You may regret it if you go to Yunnan and only leave footprints in Lijiang and Dali. Additional fantastic scenic spots lie hidden in isolated mountains right inside some rather humble villages.

Here are some you should not miss.

1. Qiunatong village

The last part of the village’s name "tong" means peace to the Nu ethnic group dwelling there. Located at the northernmost end of the Nujiang River, and nestled among dense primitive forests and a multitude of waterfalls, it is regarded as the essence of the whole Nujiang valley.

2. Zhuomulang village

As the most loyal heirs of the Nanzhao Kingdom (738-902), an ancient Chinese country in the Yunnan-Guizhou highland, most villagers here have no idea of the Chinese language but communicate with dialect and stick to the customs they followed thousands of years ago.

The Yi ethnic group in the village has inherited its exquisite Dage Dance tradition.

Dage dance is what Yi people perform at their wedding ceremonies. The most typical ones are called "orphan dance" and "youth dance".

3. Yubeng village

Since ancient times, the village has had only one way out to a much more hustling world. The village is so tranquil and sparsely-populated that it is regarded as today’s "peach blossom village", a fictional place created by Tao Yunming, an ancient Chinese writer.

Edited by Peter Nordlinger