LEAF-go-VSO
Yunnan & Simao
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Yunnan & Simao |
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Yunnan Province and Simao Prefecture "We were flying into the hub of south-east Asia. The
Yunnan tablelands had foundered exhausted into jungled valleys, where the curves
of rivers still left shining terraces. Soon we passed over the grotesque
blood-vessel of the Red River, flowing south-east toward Hanoi before spilling
into the Gulf of Tonkin. The frontiers of Burma, Laos and Vietnam were
converging ahead of us. We landed near the town of Simao, ringed by
forest." Ninety years previously the renowned plantsman E.H.Wilson also made
the trip to Simao (then named Szemao) to visit another amateur botanist,
Augustine Henry, who was then stationed here as a customs officer. The journey
was not easy: "I crossed no less than eleven distinct ranges, the
highest altitude being 8,200ft [2500m] and many exceeded 7000ft and were
fearfully steep. In one place we ascended 1000 feet in three quarters of an
hour. The easiest way to climb such a mountain is to hang onto the mule's tail
and let him drag you up." When he got there, he found the place
"the most God-forsaken place imaginable." What could have led the distinguished Victorian gentleman to have his sensibilities so offended? We're not sure - maybe it was the general squalour (plague, cholera, fleas) and poverty, banditry, prostitution, or opium-smoking locals? Malaria was certainly a problem in those days. This part of Yunnan was once known as the "Land of Lethal Vapours" and a local ancient proverb states "If you plan on going to Simao, you'd better marry off your wife first." These days, malaria has been absent for more than 30 years. Only the prostitution remains.
Yunnan Province, meaning 'south of the clouds', is one of the most geographically varied of China's provinces, from tropical rainforest to snow-capped mountains. The province shares borders with Tibet, Myanmar (Burma), Laos and Vietnam. The variations in climate and geography, particularly around the three main river valleys of the Salween, Mekong and Yangtze, mean that Yunnan is a plant-finders paradise (see Flora & Fauna page), and has been since the early part of the Twentieth Century, when adventurous plant hunters such as Joseph Rock, Frank Kingdon-Ward, Ernest Wilson and the Scot, George Forrest came to visit. The area is also famous for the large number of different Minority Nationalities, peoples such as the Dai, Bai, Naxi, Mosuo, Hani, Wa and Tibetans (to name just a few). Yunnan is one of the poorest provinces in China, with 87% of the population living in the countryside. The per capita GDP is only 7833 RMB (2006 figure) - about £600. Only Gansu, Guizhou and the Autonomous Region of Guangxi are poorer. Forestry (logging), mining (minerals), hydroelectric power production and tourism are Yunnan's biggest industries.
For an idea of Yunnan's huge variety of landscapes visit our Travel Pages below:
Simao Prefecture Simao Prefecture (a collection of counties) is in the south-western part of Yunnan, covering an area of 44,221 square kilometres (Scotland's land area is 78,805 square kilometres). It is the largest prefecture in Yunnan, with Simao as its capital city. It is situated 570 km south of Kunming, the provincial capital - half an hour on the daily flight or by a 6.5-hour bus journey..
Altitudes in Simao Prefecture vary from 376 meters to 3306 meters above sea level (the town itself is at around 1300m). The variations of altitude mean that the climate and agricultural produce vary. One can find rice, corn, wheat, peanuts, beans, sugar cane, mango, tea and coffee (Simao town has its very own Nescafe research station). The region also has many rivers, which means that its navigation and hydropower industry are important in the economy. Forest coverage is 63% - logging is a major industry here, as is mining for minerals such as copper and zinc. The other main industry however is Tea. The climate of Simao is moderate, with an annual temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius and an annual rainfall of about 1350mm (see Weather page). Simao Prefecture's 2.5 million inhabitants consist of 60% ethnic minorities. Yi, Hani, Dai, Lahu, Wa, Hui, Miao and Bulang are the prevalent nationalities, e.g. Yi people in Jingdong County, Dai People in Jinggu County, Lahu people in Lancang County, Wa people in Ximeng County and Hani people in Mojiang County. Simao Prefecture's 486 km border reaches Burma, Laos and Vietnam. There are 18 land passes and 3 river routes leading to these countries and the Chinese, Laos and Thai governments have decided to build an express way between Kunming and Bangkok in the next few years. Simao town will be the first major city on this expressway on the Chinese side. Click on the button at the top of the page to find out some more about the town of Simao...
Try these other websites for some different perspectives of Yunnan and China: For some basic information about China have a look at the Lonely Planet site. The TravelChina site outlines package tours in Yunnan but also has some interesting stuff about places to visit, ancient history, minority nationalities, climate, industry, etc. The Wonders of Yunnan site has a photo diary by an American tourist with some good photos. The following two Wikipedia entries have some
excellent, up- to- date information: Guidebooks and Maps The following guidebooks are useful sources of information on travelling in China and Yunnan Province: Lonely Planet (2009) 11th edition: China (Authors: Damian Harper, Thomas Huhti) Rough Guides (2008) 5th edition: China (Authors: David Leffman, Simon Lewis, Jeremy Atiyah) These two hefty tomes, written in slightly different styles, are the bibles for independent travellers in China. Take your pick, but remember that details of travel infrastructure, buses, trains, prices, hotels, restaurants, even whole city blocks, change with startling rapidity on Planet China! Lonely Planet (2007) 3rd edition: China's Southwest (Authors: Damian Harper, Thomas Huhti) Bradt Travel Guides (2007) 2nd edition: China: Yunnan Province (Authors: Stephen Mansfield, Martin Walters) Slimmer and less weighty than the China guides noted above, these two books are useful for visitors planning to concentrate on itineraries in Yunnan and the surrounding provinces. Of the two, the Lonely Planet is by far the most up-to-date, as well as being more extensive. The Bradt 2nd edition seems to be little different from the original 2001 edition, but does however have some interesting supplementary information and is strong on Minority Nationalities and Wildlife. Yunnan Publishing House of Nationalities (1998) A Travel Guide to Yunnan (Author: Jin Siwei) This small, cheap, and quaintly translated guide can be picked up from Mandarin Books in Kunming. It features sites visited primarily by Chinese tour groups, and includes many places not covered by the guidebooks listed above. Also featured are interesting chapters on Yunnan Oddities and Local Products, as well as Minority Nationalities. We have also found these two publications very useful: Lankaster, Ted (2002) The Traveller's Good Health Guide. Sheldon Press. Wilson-Howarth, J. & Ellis, M. (2005) Your Child Abroad: A Travel Health Guide. Bradt Travel Guides Ltd. The maps listed below are handy travel companions. Nelles also produce sheets covering North and North-East China. GeoCenter WORLD COUNTRY MAP of China. 1: 4,000,000 NELLES MAPS: Southern China. 1: 1,500,000 NELLES MAPS: Central China. 1: 1,500,000 Accurate, contemporary large-scale maps of Yunnan are hard, if not impossible, to find. The German Nelles maps are regularly updated and are probably the best, though China's road-construction programme is fast making these redundant in places. For the far northwest of Yunnan Province around Deqin the Central China sheet is required. Serious travellers will prefer to supplement these reference sources with Chinese road atlases or Prefecture/Provincial sheet maps (in Chinese) - cheap and readily available from bookstores and some newspaper stands. Scales are sometimes considerably more detailed than Nelles.
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