Yunnan Province, 592km (355 miles) W of Kunming, 168km (101 miles) E of Tengchong
The Baoshan region located to the west of Dali has a history that dates from the 4th and 5th centuries B.C., when trade routes extending from Sichuan to India via Yunnan and Burma passed right through the towns of Baoshan and Tengchong. The area came under Chinese control during the Han dynasty, and cities along this route flourished well into the Tang dynasty. Overlooked by most travelers today, the region, which is home to several minorities, including the Han, Yi, Bai, Dai, and Hui, boasts the delightful town of Tengchong, which has enough volcanoes, hot springs, and traditional Chinese villages nearby to warrant a detour of a few days. Baoshan is Tengchong's air link to the outside world, but there's not a lot to see here. Worth avoiding in fact, is the Graveyard of National Heroes, which is full of needlessly graphic depictions, and some outrageously anti-Japanese propaganda material that goes a long way to explain much of the xenophobic fervor of the moment.