In western Yunnan, nestled between the Gaoligong Mountains and the Nujiang River Gorge, lies a land seemingly favored by time itself.
This is Tengchong, the First City at the Utmost Frontier, and Dehong, the Hometown of the Peacock. It was a vital hub on the ancient Southern Silk Road and is now a border corridor where China meets Myanmar, connected by shared mountains and rivers.
This is a brand-new exploration themed around Volcanoes & Hot Springs and Borderland Culture. Over 12 days, we will depart from Baoshan, the World Hot Spring Museum, journey westward along the Nujiang Gorge, delve into Tengchong’s volcanic clusters and hot spring wonders, touch upon the nostalgic memories of the Overseas Chinese in Heshun Ancient Town, traverse the biological secrets of the Gaoligong Mountains, and finally arrive in Dehong – a beautiful land safeguarded for generations by the Dai, Jingpo, and Achang ethnic groups. Throughout, you will be accompanied by multilingual cultural guides deeply versed in local lore, helping you understand the fiery passion and gentle warmth, the ancient heritage and open spirit of Western Yunnan.
Theme: A Coffee Pilgrimage from Yongchang, Baoshan to the Lujiangba Basin
Day 1: Baoshan Assembly | First Encounter with Ancient Yongchang
Itinerary: Arrive at Baoshan Yunrui Airport from various locations. Private transfer to your boutique hotel in Baoshan. In the evening, take a stroll through Qinghuahai National Wetland Park, soaking in the tranquil atmosphere of this Famed Literary City of Western Yunnan. A welcome dinner will be held, where your guide will outline the journey through the ultimate frontier secrets awaiting you over the next ten-plus days.
Day 2: Baoshan → Lujiangba | In Search of the Eureka Gold Medal Coffee Legend
Itinerary: Morning drive to Lujiangba (approx. 1.5 hours), enjoying the majestic scenery of the Nujiang Gorge along the way. Upon arrival, visit the Xinzhai Coffee Plantation Base – China’s First Coffee Village and the hometown of Baoshan Small-Grain Coffee. In 1993, Baoshan Small-Grain Coffee won the Eureka Gold Medal, a world-class honor that remains unique to this Chinese coffee variety.
Afternoon: Deep immersion in the seed to cup process at Biton Coffee Estate or Hukez Coffee Estate. Led by professionals, walk through the coffee plantations to learn about different varietals, visit initial processing facilities, participate in professional cupping sessions, and compare flavor profiles from different processing methods – citrus, jasmine, caramel, chocolate… Build a deep understanding of Baoshan coffee through this sensory journey.
Evening: Check into a boutique coffee estate homestay in Lujiangba. Open your window to terraced coffee fields and fall asleep to the sound of insects and the aroma of coffee.
Theme: From the Gaoligong Mountains to Volcanoes & Hot Springs, from an Overseas Chinese Town to Natural Healing
Day 3: Lujiangba → Tengchong | Traversing the Biological Paradise of Gaoligong Mountains
Itinerary: Bid farewell to Lujiangba in the morning and drive through the Gaoligong Mountains. Known as the World Species Gene Bank, it boasts the world’s most complete vertical climate zone spectrum, hosting over 5,000 plant and 2,000 animal species, hailed as a microcosm of the Northern Hemisphere’s biological landscape. Stop at viewpoints to overlook the grandeur of the Nujiang Grand Gorge.
Afternoon: Arrive in Tengchong and check into a hot spring-themed boutique hotel. Evening free to stroll through Tengchong city, sensing the atmosphere of this small town praised by Xu Xiake as the First City at the Utmost Frontier.
Day 4: Tengchong Deep Dive | Volcanoes, Hot Sea, and Hot Spring Boiled Eggs
Itinerary: Morning visit to the Volcano and Geothermal National Geological Park. Option to take a hot air balloon ride (weather permitting) for an aerial view of the breathtaking spectacle of 99 volcanoes scattered like seals upon the earth. Afternoon exploration of the Rehai (Hot Sea) Scenic Area. Stroll along the steam-filled valley, the air thick with the smell of sulfur. By the Big Boiling Pot, you can boil eggs in the hot spring water, tasting this unique cooking method from the earth’s heart.
Evening: Option to soak in a genuine sulfur hot spring within the Rehai area, letting body and mind completely relax in the 40°C thermal waters.
Day 5: Tengchong Deep Dive | Overseas Chinese Memories of Heshun Ancient Town
Itinerary: Full-day immersion in Heshun Ancient Town. This 600-year-old town is ranked first among China’s Charming Towns and is a world-renowned hometown of overseas Chinese. From the laundry pavilion at the town entrance, we read the tender hearts of caravan men; from its many ancient residences and memorial archways, we see the glorious legacies of great families through history.
Morning: Visit the Heshun Library – China’s first rural library, built in 1928, housing over 70,000 volumes, a testament to the enduring flame of civilization in this frontier town.
Afternoon: Stroll the ancient streets and alleys, visit the Wan Lou Zi Folk Museum to learn about the legendary stories of Tengchong’s merchant groups.
Evening: Enjoy a Tengchong Tuguozi (Earthen Hot Pot) meal in a corner of the town. This dish, stewed in a volcanic rock pot, is locally called Volcanic Hot Sea and represents the highest form of Tengchong hospitality.
Day 6: Tengchong Deep Dive | Gaoligong Light Hike and Ginkgo Gold
Itinerary: Morning trip to Baihualing in the Gaoligong Mountains for a gentle forest hike. This is the most accessible area of the Gaoligong Mountains and a paradise for birdwatchers. Led by a professional guide, walk through well-preserved primary forest, feeling the tranquility of ancient trees and the clarity of babbling streams.
Afternoon: If it’s autumn (November-December), visit the Gudong Ginkgo Village. Wander the village lanes, a sea of gold – on paths, walls, tiled roofs, ditches, vegetable plots… Ginkgo leaves showering you, merging with the sunset’s afterglow. Outside ginkgo season, visit Beihai Wetland instead, gliding on a small boat through the floating mats of the water grassland.
Evening: Head to Dongshan Hot Spring (or Hehua Forest Hot Spring) for a soak, experiencing the nourishment of the Ten-Thousand-Year Commoners’ Spring).
Theme: From Lisu Mountain Villages to Jingpo Secrets, from Border Trade to One Village Two Countries, from Jade Treasure Hunts to Border Gate Spectacles
Day 7: Tengchong → Lianghe → Yingjiang | Dai Chieftains and a Bird Paradise
Itinerary: Morning drive to Lianghe to visit the Nandian Xuanfu Chief Office – the best-preserved chieftain’s office in Yunnan, witnessing the rise and fall of the Dai chieftain system. Afternoon arrival in Yingjiang to explore the Dayingjiang National Wetland Park. This is the County with China’s Richest Bird Resources, recording over 700 bird species – about half of China’s total.
Evening: Check into a boutique homestay in Yingjiang. If during birdwatching season (October to May), you can arrange an early morning birdwatching experience for the next day.
Day 8: Yingjiang → Longchuan | Home of the Jingpo Ethnic Group’s Munao Zongge
Itinerary: Morning drive to Longchuan, a main settlement area of the Jingpo people. Visit a traditional Jingpo village to learn about their unique culture and customs. If coinciding with the Chinese New Year period, you might witness the grand Munao Zongge Festival – tens of thousands dancing to the same drumbeat, one of the world’s most spectacular collective dances.
Afternoon: Experience the famed Jingpo Green Leaf Feast. Eating with hands from banana leaf plates, sample traditional dishes like Jingpo Ghost Chicken and Chong Ganba(dried beef) .
Evening: Overnight at a characteristic ethnic guesthouse in Longchuan.
Day 9: Longchuan → Ruili | One Village Two Countries and Jade Treasure Hunting
Itinerary: Morning drive to Ruili. Upon arrival, visit One Village Two Countries – Border Stone No. 71 in Yinjing Village splits it in two: Yinjing on the Chinese side, Mangxiu on the Burmese. You can swing on a border-straddling swing, literally stand with one foot in each country, experiencing the unique living across borders scenario.
Afternoon Special Experience: Jade Treasure Hunt
Jewelry Street Visit: Head to Ruili City Jewelry Street, one of China’s earliest jewelry pedestrian streets, built in 1992. It gathers large wholesale markets like Taily, Gulong, and Tiantai Jade Markets, filled with all manner of jadeite carvings, pendants, and cabochons. Led by an expert guide, learn the basics of jadeite – kind, water, color – and feel the unique charm of the Eastern Jewelry City.
Jade Live-Stream Scene: Witness firsthand Ruili’s unique Jade Live-Stream (spectacle). Hosts weave through the market, bargaining with Burmese jade merchants via phone cameras, the whole process live-streamed to hundreds of viewers. This tech + tradition new retail model is reshaping the jade industry’s century-old ecosystem.
Jiegao Port: Visit the Jiegao Border Trade Zone, the largest land port on the China-Myanmar border. The bustling flow of border residents and merchants, the dazzling array of Burmese goods, lets you truly feel the weight of the word openness.
Treasure Hunt Experience: If time allows, optionally visit the Nangu River Tourist Treasure Hunt Site (approx. 35 km from city center) to experience the fun of hunting for gemstones by hand in the clear Nangu River, famed for its deposits of ruby and sapphire. Found stones can be processed on-site into rings, necklaces, or bracelets.
Evening: Check into a boutique hotel in Ruili. Sample Burmese snacks and Dai-style barbecue.
Theme: From Wanting Bridge to Meng Huan Grand Golden Pagoda, from Dai Ancient Town to the Slow Life of Mangshi
Day 10: Ruili → Wanding → Mangshi | Echoes of History on the Burma Road
Itinerary: Morning drive to Wanding to visit the Wanding Bridge. This iron bridge spanning a tributary of the Nujiang was the lifeline of the Burma Road during WWII, China’s only overland channel for international aid. A hundred thousand Chinese Expeditionary Force soldiers crossed here, and three thousand Nanyang Chinese Mechanics shed their blood and sweat here.
Afternoon: Arrive in Mangshi. After hotel check-in, free time. In the evening, you can visit Dai Ancient Town to feel the strong Dai ethnic atmosphere.
Day 11: Mangshi Deep Dive | Meng Huan Grand Golden Pagoda and the Peacock Feast
Itinerary: Morning visit to the Meng Huan Grand Golden Pagoda and Meng Huan Silver Pagoda. The Grand Golden Pagoda stands atop Leiyarong Mountain, glistening, Asia’s tallest hollow Buddhist pagoda and a landmark of Mangshi. Facing it across the mountain, the pure white, holy Silver Pagoda reflects soft, beautiful light.
Afternoon: Visit Mengbanaxi Garden of Rare Treasures, its features are rare, strange, ancient, and peculiar, truly a treasure trove of subtropical plant genes.
Evening: Experience the Peacock Feast – Dehong’s most representative culinary extravaganza. Laid on a base of banana leaves arranged like a peacock spreading its tail, it gathers signature dishes from the Dai, Jingpo, Achang, and other ethnic groups.
Night: Free time. You can explore Mangshi’s night market.
Day 12: Mangshi Farewell | Temple Blessings and Return
Itinerary: Morning free time. Option to revisit the wondrous spectacle of Shubaota Pagoda, or purchase some Dehong specialties (like Zhefang tribute rice, Hougu coffee, Dai brocade, etc.). Private transfer to the airport according to your flight time, concluding this journey from volcanoes and hot springs to the land of peacocks.
