Chinese scientists
One of the dinosaurs independently discovered by Chinese researchers
(Restoration image of Lufengosaurus huenei, colors and dynamics for reference only. Illustration by Zheng Borong/Planet Institute.)
It is China's fifth-largest ethnic minority
Its culture has widespread influence in the southwestern region
(Chuxiong Yi Torch Festival, photographer Ma Xinghua)
But what most people don't realize is
are all counties under the jurisdiction of Chuxiong Prefecture, Yunnan
existing in textbooks and museums
What is the real Chuxiong actually like?
Why has it nurtured such remarkable life and culture?
And what other treasures remain to be discovered?
Massive tectonic collisions over the past 65 million years
created the Hengduan Mountains region with parallel mountain ranges and valleys
(Location map of Chuxiong Prefecture. Illustration by Chen Zhihao/Planet Institute.)
Here, mountains, hills, river valleys, and basins are everywhere
The elevation across most areas of Chuxiong Prefecture
(Topographic map of Chuxiong Prefecture, mapped by Chen Zhihao/Planet Research Institute)
(Fossil of a trilobite from Chuxiong—Redlichia, image source: Chuxiong Prefecture Museum)
Displaying colors such as purple, red, and brown
(The cliffs of the Santan Waterfall in Dayao are composed of purplish-red rocks, photographer: Wang Jing)
(Distribution of purple soil in China; Chuxiong is one of the main distribution areas in Yunnan, mapped by Chen Zhihao/Planet Research Institute)
Their body lengths mostly range from 6 to 10 meters
Known as basal sauropodomorph dinosaurs
Over 10 species, including Yunnanosaurus and Yizhousaurus
(Yuanmouosaurus fossil displayed at the Lufeng World Dinosaur Valley, photographer: Zhou Mingjia)
(Stratum containing dinosaur fossils displayed at the Lufeng World Dinosaur Valley, photographer: Zhou Mingjia)
The dinosaur era lasting 130 million years
Coupled with volcanic eruptions and environmental changes
Followed by the uplift of the Eastern Yunnan Plateau
(Please view horizontally, the "meteorite crater" in Dinosaur Mountain Town, Lufeng County, Chuxiong, is actually an ancient sedimentary stratum uplifted as a whole; the horizontal lines on the mountain are exposed stratigraphic profiles, photographer: Shi Yongqiang)
When these soil layers are eroded by rain and rivers
(Langbapu Earth Forest, photographer: Yang Zhaofu)
Numerous earth pillars and walls connect into a vast expanse
Golden sunlight casts on the sides of the earth forest
(Please view horizontally, Xinhua Earth Forest, photographer: Xiong Ke)
The skull is robust and muscular
But they were already capable of standing and walking upright
(Lufengpithecus fossil, photographer: Ji Xueping/Chuxiong Prefecture Museum)
(Yuanmoupithecus molar fossil, image source: Chuxiong Prefecture Museum)
Finally, around 1.7 million years ago
A completely new species set foot on this land
They walked upright, mastered the use of fire
And could even craft simple tools from stones
These were China's earliest Homo erectus
(Two Yuanmou Man incisor fossils, showing their outer and inner sides respectively, photographer: Zhou Guoxing/Chuxiong Prefecture Museum)
Becoming a corridor of life's evolution
Yet it holds more than just traces of life
After hundreds of millions of years of geological evolution
(Please view horizontally, Ailao Mountains in Chuxiong, photographer: Wang Ming)
Its highest peak, Maotaishan, stands at 3,657 meters
In spring, Baicaoling blooms with wildflowers across its slopes
(Baicaoling, photographer: Wang Ming)
Or river-eroded valleys expanding over time
(Please view horizontally, Yuanmou Basin, photographer: Zhang Yifei)
Some feature a solitary mountain rising at their center
Viewed from above, resembling a "leaf" in shape
(The "leaf-shaped" mountains in Zhonghe Town, Yongren County, Chuxiong, mapped by Chen Zhihao & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
Divided into two major "schools," north and south
(Distribution of water systems in Chuxiong Prefecture, mapped by Chen Zhihao/Planet Research Institute)
It even runs through the core area of Chuxiong Prefecture
It is the river with the largest drainage area in the region
(Please view horizontally, Longchuan River estuary, where the Longchuan River merges into the Jinsha River, photographer: Dai Haolin)
The Lishes River, Shiyang River, Lüzhi River, and others
Flow through the green mountains and forests of southern Chuxiong
(Lüzhi River in Shuangbai County, Chuxiong, photographer: Li Guanghong)
(Xiangshuiqing in Zixi Mountain, Chuxiong, photographer: Feng Lin)
(Santang Waterfall in Dayao County, Chuxiong, photographer: Wang Jing)
Carving out a gorge with a maximum depth of over 400 meters
(The "Jiyi Grand Canyon" scenic area in Wuding County, Chuxiong, actually a canyon formed by water erosion rather than a geological rift valley, photographer: Feng Lin)
Chuxiong is home to over 6,000 plant species
(Please view horizontally, forests in Zixi Mountain, Chuxiong, photographer: Li Guanghong)
The surface vegetation exhibits diverse combinations
In mountainous areas at elevations of 2,500–3,100 meters
Tall, dense trees and moss-covered ground
Form deep and tranquil primeval forests
(Forests in Baicaoling, Chuxiong, photographer: Li Kaizheng)
(Surface vegetation in the Jinsha River valley of Yuanmou County, Chuxiong, photographer: Guo Bin)
(Kapok trees, also known as Bombax ceiba, growing in the river valley of Yongren County, Chuxiong, photographer: Guo Bin)
Among them, there are over 390 species of birds
(Swipe left or right to view, in order: Green Peafowl, Silver Pheasant, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Scarlet Minivet, image sources: Chuxiong Prefecture Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Ailao Mountain Nature Reserve Chuxiong Management Bureau)
(Leopard cat, image source: Xu Ping / Ailao Mountain Nature Reserve Chuxiong Management Bureau)
The treetops might be a safer choice
A furry Western Black Crested Gibbon hangs from a tree
(Western Black Crested Gibbon, image source: Ailao Mountain Nature Reserve Chuxiong Management Bureau)
Additionally, there are "Yunnan specialties"—various wild mushrooms
Over 200 species of edible fungi have been identified in the region
Earning it the title of Yunnan's "Kingdom of Wild Mushrooms"
(Swipe left or right to view, in order: Sarcodon imbricatus, Matsutake, Termitomyces, Black Truffle, photographers: Fan Yi, Chuxiong Prefecture Culture and Tourism Bureau, Li Guanghong, Wan Rui)
Similarly drawn by the favorable environment here
(Ancient salt wells in Shiyang Ancient Town, Dayao County, Chuxiong, photographer: He Xinwen)
Dating back 2,000 to 3,000 years ago
They created the brilliant ancient Dian culture
Considered the ancestor of all bronze drums
(Wanjiaba-type bronze drum, image source: Chuxiong Prefecture Museum)
The salt trade between the ancient Dian Kingdom and the outside world
Became a channel connecting Chuxiong with the outside world
Besides goods, the passage also saw the movement of
those leading directly to the Hengduan Mountains in northwestern Yunnan,
namely the ancestors of the Yi, Hani, Naxi, Lisu,
Lahu, Bai, and Jino peoples.
(Schematic map of the Tibetan-Yi Corridor, designed by Chen Zhihao/Planet Research Institute)
In the process of continuous migration and integration,
(The Yi scripture "Scripture of Exhortation to Benevolence" from Chuxiong. Yi script is an ancient ideographic writing system and, after the 16th century, remained one of the few ideographic scripts still in active use. Image credit: Chuxiong Prefecture Museum)
Chuxiong is one of the regions with the most preserved Yi texts.
(A Yi Bimo in Chuxiong. Bimos are clergy who serve as scripture teachers, educators, and priests, and are the highest intellectual authorities in Yi society. They wear distinctive attire and carry ritual tools such as divine fans and scriptures, responsible for preserving ethnic epics. Photographer: Guo Chenli)
They used the sun's rays cast by a vertical pole
with the earth as the "dial,"
leaving the remaining 5-6 days as the New Year celebration.
(China Yi Solar Calendar Cultural Park, photographer: Ma Xinghua)
The rich and unique landscapes of Chuxiong
became the inspiration for Yi clothing.
(Typical components of Chuxiong Yi Nuosu women's attire, photographer: Guo Chenli)
creating countless isolated small regions,
further enriching the variations in Yi embroidery patterns while maintaining unity.
The Yi people hold grand annual events
to showcase the diversity of Yi attire.
(Chuxiong Yi Ethnic Costume Festival, photographer @He Xinwen)
as well as the Han people from the Central Plains and Jiangnan regions
It is also a vital transportation route between eastern and western Yunnan
Ancient roads, passes, and post stations abound
The "Nine Passes and Eighteen Stations" of the ancient western Yunnan road
Chuxiong accounts for "Eight Passes and Fourteen Stations"
(Ruins of the Yao'an Road Civil-Military Chief Office in Guanglu Ancient Town, Yao'an County, photographer @Pan Quan)
(Shiyang Ancient Town, Dayao County, Chuxiong, photographer @He Xinwen)
It is also one of Yunnan's "Four Great Ancient Towns"
(Please view horizontally, Heijing Ancient Town, photographer @Ma Honghai)
bringing more advanced farming techniques
(Terraced fields in Mouding County, Chuxiong, photographer @Li Guanghong)
(Longhua Temple in Chuxiong, photographer @Wei Li)
creating an enduring culture in Chuxiong
still captivating modern audiences
pulsating with even stronger vitality
(Chuxiong Prefecture road network map, cartographer @Chen Zhihao/Planet Research Institute)
forming a "Three Vertical and Four Horizontal" backbone road network
(Yongren Expressway section, Chuxiong, photographer @Fifty Thousand Gallons)
(Dakanzi Village road, Xincun Town, Chuxiong City, photographer @Ma Xinghua)
(Please view horizontally, the Jiangdi River Bridge—the highest bridge in central Yunnan, photographer: Chen Weishou)
Facilitating efficient flow of goods and people
(Please view horizontally, high-speed rail in Chuxiong Prefecture, photographer: He Xinwen)
Large and medium-sized reservoirs such as Hewei, Maobanqiao, and Qingshan Lake
(Qingshan Lake Reservoir on the upper reaches of the Longchuan River in Chuxiong is a major water conservancy project that has won two national awards—the "Luban Prize" and "Dayu Prize," photographer: Shen Shixing)
Other industries also underwent renewal and upgrading
Flatlands and river valleys became the main agricultural areas
(Autumn harvest in Mouding County, Chuxiong, photographer: Li Guanghong)
Enabling crops like flue-cured tobacco, rapeseed, tea, and walnuts
(Spring rice transplanting in Chuxiong, photographer: Li Guanghong)
Sharing a similar latitude with Kunming
Chuxiong enjoys warm winters, cool summers, and spring-like weather year-round
Its air is clean, and sunlight is abundant
The prefecture averages over 2,300 hours of sunshine annually
Making it one of China’s sunniest regions
(Annual sunshine hours and water surface evaporation in Yunnan Province, map by Chen Zhihao/Planet Research Institute)
(Longchuan Town, Nanhua County, Chuxiong, photographer: Lu Wen)
Chuxiong exudes an added sense of tranquility and ease
A small bridge or a splash of brightness by the fields and alleys
(Morning glow in Jiangbian Township, Yuanmou County, Chuxiong, photographer: Pan Quan)
is particularly renowned for its unique natural landscapes
attracting an increasing number of tourists
(The Guangda Line Chuxiong Grand Bridge passes through the Yi People's Ancient Town, photographer: Rao Ying)
As one of the centers of the Central Yunnan Plateau
it has become more modern and vibrant
(Please view horizontally, a corner of Chuxiong city, with the Chuxiong Prefecture Government Center and Vitality Square in the middle, photographer: Sun Jiayu)
Chuxiong has changed hands multiple times, witnessing dramatic transformations
It drives the evolution of life and the shifts of history
a corridor of life documenting the origins of living beings
a corridor of extraordinary mountains and waters recording Earth's dramatic changes
a corridor of Yi culture preserving the ancient and mystical history of the Yi people
and a corridor of ancient town culture where diverse cultures shine together
It will continue to nurture
new landscapes and thriving life on this land
(Please view horizontally, the confluence of the Longchuan River and Jinsha River in Jiangbian Township, Chuxiong, photographer: Gao Kunyu)