Yunnan layers the Naxi old town of Lijiang below Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Tibetan plateau city of Shangri-La, the Tiger Leaping Gorge along the Yangtze, and the Yuanyang Hani rice terraces dropping 2,000m to the Red River.
Highlights
Lijiang
Dali
Shangri-La
Kunming
When to Visit
Mar-May
Spring with Yuanyang rice terraces filled with mirror-like water before transplanting, Lijiang at peak photographic conditions, and rhododendrons blooming.
Sep-Nov
Autumn with Tiger Leaping Gorge trekking at peak, Yuanyang harvest turning gold, and Shangri-La's Songzanlin Monastery accessible without snow.
Jun-Aug
Wet season with afternoon storms, Yuanyang terraces at peak rice greenery, and Lijiang's altitude (2,400m) keeping it pleasantly cool through summer.
Dec-Feb
Cool dry winter with Shangri-La snow-covered, Lijiang Naxi New Year celebrations, and Yuanyang's terraces at their most photogenic with mist over flooded paddies.
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