Connecticut College China Yunnan/Mekong Project

The Land of Yunnan Province

Yunnan Province

A frontier province in the southwest of China, Yunnan Province borders Guizhou Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the east, Sichuan Province in the north, Tibetan Autonomous Region in the northwest, Myanmar in the west, and Laos and Vietnam in the south. Geographically, Yunnan is connected to the rest of the Asian Continent in the north and faces the Southeast Asian Peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean in the south. Because of its location, Yunnan is affected by both the Southeast and Southwest monsoons as well as weather conditions from the Tibetan Plateau. As a result, Yunnan has a very diverse climate.

Of the 4060 kilometer (2523 miles) border Yunnan shares with China's neighboring countries, the Sino-Myanmar section runs 1997 km (1241 miles), the Sino-Laotian section 710 km (441 miles), and the Sino-Vietnamese section 1353 km (841 miles.) There are eight prefectures and ethnic minority Autonomous Prefectures as well as 26 border cities and counties along Yunnan Province's borderline. Yunnan has long been a gateway from China to other Southeast Asian countries. Over 20 roads lead to these countries from Yunnan Province. People that comprise 15 diverse ethnic groups in China are considered to have the same ethnic origins in other countries.

Yunnan is the 8th largest Chinese province. It is 394,000 square km (1,864.8 km from east to the west and 900 km from the south to the north), and it covers 4.1 % of the whole territory of China. Approximately 84% is rugged mountain 10% highland and hills, and 6% lowland and valleys. Yunnan province's average elevation measures at about 2,000 meters, while the region's highest peaks reach 6,740m in stark contrast with its lowest elevation of 76.4 m.

Yunnan Province is comprised of 127 counties and 17 prefectures and cities that include eight ethnic minority Autonomous Prefectures: Chuxiong Yi Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Honghe Hani and Yi Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Xishuangbanna Dai Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Dali Baizu Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Nujiang Lisu Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Diqing Tibetan Nationality Autonomous Prefecture. Eight of Yunnan’s prefectures along with 27 of its counties border China’s neighboring countries.

Yunnan is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world, with twenty-five diverse ethnic groups. The geographical diversity of the region has enabled the development of the distinct life-styles, customs, religious beliefs, ideological constructs and social structures of Yunnan province’s different ethnic groups. Each group also has its own colorful costumes, crafts, dances, music and songs.

Presently, Yunnan, the land of extraordinary culture and biodiversity, faces enormous challenges. Yunnan Province is currentlycoming under pressure from economic and tourism development, and is concurrently impacted by the movements and changes toward globalization occurring in the Mekong region at large, as it is the gateway to China for the rest of Southeast Asia. These crossroads of change are uprooting Yunnan’s social and economic structures and posing great challenges to the survival and preservation of the cultural heritages of the many ethnic minorities in the Province.