8 Best Places to Visit in Yunnan in Autumn - Splendid Autumn Holiday

When talking about Yunnan, diverse landscapes and colorful ethnic minorities will come to visitors’ minds. Yunnan has been known as Colored Clouds in the South of China, which attracts tourists from all over the world. Over thousands of years, Yunnan has bred its unique folk culture and ancient towns. 25 ethnic minorities live harmoniously on this beautiful land.

Benefiting from its plateau monsoon climate, Yunnan is suitable for travel all year round. But the best time to explore Yunnan is Spring(March to May) and Autumn(September to early November) when there is less rainfall and the sky is clear.

Today, we come to a list of the best places to visit in Yunnan in Autumn.

• Average temperature: 17 – 26℃ (63 – 81℉)
• Clothes: T-shirts, trousers, a thin coat
• Recommended and enjoyable tour destinations: enable you to appreciate the most beautiful Yunnan in Autumn.

1. Jiangdong Ginkgo Village in Tengchong

• Chinese name: 腾冲江东银杏村
• Address: Jiangdong Village, Gudong Town, Tengchong

Ginkgo Village is also known as Yinxing Village, which is well known for having more than 3,000 ginkgo trees in the village. 50 ginkgo trees have a history of at least 500 years old. 70 of them are over 400 years old. It’s likely the largest and oldest ginkgo forest in Yunnan Province. Benefiting from the fertile and volcanic ash soil of Jiangdong Village, the ginkgo grows luxuriant, and ginkgo production is very high.

From October to early November, the ginkgo leaves turn golden, and ginkgo fruits hang on the trees. The falling leaves of ginkgo fly in the air and then lie down on the village road and roofs of houses, then the whole village is covered by golden leaves, which makes Gudong Village a fairyland. When you enter the village, you will find yourselves in the golden sea. It’s a unique sight of Jiangdong Village and also a typical scene of Yunnan autumn.

2.Stone Forest in Kunming

Kunming Stone Forest is an unmissable spot in Yunnan with its unique Karst landform. Stone Forest is 270 million years old and covers an area of 300 square kilometers. Here, you can appreciate the otherworldly landscape of the Karst. Those stalagmite-like pillars form huge labyrinths. Without guidance, you can easily get lost in it.

The stone pillars turn into various forms, such as towers, trees, humans, mushrooms, etc. One of the most famous pillars is the Asma Stone; the form of the pillar looks like a young girl of the minority Yi. Come to Stone Forest to learn about the beautiful love story of this Yi lady.

Stone Forest has not only an incomputable stone forest but also waterfalls, lakes, islands, and caves. Last but not least, it is a place suitable for visiting all year round.

3. Potatso National Park in Shangri-La

Potatso means a boat to ferry people away from suffering. The part is not too far from Shangri-La Ancient Town, about 19 kilometers. It’s 3,500-4,000 meters sea level and is the first national park in China Mainland.

3 main parts make up Potatso National Park: Baitahai, Shudu Lake, and Militant Pasture. The potato has a well-preserved eco-environment. You can find virgin forests, lakes, brooks, rare animals, etc.. inside the park.

Travel tips:

• Since the sea level is between 3,500-4,000 meters. Make sure you bring a warm coat to keep warm when you’re visiting the Park.
• 2. Different seasons have different views. In the autumn, the plants inside the Park turn different colors, and you can enjoy an amazing view of the multicolored forest.

Recommended Yunnan Tour: Authentic Yunnan Discovery

4. Hiking along Tiger Leaping Gorge

If you’re in good physical condition, you may want to try something special during your Yunnan trip. Try this 25kms hiking trail to Tiger Leaping Gorge. It’s a popular train for hiking lovers and is also considered a challenging trail.

It’s amazing hiking from the beginning to the end. On the way, you will see various landscapes and also enjoy the solitude of nature.

Travel tips:

• Your hiking distance depends on your own, half day, one day, and two days.
• Autumn (October - early November) is the best time to hike along Tiger Leaping Gorge with comfortable weather and colorful natural scenery.

5. Cycling around Erhai Lake

Erhai is the second-largest highland lake in China and is located in Dali City. It’s about 40km in length and 8km wide. Several small towns gather around Erhai Lake. There are many ways to visit Erhai Lake, but one of them is particularly interesting and very popular with many people. That’s renting a bicycle to travel around Erhai Lake.

If you’re looking for a kind of freedom, you can rent a bike or a motorcycle in Dali. It depends on your physical condition. A cycling tour is the best way to understand this lovely small city - Dali and Erhai Lake. You will calm down when facing the lake and surrounded by mountains.

Travel tips:

• The lake is too large to cycle around within one day, so the distance and route should depend on your physical condition.
• Autumn (October - early November) is the best time to cycle along Erhai Lake with comfortable weather.

6. Photographing in Dongchuan Red Land

If you’re a photographer and you’re likely to travel in October and November, you cannot miss Dongchuan Red Land. Dongchuan Red Land is regarded as the “Paradise of photographers”. It’s 250km away from Kunming and also the largest red land in China.

To take good pictures, recommended you stay one night in Dongchuan Red Land. On day 1, you can take pictures of the sunset, and on day 2, the sunrise. From October to November, the red land is colorful. Some parts of the land are green with barley, some white with cole flowers, and some red (waiting to be planted).

Travel tips

• Book a tour with a travel agency so that you will have a professional tour guide assisting you in finding the best points to take pictures.

7. Enjoy the chrysanthemum flowers in Lijiang

There are over 5,000 pots of chrysanthemum flowers in Lijiang Ancient Town, including more than 280 varieties. Each year, when autumn comes(October to November), the town is in a sea of chrysanthemum flowers. Chrysanthemums are in full bloom during this period. Visitors can enjoy chrysanthemums during the tour.

8. Experiencing ethnic activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Lijiang Ancient Town

In the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lijiang People’s must-eat series: fresh sunflower seeds, Naxi moon cakes, snow peaches, pomegranates, etc. If you’re right in the ancient city during the festival, you can stroll around in the local market and experience the festival atmosphere of Naxi.

It’s a pleasant and romantic thing to watch the moon in Lijiang Ancient Town, without tall buildings. Find a coffee bar on Lion Mountain to enjoy the moon. Or go to Dayan Flower Lane to look up at the moon.