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YunNan – Dreaming Back to a Hidden Arcadia – 5-Day Cultural & Scenic Art Journey in Southeast Yunnan

0
  • 5 Days
  • Guests : 4~12
  • Language: English
  • The whole year
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Detail

While most travellers chase the famed northwest of Yunnan, this alternative route turns quietly to the more rustic, contemplative southeast— from red-earth art spaces and French-Indochina railway heritage, to the thousand-year Hani terraces carved into living sculpture, ending in the glassy calm of Fuxian Lake. More than a trip: a contemporary search for a “Peach Blossom Land” (ideal pastoral world).
   
 

Price Includes

  • Driver&Guide Service Fee
  • 4 Nights Hotel Accommodation
  • On Trip Transport
  • DAY3&DAY4 dinner
  • Travel insurance

Price Excludes

  • Air fares
  • Personal expenses
  • Lunches & Unlisted Dinners

What to Expect

 

A journey through Southeast Yunnan that weaves modern art, century – old railway tales, ancient ethnic cultures, and serene lakeside charm. It starts from Kunming’s gentle welcome, leads to Mile’s avant – garde art clusters, Bisezhai’s colonial railway relics, Yuanyang’s Hani – sculpted terraces, Jianshui’s time – worn cultural alleys, and ends with Fuxian Lake’s eco – poetic tranquility. A blend of visual wonders, cultural immersion, and slow – paced discovery.

  • Art & Heritage Collision: Witness Dongfengyun’s red - brick art architecture and Bisezhai’s colonial railway station—where modern creativity meets century - old engineering.
  • Ethnic & Terraced Wonders: Dive into Hani culture in Azhake Village, hike Yuanyang’s generational rice terraces, and join a Hani Long Street Banquet under the stars.
  • Culinary & Cultural Trails: Taste Jianshui’s “A Bite of China” specialties, explore ancient wells in Jianshui Ancient City, and soak in Fuxian Lake’s eco - estate stories.
  • Lakeside & Leisure Ends: Conclude with Fuxian Lake’s tranquil mornings, eco - dinners, and reflective moments before departing from Kunming.

Itinerary

DAY 1 Nationwide → Kunming (Spring City Assembly – Opening Scene)

  • All Day: Welcome! Arrivals in Kunming (the “Spring City”). Free time to settle in, explore local snacks, or adjust after travel.
  • Evening: Pre-trip briefing: itinerary overview, safety and etiquette notes, meet fellow travellers.
Service Details:
  • Accommodation: Ctrip-rated 4 Diamond standard.
  • Meals: Hotel breakfast included
  • Drive Time: None.
  • Activity Level: Minimal (🔥).

DAY 2 Kunming → Mile → Bisezhai → Mengzi (Art Circuit & Century-old Railway Memories)

  • Morning: Drive to Mile in Honghe Prefecture to visit the Dongfengyun Art Architecture Complex created by local artist Luo Xu—an almost “kaleidoscopic” cluster of red-brick organic forms. A paradise for photography and an example of art blending with red earth terroir. (Tip: E-bikes for hire on site at own cost if you prefer not to walk.)
  • Afternoon: Continue south to Bisezhai Railway Station, once a “special-class” station on the historic Yunnan–Vietnam Railway—briefly a bustling hub. Guided walk: weathered French-style facades, relics of colonial engineering, and stories of cross-border trade and wartime passages.
  • Evening: Arrive in Mengzi, birthplace of the famous “Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles”. Check in at a hotel by South Lake. Free exploration: traces of wartime universities (National Southwestern Associated University) and quiet streets.
Service Details:
  • Accommodation:Ctrip-rated 4 Diamond standard.
  • Meals: Hotel breakfast included
  • Total Drive: Approx. 4.5 hrs / 270 km (combined segments).
  • Activity Level: 🔥🔥 (Multiple site walks)

   

DAY 3 Mengzi → Yuanyang Rice Terraces (Earth Sculpture & Ancient Hani Chant)

  • Morning: Drive deeper into the Ailao Mountains to Azhake Village, where traditional “mushroom houses” (thatched wooden structures) are preserved. Immerse yourself in authentic Hani daily rhythms.
  • Core Experience: Hosted by a local Hani elder/host family—village stroll, homestead visit, seated sharing; listen to an ancient Hani-style chant (locally referred to as “Hani Haba”) recounting fragments of ethnic epic memory.
  • Midday: Free time—continue casual village wandering with travel mates, chat with residents, or rest in a shaded spot and absorb slow village life.
  • Afternoon: Light hike along selected sections of the Yuanyang Rice Terraces—using your own steps to measure generational ingenuity; greet farmers, livestock, and observe layering of water, mud, sky. Weather permitting, wait for a dramatic terrace sunset.
  • Evening: Enjoy an authentic Hani Long Street Banquet (community-style dinner), then bonfire under the stars with music and dance alongside hospitable locals.
Service Details:
  • Accommodation:Ctrip-rated 4 Diamond standard.
  • Meals: Hotel breakfast & Dinner included.
  • Total Drive: Approx. 4 hrs / 135 km.
  • Activity Level: 🔥🔥🔥 (Includes terrace hike).

DAY 4 Yuanyang → Jianshui → Fuxian Lake(Ancient City Flavours & Lakeside Estate)

  • Morning: Depart Yuanyang for Jianshui Ancient City, historically praised as “the Cultural Cradle of Southern Yunnan” (sometimes called “Confucian heart of the south”).
  • Midday: Guided city walk (city walk) through lesser-visited alleys; visit still-functioning century-old wells; taste regional specialties featured on “A Bite of China”: Jianshui Grilled Tofu, Steam-Pot Chicken, and other local bites.
  • Afternoon: Arrive at Fuxian Lake and visit an eco-style rural estate (utopian concept) to experience the charm of circular agriculture. Activities: gather leaves and flowers, smell herbs, listen to the owners’ narrative about regeneration and land stewardship; enjoy an eco afternoon tea overlooking the lake; afterwards, a curated farm-based handicraft / DIY activity.
  • Dusk / Evening: Ecological dinner facing panoramic lake views. (Guests are invited to write reflections on the journey, notes to fellow travellers, or feedback for our brand “Mydetra”.) Check in to lakeside hotel—sleep with tranquil waters nearby. (Possible typo in original Day 4 draft referencing “Lijiang Ancient Town” at night; removed here.)
Service Details:
  • Accommodation: Ctrip-rated 4 Diamond standard.
  • Meals: Hotel breakfast & Dinner included (Afternoon tea experience included if pre-arranged; confirm at booking).
  • Total Drive: Approx. 4.5 hrs / 270 km (combined).
  • Activity Level: 🔥🔥 (Walks + estate activities).

DAY 5 Fuxian Lake → Kunming Airport (Leisurely Morning & Farewell)

  • Morning: Fully at leisure—sleep in, enjoy hotel facilities, or take a gentle stroll to the crystalline lakeshore for quiet morning blue reflections.
  • Afternoon: Group coach transfer directly to Kunming Changshui International Airport (ETA around 13:00). Please book departing flights for 14:00 or later. Journey into Southeast Yunnan concludes—until we meet again.
Service Details:
  • Meals: Hotel breakfast included
  • Drive: Approx. 1.5 hrs / 80 km (to airport).
  • Flight Advice: Depart after 14:00.
  • Activity Level: 🔥 (Minimal).
Map

FAQ

Can I get the refund?

You may refer to our refund policy.

When you cancel (before Day 1) Travel Fee retained Refund to you
16 days or more 0% 100%
15–10 days 20% 80%
9–7 days 40% 60%
6–4 days 60% 40%
3–1 days 80% 20%
After start / during trip / no‑show 100% 0%

Can I change the travel date?

Yes—please tell us at least 16 days before Day 1 of your trip. There are two situations:

  1. Join‑in Group (shared departure)
  • You can move to another scheduled departure date. If the new date is cheaper, we refund the difference; if it is more expensive, you pay the difference.
  • You can also upgrade to a Private Tour (choose any date). A higher fee applies; you pay only the difference.
  1. Private Tour (exclusive)
  • You can shift to any new date (subject to availability). Because of high / low season rates, there may be a price difference—we refund or you top up accordingly.

Important: “Pay the difference / refund the difference” means we adjust to the new date’s published price.

Please contact us early—availability is always better the sooner you decide.

Do I need to apply visa?

Most travelers still need a visa, but many nationalities now enjoy short visa‑free entry or transit exemptions. Check if:

  1. Your passport is on the current visa‑free list;
  2. You qualify for a 72/144‑hour transit exemption; or
  3. You are joining an approved Hainan or cruise program.
    If none apply, you must apply for an L (tourist) visa before arrival. Always verify with the nearest Chinese embassy/visa center because policies change.

Do you have insurance covered?

Yes, our travel fee includes travel insurance.

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