Baoshan Travel Guide

The Tengchong Volcanic Hot Sea (Rehai) is the most spectacular geothermal area in China, located about 20 kilometers southwest of Tengchong city. Over 80 hot springs, fumaroles, and boiling pools are scattered across a lush valley. The most famous feature is the "Big Boiling Pot" (Dagun Guo), a boiling spring reaching 97°C. Visitors can soak in therapeutic mineral pools, watch steam vents hissing from the mountainside, and even cook eggs in the natural boiling water.

Heshun is a beautifully preserved ancient town dating back over 600 years to the Ming Dynasty. Built by the Hui ethnic community along a volcanic hillside, the town features cobblestone streets, elegant courtyard houses, ancient temples, and the Heshun Library — one of the largest rural libraries in China. The town was an important trading post on the Southern Silk Road, which connected Yunnan to Myanmar. Unlike many overly commercialized ancient towns in China, Heshun retains a genuine, lived-in atmosphere.

Ginkgo Village (also known as Yincun) in Tengchong is a small settlement famous for its 3,000+ ancient ginkgo trees, many over 500 years old. When autumn arrives (typically mid-October to early December), the entire village is carpeted in golden yellow ginkgo leaves. Traditional stone houses are half-hidden by the brilliant foliage, creating one of the most photographed autumn scenes in China.

This excellent museum in Tengchong commemorates the history of the Yunnan-Burma Road and the Western Yunnan Campaign of World War II. The museum features detailed exhibits on the construction of the Burma Road, the Flying Tigers (American Volunteer Group), the Battle of Tengchong, and the burial of Chinese and Allied soldiers. The adjacent Guoguo Cemetery is the final resting place of over 9,000 Chinese soldiers who died in the campaign. It is one of China's most important WWII memorials.

The Tengchong Volcanic Geo Park showcases the region's dramatic volcanic landscape, with over 90 dormant volcanic cones visible across the plateau. The park's centerpiece is the "Big Sky Bowl" (Dakong Shan), one of the best-preserved volcanic craters in China. Visitors can hike up to the crater rim for panoramic views, and even take a hot air balloon ride over the volcanic landscape. The park also includes the Black Fish River, where volcanic rocks create unique river scenery.

Beihai Wetland is a unique high-altitude volcanic wetland located about 12 kilometers northwest of Tengchong. The wetland is known for its "floating meadows" — thick mats of vegetation that float on the water's surface. Visitors can take wooden boat rides through the wetland, watch migratory birds, and walk on the floating meadows. The area is particularly beautiful from April to September when flowers blanket the wetland in color.