Written by Ivy Dong |
In the southeastern part of Yunnan Province, there lies a magnificent terraced field known as the “Earth’s Fingerprints” – Yuanyang Terraced Fields. If you are planning a Yuanyang travel, this article offers a detailed Yuanyang transportation guide for getting to Yuanyang Rice Terraces, ensuring you a smoother and more enjoyable journey.
How to Get to Yuanyang
Since Airport Transportation in Yuanyang County is not available, you can’t arrive by plane. There are three main ways for Yuanyang transportation: train, long-distance bus, or private car.
Get to Yuanyang by Train
There is no train that can directly reach Yuanyang County, but you can take a train from Kunming to Jianshui Station near Yuanyang County, and then take a bus to Yuanyang.
- Kunming– Jianshui – Mengzi: Board at Kunming Railway Station. Get off the train at Jianshui or Mengzi and take a bus to Yuanyang. The journey will take about 4.5 hours.
Get to Yuanyang by Long-distance Bus
Bus is the only public transportation to Yuanyang. Tourist can take a direct bus from Kunming to Yuanyang, or take a bus from Kunming to Jianshui or Gejiu and then transfer to Yuanyang. This line offers a beautiful scenery along Yunnan tours.
- Kunming – Yuanyang direct (daily at 10:20, 11:00, 12:30, 19:00)
Board at: Kunming South Bus Station (At the foot of Longtan Mountain, Wujiaying Street, Chenggong District, Kunming City)
Journey time: about 5.5 hours
- Kunming – Gejiu – Yuanyang (every 30 minutes)
Board at: Kunming East Bus Station (West side of the interchange bridge extended from Renmin Road and Donglian Line in Panlong District, Kunming City)
Journey time: about 5 hours
Yuanyang Bus Station
- Nansha Bus Station: This is the bus station in the new county town, with many bus schedules, but it is far from the terraced fields.
- Xinjie Bus Station: The bus station isin the old county town, with fewer bus schedules, but it is close to the terraced fields.
Drive to Yuanyang
Drive to Yuanyang will be the most convenient way. The route “Kunming – Yuanjiang – Honghe County – Yuanyang County” is recommended. Specific details are as follows:
- Kunming – Yuanjiang (Kunyu Expressway): 220km, about 3.5 hours. The toll is about 85 yuan;
- Yuanjiang – Honghe (S216): 60km, about 1.5 hours. There are no toll stations and the road condition is good, but you may encounter falling rocks at some sections. Maintain your driving speed.
- Honghe – Yuanyang (S216): 65km, about 1.5 hours. No toll stations. Along the way you can see the surging landscape of the Red River.
Transportation between Yuanyang and Major Cities
Transport to Yuanyang from Lijiang
Currently, there are no direct high-speed trains or regular trains from Lijiang Station to Yuanyang Station. To travel from Lijiang to Yuanyang, you can either drive or take a bus.
- Drive: For the first way, the distance is about 500 kilometers, and the journey will take approximately 7-9 hours.
- By Bus: For the second manner, take a train from Lijiang to Kunming, then take a direct bus from Kunming to Yuanyang. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Kunming to Jianshui or Gejiu, and then transfer to get to Yuanyang.
√ Recommended Tours
- 5 Days Dali & Lijiang Family tour with Boutique Hotels
- 6 Days Lijiang Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking
Transport to Yuanyang from Kunming
- Drive: The distance from Kunming to Yuanyang is 326 kilometers, and there are two routes available. The first route is Kunming – Yuxi – Jianshui – Nansha – Yuanyang, and the second route is Kunming – Shilin – Mile – Kaiyuan – Gejiu – Nansha – Yuanyang.
- By Bus: The journey from Kunming to Yuanyang County, which is 326 kilometers away, takes about six to seven hours by bus. The ticket price is around 90 yuan. Kunming South Railway Station has two direct buses to Yuanyang every day, one in the morning and one in the evening. The morning bus departs from Kunming at 10:20 and the night bus is a sleeper bus, departing at around 8 p.m.
√ Recommended Tours
- 8 Days Yunnan Pu’er Tour with Kunming & Xishuangbanna
- 10 Days Classic Yunnan Tour with Dongchuan Red Land
Transport to Yuanyang from Dali
- Drive: The distance from Dali to Yuanyang Terraced Fields is 363 kilometers. Drivingby highway takes about 5.5 hours to reach the destination. The toll will be approximately 138 yuan.
- By Bus: Take G2846 from Dali Station to Kunming Station. Take Subway Line 1 (direction: University Town South) from Kunming Railway Station (Exit A) for 9 stops to South Bus Station (Exit B). Then take a coach to Xinjie Town, Yuanyang County from Kunming South Bus Station.
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Transport to Yuanyang from Daocheng Yading
The distance from Daocheng Yading to Yuanyang is quite far. If driving is not available, you will need to go to Kunming first, and then get to Yuanyang from Kunming.
- Drive: The distance from Daocheng Yading to Yuanyang is 1108 kilometers. The journey takes about 14 hours and costs 574 yuan.
- By Bus: To get to Yuanyang, you need to first fly to Kunming and then take a bus to Yuanyang. Daocheng Yading Airport (DCY) is the highest civilian airport in the world, located about 35 km from Daocheng County. It has direct flights to major cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Luzhou, Kunming, Xi’an, Kangding, etc. The flight duration from Daocheng Yading to Kunming is about 1 hour.
From Kunming, you can take a direct bus to Yuanyang. The journey takes about 6-7 hours, and the ticket price is around 90 yuan. Also, you can take a train from Kunming to Jianshui or Gejiu and then transfer to a bus to Yuanyang.
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How to Get to Yuanyang Attractions
Transport from Yuanyang County to Yuanyang Rice Terraces
- Drive: For those drive to Yuanyang for a Yuanyang Rice Terraces tour, the total distance is about 36.2 kilometers, taking about 1 hour to drive. You can choose two entrances to the Yuanyang Rice Terraces: Dongba Village and Jiucun Village. The Dongba Village entrance is about 30 kilometers away from Yuanyang County, with good road conditions, but you need to purchase a ticket to enter the scenic area. The Jiucun Village entrance is about 20 kilometers away from Yuanyang County, with more rugged road conditions, but no ticket is required.
- By Bus: Transfer at Nansha Bus Station to take a shuttle bus to Yuanyang Rice Terraces.
The bus will depart at around 11:30, and the ticket price is 25 yuan per person. If you miss the shuttle bus, you can share a ride from Nansha Bus Station to Xinjie Town (about 20 yuan per person), and then take a minivan to Yuanyang Terraced Fields (about 10-15 yuan).
Transport from Yuanyang County to Azheke Village
- Drive: Azheke Village is located in Xinjie Town, Yuanyang County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture. If you can drive yourself, just follow the signs or navigation to Azheke Village.
- By Bus/Walk: Take a bus or taxi to Xinjie Town from Yuanyang County. The journey will take about 1 hour. After arriving in Xinjie Town, you can walk or take a local motorcycle to Azheke Village. Walking will take about 1 hour, and a motorcycle ride will take about 20 minutes.
