Undulating mountains of reddish-brown soil, often densely covered in pine forests, characterise the landscape, with settlements far and few between. The trading route from Kunming to Dali, through Lufeng, Chuxiong and Nanhua, and the route north to Chengdu, through Wuding, Yuanmou and Yongren, apart the region remained inaccessible and unexplored until the second half of the 20th century. As there was not any mineral wealth nor many fertile valleys to speak of, few Han settlers felt tempted to settle in the region and even today some communities are formed almost entirely of ethnic minorities. The region’s tourist attractions are limited: the Yuanmou Earth Forest is one of the geological wonders of the region, with its eroded valleys, while the Yi, scattered amongst many valleys, have a number of colourful festivals, such as the Costume Festival in Santai or the main Torch Festival celebrated throughout. Sizeable groups of Lisu live in Wuding and Yuanmou County, some Miao in Wuding and Lufeng. Interesting are a number of Dai settlements in Yongren, Dayao, Yuanmou and Wuding Counties, the northernmost settlements of the Dai people.
Heijing is a small town in the northern Chuxiong mountains. Salt once made Heijing one of Yunnan's richest towns. Now its architectural splendours are being rediscovered.
As villages go, Zhizuo could hardly be more remote. Some 70km from the county town, first along a winding mountain road, then on a deeply rutted track without public transport: even in the dry season it takes several hours and a bit of stamina to reach. Yet, at least on the first full moon of the year, the effort is worth it, as Zhizuo holds one of Yunnan's most colourful festivals, the Dress Competition Festival or Caizhuangjie 赛装节.
Mountains and forests dominate this sparsely populated and poorly connected county.
Yi New Year 10 Nov 2024
Longsa Festival 30 Jan 2025
Lantern Festival 05 Feb 2025
Jumping Tiger Festival 05 Feb 2025
Dragon King 10 Feb 2025
Costume Competition 12 Feb 2025
Flower Festival 02 Mar 2025
Cattle Festival 07 Mar 2025
Camellia Festival 07 Mar 2025
Heinishan Bathing Festival 07 Mar 2025
Dancing Tiger Festival 07 Mar 2025
Flower Arranging Festival 07 Mar 2025
Woba Festival 04 Apr 2025
Water Splashing Festival 05 Apr 2025
Baimakou Village Festival 25 Apr 2025
Yi Costume Festival 25 Apr 2025
Mouding March Fair 25 Apr 2025
Master Earth 25 Apr 2025
Dongpo Fair 05 May 2025
Prince Festival 05 May 2025
Flower Mountain 31 May 2025
Waxberry Festival 30 Jun 2025
Yi Torch Festival 18 Jul 2025
Gaofeng Torch Festival 21 Jul 2025
Changmei Festival 07 Aug 2025
Jumping Song Fair 06 Sep 2025
Confucius Festival 18 Oct 2025
Holy Crane Festival 22 Oct 2025
Meige Festival 27 Nov 2025