!!!Yunnan Province Highlights

by members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

11 June 2021

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Landmarks of Yunnan province, China

China is the third-largest country in the world. No wonder that a huge
variety of attractions are located here: cultural, natural, historical
landmarks can be found on its territory. Some of them, such as the Great
Wall of China, are widely known; others are less known. This AirPano
virtual tour introduces you to the "Cloudy South": the mountainous and
picturesque province of Yunnan.

Our journey begins with the village of Bisezhai, a part of the Mengzi
city county. This is one of the many "ethnic villages in China'': this
is the state definition for the settlements where the representatives of
ethnic minorities live. By preserving their historical heritage,
traditional architecture, authentic festivals, unique cuisine and
crafts, these villages are popular among tourists.

[{Image src='01_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Bisezhai Railway Station, Mengzi City\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='574'}]

And here is the Bisezhai railway station: one of the oldest in China! At
the beginning of the 20th century, there was a need to stretch the rails
to the Gejiu tin mines, and the first section of the road, starting in
this village, was commissioned in 1918. Today, China is the world's
leader in the development of the railway network; nowadays high-speed
trains rush down the tracks, but Bisezhai station can take its guests a
hundred years ago. And in recent years, it has become especially
popular: it was the scene for the 2017 Youth movie (Fang Hua). It is
widely known not only in China, but also in Western countries, and many
tourists come to see these places with their own eyes.

Another man-made landmark of Yunnan province is the Shuanglong Bridge,
installed 2.5 km from the ancient city of Jianshui, at the confluence of
the Lu and Tachong rivers. Its name translates as "double dragons'': in
China, rivers are traditionally compared to these mythological
creatures. The bridge was built during the Qing Dynasty under the
Qianlong Emperor (1736-1796) and originally had three arches. By the
beginning of the 19th century, the rivers were flooded, turning into one
wide riverbed. The bridge had to be rebuilt, and since 1839, the water
surface has been covered by 17 spans. Then a second name was assigned to
the structure: Seventeen-arch bridge.

[{Image src='02_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Seventeen-arch (Shuanglong) Bridge, Jianshui County\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='558'}]

Its height is 9 meters, length — 148.26 meters, width varies from three
to eight meters. It is dominated by a three-story elegant tower
decorated with engraved images of Buddha, gods, dragons, flowers, plants
and animals. From a distance, the bridge looks like a ship sailing on a
river. This is the largest surviving ancient bridge in Yunnan. In 2006,
it was included in the list of national cultural monuments under state
protection.

[{Image src='03_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Jianshui Ancient Town. Yunnan province, China\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='585'}]

In Yunnan province, there is an unusual city of Jianshui: an open-air
museum that attracts lovers of history, architecture and culture. It was
built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was surrounded by a
fortress wall. What has left from it is the two corner towers: Chaoyang
and Qingyuan. Chaoyang translates as "Standing in front of the sun": it
is oriented to the east. Its outside look resembles the landmark of
Beijing, Tiananmen, or "The Gate of Heavenly Peace". However, this
coincidence is explained by the tendencies adopted in the architecture
of that time: the tower in the capital is only 28 years younger.

[{Image src='04_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Confucian Temple in Jianshui County\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='276'}]

The Temple of Confucius in Jianshui is one of the largest Confucian
temples in China only preceded by the temple in Qufu, the hometown of
the great thinker. It was built in 1285 and has been rebuilt more than
40 times since then. Now it is the most important national centre for
the protection of cultural relics. It includes more than 30
free-standing buildings, as well as statues, gates, arches, squares and
gardens. Twice a year, during the Spring Festival and on Confucius's
birthday, commemorative ceremonies are held in the temple. The most
famous place is the Dacheng Hall: 22 doors are decorated with hundreds
of birds and animals. A small lake placed opposite the main entrance is
covered with blooming lotuses and also belongs to the temple complex:
one of the pavilions is installed here.

[{Image src='05_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Sile Pavilion of the Confucian Temple, Jianshui County\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='442'}]

Yunnan's new sights are as attractive as the old ones. In 2014, the
futuristic art village of Dongfengyun was erected in Mile County, 130
kilometres southeast of the provincial capital, Kunming. It was created
by Hong Kong-based company Cheng Chung Design and local artist Luo Xu.
Ecological agriculture is developing in this picturesque area, there are
exhibition and cultural spaces, hotels, lavender thickets, a wine
estate, rose gardens, a lily park, a forest on the lakeshore and much
more. A group of light brick buildings is the Kaleidoscope Art Museum.
Their elongated shape resembles bottles: this is a tribute to the
winemaking traditions of the region. If you imagine that the buildings
look like tongues of flame, then it will become a symbol of bonfires
around which locals dance at the annual festival. Another complex of
darker red brick has been compared to a giant termite mound and houses
restaurants.

[{Image src='06_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Kaleidoscope Art Gallery, Dongfengyun town of Mile City\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='479'}]

This design seems to be chaotic but it is strictly thought out and based
on accurate calculations. During the construction, no steel beams and
nails were used: only bricks and metal parts can be seen only inside, as
interior elements. Natural light is preferred as the main concept of
this complex is harmony with nature.

[{Image src='07_Yunnan.jpg' caption='Kaleidoscope Art Gallery, Dongfengyun town of Mile City\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='631'}]

The city is designed as a centre of attraction for tourists and all
lovers of beauty. The whole province of Yunnan is also waiting for
guests: there is something to admire here. We hope that AirPano
panoramas have convinced you of this!

\\ \\
[15 panoramas of Yunnan Province Highlights|Geography/Asia/China/Pictures/Yunnan]

[{SET customtitle='Yunnan Province Highlights (AP)'}]












[{Metadata Suchbegriff=' ' Kontrolle='Nein'}]