Yuanmou County
Where "Yuanmou Man" fossils were found, with earth forests like sand-sculpted castles and a distinctive dry-hot valley landscape.
Yuanmou County lies in northern Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, in the dry-hot valley of the Jinsha River, with a hot, dry climate and warm winters, making it an important winter vegetable area. It is famous for the discovery of fossils of "Yuanmou Man," an early hominid, and you can visit the Yuanmou Man Museum. Earth forests such as Langbapu and Wumao were formed by water erosion and resemble castles and stone pillars, with colors that shift richly at sunrise and sunset. Winter and spring are best for visiting; summer is hot. You can get there by the Chengdu–Kunming railway or by road from Kunming or Chuxiong.