2021 Kunming | 5 Days Dongchuan Red Land Scenic Tour

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2021 Yunnan | 5 Days Dongchuan Red Land Scenic Tour

Appreciate God's Magic Palette

Kunming, located at the center of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, is the capital city of Yunnan Province. It has the beautiful reputation as "Spring City" to make people love its all year round warm season seeming spring, which even draws groups of black-necked gulls to spend their warm winter holiday there every year. Enjoying the beautiful surrounding mountainous landscapes, Kunming is always favored by travelers to fully relax with the radiant and enchanting spring scene - the warm sunshine, azure and transparent sky, and fresh flowers spreading all over. 

Kunming has quite more than blossoms and warmness of weather and diverse ethnic minority people, including the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Stone Forest, paradise Dongchuan Red Land, wonderful Jiuxiang Karst caves, etc. for your free imagination of the creator nature. While, as an experienced old capital city, Kunming will take you to see the various looks of its ancient and modern appearances for your cultural knowledge enrichment no matter during the many ethnic festivals or international gatherings. Moreover, with developed transportation network connecting many other destinations within the province, Kunming is nearly the necessary start for one’s discovery of the amazing Yunnan!

Dongchuan Red Land more than 200 km northeast from Kunming city center is reputed as the “God’s Magic Palette”, the “Wonderful Vistas of Color” and the “Color Kingdom” by its fans. Reaching out for a radius of hundreds of miles and being the most typical and featured red soil land in the world, even more magnificent than that in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Dongchuan Red Land is one of the best labels of Yunnan and favored by numerous nature lovers and shutterbugs to have a personal admiration every year!

Dongchuan is featured in high temperature and abundant rainfall, thus the iron in the earth had been oxidized in years. Together with the various crops, azure sky, white cloud and unpredictable light, the entire red terraced field land located between 1800m ~ 2600m above the sea level finally form the dazzling colors and spectacular scenery just like the palette of god. Therefore, it is widely praised as the paradise for photographers and surely not to be missed if you are also a fan of nature!

Highlights of this tour

• Be amazed by the breathtaking sceneries of layers of bright red fields at Dongchuan Red Land, involve in the local simple life and slow your pace here;

• Catch the rare time to watch the awesome sunrise and sunset of Dongchuan Red Land at the best location of Damakan and Luoxiagou and indulge in the idyllic rural countryside scenery;

• Explore the must-see Stone Forest aboveground to marvel at the amazing Karst world of countless diverse shaped erecting pinnacles;

• Get down to Jiuxiang Cave to be intoxicated with the gorgeous palace of various stalactites and stalagmites ignited into a splendid wonderland;

• Enjoy a refreshing walk at beautiful Western Hills to see the outstanding Dragon Gate and overlook the peaceful Dianchi Lake and Kunming City;
  

• Soak in the laid-back life pace in the City of Spring to enjoy your romantic holiday with classic visits to the top city bests.

Best Time to Visit Dongchuan Red Land:

April to June and September to December is the best time to visit Dongchuan Red Land;

April - May: red land, golden wheat, buckwheat, green potato seedlings;

September: red land, golden wheat, white winter rape flowers, green potato seedlings, better for sunset glow;

November: red land, golden rape flower stalks, green turnip seedlings;

January - March: red land covered by white snow.

Trip Overview

Nature is so magic that it can depict the most beautiful colors on its land. Reputed as "God's Magic Platte", Dongchuan Red Land is famous for the incredible bursting colors and magnificent countless levels of smooth lined fields. And that even makes someone think this remote land at the northeast of Kunming is even more beautiful than that in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

• Day1 Arrive at Kunming,  Live in Kunming City and then it is your own time to explore Kunming City

• Day2 Kunming - Dongchuan Red Land-Moon Farmland-Ancient Tree-Sunset Valley Live in Dongcun Red Land.

• Day3 Dongchuan-Sunrise at Damakan-Jinxiu Garden-Qicai Slope-Yuepuao Kunming Live in Kunming City

• Day4 Kunming City-Jiuxiang Karst Cave-Stone Forest-Kunming City Live in Kunming City

• Day5 Western Hill-Yuangtong Temple-Green Lake Kunming-Depature

If you are nature lovers, you should not miss the spectacular scenery of Dongchuan Red Land with amazing and layer color of red, green, white, yellow, purple with mountainous backdrop. If you are photography enthusiasts, you are truly recommended to shoot many magnificent pictures at special locations and also you won't miss the fantastic sunrise and sunset view on such gorgeous place.

FYI：In case of rain, traffic jam or any other unpredictable situations, CET reserves the rights to adjust the schedule.

Damakan Village(打马坎): Best Sunrise

Damakan Village is located in the northwest part of the whole scenic area, and it’s the best place to shoot sunrise scene. It’s about 10km from Huashitou Village. Standing on the highway and you can overlook the red land with beautiful sunrise and curing smoke from the villagers’ kitchen. The scenery in Damakan is very magnificent, and with luck, it’s possible to see the cloud sea here.

Qicaipo (七彩坡, Seven-Color Slope)

Qicaipo is close to Damakan and is located in the way from Damakan to Huashitou Village, and it means seven colors slope in Chinese, which perfectly explain the scenery here. The colors here are very beautiful. It’s also located in a high point, and from different angles and in different seasons, the slope will show different patches of colors and bring you different visual impact. The best shooting time is in the afternoon. Purple potato flowers and buckwheat flowers in spring and early summer make this spot a romantic place for your shooting.

Jinxiu Yuan (锦绣园, Embroidery Garden)

Jinxiu Yuan is located on the way from Qicaipo to Huashitou Village and it’s only 1km from Qicaipo. Jinxiu Yuan is actually a large concave ground and there is a sightseeing road built along its mountainside. Jinxiu Yuan has the greatest concentration of red earth in the whole scenic area, and comparing with the scenery of Damakan, it’s less grandeur, but more delicate. Best time for shooting is in the afternoon.

Luoxiagou (落霞沟, Sunset Valley): Best Sunset

Luoxiagou, means sunset valley in Chinese, has the most beautiful sunset scenery. Located at the northeast to Huashitou Village, the scenery here is often changed with the wind, cloud, sunshine and the plants in the fields. People say there are no repeated sceneries in Luoxiagou in the 365 days. When you arrive at Luoxiagou and look down from there, wisps of smoke rise continuously from the village chimneys; fields and village have formed a perfect picture. 

Best time for shooting is from 16:30 to 17:30. During this time, sun will rise from the east mountain of Luoxiagou, and it’s most possible to appear torchlight like sunlight. Besides, after its irrigation in May, the terrace fields are more excellent for take great photos of the more beautiful lines.

Yuepuao (乐谱凹, Music Hollow)

Yuepuao is a village located in the south of Huashitou Village, very close to it. The scenery in Yuepuao is mainly made of colored fields, village and small forests. Villagers working in the lines of the fields look just like the flexible notes on the musical notation. The sunlight is good in before dusk, and with luck, you can shoot the great sunset glow here.

Ancient Tree

The Ancient Tree is actually a thousand-year-old fir which is rooted in hill alone in the east of Huashitou Village. The hill is covered with cobblestones and it’s actually not a “tree-friendly” place. However, the Ancient Tree has lived several thousands of years, and it’s kind of a magic. The local people think the tree is a sacred tree and they will worship the tree every year.

Shuipingzi

Shuipingzi is also called Moon Field, and it’s located in the northeast of Huashitou Village. If you drive from the Dongchuan township, then Shuipingzi is the first attraction you will encounter. The red earth here stretches itself to the horizon. In spring, you can shoot the irrigation scenery of the paddy fields, while autumn is great time to shoot the golden paddy fields.

Stone Forest

Formed 270 million years ago, Stone Forest is the oldest karst landform in China. Listed as the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, it is No.1 attraction in Kunming!

Jiuxiang Karst Caves

It is praised as the museum of Karst caves with over 100 in various sizes. Take the boat and escalator down to explore the colorful large palace belowground!

Western Hill

Western Hills is a forest park sitting next to the beautiful Dian Lake, and historical sites spread among the green forest. This is a great place for relaxing and hiking.

Green Lake Kunming

This park is the jade and eye of Kunming and favored for a leisure walk. Diverse summer lotus flowers and winter black-headed gulls are not to be missed!

Yuantong Temple

With 1,200 years’ history, it is the city’ largest temple site and attracts numerous visitors by the rich Buddhist features and lovely garden styled layout with ponds, pavilions, corridors…!

Bird and Flower Market

Birds and Flowers Markets in Kunming selling various flowers, birds, fishes... is a nice place to hang out and get close to authentic daily life of local citizens.

Basic Tour Information

Activity Place: Kunming City Yunnan Province

Activity Date:  2020 Group Tour Dates

• Every Tuesday/Saturday (Holiday price is different)
  

Trip Length: 5D/4N

Meeting point: Kunming Hotel(Pick up and drop off service is available)

Group Trip fee: Local Traveling bus+Meals+Accommondations+Guide+Insurance

• Normal Price: 2485RMB/pax, pay the deposit 885RMB/pax when you book the trip.

• Group Discount: 2435RMB/pax if 3 or more than 3 seats booked together, pay the deposite 835RMB/pax when you book the trip.

• VIP Price: 2435RMB  ( Buy CET VIP on our wechat offical Menu ),pay the deposit fee 835RMB/pax when you book the trip.

• Kid Price: Children are less than 1.2m and the kids doesnt need beds which is 1385RMB. Children above 1.2m are the same as adult.

• Single Supplement: 1280RMB for the Singleroom supplement if you live alone.

Participants: The Group trip fee is for at least 4 people, if only two people the price will 380RMB/pax more to make the trip confirmed.

Driver and Vehicle: Drivers are local, polite, friendly and helpful, taking you to your tourist sites, hotels, airport/train stations in safety. All kinds of vehicle are offered, and yours depends on the size of the group. Usually, we offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV) and different types of buses.

Travel Advisor:  Monica 18514204169 (English & Mandarin) if you have any question, please call us.

Please Note: If you are interested in our trip but not in beijing,  please feel free to contact our travel advisor

Book Your Tickets Online

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Statement about the Trip Fee

What is includes in the cost?

• Guide for the whole trip.
  

• Traveling bus with experienced driver.

• Pick up and drop off service

• Drivers' accommadations and meals for the whole trip.
  

• Accommodation: 4 Nights Hotel, one nights in DongChuan Red Land, 3 night in Kunming

• Meals: D2 Breakfast; D3 Breakfast; D4 Breakfast; D5 Breakfast; 

• 5 Days outdoor insurance.
  

What is not included in the cost?(The trip fee doesnt include the tickets fee)

• About Western Hill: 80RMB

• About Stone Forest: 130RMB, E-Car 25RMB

• About Jiuxiang Karst Cave: 100RMB(Inlcude entrance tickets, boating ,elevator)

• About Dongchuan Red Land: At present it is free and we can use our own car/bus to transfer inside of the scenic spots

Please Note: We want to have a positive effect everywhere we go, we don’t take commissions or kickbacks, and we don’t take you on detours for shopping.

Statement about the Refund

• If you cancel this trip more than 7 days before depature, we will fully refund

• If you cancel this trip within 7 days before depature, no refund of the deposit fee

About Insurance: Our trip leader will collect your insurance information 3 days before this trip happens, if you didnt fill the form when he collects the informations or gave the wrong information, it means you give up this trip's insurance and the accident compensation.

Full Itinerary Day by Day

Day1 Arrive at Kunming,  Live in Kunming City and then it is your own time to explore Kunming City

Accommodation: Overnight in Kunming city

Welcome to Kunming, the Spring City of China! Upon arrival at the Kunming airport/train station, the local tour guide and driver will meet you in the arrival hall and escort you to your hotel and help you check in. The the rest day is your own time to explore the Spring City.

Arrival Ideas: You can take a direct flight from more than 110 domestic cities and some international destinations including Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, San Francisco, Tokyo, London, and Los Angeles. Also, you can take a bullet train from Chengdu (5.5 hours), Chongqing (4 hours), Guilin (8 hours), Guiyang (2 hours), Guangzhou (7 hours), Beijing (11 hours), Shanghai (11 hours), Hong Kong (7.5 hours), etc. with convenience!

Day2 Kunming - Dongchuan Red Land-Moon Farmland-Ancient Tree-Sunset Valley Live in Dongcun Red Land.

Transfer: By High Speed train, From Dali-Kunming, 300km, around 2 hour.

Accommodation: Overnight in Kunming city

Good morning! After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and then escort you to Dongchuan Red Land for about 3 hours’ driving (150km northeast from Kunming downtown). Dongchuan Red Land located at 1,800-2,600 meters above sea is the most typical, featured and grand red land in the whole world. 

Favored by azure sky, white clouds and unpredictable light beams, it is also loved by world nature lovers and photographers to capture its unique spectacular beauty of lines, patches and colors!

In the afternoon, you will first go to visit Shuipingzi that is also called Yueliangtian (Moon Farmland) and featured with canyon scenery and terraced fields. Fill your eyes with the endlessly reaching red land hills rolling gently and find that one patch looking like a jade Chinese lute. The layers of fields will be irrigated into various geometric mirrors in spring and dress by golden carpets in autumn for your visual capture.

Then, go to have a close look at the thousand-year-old Ancient Tree which is a giant ancient fir tree over 1,000 years old like a god protecting the vast red land. Later, visit Luoxiagou (Sunset Valley) to see the picturesque landscape of various bright and dark red colors with several white rural houses dotted on in the middle, which is one of the most beautiful sceneries of Dongchuan Red Land. 

You will catch the resplendent sunset with soft light shining down on the pieces of red and green land like a fairyland on earth or a luxury attire of corduroy. With villagers riding their little vehicle back to their rural houses after cultivation, the scene in front your eyes is a real idyllic painting of nature and people.

After that, be escorted back to your hotel. Have a good sleep!

Photography Tips:

• Shuipingzi: April to May is best to see fields irrigated with water, when blue sky and white clouds are well mirrored in the water; Autumn is the best season to enjoy the sea of golden crops. 

• Luoxiagou sunset is best to shoot during 16:30-17:30 with best light.

Day3 Dongchuan-Sunrise at Damakan-Jinxiu Garden-Qicai Slope-Yuepuao Kunming Live in Kunming City

Transfer: By High Speed train, From Dali-Kunming, 300km, around 2 hour.

Accommodation: Overnight in Kunming city

On this day, you will get up early to take awesome pictures of the sunrise at Damakan at 2,600 meters high that is the best place to admire sunrise at Dongchuan Red Land. Look from the high sightseeing deck, you will have the terrific idyllic scenery of kitchen smoke curling up from the rural houses, poplar trees sparkling under the slanting shining morning glows, and village half showing in the morning fog. All those will make you feel standing in a dreamland!

After that, continue your trip for photography and visit Jinxiu Garden, which is the master work of Dongchuan Red Land and is famous for its abundant colors and graceful layers. Prettier red and green land pieces connecting are quite suitable for local shooting. Appreciate the sightseeing at different angles along the plank road. Next, go to Qicai Slope (Colorful Slope) to admire the famous scenery of colorful land in iridescent hue, and the distinct patched colors look really like painted by the deity fond of painting. 

Nowhere else can be more beautiful than it on sunny days after the process of rain. And when the wind blows, layers of green, white, red, golden and more colors roll particularly like waves running to the ends of the earth.

Then, pay a visit to Yuepuao. You will not miss the lovely sightseeing of layers of paralleled curving fields like a giant colorful musical notation composing the beautiful song of nature and agriculture with the cultivating villagers and rural houses being the dynamic notes together. You can shoot sunset glow with good lights at dusk. Several hundred meters away Yuepuao, it is Luoshiwan (River Snail Bay) and Wafangliangzi (Tiled House Bridge) where you could capture the complete view of Yuepuao and folk houses on the land.

After the tour, drive back to your hotel in Kunming downtown. Enjoy your nice sleep!

Photography Tips:

• Damakan: 06:00-07:00 is best to shoot sunrise with rural kitchen smoke, morning glow and fog.

• Jinxiu Garden and Qicai Slope are cultivated with colorful crops, and April to May is best to shoot red land pictures with beautiful flowers including potato flowers, buckwheat flowers, etc.

• Yuepuao: The short time after sunrise is best to shoot the fluent line of the field ridges with front light, and sunset hour is also great with backlight.

Day4 Kunming City-Jiuxiang Karst Cave-Stone Forest-Kunming City Live in Kunming City

Transfer: By bus, From Kunming-Jiuxiang, 125km, around 3 hour.

Accommodation: Overnight in Kunming City

After breakfast, your local guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and then escort you to discover Jiuxiang Karst Cave first for about 2.5 hours’ riding (125km)! Jiuxiang Scenic Area in Kunming, also called the Museum of Karst Caves, is a cluster of hundreds of karst caves, forming the largest such complex in China. It is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Stone Forest. Jiuxiang Scenic Area and Stone Forest are both karst landscapes. There is a saying that “in Kunming, people can appreciate the stone forest above the ground and karst caves underground”.

Located in the Yi and Hui Autonomous Township of Yiliang, the Jiuxiang Scenic Area not only has beautiful landscapes but also displays the custom and culture of the Yi and Hui minorities. Here, you can appreciate lush forests, narrow canyons and underground caves. The Myth, a film starring Jackie Chan, took this special landscape as a backdrop. The main scenic spots of the Jiuxiang Scenic Area are Green Shady Valley, Grand Underground Valley, Grand Lion Hall, Twin Waterfalls, Fairy Fields and Bat Cave.

After this tour, we will go to Kunming Stone Forest- the “Essence of World Karst Landform” has been listed as the UNESCO World Natural Heritage with the incomparable coverage of 12 square kilometers’ stone pinnacle groups. Take the sightseeing bus to visit the Greater Stone Forest Scenic Area to admire the typical concentrating cinerous stone pinnacles by walking through the maze of stone peaks and jumping high for the panorama of the forest of protruding stone peaks. 

Also, you will see the famous peak on many photos and even stones towering over 40 meters. Then, continue to ride the bus to explore the Lesser Stone Forest to closely look at the iconic stone “Ashima” like a young lady, listen to the touching love story of Ashima, and fill your eyes with the emerald garden-like park of wilder stone peaks surrounded by lush green plants and blossoms. Take the sightseeing bus to exit the scenic park.

After the discovering, drive back to Kunming city and check in the hotel.

Day5 Western Hill-Yuantong temple-Green Lake Kunming-Depature

Please note: Book your flight later than 17:00 today

In the morning, you’ll pay a visit to the famous Western Hills which is called “Sleeping Beauty Hills”, looking like a beautiful young lady lying beside Dian Lake (the largest freshwater in Yunnan and famed as the “Pearl on the Plateau”). It is a particularly pleasant experience to walk in such verdant forest mountain park with elegant sightseeing and a series of cultural relics and sites, including some old temples. 

You will not miss the symbolic visit to the magic Dragon Gate as it says “If you do not visit Western Hill, you haven't visited Kunming; if you do not come to Dragon Gate, you haven't been to Western Hills”, where to admire the colorful old grottoes on the wall and catch the panoramic view of the large peaceful Dianchi Lake and Kunming City. (You can visit the temples if interested. Huating Temple and Taihua Temple are included in the ticket.)

After the tour, you’ll enjoy a cultural visit to Yuantong Temple that is one of the top oldest Buddhist temples in Kunming with more than 1,200 years’ history. Take your stroll there to feel the rich Buddhist atmosphere of three Buddhist sects filling the antique halls and houses specially designed into a traditional Chinese garden layout for a quite different appreciation of temple in China.

Then, walk to Kunming Green Lake nearby. This pretty park with a lovely lake, old-styled pavilions, corridors, flowers, etc. is the most popular place for an authentic feeling of local Kunming people’s leisure life with citizens singing, dancing, talking, exercising, etc.  During November to the next March, Black-headed Gulls from Siberian will never be late to fly there for their expecting comfortable warm winter holiday. Do not miss playing with those adorable and vigorous elfin during your relaxing roam!

After the tour, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station to catch your flight / train (after 17:00) to next destination. 

Additional Information:

• Please be advised that there will be approximately 10-45 travelers per group

• The above itinerary is for reference only, and is subject to change due to the weather conditions

• Please inform us of any dietary restrictions and allergies if you booked our tour. Please remember to bring any medication that you need with you

• Pregnant women, guests with heart attacks, high blood pressure, respiratory diseases, severe colds, and those who are not suitable for outdoor hiking are advised to carefully decide whether or not to travel according to their own conditions or doctor's advice

• We will contact you between 8:00pmto10:00pm a day before you travel to reconfirm the pick up time and place. Please keep your contact lines or channels available. If you have not received any confirmation after 10:00pm, please contact customer service.

• In case of severe inclement weather or other environmental problems beyond control that causes the tour to be unable to proceed, participants can opt for a reschedule.

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