Yunnan off the beaten track: two days in Yiliang

Yiliang (宜良县) is a small county in Yunnan famous for the tea, the roast duck, and the hospitality of its people. Find out the top things to do and see in this area.

Yiliang is a small county in Yunnan, at least by Chinese standards, with a population of only around 430,000 people, and it still remains relatively unknown to most travelers. If you search for “Yiliang” online, you won’t find much information, which makes it one of those authentic, off-the-beaten-path places still waiting to be discovered.

So, how did I attend a festival to celebrate the tea growing in the county’s mountains? A Chinese friend from Yiliang invited me to spend the weekend in the city. Visiting places off the beaten path is always interesting, especially in China, where the welcome you receive in remote areas is difficult to describe, so I was happy to accept the invitation.

At the end of the trip, I can say that Yiliang surprised me: even if it doesn’t have any nature reserve or protected area, the people of this county have done a lot to promote their territory, which is no small thing in China. But what struck me most was their hospitality. Although foreigners are generally always treated well in China, nowhere else in China have I had such a welcome.

A short introduction about Yiliang (宜良)

Yiliang (宜良县) is a county that belongs to Kunming (here is my travel guide), the capital of Yunnan. It lies at an elevation of about 1.600 meters above sea level, and it’s easily accessible from Kunming as there are daily buses that depart every 15 minutes from the east bus station (昆明东部汽车客运站). The ticket costs just 25 RMB one way.

The city is still relatively small, but it’s developing rapidly. One of the county’s main attractions is Jiuxiang caves (九乡), which I talked about in another article. Besides the caves, the county is famous for two things: the tea on Baohong Mountain and the roast duck. Most people who live in Yiliang belong to the Han ethnic group (we refer to them as Chinese people), but there is also a large population of the Yi and Hui ethnic groups.

Yan Quan Temple (岩泉寺)

One of the most important places in Yiling is the complex of Buddhist and Taoist temples called Yanquan (岩泉寺), built on the side of a mountain. There are many legends about this place, including that of a monk who discovered the secret of immortality.

It was first built during the Yuan Dynasty by Master Panlong and is unusual for combining both Buddhist and Taoist traditions within the same complex. The lower halls are dedicated to Buddhist deities, while the upper ones honor Taoist gods, creating a rare mix of two philosophies in one place.

In 1939, the historian Qian Mu lived here while finishing his book The Outline of National History, adding even more cultural weight to the site.

The most famous highlights of the temple are the old cliff-carved Buddha, the famous Nine-Dragon Wall, and the small Qian Mu Memorial Museum. Despite some past commercialization, it’s still a quiet place to explore.

The roast duck of Yiliang (蓝老鸭)

Peking duck is one of the traditional dishes of Beijing, and there are traces of this recipe dating back to 1330 AD, when the dish was served only at the imperial court. Over the centuries, the recipe spread among ordinary people and became one of the best-known symbols of Chinese cuisine. The modern version took shape during the Ming dynasty, thanks to the court chefs who perfected the open-oven roasting technique, achieving that crispy and golden skin that today makes it unmistakable.

In Yiliang, a slightly different version is prepared compared to the original recipe, called Lan Lao Ya (蓝老鸭). These are the main differences:

• The oven is made with mud bricks
• Pine branches and needles are used instead of the Gaoliang hardwood to heat the oven
• Honey is used instead of malt syrup for the glaze
• In addition, the ducks used in the Yiliang version of the recipe are semi-wild and, therefore, a bit tastier than the Beijing ducks.

I prefer the version of Yiliang. If you want to try it, the best place is the restaurant Xuecheng (学成饭店). Every day at lunch and dinner, there is a special ceremony where 12 ducks are cooked in a special oven.

The bricks are made with mud taken from different places in the world. The oven is made with a single block of bronze and was built in Xian.

The Baohong tea

Baohong means “vast treasure” and is the name of the mountain on which this particular tea grows. It was first introduced to Yunnan over 1000 years ago from the Fujian Province. The main characteristic of this tea is that only the small leaves are harvested; therefore, the taste is less bitter than that of other tea varieties.

Unfortunately, it grows exclusively on one mountain, so the production is limited. Moreover, according to the locals, unlike other types of tea, such as Pu’er, it should be consumed fresh, not later than June or before the Dragon Boat Festival. Considering that it is harvested in March, it is very difficult to find Baohong tea at other times of the year.

I was invited to Yiliang to attend an event organized by the local government to celebrate the beginning of the tea harvest season. The families living in the Baohong Mountain belong mainly to the Yi minority and were involved in organizing the festival.

Dressed in their traditional costumes, the White Yi and Black Yi started the celebration with traditional songs and dances, followed by a ceremony to ingratiate their gods (the Yi are mainly animists).

Near the plantations, some small workshops are where the tea is processed and packaged. The price of the tea varies from year to year, but as you can imagine, it is one of the most expensive types of tea in Yunnan.

Useful info to visit Yiliang

The easiest way to reach Yiliang is from Kunming. Buses depart every 15 minutes from the East Bus Station (昆明东部汽车客运站). If you’re flying in from another city, Kunming has a well-connected airport with frequent domestic and international flights, so getting there is rarely a problem.

Before traveling to China, make sure to set up a reliable VPN to access your usual apps and websites, as many are blocked. If you need mobile data on arrival, I recommend getting an eSIM; it’s simple to install and works well across the country. Don’t forget to purchase travel insurance too, as it’s always better to be covered for any unexpected situations.

If you’re planning a longer trip, you can also check out my detailed China travel guide, where I share tips, itineraries, and useful advice to help you make the most of your journey.

You can find my reportage about the “Lotus Feet” on this page. Here is my travel guide to Xishuangbanna, in southern Yunnan. Here is an article about another nice place close to Kunming and Yiliang: Mile, and here is some info about Fuxian Lake near Kunming.