Yongren Fangshan Grade A Tourist Scenic Area

The drive back from Yongren Fangshan to Kunming takes two and a half hours. The moment the car door swung open, sweltering heat rushed over me, and my mood shifted subtly. Kunming was still trapped under a stifling haze. Returning from this cool land of idyllic beauty to the noisy city, I felt like a silkworm wrapped tightly in its cocoon. Stepping onto the hard concrete road, I was seized by a dull loss and a wandering mind, lost in trance.

Ancient scholars read ten thousand books and travelled ten thousand miles. With straw sandals and bamboo walking sticks, they roamed through wind and rain. Unlike today’s high-speed trains and planes, every feeling along the journey was written into poems. They would journey far to seek immortals among the Five Great Mountains, devoting their whole life to wandering among famous peaks.

Yongren Fangshan is truly a land of peace and seclusion. It lies more than 200 kilometres southwest of Kunming, right on the border of Yunnan and Sichuan. It commands three strategic passes and connects four regions. The area boasts forested peaks, quiet valleys, exotic springs and hanging caves. Here you can find relics of the Laishui Homo sapiens, ancient Gaoluo music, the heavenly tune of bamboo flutes, and even squirrels seeming to beg for official titles. Everyone deserves a chance to get close to nature. Escape the city day and night into wooded valleys, and savour the spiritual beauty of mountains and streams all to yourself.

Surrounded by rolling mountains, Fangshan tugs at your heart long after you leave. A visit here in August leaves you haunted by its mountains and rivers, pine breezes under the moon and clear springs dotted with morning dew, stirring up lingering reluctance deep inside.

Lying in the guest room of Fangshan Tourist Reception Centre at night, I was wrapped in utter stillness. The cool night air washed away all the tiredness of the day. Staring wide awake on the soft bed, I held my breath, listening carefully for the gurgle of running water outside the window. The quiet valley was like a sound-filtered vessel — utterly silent yet profoundly peaceful. I got up barefoot in the dark, fumbled to draw back the curtains, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, yet there was nothing to see. By daylight, although no stream could be heard through the window, I could see water winding through the woods, flowing cheerfully. Outside the window, everything sank into pitch-black silence. The night wind rustled thick leaves with soft whispers. Before long, drowsiness overtook me, and I slept soundly until dawn without a single dream.

I woke up to the first glow of dawn. Stepping out of the room, the mountains and rivers were veiled in mist. Fangshan in the morning twilight carried a dreamlike aura reminiscent of Picasso’s mysterious paintings, firing up the enthusiasm of several photographers. Every object broke into fragmented silhouettes, flickering amid gossamer-thin mist drifting freely across green hills and clear waters. These fleeting scenes can hardly be captured with the naked eye without a camera. The misty morning brought cool breezes. Everywhere the scenery looked strangely unfathomable. Riverbanks and shallows were shrouded in milky white fog above dense dark green foliage. The whole landscape lay quiet as a sleeping infant, without a single sound.

Zhang’s Old Duck Soup — Yongren, Yunnan Cold Donkey Skin Salad — Yongren, Yunnan Mutton Hot Pot — Yongren, Yunnan

Fangshan Tourist Reception Centre, Yongren, Yunnan Booking Hotline: 0878-6044118