Tips & Stories

After enjoying all the pretty scenery of Yunnan in January, what touring spot can you see when visiting Yunnan in February? There are many places to visit in Yunnan and the same scenic spots can enjoy different scenery in different seasons, which will also bring you different feelings. Therefore, Yunnan is a magical land suitable for tourism throughout the year. Even in February, the time of late winter and early spring, visitors can still appreciate the unique charm of Yunnan.

We will explore together in today’s post, to find out which touring spots you can enjoy when visiting Yunnan in February?

Spot 1: Lugu Lake 

When visiting the Lugu Lake in February, warm clothing should be added appropriately. Lugu Lake is located at the junction of Yunnan and Sichuan. It is like a fairyland that has been forgotten by the world. It always retains a pool of blue and clear water.

The Mosuo minority group who have lived here for generations have continued the splendid and long matrilineal social culture and have become a treasure in the upsurge of modern social civilization. Their unique “walking marriage” system and primitive folk customs give this place the reputation of “the Eastern land of the females”.

Touring around the lake is the best way to experience the scenery of Lugu Lake up close. It is also a must-try thing when you visit Lugu Lake. If you’re with good physical strength and have plenty of time for touring then you can choose cycling around the lake. There is countless and infinite beautiful scenery along the way.

No matter what transportation you pick, driving or cycling, your touring route will start from the spot called Daluoshui.

If you are driving around the lake, it is recommended to travel in a counterclockwise direction, that is, go uphill first and then downhill. This route will let you enjoy a wide view and you can start from the highest point around the lake to enjoy the pretty view of Lugu Lake. If you’re cycling around the lake, it is recommended to go in a clockwise direction. There are many downhill roads, which can save your energy on the way.

Spot 2: Dongchuan Red Land

February is the flower blooming period of buckwheat and oilseed blossoms. This time period is one of the best times to visit the red land of Dongchuan.

YunnanDongchuan Red Land is located in the north-eastern of Kunming City. As its name indicated, this place is famous for its unique bright red colour soil. The soil here contains a lot of iron and aluminium elements which lead the soil to turn into the red with an oxidation process. Decorating with different crops in various colours, this land is naturally divided into patches that just like the colour palette of nature. Therefore, Dongchuan red land has also become a paradise for many photography lovers.

In the Red Land Scenic Area, there is a lot of attractive scenery, but the locations of these different sceneries are scattered. There is a three-way intersection near Huashitou Village, which is the intersection of the three roads of Dongchuan, Hongtudi Town and Kunming. These three highways can string together the main sightseeing areas of the red land. Further, it forms three main tourist routes, one northeast route, one northwest route and one southern route.

Spot 3: Meili Snow Mountain 

If the essence of Yunnan’s natural scenery is in Shangri-La; then, the essence of Shangri-La is in Meili Snow Mountain. Here is the world’s most beautiful snow-capped mountain-Kawagebo, known as the “God of Snow-capped Mountain”. There is also a low-latitude tropical monsoon oceanic modern glacier—Mingyong Glacier.

“Meili Snow-capped Mountain” can be called the most story-telling snow-capped mountain in China. It is located in the middle section of the Hengduan Mountains about 10 kilometres north-eastern of Deqin County, Yunnan Province, sitting between the Nujiang River and the Lancangjiang River, connecting Tibet’s Adong Gni Mountain in the north and Biluo Snow-capped Mountain in the south. It is the most spectacular group of snow-capped mountains in Yunnan, with hundreds of miles of snow-capped peaks. The main peak is 6740 meters above sea level. It is the highest peak in Yunnan and the core of the entire Meili Snow Mountain Scenic Area.

The Meili snow-capped mountain has another famous name, Kawagebo. It is ranked as the first of the eight sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism. According to the legend, Kawagebo was a three-headed and nine-armed mountain god. The patriarch of Tibetan Buddhism, Master Padmasambhava, has experienced eight disasters to subdue the mountain god Kawagebo. He cut off the excess heads and arms of the Kawagebo. From then on, Kawagebo changed his evil spirits, converted to Buddhism and finally became the symbol of Shengle Baolun Holy Mountain Paradise.

From the beginning of November to May, it’s more likely for you to see the iconic landscape of Meili Snow-capped Mountain when the sunshine shines on the top of the mountain, which make the peak of the mountain looks like a spectacular Golden top. And the month of January and February is the best period to enjoy this view. February is still in the late winter and early springtime and the air in this season is relatively dry and refreshing. The weather during this period is mostly sunny and the air is also clearer, which is very ideal for appreciating the beauty of the snow-capped mountains.

Spot 4: Pudacuo National Park

Pudacuo National Park is a fairy tale world without any pollution. Here in Pudacuo National park, the water is clear, the sky is blue and the scenery is amazing. Pudacuo park is also a paradise for photography lovers, with different scenery throughout the year. There are alpine meadows in full bloom in spring, green mountains in summer, dense forests with colourful layers in autumn and blue lakes set off the snowy white world in winter.

Spot 5: Yuanyang Terraces 

February is the peak season of Yuanyang. Lots of tourists will travel there to see the prettiest terraces view throughout the year. Even in wintertime, the average temperature here can reach 12 degrees. In winter, the sunrise and sunset views of Yuanyang terraces are beautiful and the wonderland created by the sea of ​​clouds is even more magnificent.

In the early morning, you will see a thick layer of white mist over the terraced fields, and the surrounding jungles and villages were faintly in the vast fog. When the fog gradually dissipated, the terraced fields gradually revealed their original “face”, as if a scroll of painting is spreading out gradually.

After the sun comes out, the terraced fields change into various colours as the light changes too, like a huge palette, where red, green, blue, and yellow merge with each other, comparable to any great painting in the world.

Around the sunset time, when the afterglow shines on the water, the entire terraced fields get more brilliant. Various from golden to fiery red, the terraces seem to try its best to save the last glory of the day to the world.

The best time to view the terraced fields is in January and February each year. At this time, the terraced fields have a strong sense of hierarchy, because the terraced fields must be filled with water for maintenance after the autumn harvest. There is no rice in the field, and the terraces are bright and light with the excellent shadow effects.

The sea of ​​clouds is often seen around the Spring Festival. Besides the scene of clouds, around the Lantern Festival, wild cherry blossoms, wild kapok, wild peach blossoms and pear blossoms bloom all over the mountain in red and white, is also a spectacular scene to enjoy in February. The best shooting spot in the morning is the Duoyishu Scenic Area.

Spot 6: Jianshui Ancient Town 

Some people enjoy the tranquillity of Jianshui and the quaint nature of this ancient town; some people prefer Jianshui’s delicacies and the experience of Jianshui’s grilled tofu staying on their tongues; some people are obsessed with Jianshui’s art and literature and love to relax down while strolling around Zitao Street.

The beauty of Jianshui lies in the “slow pace life” that requires you to savour it carefully. To experience this kind of slow pace of life, you have to choose the right type of transportation and the train is the best choice. Starting from Kunming, it takes less than three hours to reach Jianshui by train. Accompanied by the rumbling of the train and the scenery all the way, you will better experience the peace and simplicity of Jianshui Ancient City.

Dongchuan Red Land is located in the northeast of Kunming City. Because the soil here contains more iron and aluminium, it forms a dazzling crimson colour. The unique red soil covers the undulating mountainous land in patches, intertwined with green crops, silver-grey roads and white villages which forming a huge multi-coloured and magnificent picture just like an “oil painting”. The land here is separated into colourful blocks by fields and crops. Gazing from the distance, the land is colourful, lined with blue sky and white clouds, which seems even more spectacular. People name this red land as the colour box created by haven and the kaleidoscope under the sky. As four seasons alternated, different kinds of crops in various colour would create a land of dynamic colourful scenery.