1 . Cross-bridge noodles, or crossing-the-bridge noodles, are a special dish that originated (起源) in Yunnan Province. It has become such a popular part of Yunnan’s culture that in 2008, it was listed as an item of the intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) of Kunming City.

There is a story behind the first creation of cross-bridge noodles. It is said that there was a learner during the Qing Dynasty. He studied every day on an island of Mengzi City in Yunnan. His favorite food was rice noodles, and his wife brought him the noodles every day. But she was disappointed because the noodles would get cold on the way to the island. One day, she discovered that boiling the rice noodles separately could make them taste better. The chicken soup could also stay warm during the trip. It was the oil layer (层) on top of the soup that kept the cold outside and the heat inside. Realizing this, the wife then came up with an idea. She brought the chicken soup, rice noodles, and other ingredients (原料) separately and then mixed them after she arrived on the island. That way, the dish stayed hot and the noodles were fresh when they were added just before eating.

The word spread of the delicious dish and the wife’s smart way of keeping the food hot. The dish became known as “crossing-the-bridge noodles” or simply “cross-bridge noodles” in memory of the wife.

The China-Laos Railway is a big hit for travelers, making trips between China and Laos fun and easy. This year, over 5.19 million people rode on this train, and more than 60,000 of them went across the border. People love it because it’s quick and lets them see new places. Imagine having breakfast in Kunming, China, and then enjoying coffee in Vientiane, Laos, by evening!

This train line is special because it brings different cultures together. It helps people explore and connect with new places in a cool way. In Yunnan, China, this train has made traveling easier and more exciting. It connects Kunming to many places quickly, helping more people travel inside China and to Laos.

Lots of people are choosing to travel to beautiful spots in Yunnan like Xishuangbanna, Shangri-La, Dali, and Lijiang. To make traveling even better, there are new trains and trips designed for fun experiences. One of these is the “Elephant Towards Number” train, which goes around the province and is a big hit with tourists.

The train service is also thinking about older travelers by offering special trips to big cities. This makes traveling nicer for them. Plus, there are cool trains for sightseeing, like the Jianshui Ancient City mini train and the Shipping tourist train, which lots of visitors enjoy.

The China-Laos Railway is making travel cooler and helping people see more of China and Laos in fun and easy ways.

5 . Diaojiaolou, also called Diaolou, is a traditional house in southern China. You can find many of these houses beside a river or in the mountainous areas of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hunan and Sichuan. This type of building is popular among the Miao, Zhuang, Buyi, Dong, Shui, and Tujia peoples.

Diaojiaolou dates back to hundreds of years ago. When ancient Chinese pioneers moved from northern to southern China, they met many difficulties. They suffered a lot from the beasts (猛兽), snakes, and insects in the mountain forests. At first, they set fire to keep beasts away, but they were still often bitten by snakes. Then an old smart leader in the village invented Diaojiaolou. They are in fact 100% wooden houses built on silts (泥沙). These buildings are usually two to three storeys high. The whole house is really strong. Even if one of the stilts (支柱) was destroyed, the house would remain standing.

The stilt houses have many advantages. In ancient times, these buildings would provide protection from beasts. Nowadays they continue to provide protection from snakes and insects. What’s more, these buildings help prevent humidity-related (湿度相关的) illnesses that are common in southern China. In the mountainous areas of southern China, people can’t endure the wet ground in summer, so living on high floors is a wise choice.

And the special buildings are in perfect harmony (和谐) with the beautiful scenery—small bridges, flowing water, and green mountains. And many stilt buildings are hidden in ancient trees and bamboos, like traditional Chinese landscape paintings.

6 . Yunnan is known for its natural beauty, ethnic (民族的) cultures and delicious local food. Here is a Yunnan travel guide according to the four different seasons.

8 . Have you ever seen a colorful rainbow in the sky right after it rains? That happens when the sunlight goes through the water in the air.

The sun’s light is actually made of many colors that don’t all move the same way. When this light goes into a raindrop, it bends (弯曲) a bit and splits into (裂成) all these colors like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

As these colors come out of the raindrop, they bounce off (弹回) the inside back of the drop. This makes them bend again and spread out, making a shape like part of a circle, which is the rainbow we see. Purple bends a lot, but red not so much.

So, why do rainbows look like a curve? It’s because the raindrops are not all the same distance (距离) from us. They make a circle shape around a line from the sun to our eyes, creating that curve.

Rainbows are usually seen in the part of the sky opposite the sun. Sometimes, you might even see two rainbows at once! That’s when the sunlight bounces twice inside the raindrops.

Next time you see a rainbow, remember it’s just the sun and rain working together to make something really special and pretty in the sky.

In a faraway place in the mountain s of Yunnan, China, a new kind of village is appearing—a smart village. Imagine living where every home can go online through fast 4G and 5G networks, not just cables (电缆). This is not a story; it is really happening now.

Yunnan is known for its beautiful natural environment. In the past, a few homes often shared one internet connection. But things have changed thanks to hard work by people at China Telecom. Now every household can go online. This is part of a bigger plan to use technology to modernize farming and improve rural (农村的) life.

In these smart villages, farmers have some cool little tools to help them. For example, cows can eat a special capsule (胶囊). This capsule collects information about the cow’s health and sends it to a computer. This allows farmers to know exactly what cows need to stay healthy and produce good milk and meat.

But it’s not just about animals. In places like Dali and Lijiang, technology also watches crops like rice and mangoes. Cameras and sensors (传感器) can tell farmers the weather, soil conditions, and even if insects are harming crops right away. This means farmers can better take care of plants to ensure we have delicious, healthy food.

These villages also use technology for safety, better tourism management, and community services. Over 11, 000 village platforms have been built so far, making the dream of a modern, connected countryside come true.