Word: yunnan
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...claiming to harbor the verdant Himalayan valley in the shadow of a glacier-clad peak, shaped like a pyramid. The People's Republic of China is the latest to jump on the bandwagon, announcing in 1996 that it had found Shangri-la in the mountainous Deqin prefecture of northwestern Yunnan province. Not to be outdone, Sichuan, its equally scenic neighbor to the north, has since claimed the title for its Yading Nature Reserve in the Konkaling Mountains. Its assertion is based on a 1931 National Geographic photo-essay about the area said to have inspired Hilton's tale...
...Such are the attractions drawing 12 full flights a day from nearby Kunming to Xishuangbanna ("Banna") in the tropical southern Chinese province of Yunnan. The trees are some of the can't-miss sights that have made the area around Banna's main town, Jinghong, explode as a center for domestic tourism. The other big draw is the group of lawless towns just over the Burmese border. Judging by the crush of the crowds, this is Chinese holiday heaven: an open orgy of casinos, transvestite dance revues and brothels. Although Rangoon's military junta doesn't officially admit non-Chinese...
...Zheng He's trials began early. He was born in 1371, during the first years of the Ming dynasty, to an Islamic family in what is now the western province of Yunnan. (His name at birth was Ma He.) When the Ming armies moved into the region to wipe out the last vestiges of Mongol influence, 11-year-old Ma gained the attention of a conquering general. He was taken back to Nanjing, where he became a page to a young prince, known as Zhu Di. He was castrated and destined for a life serving with other eunuchs...
...when girls like Sophie or guys like Fitz hear that the drug is widely available in Laos, they can't resist the temptation to try out what has become almost legendary in the West: pure opium. The drug is grown mainly by the hill tribes who came south from Yunnan, China, in the last century and brought a taste for the black, inebriating tar with them. Tribes like the Aka and Hmong cultivate the crop in the otherwise arid highland climate, and bring it down to sell to Vietnamese dealers in the main towns. Ton pays about...
...throwing water in Cambodia has failed to dampen festivities; traditional games are even played in the grounds of Wat Phnom temple in the capital. In Luang Prabang in northern Laos, elephants join the street processions. The Dai people in tropical Xishuangbanna in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan add flower displays, dragon-boat races and fireworks to the festival fun. Wherever you are, remember the wetter you get, the greater your luck in the coming year. So take the plunge...