In the Deep Mountains of Yunnan, There Is a County, All Mountains No Plains, Rich in Gold, Known as the Mineral Kingdom

Mango Travel Diary: For those who are used to seeing endless plains in Northeast China, it’s hard to imagine there’s a county with an area of 2189 square kilometers, all of which is mountainous and not a single plain. Let’s go with Mango to take a look!

This county is called Yuan Yang, located in the Red River Province of Yunnan, bordering Jinping County to the east, Red River County to the west, Green Spring County to the south, and Jianwei City to the north, with the county seat 284 kilometers away from the provincial capital Kunming and 71 kilometers from the prefectural capital Mengzi.

When people talk about Yuan Yang, the first impression is terraced fields. Terraced fields have become synonymous with Yuan Yang County, although there are two other major terraced fields in China: Guangxi Longji Terraced Fields and Guizhou Jaba Terraced Fields. However, Yunnan Yuan Yang Terraced Fields are the most well-known and were selected as a World Cultural Heritage in 2013, becoming a world-class attraction.

Some say that Longji Terraced Fields in Guangxi are the most magnificent, Jaba Terraced Fields in Guizhou are the largest in area, while Yunnan Yuan Yang Terraced Fields are the most beautiful. Therefore, they attract countless tourists and photographers every year. Yuan Yang Terraced Fields’ Tiger Mouth Scenic Area was called the most magnificent pastoral landscape by American photographer US, and it was listed as one of the seven cultural landmarks discovered in 1993 by French newspapers.

Yuan Yang is inhabited by multiple ethnic groups, including Han, Hani, Yi, Dai, Miao, and Li. The Hani people are the most numerous, accounting for more than 53% of the population, and they have lived here for generations, leaving a magnificent masterpiece—Yuan Yang Terraced Fields (also known as Hani Terraced Fields).

Because Yuan Yang County is located in the mountains in the center of the Alashan Mountains, it’s full of gorges and peaks, so it’s all mountains and no plains. When entering Yuan Yang, the highway always turns around countless bends, which makes many people who aren’t prone to motion sickness get sick, and those who are prone to motion sickness will immediately vomit.

How can you grow crops in all mountains? The Hani people who have lived here for generations started to cultivate terraced fields based on the terrain since more than 1300 years ago, which has been passed down through generations, and has created more than 100,000 acres of terraced fields, with the terraced fields with the most levels reaching more than 3700, and the smallest terraced fields are less than 1 square meter, forming the magnificent World Cultural Heritage—Red River Hani Terraced Fields.

Besides terraced fields, Yuan Yang also produces a valuable mineral resource—gold. Yuan Yang Gold Mine is mainly located in Dabash Town, with a river of gold inside, and abundant mineral resources, known as ‘Mineral Kingdom’ and ‘Land of Gold’, which once attracted many people to pan for gold. Later, the country strictly banned private mining, so here became quiet again.

Now, Yuan Yang County’s economy is mainly based on tourism and cultivation. Here produces a unique rice—Red Rice. Red Rice made red rice rice, red rice noodles, red rice (red rice) tastes fragrant and delicate, and very delicious.

In addition, when visiting Yuan Yang, you must also visit the local market. It will give you a great sight. All the women are wearing their respective ethnic costumes, carrying baskets, shopping or selling things on the roadside. The roadside stalls can see all kinds of rare wild vegetables and flowers, even various insects, such as bamboo insects, silkworm pupae, grasshoppers, and you can also see the eighteen monsters of Yunnan—eggs sold on sticks.

If you want to travel to Yuan Yang Terraced Fields, you can only drive or take a bus. Currently, the traffic here is not very convenient. You can take a bus from Kunming or Jianwei to Yuan Yang’s new county seat, and then take a car from the bus station gate to Doi Tu (10-15 yuan per person). Yuan Yang Terraced Fields Scenic Area is very large, divided into several scenic areas: Doi Tu, Ba Da, Tiger Mouth, and Eagle Mouth, which are separated by 10-20 kilometers, you can only take a car or stop local people on the road for a ride (between 5-25 yuan per person depending on the distance).

Yuan Yang in Yunnan, besides terraced fields, do you know it also produces gold?

I am Mango, traveling and documenting China by myself, welcome to follow Mango Travel Diary, sharing travel experiences every day.