Why Yunnan

Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country. The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.

Geography

Yunnan Province is situated on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in China’s south-western frontier region, with complex- geographical conditions. The province covers an area of over 390,000 square kilometers, with a population of 40.5 million (2006). Yunnan has more minority nationality groups than any other province, including nationalities of Han, Bai, Hani, Zhuang, Dai, Miao, Lisu Hui, Lahu, Va, Naxi, Yao, Tibetan, Jingpo, Blang, Pumi, Nu, Achang, Benglong, Mongo lian, Drung, Jinuo, etc. Kunming is the capital of Yunnan.

Climate

Yunnan has a humid monsoon climate typical of subtropical and tropical plateau zone, with distinctive dry and rainy seasons and drastic changes in climatic conditions. The climate on the plateau is mild all year round. However, a sudden rain will bring in winter. The annual average temperature of the province is between 4-24C, while that of many regions is around 15C. The average annual precipitation of the province is between 600-2300mm.

History

Yunnan was territory of State Dian in ancient times. It came to be known as Nanzhao in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Dali in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Yunnan Xingzhong Administration was established in the region in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and Yunnan Province was formally proclaimed here in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which has remained unchanged until now.

Population and Nationalities

The population of Yunnan in 2016 is 47.70 million. Yunnan has the largest number of ethnic minorities in China. There are 25 officially recognized ethnic minorities in the province, accounting for less than a half of the total in China. The ethnic minorities scatter around Yunnan and mix with the majority of the Han Chinese, meanwhile, they have their own communities. Some ethnic groups live in valleys, some live on hilly areas, some inhabit flat lands. The local residences of the ethnic minorities all have their own styles. Traditional costumes of these minority groups are colorful and distinctive and the languages and cultures are all different from each other. The following is a brief introduction of some selected ethnic minorities in Yunnan.

Economy

Yunnan is one of China's relatively undeveloped provinces with more poverty-stricken counties than the other provinces. In 1994, about 7 million people lived below the poverty line of less than an annual average income of 300 yuan per capita. They were distributed in the province's 73 counties mainly and financially supported by the central government. With an input of 3.15 billion yuan in 2002, the absolutely poor rural population in the province has been reduced from 4.05 million in 2000 to 2.86 million. The poverty alleviation plan includes five large projects aimed at improving infrastructure facilities. They involve planned attempts at soil improvement, water conservation, electric power, roads, and "green belt" building. Upon the completion of the projects, the province hopes this will alleviate the shortages of grain, water, electric power and roads.