Vacationing in Yunnan makes a hit this summer
Tourists have a hot-air balloon ride in Puzhehei scenic area.
Yunnan is a popular tourist destination in China. With the prevalence of vacationing for health, an increasing number of tourists chose Yunnan to slow down their life, lingering in this province for weeks or months and savoring the many-splendored Yunnan life in details.
Summer without air conditioner
In early July, Wang Qingchun and his wife set off from Changsha, Hunan province, where the highest temperature was nearing 40℃, and took a bullet train to Qujing, Yunnan province, where the average summer temperature was only 19.7℃.
"We’ll stay for more than two months this time. I feel a lot cooler when I got off the train. Life in Qujing is easy, and there’s no need to have an air conditioner," said Wang, adding he revisits Qujing this summer largely for its pleasant climate.
A guest house in Qujing city
Located in the east of Yunnan, Qujing city has an average temperature of 15.1℃ annually and its summer temperature averages at 19.7℃, making it an ideal summer resort. Qujing tourist authority said the city was visited by 2 million this summer, with a daily maximum of 270,000 visitors. Municipal tourist income added up to 23.62 billion yuan.
Central Yunnan’s Kunming also ushered crowds of summer vacationers for its favorable weather. In August, Ms. Yao and her family made a special trip from Guangzhou to Kunming and rented a three-bedroom apartment in the CBD. "I’ve visited most of the interesting places in Kunming and my children had a cool summer vacation here."
For many, Yunnan is a paradise to escape from summer heat, said Qian Kun, a staff member at Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, citing the unique natural conditions. 95 counties/districts in Yunnan are cool and pleasant in summer, especially Shangri-La, which is called a "natural air conditioner" by vacationers.
Living in Yunnan for old-age care
He Ping, a retired lady from Beijing, has vacationed in west Yunnan’s Tengchong city for four years.
Attracted by the lush environment, pleasant weather and slow-paced life, Ping and her husband bought a small courtyard near the China-Myanmar border in 2021, and they have been living in Tengchong for several months yearly ever since.
"This year, we left Beijing for Yunnan on the sixth day of the first lunar month, and we’re going to stay until October. The vegetation here is lush, the air is fresh, the prices are affordable, and many places are good for old-age leisure," He Ping said.
The Heshun old town in Tengchong
During her stay in Tengchong, Ping bought vegetables, cooked for the family and had baths in hot springs, gradually integrating herself into local life. In early July, she had a seven-day driving tour in northwest Yunnan with her friends nationwide. "I’d see more sights while healthy, and I’ll fuse the elderly care into traveling," said Ping.
A new business format has emerged from the integrative development of cultural tourism and old-age care, and Yunnan is gifted in this. Wang Jianxin, president of the Yunnan Silver Health Industry Development Association, said Yunnan is good for old-age care all year round, especially in summer and winter, and the province is increasingly favored by the elderly.
On August 22, some 600 Chinese seniors reached the Phoenix Valley Life-Care Center in south Yunnan’s Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, where they lived for 5 to 15 days. Yang Kaicheng, head of the center, said migratory living is preferred by the elderly as way of slow travel. "In 2023, we housed more than 9,000 seniors," said Yang.
Utopia for artists
Zhonghe village in west Yunnan’s Dali is known as the "second residence of artists". Sitting at the foot of Mount Cangshan, the village is now home to some 1,000 newly-arrived artists, including 100 well-known Chinese artists and 21 resident artists. They are painters, designers, film makers, musicians and others.
Having studied overseas, Ai Xinya returned to Dali in 2021 and settled in Xizhou by the Erhai Lake. Now she is the co-founder of a coffee shop, helping improve public areas in towns and villages. Ai said that Dali is an inclusive place, and most new comers have got a sense of belonging on this land.
Zhonghe village in Dali
Sichuan native Chen Shiyong first came to Lijiang as a tourist years ago, but during the latest vacation in the city, he decided to settle down with a few like-minded friends and set up the Lijiang Ballad Band.
"We are attracted by the culture here and finally chose to stay in Lijiang," said Chen, adding the band members come from all over the country. The members were sheer strangers who had never met before, but because of music, they got together and formed a shared connection with the city.
From visiting Yunnan to settling down, folks from all walks of life chose to stay in the province because of their pursuit and nostalgia for the many-splendored Yunnan life.
Sources: Xinhua, Yunnan Updates and Yunnan Daily
Translating by Wang Shixue
Editing by Zhu Dongran
Proofreading by Wang Huan