Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan Province. With a history more than 2,400 years, it owes its importance to the fact that it was the gateway to the celebrated Silk Road that facilitated trade with Tibet, Sichuan, Myanmar and India. The city enjoys a pleasant climate and does its best to live up to its title of the City of Eternal Spring. Its alluring highland scenery, bewitching Karsts landform, varied and exotic habitats and customs, places of historical interest can be found at major scenic spots. Besides, Kunming is the focal point of Yunnan minority culture with 26 ethnic groups like Bai, Dai, Miao in the area.

The Stone Forest is about 120km from Kunming City. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers and includes both large and small stone forests as well as many other scenic spots. It has been known since the Ming Dynasty as the first wonder of the World. As the local says going, if you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time. Approximately 270 million years ago this region was a vast ocean. Over time, the waters retreated and the limestone landscape was left. Due to a process of weathering and erosion, nature has created an art gallery of stone sculpture- present-day Stone Forest. The magnificent, strange and steep landscape creates labyrinthine vistas around each corner. Each formation has a story about animals or people associated with it. Some formations are elegant, some are rugged, and each has its own distinguishing characteristics.

The distance between Lijiang and Lugu Lake is about 280km, and the bunmy road will take six hours or so.

The Lugu Lake is located between Ninglang County in Yunnan Province and Yanyuan County in Sichuan Province. It is a plateau lake with a total area of 52 square kilometers, 2,685 meters above sea level. The average depth is 45 meters, the deepest point being 93 meters. The lake remains an uncontaminated plateau lake with the crystal water. The shore of the lake is the hometown to the Musuo people, a branch of the ethnic Naxi group who retain the vestiges of a matriarchal society. The Mosuo, a subgroup of the Naxi, is a matrilineal society whose members engage in traditional 'walking marriages,' in which husband and wife remain in their respective maternal homes and often have more than one partner. The lake is surrounded by green mountains. The best-loved one by the Mosuo people is the Holy Gemu Mountain (the Lion Mountaion). The local people worship it as their Goddess Gemu. On 25th July of each lunar year, they will dress their Sunday best and gather at the foot of the mountain for a great sacrificial rite.

Stay overnight at the local hostel around the lake.

Among the five isles in the lake, three are in the territory of Yunnan and two in that of Sichuan. Heiwawudao, Ligedao are metaphorically called 'Three Islands of Ponglai' (Islands of the Immortalsin Chinese mythology). Sitting in the middle of the lake, Heiwawudao Isle is also named 'the Chieftain Island' because Ashaoyun, the chieftain of Yongning, built his villa on the island in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Rock, an American scientist, also used to reside on this island. On the south side of the lake stands Liwubidao Island lies at the foot of the Lion Mountain. It is actually a small peninsular formed by the extension of the Lion Mountain into the Lake. A dozen of Mosuo families live on this island so it is possible for the visitors to experience the life on the island and, at the same time, enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake. The Mosuo wooden houses are built with square - deged timber in the style of 'jinganshi building', also called Mulengfang (Timber House) which is very graceful.

Not far from Lijiang Ancient Town, located Shuhe Ancient Town, another important place in Naxi people's history. In Naxi language it means 'the village at the foot of the high mountain'. Shuhe has witnessed the history of development of Naxi foremen from the farming civilization to the commercial civilization. It had become the distributing center of Naxi foremen in as early as the Tang and Song Dynasties; and it is also an important market town still remained complete on the Ancient Tea-horse Road. Prosperous tea and horse trade, colourful multi-cultures made Naxi develop harmoniously.

Beside the Dianchi Lake, the Village of Ethnic Culture is about 8km from the city proper, and faces the Western Hill across the lake.The hill stretches along more than 40 km (25 miles) of Dianchi Lake and rise to an altitude of 2,350m (7,710 feet). The local people gave the Western Hill the nickname, Sleeping Beauty Hills. The panoramic views are unforgettably beautiful and you will certainly want to bring your camera to capture these glorious scenes. Dragon Gate is the steepest spot in the Western Hill and well worth climbing up the winding old stone stairs because the view is spectacular. When standing at Dragon Gate and seeing the splendid views, you cannot but feel awe-inspired by the vision, dedication, and reverence for nature and the people who created this walkway.

In the Village 25 villages are meant to the built for each of the 25 ethnic minorities in Yunnan, now some of them are still under construction. In the Nationality Song and Dance Hall you can watch the song and dance performances given by minorities. At the Plaza of Unity of Nationalities, in fact it is something like an arena theatre, you can watch not only the song and dance performances, quite different from those you watch in the Nationality Song and Dance Hall, but also the Asian Elephants Show. In the evening the Water-Screen Film will surely make you forget to go back.