Yunnan

Tucked into China’s southwest, Yunnan is one of the country’s most biodiverse and geographically varied regions – snow-capped peaks in the Tibetan north, tropical jungle in the humid south, and red-soil farmland stretching between. It’s a place of shifting climates and cultures, where life moves at its own rhythm. Many Chinese come here to step out of the pace of the cities, drawn by something slower and closer to the land.

The food reflects that same richness and range. Central Yunnan is known for raw-cured ham that rivals jamón, sweet fresh cheeses, and wild mushrooms in extraordinary variety. Steam pot chicken simmers gently with aromatics, silky rice noodles settle into light, flavoursome broths, pressed tofu is grilled over coals, and unexpected details appear everywhere – from flower petals folded into pastries, to insects sold in night markets.

Every place brings its own rhythm and texture. Xizhou is known for xǐ zhōu bā bā, yeasty flatbreads baked over coals and filled in different ways depending on season and hand. Around Fuxian Lake, freshwater fish are cooked simply in fragrant, spice-laced broths. Dali’s ěr kuài – grilled, fried, or stir-fried rice “cakes” – are wrapped around layered fillings and eaten in countless variations. Shaxi moves at a quieter pace, its Friday market continuing a rhythm that has existed for over a thousand years. The Bai minority’s Three Cup Tea Ceremony unfolds in stages of bitter, sweet, and fragrant – each cup carrying layers of welcome and meaning.

Further into the mountains, salt-producing villages sit in landscapes where mules still outnumber cars, and farmhouses open onto kitchens shaped by foraging, preservation, and seasonality.

This is a side of China shaped by land as much as culture. All our journeys are developed in collaboration with trusted local partners who live and work within these regions – they hold the knowledge, access, and relationships that make these experiences possible.