The monument of the Yuanmou Man Archeological Site

Yuanmou County is located in the northern area of Yunnan Province and is one of the area that was inhabited by early humans. The historical and natural sites in the county are becoming more and more popular. You can easily travel from Kunming to Yuanmou via Wuding County .

On the first day morning, we suggest you take a coach from the Huangtupo Passenger Station to Wuding. The  cost is CNY18.00 per person and the drive takes about 1.5 hours. Upon arrival in Wuding, there is no reason to hurry to Yuanmou. You might want to take a short visit to Wuding Lion Mountain, which lies in the south of the county. It only costs about CNY5.00 net to take a taxi to the site. The Mountain gets its name from its shape, which looks like a lion in prone position. Not alike the foothills surrounded, Wuding Lion Mountain Scenic Spot consists of ancient temples, steep cliffs and heavily-wooded hills.  The admission fee is CNY25.00 net per person. Return to Wuding Passenger Station and catch the coach to Yuanmou, which will cost you about CNY25.00 per person. After a 2.5 hours ride, you will arrive in Yuanmou. You can find lodging in a local inn, have a short rest, and then proceed to the Yuanmou Man Archaeological Exhibition Hall in the county area. The Exhibition Hall houses a great numbers of Yuanmou Man fossils and artifacts excavated from the county. It is said that Yuanmou Man was the the earliest human being that has been found in China and indeed, all of Asia, up to now. The admission fee is only CNY2.00 per person.

Yuanmou Caly Forests, Yunnan

The next day, if you are still interested in the Yuanmou Man Archeological Site, where the Yuanmou Man lived 1.7 million years ago, you can take a taxi at a cost of CNY5.00 net to Nabang Village, Yuanma Town of the county for a brief visit. After that, you may return to Yuanmou County and take the tourist bus to visit the Clay Forest. Yuanmou Clay Forests, Kunming Stone Forest and Xianshuangbanna Tropical Rain Forest are known as the three forests of Yunnan province. It is even said that the scenery of Clay Forests compare favourably with that of the Stone Forest near Kunming. Actually there are 13 Clay Forests wildly spread about in Yuanmou, among which the Hutiaotan, Xinhua and Banguo rank as the top three Clay Forests for their spectacular, colorful landscapes. The tourist bus will take you to the Hutiaotan Clay Forest, which is the best one among the three (Add: Luomaole Village, Wumao Township, Yuanmou County). If a tourist bus is not available, you can charter a taxi at a cost of between CNY60.00 to CNY80.00 net round trip. You can either walk the scenic area or hire a horse to ride. For those who want to fully explore the scenic area, it's best to go about on foot. The admission fee is CNY80.00 net for Hutiaotan Clay Forest. Return to Yuanmou Passenger Station in the early afternoon so as to take the coach back to Kunming. The coach is available at 14:45, 15:40 and 16:30. The ticket fare is around CNY45.00 net per person.(D)