Ultimate Mile Travel Guide: Discover the Hidden Gem in Central Yunnan
Mile, a hidden gem in central Yunnan, keeps an incredibly low profile! Having just returned from a romantic spring flower-viewing trip to Mile, I can't help but share this city that combines art, hot springs, and cuisine. This detailed guide will help you avoid crowds, unlock unique experiences in Mile, and includes practical tips and photo spots at the end. Save it now!
🌟Must-Visit Spots: The Good and Bad
✅Dongfengyun Art Town: The Provence of Central Yunnan
The Kaleidoscope Art Gallery here features unique red-brick architecture with striking visual impact, transporting visitors to a foreign land. For photos, wear a white long dress to capture an exotic atmosphere. To avoid crowds, arrive before 8am. The lavender garden blooms from April to October, creating a romantic scene. Admission: CNY 60/person, sightseeing car ticket CNY 20/person separately, or CNY 80 for a combined ticket is more economical.
📸Secret photo spots: Take overhead shots at the spiral staircase in the Half Cloud Restaurant for artistic effect; capture the stunning contrast between purple flowers and red walls outside the Seal Workshop.
✅Taiping Lake Forest Park: Four-Season Flower Sea and Oxygen Bar
Admission CNY 80, including electric cart fee. The cacti area in the rocky desertification park offers perfect desert-style photo opportunities. If traveling with children, recommend staying at the lakeside wooden cabin guesthouses, where you can enjoy flower views from your window and stargaze at night.
✅Huquan Eco Park: Yunnan's Little Sanya
A free hidden photo spot! Palm trees, white sand beaches, and lakeside cycling paths create a strong coastal resort atmosphere. Perfect for sunset silhouette shots in the evening. When tired, visit the hillside hot springs - CNY 128 for single entry, or free with relevant hotel stays.
❌Keyi Town: Proceed with Caution
The CNY 40 admission fee offers poor value, with excessive commercialization. Even photos on the Lovesickness Bridge require extra fees. Locals recommend photographing Yi ethnic houses in the free areas outside the town for an authentic cultural experience.
🍜Mile Culinary Guide
🌟Must-Try List
- Braised Chicken Rice Noodles: Try Old Mile's version, rich broth enhanced with chicken blood and liver, only CNY 10 per bowl.
- Grape Feast: From April to August, taste homemade wine at Yunnan Winery, paired with grape pastries and grape juice ice cream.
- Night Market Delights: CNY 5 fermented tofu at Wenchang Street, delicious with Danshan dipping sauce! Buddha City Mall's Wednesday and Saturday markets offer affordable fresh fruits.
💣Warning Signs
- Avoid crossing-bridge rice noodles near tourist spots, overpriced at CNY 68 and inauthentic.
- Liangsheng's original ice "ba" is too sweet, better shared among three or more people.
🛀Hidden Experiences Revealed
1. Private Hot Spring Experience: Red River Valley Hot Spring Resort offers boat-and-soak service, surrounded by forest, CNY 198/person including light meal.
2. Winery DIY: CNY 20 entry fee includes wine tasting and personalized bottle filling, perfect for social media photos.
3. State Farm Museum Exploration: Free admission to view 1970s youth migration artifacts, wear vintage workwear for retro photo shoots.
🚗Transportation Tips
- By High-speed Rail: 1 hour from Kunming, choose right-side window seats for Fuxian Lake views.
- Self-driving: 30-minute drives between attractions, Dongfengyun parking CNY 10/day.
- Taxi Alert: Difficult to get rides after 8pm, save driver contacts for return trips.
🏡Accommodation Recommendations
- Artistic Choice: Xiangwang Art Hotel in Dongfengyun, featuring cave-style design and stargazing rooms, perfect for night tours of the empty art town.
- Premium Hot Springs: Huquan Tianyi Villa private springs, CNY 500+ per person, includes butler service and floating afternoon tea.
⚠️Essential Tips
1. Sun Protection: Strong highland UV, bring sunglasses, SPF50+ sunscreen, and UV sleeves - tan lines appear within 10 minutes.
2. Cash Preparation: Some farmers' markets and wineries accept cash only.
3. Drone Registration: Dongfengyun is a restricted zone, apply through "Tour Yunnan" APP first.
4. Off-peak Visits: Dongfengyun weekend crowds triple workday numbers, visit early on working days for photos.
🌸Three-Day Alternative Itinerary
- Day 1: Morning at Dongfengyun Kaleidoscope, afternoon at Yunnan Winery, evening sunset at Huquan Eco Park.
- Day 2: Relaxing morning at Taiping Lake Forest cabins, rocky desertification park photos, evening hot springs at Red River Valley.
- Day 3: Climb 1,999 steps at Jinping Mountain temple, afternoon shopping at Buddha City Mall, then departure.
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Practical Information:
✨Dongfengyun Hours: 8:30-20:00 (last entry 17:45)
🚌Shuttle Service: Taiping Lake electric cart CNY 30/person, hop-on-hop-off
🍇Grape Picking: Recommend Mile Rose Honey Manor April-August
It is not very big inside. As a scenic spot, it is not necessary to come. It takes about an hour or two to visit. The focus is on recommending red wine to you at the end. In fact, the grape juice there is very good, and the personal feeling is better than NFC.
🏞️ **"Romantic experience of Oriental Bordeaux!"** Yunnan wineries not only have magnificent vineyards, but also wineries and museums full of cultural heritage. Taste a glass of "Yunnan Red", as if you are in a French wine estate, romantic and cozy! 💖✨
🌿 **"Yunnan winery, the perfect combination of nature and wine! **Walking in the thousands of acres of vineyards, feeling the fresh air and the joy of harvest. The wine here is mellow, the fruit is rich, and every mouthful is intoxicating. Whether it is wine tasting or taking pictures, it makes people linger! 🍇🍷
The famous Yunnan red winery, there is a winery guide to lead tourists to visit the whole process, explain the knowledge of red wine, people who have a certain understanding of wine, can string together the knowledge points here. The winery wine cellar has left a deep impression, and it is also a check-in point for net reds. The last wine supermarket is a shopping place, but the staff will not sell like chicken blood, almost everyone is Buddhist, there is no understanding can ask at any time, this shopping feels very good, I bought 1200+ products, it is also a small contribution.
Overall good, it feels like the most worthwhile attraction in Maitreya. Very distinctive, historical red wine estate, grape juice is very delicious, not available elsewhere, very good. Very good experience.
I saw the red wine brewing workshop, and the stored cellar. I trust the quality of Yunnan red. Finally, there is red wine tasting. The taste is good. The elderly and children are free of charge. The whole experience is about 1 hour!
The fare is not expensive, and you can also taste a small glass of wine, which can be worth 10 yuan. The explanation is very detailed, I have learned a lot of wine knowledge, and I know the difference between the wine making process and different wines. After shopping, you can buy some wine. The ordinary ration wine is only 50 yuan a bottle. The taste is quite good, much more cost-effective than buying in the supermarket. Sweet wine is iced and tastes better. Some categories of activities are indeed cheaper than buying outside.
I know that there is such a winery in Yunnan. There is a price for selling red wine at the exit. I feel that I can buy 6 bottles for no regrets! Very good place Maitreya East style by the way, strolling is good.