Majestic Red Land in Dongchuan,Kunming

The Red land of Dongchuan formed out of a metallic composite of copper, iron and aluminum with little organic matter and is mostly clay of high acidity. It is the most centralized,, most typical and characterized red soil in Yunnan covering hundreds of square kilometers. With the blue sky and white clouds of the harvesting autumn under capricious lighting,the Dongchuan Red Land creates a spectacular landscape. 

The formation of red clay can be dated back to the Qing Dynasty(1644-1912).According to records, Dongchuan has a rich copper reserve and boasts of a culture of long history of copper mining, metallurgy and casting. Excessive deforestation has exposed red soil. Especially from Qianlong to Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, the production of Dongchuan crude copper reached 8,125 tons. There were more than ten thousand miners. The materials for copper coin mint in the Qing Dynasty were mainly from Dongchuan.

The color and grandeur of Dongchuan Red land surpasses that of the Rio de Janeiro of Brazil and is more fascinating, with multi-color of dark red, purple red and burgundy, the red soil fills one’s eyes when it’s exposed following fall’s harvest of crops.

A local provided an account that the rain of the fall seems to have a mind of its own: the red land is the prettiest on the third day after a rain when the soil is saturated with rainfall and assumes richer tone under the bright sunlight in the background of dispersing cloud and fog. And, as a saying of Yunnan goes, “Fall rains never cross valleys”, the concurrent sunny and rainy sky tints the red land with differing shades and under shifting casing angles of sky ray and clouds shadows, making ever-changing new pictures.

The best time to visit Dongchuan Red land is right after the autumn begins when fields of ripe buckwheat show light golden color, while the harvested wheat fields are freshly plowed and the soil is particularly red under the sunlight. Other fields are covered with highland barely and wheat or other crops- all these different shades of colors compose a kaleidoscopic palette. September and November of each year present the clearest color-checkered fields and are the ideal picture-taking and viewing periods, thus attracting photographers and painters for field works.

Driving northeast from Kunming towards Xintianxiang of Dongchuan District, the Red Land is about 250km away. The elevation of Dongchuan Red land is between 1,800 to 2,600m. Most people travel to Dongchuan to Red Land in autumn when mountain terraces is in a stunning mix of colors with the azure sky as the back drop.  

Travel tips of Dongchuan:

 1.Dongchuan now is only accessible by automobiles. Trains are expected to be operational from the beginning of next year.

 2.By car: there are tow routes. Kunming- Qujing high way- Kunming- Songming high way-Songming highway- Songming- Daipu high way-  Longtan- Dongchuan District. This route is strongly recommended.

 3.Driving along the Jiaozi Snow Mountain Route in Kunming and turn to the direction of Red Land after reaching Tangdian Township. The total distance is about 150km.

 4.By coach: take the coach to Dongchuan in Kunming North Bus Station at a price of 69 yuan. (Public bus). The journey (one way) is about three hours.

You can check more information from our website , for itinerary and travel guide in Donghcuan. And contact us for Dongchuan private tour.