Ten old villages to visit in Yunnan

With varied natural climatic environment, rich natural resources and diversity minority groups, Yunnan attracted to travelers all over the world.
Villages visiting was one of the highlight of yunnan trip, where cultures and lifestyles differ strikingly from place to place.
Here TravelAroundYunnan listed 10 villages you should go in yunnan.

1  Yubeng Village

Yubeng Village is a  secluded  Tibetan village tucked away at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain near the city of Shangri-la, in the northwestern corner of Yunnan Province.The entire village is surrounded by mountains from all side.

The only way to reach the village, which is surrounded by mountains on all sides, is by non-motorized means, such as by foot or on the back of a horse or a mule. But the trip, however arduous, is worth it, for Yubeng is a charming little village which, due to its inaccessibility, consists of only 20 households. The only access road over the mountain is suitable for non-motorized traffic only. It's an impressive experience for hiking in Yubeng, here's our exclusive yubeng itinerary with 9 days. (这里加雨崩那条线路）.

2. Xizhou Town

Xizhou is 19 kilometers north of Dali old town and lies between Erhai Lake and Cangshan Mountain. It is famous for Bai culture and where the old folk houses are well preserved.
The architecture includes three rows of houses and one screen wall facing the gate; it is also built with a front and a back yard, which is called an integrated courtyard and includes spacious turrets and buildings with five rooms. The Bai homes include carved wooden arts, clay sculptures and paintings, and marble sculpture, all representing their beliefs and culture.

The Bai houses are also characterized by a traditional Chinese rectangular courtyard with a screen wall facing the gate. On the screen wall there are usually four Chinese characters, reading "qingbai shijia" (innocent family) or "ziqi donglai" (Auspicious air comes from the East). Around them are colorful landscape paintings and decorations.

All carved wood works in Bai homes are made with wood produced in Jianchuan. The windows are carved in various patterns in traditional styles.

3  Yuhu Village
The Yuhu Naxi Minority's Village is located about 15 kilometers North of Lijiang Old Town. Naxi ethnic people reside in the small villages for centuries. It is the last village of the valley; and is situated at the foot of the Jade Dragon Mountain in Lijiang. The houses, built with unique rocks called "monkey head", sort of mix of the rocks and dried earth, makes the village looks the same as it was in the beginning of the 20th century when Joseph Rock chose this place as his residence place.
From Yuhu you can walk around by feet until the small lake of Yuhu; from there you'll see very pretty view of Jade Dragon Mountains. Another path climbs through the Mountains till the remote village of Wenhai, where you can stay overnight. The hike lasts 4-5 hours and you will need a local guide to come along with the trip, TravelAroundYunnan provide customized tour for you.

4. Shaxi Ancient Town

Shaxi Ancient Town located at the crossroad of the tea horse road, has a long history that can be tracking back to the Spring and Autumn period in Ancient Chinese history. It was a  lesser-known village compared to Dali and Lijiang old town. Shaxi Ancient Town now listed as the most endangered town on the World Monuments Fund.
Being the end of the caravans bringing war horses from Tibet in exchange for Yunnan tea, Shaxi began to lose its prominence as a trading centre and fell into decline. The Friday market in the morning still exists and is vibrant, but limited to buying and selling of goods from the area.

5. The village of Cizong

Cizhong was a village combining French and Tibetan cultures. Located 80km away from Deqin Country, which is normally called “Grain bin of Deqin”, beside Dewei Highway.
While there is a village hidden deeply in Diqing Prefecture, the so-called Shangri-La, where a French missionary came here 100 years ago, built up a church, planted grapes and teach local villagers to make wine. And Cizhong is the name of this village.
The famous Cizhong Church was located in Cizhong village. Built in the 6th year of Emperor Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty, and destroyed in the “Ahdunzi Litigation against the foreign church” in the 31st year of Emperor Guangxu. After temple was built, it become the main auditorium of the catholic in Duoqu of Yunnan. Cizhong village combines the culture of both Han, Zang and Naxi. 82% people in this village have catholic beliefs.

6. Nuohei Yi Village
Nuohei Yi Village was located in Guishan Town about 32km from Stone Forest (Shilin) County. The villagers inhabited here is Sani people, a branch of Yi nationality. Nuohei come from Yi language means  "monkey pond" The village nestles among mounts and lakes. It's a world of stones, composed of roads paved with polished stones, slate houses, rocky mounts and Karst lakes. Villagers had been using limestone to build their houses for centuries and hundreds of old houses, which have a history of more than a hundred years, are still well preserved in the village today.  It's a lesser-known village and almost untouched by tourism.  The real life of Yi ethnic group and Chinese rural area life were lasted even today.

7 Tuanshan Village
Tuanshan Village is a nice village about 8 km to the west of Jianshui. The village has about 237 households and over 90% villagers have the surname of Zhang. As most of them are the descendant of a Zhang family from Jiangxi province who immigrated to here about 600 years ago.The village has preserved a great number of ancient and traditional architectures. Most of the houses are made of clay walls and tile roofs. The entrance to it is a watchtower on which embrasures can be easily seen. Exploring into the houses, one can find there are lots of ages-old wood carvings on the doors and windows as special decorations. The Family Zhang’s Garden is the highlight of the village. Other typical old constructions with it include the East Gate, North Gate, South Gate, Upper Temple, Lower Temple, and Family Zhang’s Ancestral Hall etc.

8 Bamei village
Bamei come from Zhuang language means 'cave in the forest'.  It was located in the crossroad of Guangnan and Ake country, the village itself was isolated by outside and hard to find because it’s location. The whole village was surround by mountains in four direction, no highway available.
The main way local people come to this village was from the two natural Karst tunnel caves. In the beginning and end of the village. When you take a boat in the hidden valley, you will across a grove of green bamboos and old tress, also a blue stream gently flowers by. It’s like a hidden paradise makes you dating back to the ancient time.

Most of the local people lived in Baimei are Zhuang minority. They are live in traditional Malan houses, in Chinese is Diaojiaolou. Even today, the customs and festivals in Bamei still well preserved. They have their own Devil festival , for Sing, Dancing and boat competition. Bamei is indeed a ideal place to escape from the busy work life and become one of your yunnan destination.

Morning, further a driving of 3hrs to Guangnan County and change boat to entry in the Bamei Village which is hidden in the Valley. People in the village belong to the Zhuang ppeople. Bamei come from Zhuang language means 'cave in the forest' .

9 Luoshui village in Lugu Lake

Luoshui is a Mosuo village on the western shore of Lugu Lake in Ninglang County, Mosuo refers to a branch of the Naxi Minority in Lijiang. It consists of Shangluoshui and Xialuoshui Villages, most of whose residences are traditional wooden house of the Mosuo people.
Logs and planks are used to make walls and roofs of these houses that function well as cozy homes for the Mosuos, keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter and sheltering the dwellers effectively from earthquakes. You can not find any nail is used for the construction of the entire building.
Most villagers have opened inns, stores and bars etc to gear to the booming tourism sector that brings a great number of visitors to Lugu Lake each year. When in Lugu Lake Area, one gets chance to take a look in the Grandmother Chamber (Zu Mu Fang) which, in the matriarchal society, remains a mystery to the out-comers. It’s a good idea to try Sulima liquor and enjoy the romance of “Axia Marriage” (Walking Marriage). Besides, Lugu Lake is also a perfect place to bask in the sunshine.

10.  Chengzi Ancient Village

Chengzi Ancient Village is located in the Yongning Township, Luxi County of Yunnan , 200km south from Kunming. In the ancient village which with a history nearly 600 years, the most attractive visitors is their traditional dwelling house.
The appearances are featured with Yi people’s constructional style while the inner decoration is characterized by Han cultural designs. These houses that are made of clay are called "Tuzhang Houses" in Ailao Mountain Area. More than 1000 Tuzhang houses linked each other from the right and left , the upper and lower. No matter a room is built with one floor or two floors; you can see a scuttle every six meters in a courtyard, aiming at ventilating and lighting. The houses are made from waterproof tree trunks. The roofs are paved with spitted firewood, sticks, pine needles and clay. All the materials are beat to a flat roof by sticks. Though the village is located in the gorge area with low altitude, people feel warm in winter and cool in summer while living in the houses.
Today, visitors are drawn to the unique cluster of architecture and the history it preserves. Time seems to stop when one glides through the stone roads in the labyrinth of Tuzhangfangs. In harvest season, golden corn and fresh red peppers hang from the eaves and earthen walls. Young villagers busy themselves drying grain in the sun, women washing cloth in the riverside,  the seniors are sitting and charting , kids are playing in the village... The mountain, water, fields , house and villagers constitute a beautiful natural landscape painting.

If you need the professional suggestion whatever your trip to yunnan villages, Amazing Yunnan or Grand China, our travel experts are glad to offer the tail-made proposal for you.