Discovering the diversity of Yunnan

Jeremiah Jenne, Manger of The Hutong Centre near Beixinqiao regularly leads educational tours both in Beijing and throughout China. Like Bruce he is particularly passionate about Yunnan. He talks first about some of the positive environmental work happening in this area of physical and human diversity. He mentions one scheme to protect the endangered Golden Monkey and how tourism is being developed on a more ecologically sustainable model.

Bruce mentions the links between the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh and Yunnan leading to many years of joint academic research and the discovery of an amazing range of plants. In the early 20th century Western botanical explorers were also attracted to this area of southwestern China. One was Doctor Joseph Rock who not only researched the plants on Yulongxueshan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) but also on the lives of the Nachi people living in and around Lijiang.

Bruce himself first visited this mountain town in 1995 before the development of modern transport infrastructure and well before the mass tourism seen there today in Lijiang.

Photos taken by Bruce in 1995 (Dali, Lijiang, Zhongdian) and 1999 (Xishuangbanna)