Published : 2025-12-23
In the past, Ailao mountain might not be very well-known, but during the 2024 National Day holiday, this mountain suddenly became extremely popular.
The influx of crowds of tourists even caused major traffic jams on the mountain roads, which had always been seldom-trodden. Where is Ailao Mountain? Why did it become so popular?
Located in central Yunnan, stretching for 450km
Ailao Mountain is located in the central part of Yunnan Province and was named after the ancient Ailao tribe that thrived there. It is a spur of the Yunling Mountains, running from northwest to southeast, with a total length of 450 kilometres and a width of 15 to 30 kilometres. The mountainous area covers nearly 10,000 km2, almost 10 times the size of Hong Kong.
Records show that Ailao Mountain is both the watershed of the Yuan River and the Amo River, and the dividing line between the two major landforms of the Eastern Yunnan Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains.
Its mountain range is towering and majestic, with more than 20 peaks exceeding 3,000 metres in altitude, and the main peak of the same name stands at an altitude of 3,165.9 metres.
According to reports, Ailao Mountain has a complex terrain, changeable weather, and dense forests. It is the largest primary mid-montane moist evergreen broad-leaved forest area in the country and is also a treasure trove of concentrated China's animal resources.
Abnormal magnetic field strength causes malfunction of compasses
Parts of the northern and central sections of the mountain were established as a national nature reserve as early as 1988. Some of the outer areas have been developed for tourism, but much more of it remains an undeveloped restricted area.
Inside, there are mostly primeval forests, with cliffs and precipices everywhere, and ferocious beasts also appear from time to time, posing risks for tourists who enter rashly.
In addition, extreme weather such as heavy rain, blizzards, and hail often occurs in the mountain areas. At night, the dense, enclosed forests release large amounts of carbon dioxide, and people walking in the forests for extended periods may lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen.
Even more mysteriously, it has been confirmed through measurements by scientific researchers that, there is anomalies magnetic field strength in Ailao Mountain, which may cause malfunction of compasses and increase the risk of tourists getting lost.
Vlogger mining and venturing alone sparked a craze
In 2021, four team members from the Kunming Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey Centre of the China Geological Survey went missing after entering the hinterland of Ailao Mountain for fieldwork, and were eventually confirmed to have all perished.
Unexpectedly, this "restricted zone" became a trendy spot during the 2024 National Day holiday.
The situation arose after a video blogger had previously posted a thrilling video online about a solo mining venture into Ailao Mountain, which sparked netizens' interest.
As a result, when the National Day holiday began, tourists flocked from all directions for an adventure, causing the road that winds up the mountain in Xinping County, Yuxi, to be gridlocked with self-driving tour cars.
To prevent the situation from deteriorating further and to ensure public safety, the authorities have issued a safety reminder and strictly prohibited any tourists from entering the depths of Ailao Mountain without permission.
