What is Yunnan?
(A lenticular altocumulus cloud, also known as a "flying saucer cloud," floats over the small Putuo Island in Dali's Erhai Lake, photographer @ Yang Jipei)
This land spanning 394,000 square kilometers
Also features a massive "rift"
As if threatening to split Yunnan in half
(Satellite image of Yunnan, the "rift" is actually the Yuanjiang Valley east of the Ailao Mountains, serving as the natural east-west divide of Yunnan's geography, map by @ Gong Xiangjie & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
Even among China's 34 provincial-level regions
(3D topographic map of China, showing Yunnan's more pronounced folds compared to other regions, map by @ Zheng Borong & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute, base map from 123rf)
It is China's most complex and colorful province
A cradle of life in tropical rainforests
And serene, picturesque plateau lakes
Among the 56 ethnic groups of the Chinese nation
(The Tibetan village of Yubeng at the foot of the Meili Snow Mountains, photographer @ Zhang Yang)
Early Yunnan resembled more of a "flat plane"
With low-lying land and sunken lake basins
But starting 65 million years ago
The Indian Plate collided violently with the Eurasian Plate
Lifting the Tibetan Plateau and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to its east
Yunnan's "three-dimensional transformation" began
(Schematic of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian Plates; the dot marks Yunnan's approximate location, with possible deviations due to the complexity of the process, original video by @ Christopher Scotese)
The compressed landmass continuously rose and fractured
The mountain ranges gradually spread out from the northwest to the southeast
(Hengduan Mountains in Yunnan, here referring to the broad scope, map by Gong Xiangjie & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
including Meili Snow Mountain, Biluo Snow Mountain
Baima Snow Mountain, Haba Snow Mountain, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and others
all are results of this "three-dimensional" process
(Aerial view of the peaks around Meili Snow Mountain, photographer: Cui Yongjiang)
Among them, Kawagarbo, the main peak of Meili Snow Mountain
(Kawagarbo Peak, photographer: Cui Yongjiang)
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, with an elevation of 5596 meters
is home to the southernmost glaciers in China
(Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the ancient town of Lijiang below, photographer: Du Chunsen)
The renowned Cangshan Mountain emerges majestically
serving as one of the origins of the phrase "wind, flowers, snow, and moon"
(Cangshan Mountain, photographer: Xiong Fashou)
Ailao Mountain, with an average elevation of over 2000 meters
intersects here with the southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean
(Ailao Mountain, photographer: Deng Xiping)
Eastern Yunnan also rose during the "spatial folding" process
(Yunnan's Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau region, map by Gong Xiangjie & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
or where thick carbonate rocks are exposed
(Karst landform in eastern Yunnan, Wude Tiankeng in Zhenxiong County, Zhaotong City, photographer by Chai Junfeng)
Or red soil rich in iron and aluminum minerals
(Please view horizontally, Dongchuan Red Land, turns red due to iron oxidation in the soil, photographer by Yong Zhou)
Are over a thousand dam areas larger than 1 km²
(In Yunnan, small basins or valleys with higher surroundings and relatively flat interiors are called dam areas; the image below shows the dam landform in Lufeng County's Dinosaur Mountain Town, Chuxiong, with the reservoir inside named Zhongshan Reservoir, photographer by Lao J)
Where the crust subsides, water accumulates to form lakes
Including Dianchi Lake, Lugu Lake, Fuxian Lake, Erhai Lake, etc.
(Aerial view of Lugu Lake, photographer by A Wu on the Road)
Yunnan's terrain is further "three-dimensionalized" into
Kawagarbo Peak at an elevation of 6,740 meters
The confluence of Yuanjiang River and Nanxi River at 76.4 meters above sea level
A mere 960 kilometers from north to south
Yet the altitude drops sharply by 6,663.6 meters
(Yunnan's stepped terrain, map by Gong Xiangjie & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
Upstream water, precipitation, and groundwater
Further intensify Yunnan's "three-dimensionalization" process
(Baishuitai, photographer by Cui Yongjiang)
Pouring downward at a maximum flow rate of 1,000 cubic meters per second
(Jiulong Waterfall, this flow rate is during flood season, photographer by Yong Zhou)
(Jiulong Waterfall, photographer by Li Guiyun)
Yunnan is also home to over 500 large and small waterfalls
such as the Dishuihe Waterfall with a drop of nearly 400 meters
and the Duoyihe Waterfall Group famous for its travertine terraces
as well as the one known as the "First Waterfall of the Pearl River"
(Dadishui Waterfall, photographer @XSFAN STUDIO)
When countless streams converge into mighty rivers
(Yunnan River System Map, designed by Gong Xiangjie & Zheng Borong/Institute of Planet)
China's most spectacular mountain canyon clusters
including Tiger Leaping Gorge, Niulan River Grand Canyon
Lancang River Grand Canyon, Nujiang Grand Canyon
and the great bend of Jinsha River at Benzilan
the First Bend of the Yangtze River, the First Bend of the Nujiang River
and various great bends like the Lancang River Great Bend
Originally, the Three Rivers flowed south in parallel within Yunnan
when the Jinsha River suddenly made a V-shaped turn northeast
becoming the mother river that nurtured Chinese civilization
(First Bend of the Yangtze River, photographer @ Cui Yongjiang)
The Jinsha River then roars between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain
at a speed of 10 meters per second
with a vertical drop of several thousand meters from peak to valley
(Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, photographer@ Cui Yongjiang)
While smaller-scale three-dimensional shaping
is dissolved by precipitation into "thousands of blades"
(Aerial view of Stone Forest in Yunnan, photographer@ Jiang Ke)
Or becomes small "hillocks"
(Peak forest in Puzhehei, photographer@ Liu Fuwei)
(Karst cave in Bamei Village, Guangnan County, Yunnan. Entering or leaving the village requires passing through the cave, resembling the Peach Blossom Spring described by Tao Yuanming, photographer@ Liu Zhuming)
Meanwhile, the land surface after ancient rivers and lakes dried up
is eroded by precipitation into towering earth pillars
(Yuanmou Langbapu Earth Forest, photographer@ Ma Hongwei)
The entire Yunnan has become thoroughly "three-dimensional"
Causing within a range of over 900 kilometers from north to south in Yunnan
the emergence of 7 climatic zones (regions)
Equivalent to the climatic variation from Hainan Island to Heilongjiang
(Distribution of climate types in Yunnan, mapped by@ Gong Xiangjie & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
The climatic variation from Hainan Island to Heilongjiang
is further compressed within a vertical range of just a few kilometers
(Typical vertical climate zonation pattern in Yunnan, mapped by@ Zheng Borong & Gong Xiangjie/Planet Research Institute)
With such diverse climate types
It provides more possibilities for the flourishing of life
(Kawagarbo Peak, with dramatic changes from the glaciers at its summit to the forests at its base, photographer @ Shanfeng)
Mass extinction of flora and fauna in other regions
Short-distance vertical or horizontal migration
(Illustration of vertical refuge migration for species, designed by @ Zhang Jing/Planet Research Institute)
Many ancient relict species
(Manglietiastrum sinicum, reaching up to 40 meters in height, has survived on Earth for over 10 million years. Currently found only in Yunnan, China, and Myanmar, with only 52 wild individuals remaining in Yunnan. Image courtesy of @ Key Laboratory for Comprehensive Conservation of Extremely Small Populations of Wild Plants in Yunnan, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
The folded terrain further divides Yunnan into
Relatively enclosed and independent small ecological zones
(Shangri-La rhododendrons. Yunnan is one of the evolutionary centers of rhododendrons, hosting over 300 species—half of the world's total. Photographer @ Cui Yongjiang)
Life forms from ancient to modern times converge in Yunnan
Greatly enriching its biodiversity
Yunnan has become China's "Kingdom of Plants"
With over 18,000 species of higher plants
As well as Tongbiguan in Dehong Prefecture and Daweishan in Honghe Prefecture
Hot and rainy climates create tropical rainforests
(Xishuangbanna tropical rainforest, photographer @ Li Bin)
Parashorea chinensis can grow up to 88 meters
Like green umbrellas towering above the forest
(Parashorea chinensis, with aerial walkways installed between trees, photographer @ Tuchong Creative)
Covering an area of over 5,000 square meters
(The single-tree forest in Ruili, photographer @ Zhang Kaixin)
(Dendrocalamus sinicus, image source @ Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, CAS)
Schima, Machilus, Manglietia
(Gaoligong Mountains, photographer @ Shen Yunyao)
and the Baima Snow Mountain, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and Cangshan Mountain in northwestern Yunnan
have created vast stretches of coniferous forests here
(Baima Snow Mountain, photographer @ Liu Zhuming)
(Bingzhongluo, photographer @ Zhang Zirong)
It also boasts over 2,500 species of wild ornamental plants
making it China's most dazzling natural garden
(Please view horizontally, flower sea in Dapingzi Village, Jing'an Town, Zhaoyang District, Zhaotong City, photographer @ Chai Junfeng)
Yunnan is also China's animal kingdom
accounting for over 50% of China's total species
including the Western black-crested gibbon, Hoolock gibbon
White-cheeked gibbon, and White-handed gibbon
as well as the recently discovered Skywalker gibbon
They inhabit the upper forest canopy by brachiation
(Gaoligong Mountains Skywalker gibbon, photographer @ Shang Rui)
living in high-altitude coniferous forests above 3,000 meters
the highest-altitude dwelling primate species
Their fiery red lips are their most striking feature
(Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, photographer @ Hu Qiusheng)
It has endured climate changes and human disturbances
Today, only in southern Yunnan, China
(Wild Elephant Valley, photographer @ Wu Binfei)
(Yunnan Phayre's leaf monkey, photographer @ Xu Yongchun)
(Slow loris, photographer @ Fang Thomas)
(During the breeding season, the great hornbill occasionally indulges in meat, catching a yellow-footed squirrel unique to Yingjiang, Dehong; photographer @ Sun Xiaohong)
From tropical to frigid zones, from ancient to modern
Yunnan can harbor such diverse creatures
This is the magic of the "great spatiotemporal folding"
It has long been a corridor for human migration
Yet it can be isolated by its semi-enclosed terrain
Like a "cradle of ethnic groups"
The Mon-Khmer-speaking groups from Southeast Asia entered Yunnan
(The earliest known humans in China were also discovered in Yunnan, namely the 1.7-million-year-old Yuanmou Man; the image below shows the Wa people of Ximeng Wa Mountain, Yunnan. The Wa worship red and black, and their clothing is mostly black with red decorations; photographer @ Li Guiyun)
The Baiyue groups from southeastern China
Dai, Zhuang, Bouyei, and Sui peoples
(Dai village in Moshazhen, Xinping County, Yuxi City, Yunnan. Dai clothing is typically colorful, with a strong tropical flair; photographer @ Ruan Weiming)
The Di-Qiang groups from northwestern China
They are in the northern and western parts of Yunnan
Naxi, Lisu
(Additionally, the Tibetans in Yunnan also belong to the Di-Qiang ethnic group, but they arrived later; the photo below shows a Yi woman in Lijiang wearing a distinctive hat called "Er," photographer @Li Xiaotang)
(Yiche women of the Hani subgroup wear twisted-crotch pants, similar to modern tight shorts, photographer @Li Guiyun)
Nu, Lahu, Derung
(Derung women have a face-tattooing tradition, with indigo patterns that last a lifetime, photographer @Liu Fuwei)
Tibetans who entered Yunnan during the Tang Dynasty with the expansion of the Tibetan Empire
Those who migrated during the late Southern Song Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty with the Mongol armies
Those who moved during the Ming and Qing Dynasties due to regime changes and wars
As well as Han Chinese who migrated in various dynasties
Yunnan is home to 26 indigenous ethnic groups
The province with the most ethnic minorities in China
(Number of ethnic minorities in Chinese provinces, chart by @Gong Xiangjie & Zheng Borong/Planet Research Institute)
Chinese, Tibetan, Yi, Hani
Lisu, Lahu, Naxi, Nusu
Jinuo, Rouruo, Kazhuo, Zaiwa
Achang, Jingpo, Ayi, Derung
Zhuang, Dai, Bouyei, Miao
Bunu, Mien, Wa, Blang
(People of different ethnicities participating in the Lisu Kuoshi Festival, similar to New Year celebrations, featuring singing, dancing, and competitions, photographer @Zhang Yihua)
The Torch Festival of the Yi people, the Dragon Boat Festival of the Miao people
The Water-Splashing Festival of the Dai people, the October New Year of the Hani people
The Flower Mountain Festival of the Miao people, the Bathing Festival of the Lisu people
The Mule and Horse Fair of the Naxi people, the Gourd Festival of the Lahu people
The New Fire Festival of the Wa people, the Fairy Festival of the Nu people
The Tibetan New Year of the Tibetan people, the Munao Zongge Festival of the Jingpo people
(Yi Torch Festival in Chuxiong, Yunnan, image source @VCG)
The March Street Festival of the Bai people, the Kaquewa Festival of the Derung people
The Nadam Fair of the Mongolian people, the Temoke Festival of the Jino people
The Grand New Year of the Pumi people, the Closing Door Festival of the Blang people
The Songpo Festival of the Zhuang people, the June Sixth Festival of the Buyi people
The Eid al-Fitr of the Hui people, the Panwang Festival of the Yao people
(Bai people's "Bawangbian" dance, performed during major festivals. The whip is made of hollow bamboo or wood strips filled with copper coins, producing sound when danced with, accompanied by singing and dancing, photographer @Yang Jipei)
When Yunnan people talk about religious beliefs
Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism
And numerous folk beliefs
(Manfeilong Pagoda in Manfeilong Village, Menglong Town, Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna. A brick-and-stone Theravada Buddhist pagoda complex built during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, consisting of a main pagoda and eight smaller pagodas, resembling bamboo shoots emerging from the ground, hence also called the Bamboo Shoot Pagoda. A national key cultural relic protection unit, photographer @Wang Huan)
The stilt houses of the Zhuang people, the stone houses of the Buyi people
The log cabins of the Mosuo people, the watchtower houses of the Tibetan people
(Wengding Wa Village in Lincang. Houses are typically built with bamboo and wood, covered with straw, and fenced with bamboo mats, resembling clusters of mushrooms from afar, photographer @Liu Zhuming)
When people from Yunnan talk about production methods
Tibetans engage in nomadic herding at altitudes of 3000-4000 meters
The Jinuo people cultivate tea across mountain slopes
The Hani people's terraced fields exceed 5000 layers
The Lahu people practice mountain hunting with knives always at hand
(Hani Terraces, in the Ailao Mountains, ethnic groups generally live in layers according to altitude, with the Hani mostly residing on mid-level slopes, thus creating an advanced terraced farming system, photographer @ Liu Zhuming)
Dai people's hand-torn rice, pineapple rice, and paoluda
Naxi people's Lijiang baba and jidou liangfen
Tibetans' butter tea, barley wine, and tsampa
Yi people's tuo tuo meat, roasted suckling pig, and spicy chicken
Jinuo people's sticky rice and banana leaf-roasted meat
(Xishuangbanna Dai hand-torn rice, photographer @ Wu Binfei)
Flower cakes, pa rou er si, shao er kuai, and cured ribs
Da jiu jia, juan fen, tianma stewed chicken, and small-pot rice noodles
Zhanyi spicy chicken, pea flour, sanqi stewed chicken, and cross-bridge rice noodles
Jianshao roasted tofu, copper pot fish, fried chicken fir mushrooms, and xidou fen
(The rich side dishes of cross-bridge rice noodles, photographer @ Wan Rui)
Diverse ethnicities, diverse cultures
Multi-ethnic Yunnan has created glorious local regimes
The Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms centered around Erhai Lake
(Please view horizontally, the ancient city of Dali at the foot of Cangshan Mountain and its surrounding buildings, mainly remnants from the Ming and Qing dynasties, photographer@Jiang Ke)
Yunnan, home to multiple ethnic groups, was officially incorporated into the central government
Kunming serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of Yunnan
(Please view horizontally, an aerial view of Kunming and Dianchi Lake, image source@VCG)
Lijiang was governed by hereditary Naxi chieftains
(Lijiang beneath the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, photographer@Xiong Wei)
A large number of schools and factories relocated to Yunnan
Ethnic groups united to resist foreign aggression together
(The former site of the National Southwestern Associated University, photographer@Lu Pengyu)
Making it the world's highest-latitude rubber plantation
Providing the nation with critically important strategic resources
(Rubber plantations in Xishuangbanna, with bowls tied to trees to collect latex, photographer@Release Yourself xy)
Yunnan has further leveraged its diversity advantage
It can grow almost all types of fruit
Covering about 90% of China's fruit families and genera
Ranking among the top in the country in both planting area and total yield
(The vast tea plantations of Jingmai Mountain, photographer@Chai Junfeng)
Accounting for 70% of the national market share
Capable of supplying one flower to every person in the world
(The bustling Kunming Dounan Flower Market, Asia's largest flower trading hub, image source@VCG)
(Please view horizontally. The under-construction Baihetan Hydropower Station in Qiaojia County, Zhaotong City, will become China's second-largest hydropower station after the Three Gorges Dam upon completion. Photographer: Chai Junfeng)
No other province in China is quite like Yunnan
A land where countless colors converge
(Iridescent clouds over Zhaotong, Yunnan, scientifically known as cloud iridescence. The rich droplets in the clouds refract light, creating rainbow-like bands. Photographer: Jianan)
Images: Yu Kuan, Liu Bai, Ren Bingxu
Cover photographer: XSFAN STUDIO, taken at Meili
1. Ming Qingzhong et al., "Yunnan Geography," Beijing Normal University Press, 2016
2. Ye Wen et al., "Yunnan Scenic Geography," Science Press, 2017
3. Zhu Yingzhan et al., "General History of Yunnan Ethnic Groups," Yunnan University Press, 2016
4. Gao Kunyi et al., "Yunnan Biogeography," Yunnan Science and Technology Press, 2008
5. Yunnan Biodiversity Conservation Joint Meeting, "Yunnan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan," April 2013
6. Wang Wenguang et al., "Overview of Yunnan Ethnic History and Culture," Yunnan University Press, 2014
7. Wang Shengyue et al., "Yunnan Geography," Yunnan Ethnic Publishing House, 2002
8. Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Statistics, "Yunnan Statistical Yearbook 2018," China Statistics Press, 2018