Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau is the most mysterious region in China – as anyone who has familiarized himself with Chinese history, especially folk stories and regional legends, would say. The mountains there are sheer and dense but the raging rivers have managed to carve deep canyons and created magnificent landscape. Although the scenery is breathtaking, foot travel was extremely difficult. Before there were highways, railroads, and modern transportation, different ethnic groups seldom interacted with other groups, even though they might live within a close proximity defined by the distance in between. Therefore these groups have evolved in parallel and each has its unique culture, language, cuisine, and each was misrepresented by rumors spread by accidental visitors.
As the name suggests, the Plateau consists of two provinces: Yunnan and Guizhou. Nowadays while Guizhou remains under-explored due to its unfriendly weather and rough travel, Yunnan is considered the most ideal place to live in China. The dramatic landscape prevents it from being tamed by modern civilization. The climate is general mild and sunny, the air fresh, and the environment serene and versatile. It has won a nickname, the Lost Horizon, and many who have visited here would volunteer to be lost here forever. Yunnan also hosts the most diverse culture in China – out of 56 named ethnic groups in China, more than 20 reside here. Even if you randomly pick a day to visit Yunnan, chances are some group is celebrating their festival.
LittlePo’s trip to Yunnan will take you to tread gingerly through its gorgeous wild lands – from looming spires to soft emerald meadows, from raging waters to serene lakes, and from sheer cliffs to quite farm fields. It will bring you to experience local cultures, from observing their daily routines to exchanging conversations and from learning their ways of life to participate in their events. Through practicing listening and responding to the land and the people, our resulting reflection help us transcend our original being. We will leave no physical trace, but the connection will remain.