Explore Yunnan's 3 brand-new circular train routes

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Published : 2025-05-01

Editor︰Ryu

In southwest China's Yunnan Province, a brand-new circular train allows visitors to tour Yunnan seamlessly starting from April 18.

Tourists can travel and explore along the way, enjoying the unique experience of visiting attractions during the day and staying overnight on the train.

What are the highlights along the circular routes? Let's take a look!

Yunnan's ethnic style architectures: Old Town of Lijiang, Xishuangbanna

As a place where many ethnic minorities live, Yunnan has a rich and diverse ethnic architecture. When it comes to the most representative attraction, it must be the Old Town of Lijiang (麗江古城).

The Old Town of Lijiang, located in the middle of Lijiang Dam, has been a famous market and town since ancient times.

It is one of the four major ancient cities in China, which was built at the end of the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368 AD).

The Old Town of Lijiang is also the only ancient town in China that has no city wall.

The ancient city of Lijiang, Yunnan, which has a history of over 800 years, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997.

Walking along the bluestone roads, you can see bright and colorful flower clusters everywhere, which complement the antique wooden buildings.

Old Town of Lijiang gathers the essence of Han, Bai, Yi, and Tibetan ethnic groups, along with the unique style of the Naxi people.

The building complexes are built by the mountains and rivers, coexisting with both the appearance of a mountain town and a water town. With an orderly layout, representative spots include Sifang Street, Baisha Residence, and Shuhe Residence.

In Yunnan, another minority feature worth experiencing is the Dai culture.

Located in the southwest of Yunnan, Xishuangbanna (西雙版納) is an autonomous prefecture of the Dai people. Due to its proximity to Myanmar and Laos, it also gathers a lot of Southeast Asian characteristics.

Xishuangbanna has a strong exotic atmosphere.

Bamboo houses where the Dai people live, Dai Buddhist temples and pagodas can be found everywhere; tourists can also experience the Dai Water Splashing Festival, taste bamboo rice, and stroll around the dazzling night market.

Famous attractions in Xishuangbanna include the Jinghong Golden Pagoda, and the Mekong River, which is connected to it, offering a rich exotic atmosphere.

Yunnan's natural scenic spots: Hot Sea Volcano, Cangshan Erhai

Yunnan has always been renowned for its magnificent landscapes.

In addition to famous spots like Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Shangri-La, the new circular train allows tourists to reach Tengchong and Dali, experiencing the visual shock brought by the scenery along the way.

Tengchong Volcano Hot Sea Tourism Area is a national 5A level scenic area. The volcanic hot spring landforms here are diverse, including types like boiling springs, hot water pools, fumaroles, and steam grounds, with the Great Boiling Pot being the representative spot.

The Big Boiling Pot is one of the main attractions of Tengchong Volcanic Hot Sea, named after its resemblance to a big pot filled with hot water.

In the scenic area of Tengchong Volcanic Hot Sea, rolling and boiling hot spring water can be seen everywhere, with steam permeating the air, creating a spectacular sight.

The Great Boiling Pot is actually the high-temperature centre of the Hot Sea geothermal area. It is named after its shape resembling a large pot filled with hot water.

There are three spouts at the bottom, with water temperatures above 90°C all year round. The light blue hot spring water is constantly boiling, with smoke filling the air, which is very spectacular.

Among the most fascinating sceneries in Yunnan, Cangshan and Erhai in Dali are definitely listed.

The top of Cangshan Mountain is snow-covered all year round, with 19 peaks in total. There is a stream between every two peaks that flows into Erhai, also known as the Eighteen Streams.

These 19 peaks and Eighteen streams bring unique and varied natural and cultural landscapes to Cangshan.

The three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, located north of the ancient city of Dali in Yunnan, back against the Cangshan Mountains and face the Erhai Lake, are one of the Four Great Towers of China and a landmark of Dali.

As for Erhai Lake, it has long been known as the "Pearl of the Plateau." It is the second-largest freshwater lake in Yunnan Province, boasting numerous beautiful bays.

It is famed for its "Three Islands," "Four Continents," "Five Lakes," and "Nine Bends," with the notable attraction of Xiaoputuo Island being one of the "Eight Views of Erhai."

Yunnan's ancient Dian culture tour: Yunnan Provincial Museum

To delve deeper into and explore the representative culture of Yunnan's history—the "Dian Culture," the Yunnan Provincial Museum is definitely the top choice.

Located in Yunnan's provincial capital Kunming, the Yunnan Provincial Museum is the largest comprehensive museum in the province.

It houses over 200,000 pieces (sets) of artifacts, including bronzes, ancient coins, ceramics, ancient books and paintings, steles, and various handicrafts, offering a glimpse into the lifestyle and customs of the ancient Dian Kingdom people who once inhabited Yunnan.

Yunnan Provincial Museum, a national first-class museum, opened its new building designed by a Hong Kong design team in 2015.

The ancient city of Lijiang, Yunnan, which has a history of over 800 years, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997.0

Of course, besides the three main themed attractions mentioned above, there are many other worthwhile destinations along the circular train route.

The new circular train offers both soft and hard sleeper options, with reasonably priced berth tickets that help save on accommodation and transportation costs during the trip, making travel more convenient.

Don't wait any longer, gather your friends and family, and embark on the joyful journey of traveling through Yunnan by train together!