Dragon Gate & Dianchi

Western Hills temples on the cliff about 320 m over Dian lake

.Dragon Gate

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Datian Pavilion on the bold cliff with Dragon Gate behind

. Dragon Gate grotto complex was built between 1781-1853

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Fine bas-relief decoration

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Temples are of both Buddhism and Taoism

. Small pavilion

. Taoist Gods inside one of the temples

. Shengfumu Palace

.Lingguan Palace

Shilin

Main entrance to the Shilin Stone Forest

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Notable set of karst formations

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Shilin covers an area of 2,670 square km

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Heavy showers created striking rocks

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Some of the rocks fell down during an earthquake in 1980s

.The formations are believed to be over 270 million years old

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Wandering in the Stone Forest is a unique experience

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Numerous lakes are like bright mirrors reflecting the rocks and peaks

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Katka in Shilin Stone Forest

Yiliang

Line of shops in Yiliang town

.Rice field

. Housing in the village close to Yiliang

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Village farm
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Street in Yiliang with Kunming-Myanmar mountain railway behind
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Countryside in central Yunnan

Jiu Xiang

Jiu Xiang is beautiful canyon and cave area about 100 km east of Kunming

. We toured the canyon on boats

. Canyon entrance and tower with two elevators

. Long walking tour in the canyon

. Jiu Xiang canyon is very deep
. And part of it is underground

. The river goes through an abyss

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One of the many caves

. Cascade of the pools

. Waterfall of the Twins

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Great cavern

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Small grotto

Yunnan Nationalities Villages

Stupa in Yunnan Nationalities Villages - home of 26 nationalities

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Bridge to Shui village

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Shui girls sitting on mill

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Village of Wa people

. Wa boy looks after the chicken

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Ritual circle of Wa people

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Village of Bai people
.Katka and Karel in the Zhuang minority village

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Katka feeding elephants, one banana in one gulp...

.This elephant was very friendly

. Girl in the costume of Lahu nationality

. Old woman

. Katka in the costume of Yi people

. Yi children playing with tricycle

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Buddhist temple in Tibetian village