玉溪市

Why this place

Yuxi is on Fuxian Lake, one of the deepest and clearest lakes in China, and the region's Lijiashan tombs produced a remarkable set of bronze work from the Dian kingdom — a culture that left no written record.

What to see

• Fuxian Lake — very clear water, with the old town of Jiangchuan on its shore
• The Lijiashan bronze tomb museum, with Dian kingdom bronzes
• The Nie'er mountains and the Yunnan pine country

What to eat

• Yunnan cooking with river-lake fish; Yuxi is known for its 'yuxi' rice noodles and its tobacco-cured foods
• The local 'yuxi' pickled vegetables

Best time

March–May and October–November