Located in the southeastern part of Yunnan Province, Wenshan Zhuang-Miao Autonomous Prefecture is only 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Ha Giang, Vietnam, and only 307 kilometers (191 miles) from Hanoi.
With its proximity to Vietnam, and its 11 different ethnicities living within its borders, it is a culturally vibrant place. The ethnic minorities who make Wenshan their home include Han, Zhuang, Miao, Yi, Yao, Hui, Dai, Buyi, Mongol, Bai and Gelao people. Each group brings its own colorful splendor to the rich cultural atmosphere of the region.
The climate is steady and moderate. Most of Wenshan has a mild subtropical climate without extremes of hot or cold.
Wenshan has always been a treasure chest of exotic spices, such as the pepper of Qiubei, herbal medicines such as the "divine grass" known as Panax notoginseng or pseudo ginseng, and special delicacies such as eight-treasure rice of Guangnan. The area is also richly endowed with valuable minerals and metals such as tin and manganese, and precious stones such as emeralds.
Sightseeing is a rich experience in itself with so many scenic landscapes beyond anything that could be captured by the greatest painters, such as the Fishing Junks at Sunset of Puzhehei Scenic Area, the fertile pastoral landscapes of lakes and mountains in the area around Yanshan Yuxian Lake, the gorgeous tapestry of cultivated lands in Guangnan Babao, the cloud sea and sun rise of Baozhu Mountain and the underground caves of the Karst Caverns in Liujing, always with the backdrop of the great mountains of Wenshan.
Among Wenshan's many attractions is the Puzhehei Scenic Area, one of China's most wondrous pastoral scenic areas. It's a karst landscape that is famous for its great variety of geological forms, including green hills, clear-water lakes, mountains, Yi villages and karst wetland.
Another attraction not to be missed is the Wenshan Ethnic Groups Museum. It currently has more than 2,000 collections, including tooth fossils from the Xichou people that were discovered in Wenshan, and relics of the Neolithic and Paleolithic ages.
