First Stop in Yunnan: Make It a Refreshing Summer at Ancient Dian Town Resort!

In my travels across China, the South of Colorful Clouds—Yunnan—has always left me with the most beautiful and vibrant impressions. There are simply too many wonderful places to explore in Yunnan! If Kunming is your first stop in Yunnan, then the Colorful Yunnan Ancient Dian Town Resort is definitely a must-visit! Here you'll find all kinds of entertainment, plus the stunning scenery of Dianchi Lake. Every enchanting element of Yunnan is condensed right here. These four days of exploration truly left a deep impression.

Ancient Dian Fine Wetland Park

From morning till night, the Colorful Yunnan Happy World Park

Dola Cute Pet Paradise

Ancient Dian Hot Spring Villa

Our rough itinerary for the four days was as follows; I must say, the entire Colorful Yunnan Ancient Dian Town Resort offers so many experiences worth discovering!

【DAY1】 Check into Ancient Dian Resort Hotel, enjoy the cuisine at Yixin Yuan Restaurant.

【DAY2】

10:00-12:00 Experience star activities at 8000 Base: rock climbing, BMX bikes, real-life CS, non-powered installations.

12:00-13:30 BBQ at 8000 Base camping; visit Astro-Traveler Astronomy Science Museum and the observation deck at Tourist Service Center.

16:00-18:00 Explore the natural beauty of the wetland, take a ride on a painted pleasure boat or a hand-rowed boat, and then watch a brief sunset from the observation deck at the Tourist Service Center!

19:00 Delicious vegetarian dinner at Suyue Zhai.

【DAY3】

After watching the opening welcoming dance in the morning, we went for a ride on the Ferris wheel and then saw the Soaring Cinema. Be sure to catch several must-see shows: Kazakaze no Mai (at Huan Dian Plaza), Bharatanatyam Dance (at Yulin Plaza), the Ancient Dian Storm Chronicles, the Secret Realm Drum Show, and the Carnival Grand Parade. At night, we joined the Summer Beer Carnival, the bonfire party, enjoyed a drone show, and finally admired the Colorful Dianchi Fireworks Show. A truly jam-packed day!

【DAY4】

Dola Cute Pet Paradise, 10:00-12:00: Camel Ranch → Sheep Herding Show → Rainbow Slide → Riding Hunt Zone → Town Gallery.

Enjoyed the hot spring buffet restaurant; at Banshan · Jade Health & Wellness Garden, took classes in flower arrangement and tea art.

16:00-18:00

On the first day, we took the expressway from Kunming Airport straight to the Colorful Yunnan Ancient Dian Town Resort and checked into the Ancient Dian Resort Hotel. The hotel has all the living facilities you could need, so we stayed there for the first three nights.

Downstairs there is also a comfortable sitting area.

The hotel boasts spacious two-bedroom, one-living-room suites of 84 square meters—walking in truly feels like coming back home.

With a kitchen and a living room, plus a balcony where you can sit outside and enjoy Kunming's cool, refreshing air, it couldn't be more pleasant. The hotel is also close to all the surrounding attractions, making it a great choice for a family trip.

In fact, as a resort hotel, the buildings aren't very tall, and each floor has only three units per elevator, ensuring peace, quiet, and safety—perfect for families with both young and old!

The bathroom even has a heater, making showers super comfortable.

The room is decorated in a green theme, giving a very cozy and welcoming feel.

Near the hotel are the Colorful Yunnan · Happy World, Ancient Dian Fine Wetland, Ancient Dian Hot Spring Villa, and the Dola Cute Pet Paradise, offering thoughtful and attentive resort living for families.

Right next to the Ancient Dian Resort Hotel is a food square that can accommodate 400 diners at once, with 13 food stalls serving all sorts of specialty dishes from near and far. Whether you crave hometown flavors or exotic snacks, you'll find maximum satisfaction here. The food square also offers a high-quality buffet breakfast for visitors.

For dinner, we walked to Yixin Yuan Restaurant. If you're visiting the Colorful Yunnan Ancient Dian Resort for the first time, you absolutely must sample the local ingredients and flavors.

Yunnan cuisine, also called Dian cuisine, features unique flavors, distinctive ingredients, and a diverse culture that gives it a one-of-a-kind character.

Yixin Yuan, a well-established brand serving authentic Dian dishes, is not to be missed. Here you can enjoy special edible flower banquets and authentic Crossing-the-Bridge Noodle banquets.

A little spicy—admittedly, a Cantonese might not be used to it—but it looks so appetizing and perfect with rice!

Your first day begins with food and a comfortable hotel. Rest up, because there's so much fun waiting for you!

The next day we headed to the Ancient Dian Fine Wetland Park.

Located right by the shores of Dianchi Lake, this park was built on the lakeside wetlands, allowing you to experience the charm of Dianchi up close.

Covering 73 hectares, the park integrates wetland sightseeing, waterfront recreation, water leisure, and science education. Themed around the ancient Dian fishing and hunting culture and the wetland scenery of Dianchi, it fully showcases the beauty of natural ecology. Strolling along the causeways where land and water interlace, you'll see "fragrant rice fields all around, vast stretches of sandy shores, summer-blooming lotus flowers, and willows in spring"—a panoramic glimpse of a wetland water town.

What impressed me most about the Ancient Dian Fine Wetland Park was the seamless blend of water and sky and its superb natural environment. Here you can go boating, fish, and commune with nature; or take a hand-rowed boat to explore the depths of the wetlands. As the boat moves slowly, past mists of rain over streams, ancient bridges where people fish, reeds dancing softly, clear waters reflecting colorful clouds, and flowers accompanying your peaceful leisure—all this beauty is within arm's reach.

You'll also see a vast square: the Dian People's Race Square covers about 6385 sqm and can hold 5,000 people. Its iconic landmark is the Dian People's Race sculpture—a sleek design blending antique simplicity with modern elegance. The sculpture draws from the "boat pattern" found on ancient Dian bronze drums, depicting the magnificent scene of Dian people drumming and racing across mighty rivers and vast lakes, highlighting their high-spiritedness and pioneering spirit of braving winds and waves.

At the 8000 Base Campsite, there are countless tents, all sorts of cute ones. There are also many RVs; some visitors even bring their little dogs on vacation—so adorable! A dog lay still in front of the door like a plush toy, and the car had come all the way from Shanghai. It's said that on weekends, the place fills up with cars from all over. Fancy an RV road trip?

In the Ancient Dian Fine Wetland Park, there's another project perfect for kids: the 8000 Base. Seeing the container structures and industrial-style buildings, you know you've entered a zone of challenges. First we tried rock climbing—really fun! The entire 8000 Base covers about 5 hectares, with well-equipped facilities and a professional coaching team. It's a comprehensive outdoor sports camp combining fun rock climbing, rope (SRT), dirt jumps (balance bikes, BMX), kayaking, survival skills training, professional physical exam prep, practical CS combat, drone sports, team-building exercises, and parent-child interaction.

The 8000 Base isn't just for kids; it also provides a playground for outdoor sports enthusiasts. There's a barbecue area, restrooms, washrooms, and an RV campground. It's a "base camp" where visitors can unwind. You can drop all fatigue, enjoy a cozy lakeside camp, spend the night under a sky full of stars, and let a bright moon illuminate a wonderful night by the lake—soaking in the natural spirit and the beauty of mountains and lakes.

There's so much fun to be had here. All the tents are white, which looks fantastic—perfect for photos, whether you're going for a picnic chic or something else. Whether you want to enjoy the recreational facilities or take beautiful photos, the wetland park satisfies all.

Another exciting activity in the wetland park is the real-life CS. Walking down a path lined with purple foxtail grass, we arrived at the CS base. Real CS is great for team-building and is very safe—the projectiles are made of water-absorbing beads, making it suitable for group play. Wearing all that cool gear and with plenty of cover, the photos turn out pretty witty too.

After such thrilling activity, of course we fired up a group barbecue. [Air-freighted whole roast lamb] This group barbecue also requires teamwork—some are in charge of eating, others of grilling, and a little slacking off might get you scolded! Happily, there was none of that smoky, acrid feel, which was a definite plus.

After we'd eaten our fill, we carried on. Nearby is the Astro-Traveler Astronomy Science Museum. Here you can not only see Yunnan's "five poisonous creatures," but also view astronomical instruments and even experience the joy of flying! This is a 277 sqm astronomy science museum where you can enjoy hands-on activities and stargaze. All sorts of venomous insects and spiders—scared yet? A lizard perched obediently on your hand. Here you can observe solar prominences, bathe in the starlit sky, and understand Newton's three laws of motion by building models of the solar system. There are also fun classes on making glowing starry night bowls, exploring the solar system, DIY pearl jewelry, butterfly specimen making, ancient astronomy hands-on courses, venomous creature classes, and starry-sky fun classrooms.

After admiring so much beautiful wetland scenery, I felt its soul truly lies in the water. At the pier, you'll see all sorts of exquisite boats called "painted pleasure boats." The rooftop of the pier building and the canopy of the boats are shaped like crescent moons, looking from afar like inverted leaves—absolutely elegant. The arcade building of the Ancient Dian Grand Pier features a raw, rugged architectural style, and its creative design won an Excellence Award in the Cross-Strait Four Regions Architectural Design Award by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects. The pier and its reflection in the waiting hall create a picturesque scene. When boats from Dianchi dock, visitors stepping onto the pier can feel the historical ambiance of an ancient ferry teeming with sails.

The tiger motif is seen everywhere in the Ancient Dian Town Resort, very distinctive. Currently, there are 46 electric-powered painted pleasure boats; the largest can hold 22 people, making it the biggest water amusement pier in Southwest China. These boats are light and airy, inheriting the design of Jiangnan pleasure boats while incorporating the "long spine, short eaves" style of the ancient Dian Kingdom—full of Yunnan's unique ethnic charm and mysterious ancient Dian cultural connotations. The exterior design has even won a national patent award. The waiting hall covers 1,134 sqm and can accommodate 700 people.

Every detail of the pier design echoes the others; there aren't many structures in the world so simply yet elegantly beautiful, so just capturing the architecture is worthwhile. Here you can embrace so many elements of beauty—the seamless water and sky of Dianchi gave me many wonderful feelings!

From an aerial view, the pier's extending boardwalks are also very aesthetic. The left-right symmetrical golden peacocks make you feel as if you've stepped into a TV drama set in the ancient Dian Kingdom. Looking at those upward-curving painted boats, isn't there a dreamlike feeling? Only when I came to Dianchi and saw these painted boats at the Ancient Dian Fine Wetland did I understand what "a single leaf-like boat" truly means.

Besides admiring the vast, boundless beauty of Dianchi, you can also ride the "Dianhai Fishing Boats" for a spin around the park. Then you can tour the entire Happy World and the Fine Wetland from various angles. Isn't it a perfect spot to check out? Taking a boat cruise is the most relaxing and serene way to experience the park. The phrase "fragrant rice fields all around, vast stretches of sandy shores, summer-blooming lotus flowers, and willows in spring" fits the Ancient Dian Fine Wetland perfectly. You can also spot wild ducks, and fish might even leap out of the water!

Beautiful spots are everywhere, so off we went to the hilltop to see the view. We also reached a high point: a lovely observation deck that's also the tourist center. It offers a panorama of the entire Dianchi Lake. If you're there at dusk and the weather cooperates, it's even more breathtaking. You can see the Happy World in the distance, the magnificent clouds over Dianchi, and sometimes a tiny boat floating peacefully on the water, so serene. At dusk, imagine how stunning it would be with those fiery sunset clouds! The whole tourist center is also built in classical style. Want to capture Dianchi beauty? Come to the Colorful Yunnan Fine Wetland!

That evening we dined at Suyue Zhai, which not only offers vegetarian food but also a local "Peacock Banquet" with a beautifully arranged platter! The restaurant can seat 140 people, a haven for vegetarians, letting you experience vegetarian culture and unique flavors. Under master chefs, the vegetarian food will open up your taste buds. The entire bamboo basket was loaded with various foods—including bugs! Want to try such exotic and distinctive cuisine?

Day three was dedicated to the Colorful Yunnan Happy World—truly a blast with endless rides and entertainment! Right at the entrance, cheerful Western-style music fills your ears, automatically lifting your mood. The park is cleverly divided into seven themed zones: Dian Army Camp, Illusory Dian Wonderland, Childhood Dream World, Vientiane Tribe, Primordial Realm, Frost Moon Cold Islet, and Four Seasons Flower Sea. There's also a children's play center—the Baby Paradise.

But the most eye-catching is the "Eye of Dianchi"—a Ferris wheel over 100 meters tall. From here, you can overlook Dianchi's beauty. After riding a roller coaster, we watched the Bharatanatyam Dance; Indian dance is simply brimming with energy. Bharatanatyam is also called "fire dance"—the supernatural fire element within the human body is mystically revealed through dance, which explains its vibrant energy.

The Soaring Cinema is a 4D theater where you can see the landscapes of Yunnan from a 4D perspective. During the show, you sit in a chair that traverses through time and space, passing through misty clouds to overlook the breathtaking Yunnan landscapes from above.

We tried the local steam-pot chicken, very flavorful. Paired with other Yunnan-style appetizers, we were quickly full. Steam-pot chicken, inheriting centuries-old Jianshui purple clay pottery craft and cooking techniques, epitomizes Yunnan culinary wisdom. A steam-pot chicken without the purple clay pot has no soul.

After the chicken, we rushed to watch "Ancient Dian Storm Chronicles," a tale of legends from the ancient Dian Kingdom. The performance features spectacular equestrian stunts and large-scale war scenes, making you feel as if you're right in the midst of battle. Set against the backdrop of wars between the Western Han-era ancient Dian Kingdom and neighboring tribes, this special-effects live drama brings to life the economic, cultural, and military achievements of the Dian Kingdom at its peak. Skillfully blending sound, light, electricity, wire-flying equestrian stunts, and high-tech stage machinery, it transports the audience into a magnificent, adrenaline-pumping "Dian war" time-space, evoking love for homeland and yearning for peace among these brave southwest frontier peoples. The show includes not only amazing horse teams and aerial acrobats but also a giant log used to batter the city gates. The various stunts performed on horseback are truly jaw-dropping. At the end, all performers come out, so you can take photos with them.

Tiger Leaping Gorge: a splash ride. Sitting in a raft boat that winds around Tiger Mountain, you plunge down at high speed, enjoying a sense of weightlessness. Splashing into the water at breakneck speed feels like releasing all pressure in an instant—exhilarating. And people on the shore can fire water cannons at the raft!

After the great "tiger," we went to meet the "elephant." The Elephant Play Dragon roller coaster is super-sized, with giant stone elephants cleverly integrated. You shriek and dive along the winding track, giving the thrill of romping with elephants. Even watching the dragon-like coaster sends your adrenaline soaring! The Elephant Play Dragon coaster in the park is the most thrilling attraction, so it's popular. It has only two rows, so no matter where you sit, one side is completely exposed. What makes it terrifying is the 0-100 km/h acceleration in 2.5 seconds, followed by all kinds of twists, turns, and loops. If that's not enough, try the Twin Towers Space Shot—a drop tower with an enormous vertical drop.

In the Colorful Yunnan Happy World, several shows are unmissable. The grandest is the Carnival Grand Parade. Passion is performed every day; joy never ends. Performers in exquisite ethnic costumes sing and dance around gorgeous floats, their vibrant, graceful movements, cute clowns, and continuously changing formations captivate. The floats and entertainers turn the main road into a party square, exceptionally lively. Quirky, funny clowns appear; cute IP characters like Odd-Winged Tiger, Elephant God, and Bird Spirit pop up in front of you. Get your dance on early. The dazzling parade and resplendent costumes are sure to amaze. The drummers are full of spirit; the ceremonial performance infects everyone around. Even under the blazing sun, gathering around feels ceremonial! At the end, performers pull guests into the interaction—it's just fantastic!

The "Kazakaze no Mai" show is also a beautiful performance, with Japanese-style costumes and pleasant songs. "Kawaii Song" has a great rhythm and sounds adorable. There are many more shows in the park—wait for you to discover them!

The Frost Moon Cold Islet themed zone is my favorite, perhaps because the decorations make summer feel so cool and refreshing. See the snow leopard on top? The Snowy Secret Realm incorporates plenty of fictional backgrounds to create a mysterious, fantastical, and thrilling theme. Here, there's a super fun red roller coaster that looks extraordinary! It can seat four per row, giving you the feeling of soaring like an eagle. The Primordial Realm hammer facility reaches up to 28 meters at its peak, swinging riders back and forth; as the swings grow higher, you feel launched into the clouds then dropped into the abyss, as if entering a deep valley! If you keep your eyes open, you can take in the beauty of Dianchi during the swing.

A "Colorful Train" connects two roller coasters in the park. Wrapped in a peacock motif, it traverses the entire park like a time-shuttle machine. As you ride, you can enjoy the park's scenery or get a bird's-eye view from above. With music playing and beautiful scenery rolling by, it feels like an elegant, comfortable, romantic self-drive journey aboard a luxurious train!

That evening, we had the local "Little Knife Duck," crispy skin and delicious! Besides the duck, there was also an awesome beer festival, so we spent the latter half of the night with beer and music. All sorts of delicious food came out one after another, and the passionate song and dance performances were fantastic! It was a feast prepared especially for music-loving youths... Audience members were invited on stage to join. There was also a beer-drinking contest on stage, and the whole venue turned into a sea of joy. As the night deepened, the fun intensified. Performers who could sing both male and female voices showcased sleeve dances. Of course, the beer festival was all about hearty drinking—performers even came down to toast with you. The lively party featured staff dressed in Yunnan minority costumes who also came to propose toasts—it was so much fun, and everyone drank a big glass of beer. The staff didn't seem to worry about getting tipsy either! Even before the show ended, we dashed off to the next event, the bonfire party—truly spectacular. Besides the bonfire, there were fireworks. Accompanied by lively dance music, everyone formed a circle. The Ferris wheel in the distance transformed into a peacock at night. The night drone show and dazzling fireworks were mesmerizing. In the evening, the Colorful Yunnan · Happy World lit up, utterly brilliant. The fireworks were set off outside the park; as people exited, they were treated to the stunning spectacle—the splendid fireworks lit up the night sky. Many watched from the roadside. The scene of families watching fireworks together was so heartwarming!

On day four, we visited the Dola Cute Pet Paradise and encountered so many adorable animals. The park has 17 play areas and is the country's first outdoor ecological cute pet paradise. Located by Dianchi Lake within the Colorful Yunnan · Ancient Dian Town, it's a rare outdoor cute pet park in China, featuring baby alpacas, miniature horses, groundhogs, giant rabbits, capybaras, long-eared guinea pigs, goats, sika deer, and more—perfect for family fun.

As soon as we entered, we saw a staff member holding a lovely macaw perched on their hand. The colorful macaw was gorgeous but quiet, so we just watched from afar. First we visited the squirrel area, with a tall pine tree in the center and many squirrels perched on top, the shyer ones higher up, while the bolder ones scurried on the ground. A staff member held a tiny two-week-old squirrel—so mini! And when you gently stroked it, it fell asleep immediately, unbelievably cute.

Dola Cute Pet Paradise is redefining the relationship between humans and animals. Where else in China can you get so close to animals? Breaking away from traditional zoo models, the park has abandoned animal enclosures, keeping most areas with natural vegetation cover—the first open outdoor ecological cute pet paradise in the country. Walking into the park, it feels like you're in a forest or grassland.

Adorable long-eared rabbits look so innocent. The mini pigs are truly lazy, some with their clothing slipped down to their behinds. Mini pigs and capybaras—capybaras, the largest rodents, have gentle temperaments. The black-faced sheep are very popular; look at this cute black-faced sheep—no sheep smell and very docile. It comes over at the sight of carrot sticks. Notice the one in the photo even has a heart-shaped pattern on its body—irresistibly cute!

A must-visit is the alpaca zone, designed to mimic their native environment, letting them roam freely. Their height is just right for photos, and they won't spit at you. The proud alpaca turned away with a crooked mouth when it saw I had no food, but luckily, I soon got the attention of a friendly flock of sheep. The most beautiful scene is the "Sheep Herding Show," where the sheep gather in groups on a grassy expanse—super photogenic!

As wild animals' natural habitats shrink, Dola Cute Pet Paradise has designed habitats for each cute pet that mimic their natural living conditions yet blend seamlessly into human environments. The animals roam freely in open outdoor spaces, living and playing without restraint—horses run, rabbits hop, capybaras swim, meerkats dig... Each animal demonstrates its daily life naturally, passing on good cheer to every visitor. (Among a group of digging meerkats, there's always one on sentry duty.) In Dola Cute Pet Paradise, the animals are the true hosts, and every visitor is warmly welcomed as a guest. Every animal is very close to humans—just watching, kids beam with joy.

Besides interacting with the adorable pets, Dola Cute Pet Paradise offers a series of fun activities and science classes to nurture knowledge and emotional growth for both kids and adults. After seeing so many cute animals with your children, don't forget to relax yourself. Constantly handling endless work, life's busyness numbs your scalp; you always want to find a place to unwind. In moments like these, you just crave a retreat nestled in mountains and by water, far from the madding crowd, to recuperate for a few days. Choosing a perfect place to stay becomes crucial—good food and hot springs are the best combination.

Ancient Dian Hot Spring Villa is an experience well worth it. "Ancient Dian Hot Spring" is a light luxury resort hot spring meticulously developed in Colorful Yunnan · Ancient Dian Town. It inherits the traditional culture of the ancient Dian Kingdom, indigenous Yunnan folk customs, and regional culture, built along the mountain terrain. 72 forested pools dot the hillside like stars; 36 private hot spring villas hug the mountains and are carved around water. "Fragrant grass, fallen petals in profusion," mountain flowers and unusual rocks are scattered throughout; every object and scene blends the charm of ancient Dian bronze culture, offering a new path to discover ancient Dian history and culture. At Ancient Dian Hot Spring Villa, you can finally slow down to savor the seasons and time. Without leaving the country, you can enjoy world-class hot spring experiences.

The hot spring complex also offers catering, leisure, swimming, fitness, chess and cards, and audiovisual entertainment—providing a complete vacation experience. The water quality is exceptional. Drilled from 2,622 meters underground, the natural hot spring is rich in metasilicic acid, lithium, sodium, calcium, zinc, and other trace elements. The mineral content, pH, and temperature all meet world-class hot spring standards.

Halfway up the mountain at the hot spring villa, the Banshan · Jade Health & Well-being Garden is absolutely a photo-perfect spot—so tranquil. Banshan · Jade Health & Well-being Garden is the natural healing classroom of the Banshan Health Living Hall, featuring a unique body-and-mind awakening course. It employs wellness exercises combined with aesthetic natural rehabilitation therapy, focusing on sight, hearing, touch, taste, and mind healing to integrate health experience into a serene Zen garden architecture. Seasonal health features help sub-healthy individuals awaken their physical and mental functions and raise vital energy. Here, empty yourself, find your true self, achieve balance, and cast aside noise and troubles to return to simplicity and truth. Everywhere offers shots full of Japanese elegance. Besides experiencing flower arrangement and tea ceremony classes, the main thing is the photogenic setting—you'll definitely love it! At the Jade · Forest Elegance gathering, savor flower art and the tea ceremony. Among the mountains and woods, pick flowers and plants to arrange, and amidst vibrant greenery, taste the wild fragrance of summer...

If there's one unmissable photo spot, it's the infinity pool at the very top! It overlooks most of the Colorful Yunnan Ancient Dian Town. Especially at sunset, when golden sunlight washes over the entire ancient town, it feels like a fairy-tale wonderland. Among Kunming's hot spring products, Ancient Dian Hot Spring is the only one where you can soak while watching the sunset sink into Dianchi Lake. This romantic experience we call "embracing Dianchi, bathing in rosy clouds"—embrace Dianchi in your arms, rosy clouds reflected in the infinity pool, bathing in the hot spring as if bathing in the glow.

Little Tips:

1. You basically don't need to bring much; just your swimsuit.

2. There is a free shuttle bus within the park that stops at any attraction in the Colorful Yunnan Ancient Dian Town Resort.

3. The infinity pool is at the mountaintop, best for photo opportunities in the evening—soak in the hot spring while watching the sunset.

Behind the infinity pool is the hot spring villa's popular restaurant—Muyuntai Restaurant. Walking into Muyuntai, the surroundings are light-filled and pleasant, with floral arrangements in the center. We had Western food that evening, and it was quite good.

That night, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Kunming Ancient Dian Town, which is very close to all the major parks, making it incredibly convenient. The Crowne Plaza Kunming Ancient Dian Town is located within the Colorful Yunnan Ancient Dian Town Resort, overlooking the Western Hills and embracing the beautiful scenery of Dianchi Lake. It's adjacent to the Happy World theme park, integrating ecological landscapes with leisure and entertainment.