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Yunnan [a] is an inland province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately 394,000 km 2 (152,000 sq mi) and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming.
- Overview
- Relief and drainage
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
Yunnan, sheng (province) of China, a mountain and plateau region on the country’s southwestern frontier. It is bounded by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the northwest, the provinces of Sichuan to the north and Guizhou to the east, and the Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi to the southeast. To the south and southeast it adjoins Laos and Vietnam, and to the southwest and west it shares a long border with Myanmar (Burma). The provincial capital is Kunming, in the northeast-central part of Yunnan.
The name Yunnan has been in use since the region was made a province under the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty (1206–1368). Literally meaning “South of the Yun,” it denotes the location as south of the Yun Range (Yun Ling, “Cloudy Mountains”). Although richly endowed with natural resources, Yunnan remained an underdeveloped region until relatively recent times; for centuries the ethnic, religious, and political separatism of the province posed obstacles to the efforts of a central government to control it. Although much of the province is still fairly underdeveloped and isolated, its economic, political, and cultural integration into the whole of China is essentially complete. Area 168,400 square miles (436,200 square km). Pop. (2020) 47,209,277.
Yunnan’s topography is determined by a series of high mountain chains that, starting close together, branch out from the Tibetan border southeastward across the province in fanlike fashion. Running roughly northwest to southeast, these high ranges are, from west to east, the Gaoligong, the Nu, and the Yun. Branching farther out from the Yun Range are some secondary ranges—the Wuliang and the Ailao in the south-central area and the Wumeng in the northeast.
The province consists of two distinct regions separated by the Ailao Mountains—the canyon region to the west of it and the Yunnan-Guizhou (Yungui) Plateau region to the east. In the canyon region the great mountains descend from an elevation exceeding 18,000 feet (5,500 metres) above sea level in the north to about 6,000 feet (1,830 metres) in the south. Flowing through the deep V-shaped valleys between these mountains are the three major rivers of the province: the Salween (Nu), between the Gaoligong and Nu mountains; the Mekong (Lancang), between the Nu and Yunling ranges; and the Black (Lixian), between the Wuliang and Ailao mountains. The towering height of the mountains in the north is such that the valley floors lie at heights averaging 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 metres) below the mountaintops. The river currents, too swift for navigation, represent an enormous potential for hydroelectric power. In the southern part of the canyon region the mountains are much lower and the valleys more open, with many upland plains and fertile irrigated fields. The far western part of the canyons region, the Bao Mountains area around Tengchong, is noted for its many active volcanoes.
Despite its tropical latitude, the eastern plateau region is noted for its moderate temperatures. Because of the high elevation, summers are cool and winters are mild. June–July temperatures average 71 °F (22 °C), and December–January temperatures average 48 °F (9 °C). This allows for an annual growing season of 10 months. In the western canyon region the high mountains and deep valleys create vertical climatic zones. Sultry heat with high humidity dominates the bottom of the valleys, a temperate zone prevails at 6,000 to 11,000 feet (1,830 to 3,350 metres), and freezing winds envelop the tops of the mountains.
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Yunnan, under the influence of rain-bearing monsoon winds blowing from both the Pacific and Indian oceans, enjoys good precipitation (nearly all of it as rainfall). The bulk of the rain falls from May through October, the rain being heavier in the western canyon region than in the eastern plateau region. Average annual rainfall in Kunming is about 49 inches (1,245 mm), whereas in Tengchong it is about 58 inches (1,475 mm).
Yunnan has the greatest variety of biological resources among the Chinese provinces, and it includes plants from tropical, subtropical, temperate, and alpine growing zones. Of some 30,000 species of plants found in China, more than half are in Yunnan. These include more than 6,000 species of medicinal herbs and some 2,500 species of endemic flowers and ornamental plants. About half of Yunnan’s total area is forested (including areas covered in shrubs). The extent of this forest cover has been increasing since the 1990s through an active conservation program that has established numerous protected forests and nature reserves and has promoted reforestation campaigns. In the western canyon region, pine and other coniferous trees thrive at elevations up to 6,000 feet (1,830 metres). In the temperate zone above this—up to about 11,000 feet (3,350 metres)—shrubs of the azalea and rhododendron family carpet the hills. The gorgeous colours of azaleas, camellias, roses, and fairy primroses make the mountain meadow country a gigantic flower garden and a popular destination for botanists and other researchers. Finally, in the zone above this, to about 15,000 feet (4,570 metres), fir, bamboo, dwarf juniper, and flowering herbs grow on mountain podzolic (bleached) soil.
Yunnan is also foremost among the Chinese provinces in its variety of animals, with some 250 species of mammals, 360 of fish, 140 of reptiles, 90 of amphibians, and 780 of birds. In the tropical forests of the south, mammals—including monkeys, bears, elephants, and porcupines—are found in large numbers. Some of them, such as the black snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) and the Hoolock gibbon (Hylobates hoolock), are now under state protection. A wide variety of domesticated animals are kept in both the western canyon region and the eastern plateau region.
Yunnan, which refers to 'the place south of the colorful clouds', or 'the place south of Yunling (cloudy ridge) Mountain', is the most southwest province of China. Externally, it borders Vietnam, Laos and Burma; internally, it is neighbor to Guizhou, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan and Tibet.
- Lijiang and Its Exceptional Ancient Town. Lijiang Old Town. Blue Moon Valley. Lijiang is located in the northwest part of Yunnan Province, at an altitude of about 2,418m.
- Kunming - the Spring City & Vital Gateway of Yunnan. Kunming Stone Forest. Green Lake. Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, is usually the landing city for a Yunnan tour.
- Beautiful Shangri-La, Our Ideal Home. Songzanlin Monastery. Pudacuo National Park. Shangri-La, at an altitude of 3,450m, is located in the seat of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest of Yunnan Province.
- Welcome to Dali, the Romantic Place with Bai Culture. Wuhualou inside Dali Ancient City. Dali Three Pagodas. Dali is the capital of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan Province, served as the connection between Kunming and Lijiang.
Yunnan is a southwestern province of China with rich natural and cultural attractions. Learn about its location, climate, ethnic minorities, festivals, and recommended tours.
Discover Yunnan, China's most diverse province, with its stunning landscapes and ethnic cultures. Find attractions, articles, guidebooks and more to plan your trip to Yunnan.
Feb 14, 2014 · Land of peaks, valleys, and monasteries, Yunnan is home to the largest number of ethnic groups in China. The gateway towns of Shangri-La (much of which, sadly, burned in January 2014) and Lijiang...
