Full Name: Honghe Hani Autonomous Prefecture
Chinese Name: 红河哈尼族自治州 (hóng hé hā ní zú zì zhì zhōu)
Population: 4,290,000  
Area: 32,900 square kilometers (12,703 square miles) 
Nationalities: Hani, Han 

Administrative Division: 8 counties (Mengzi, Lvchun, Jianshui, Shiping, Mile, Luxi, Yuanyang, Honghe); 3 autonomous Counties (Jinping Miao, Yao and Dai Autonomous County, Hekou Yao Autonomous County, Pingbian Miao Autonomous County); 2 county-level cities (Gejiu, Kaiyuan)  

Seat of the Prefecture Government: Tianma Lu, Mengzi County 

Useful Telephone Numbers: Tourist Complaints: 0873-2137291, 96927 
                                          Weather Forecast: 121
                                         Zip Code Inquiry: 184

Bank of China Honghe Branch: 5, Tianma Lu, Mengzi County  
China Post Honghe Branch: 8, Jianshe Lu, Gejiu City

 Location: Honghe Hani Autonomous Prefecture is situated in the southeastern part of Yunnan Province, neighboring Kunming, the capital city of the province in the north and bordered by Yuxi, Qujing and Pu'er in the northwest, northeast and southwest. Honghe also shares a boundary of 848 kilometers (527 miles) with Vietnam in the south.        

 History: The Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) established shires to administer this region in 135BC, and that was the beginning of the sphere of influence of the central government in Honghe Prefecture. In 1957, Honghe Hani Autonomous Prefecture was established, made up of the Mengzi Special Zone and the former Honghe Hani Autonomous Region.        
 
 Physical Features: The terrain of Honghe is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast. The Ailao Mountains form the main mountain range of the prefecture. They zigzag along the south bank of the Honghe River to Vietnam. The prefecture is divided into north and south regions, divided by the Honghe River. The mountainous area makes up eighty-five percent of Honghe's total territory.                

 Climate: Enjoying a subtropical plateau monsoon climate, Honghe has an annual average temperature of 15℃-22℃ (59℉-71.6℉). With no summer heat or winter chilliness, the prefecture is abundant in sunlight and rainfall. The southern region is wetter and warmer than the northern one. The temperature varies greatly between day and night, but slightly during the whole year.    
     
 When to Go: March to April and September to November are fine periods to visit the Honghe Prefecture. 

 Local Highlights: The New Year Festival of Hani and the Torch Festival of Yi, as well as many other celebrations of ethnic minorities enrich the colorful culture of Honghe Prefecture. Music, musical instrument and catering customs will provide you a window into the lifestyle of the locals. For example, during the New Year in October, the Hani ethnic minority holds an outdoor Long-Street Banquet on lunar October 10. Every family will prepare their dishes to their table and celebrates the festival together the long line of tables. It will be a lot of fun and honorable to be invited to the banquet. People will be hospitable to invite the passersby to participate.

Special Local Products: purple clay wares of Jianshui County, tin handicrafts of Gejiu City, rice cakes of Mengzi County, Hani embroidery of Yuanyang County

 Attractions:
Alu Cave: Located 5 kilometers (3 miles) west of Luxi County, this ancient limestone cave contains three inner caves and an underground river. The cave is well known in Yunnan for the stunning karst landscape inside. Near the cave there are another eighteen caves in nine peaks. This scenic spot is only 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of the Stone Forest in Kunming.

Yuanyang Terrace: Yuanyang County, lying in the south part of the Ailao Mountains, is inhabited by a compact community of the Hani ethnic minority. The Hani people open up farmland on mountainsides as the terrain changes. The grand terraces, like works of art, are especially favored by photographers. Most terraces lie along the highway from Yuanyang to Lvchun.

Ancient City of Jianshui: Jianshui was built with a clay city wall when it was first constructed during the Nanzhao State (738-937) period and was expanded to a brick construct in 1387 of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Along with the ancient buildings and resident houses in the city, the Jianshui Confucius Temple and Swallow Cave are also listed in the Jianshui tour. 

Other Scenic Spots: Chaoyang Gate, Nanxihe Scenic Area  

 Travel Tips:
1. Hekou is a national first-grade port in the southeast end of Honghe bordered by Vietnam. Kunming-Hekou Railway runs through Honghe Prefecture, but it is a narrow-gauge railway. The carriages are narrower than ordinary ones. Traveling by bus will save several hours over making the trip by train. 

2. Kunming is about 4 hours' drive to Honghe and 3.5 hours to Jianshui County. Buses to Honghe can be easily found in Yunnan Tourist Passenger Transport Bus Station in Minhang Lu of Kunming. Regular buses serve well among counties and cities of the prefecture. Local villagers, however, would usually thumb lifts from wagon drivers. 

3. For self-reliant tourists, renting a vehicle is a better choice while visiting Honghe.