Yunnan Activities, Food & Recreation
What to See and Do in Yunnan
Trekking in Yunnan
There are many tracks and paths through wildlife reserves
in the province and it may be possible to arrange trekking
tours through specialist agencies.
Wildlife
Abundant flora and fauna make this province a naturalists
dream, particularly in the prefecture of Xishuangbana, where
many wildlife reserves have been established. Asian elephants,
oxen, peacocks and monkeys can all be viewed on specially
arranged tours, while the huge Menglun Botantical gardens
has a wide variety of tropical and sub-tropical flora.
Eating
From the deliciously delicate to the hearty and spicy, Yunnan's
cuisine is a collage of fresh vegetables, fruits and local
herbs, flavoured with local know-how and many foreign influences.
Crossing the Bridge Noodles is a particularly famous local
dish, which acquired its name from the story of an earnest
student who shut himself away on an island while he was studying
for his exams - the only way to get this meal to him was via
a connecting bridge.
There are many other local specialities, including huoguo
(hot pot), introduced by the Mongols, mingcai (roast duck),
qiguoji (chicken steamed in an earthen pot) and shaguoyu (fish
casserole). Popular snacks include walnuts and sunflower seeds.
Drinking
Yunnan is one of the major tea-producing areas of China,
and there are many different varieties of tea grown in the
hills around the province, and drunk in the tea shops of Kunming
and other towns. For a slightly stronger concoction, there
are several locally brewed liquors, known as jius, including
baijiu and qingjiu, made from corn, and chingkojiu, distilled
from barley. Fruit juices, soft drinks and locally brewed
beer are rarely refridgerated and are consumed at room temperature.
Bottled water is widely available.
Entertainment
With over 800 titles in its repertoire, Yunnan opera is
an interesting blend of influences and styles, including Anhui,
Hubei and Han opera, and leans heavily on the languages and
folk songs of the province.
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