Cities > Tengchong City
Overview
Chinese Name: 腾冲市English Name: Tengchong City
Climate: Indian Ocean Monsoon Climate
Airport: Tengchong Airport
Background
Tengchong City is a county-level city directly under the administration of Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China. Nicknamed the "City of Geothermal Energy" and "First City on the Border," it is located in the western part of Baoshan City, Yunnan. Situated between 98°05' and 98°45' east longitude and 24°38' and 25°52' north latitude, Tengchong borders Longyang District to the east, Longling County and Lianghe County to the south, and Yingjiang County and Myanmar to the west, with a 150-kilometer border. It lies within the optimal 25-degree north latitude climate zone and experiences an Indian Ocean monsoon climate.Tengchong's climate is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons, rather than the four distinct seasons. The winter and spring seasons are typically sunny and warm, while summer and autumn feature a mix of sunshine and rain, resulting in a cool and pleasant atmosphere. Located at the southern end of the Hengduan Mountains, the terrain within Tengchong slopes from north to south and opens westward in a horseshoe shape. This creates a unique and well-preserved geological area featuring both volcanic and geothermal activity, making it one of China's youngest volcanic regions.
As an important gateway and pivotal point connecting China with South Asia and Southeast Asia, Tengchong is also a renowned hometown of overseas Chinese and a city with rich historical documents. It holds the provincial title of Historical and Cultural City, and is the southwestern endpoint of the "Hu Huanyong Line," the demographic divide of China. Tengchong is known as "China's First Jade City" and "China's Amber Capital."
Climate
Tengchong City is located in a subtropical mountainous region and experiences an Indian Ocean monsoon climate. Influenced by the southwestern monsoon from the Indian Ocean, the seasons are not distinctly divided, with distinct wet and dry periods. It exhibits the characteristics of a typical low-latitude, mountainous, and western monsoon climate. The rainy season occurs from May to October, while the remaining months constitute the dry season. The winters and springs are sunny and warm, and summers and autumns have a mix of sunshine and rain, creating a cool and comfortable environment.Tengchong City has an average annual temperature of 15.1°C. The maximum temperature does not exceed 30°C, and the minimum temperature is not below 0°C, resulting in no severe winters or scorching summers. Rainfall is abundant, with an average annual precipitation of 1531 mm, and an average annual relative humidity of 77%. The average annual rainfall days are 180.4, classifying it as one of the southern regions with high rainfall. The highest rainfall area is Dagaoping on the west slope of Gaoligong Mountain, and the lowest rainfall area is Tengchong County. The annual average sunshine hours are 2153.
The average annual sunshine hours are 2152.8. The northern region has fewer sunshine hours than the central region, while the southern region has slightly more sunshine hours than the central region. Due to its high altitude and good air transparency, the shortwave solar radiation is strong, resulting in good light quality. The average total radiation amount is 133.3 kcal/cm²·year. The average annual wind speed is 1.5 m/s, with the prevailing wind direction being from the southwest or calm. The most frequent daytime wind direction is southwest, while the most frequent nighttime wind direction is north. The wind speed is higher during the dry season than during the rainy season. The average monthly wind speed during the dry season is 1.6-1.9 m/s, while during the rainy season it is 1.1-1.5 m/s. The maximum instantaneous wind speed is 28 m/s. The average annual frost period is 131 days, with the average date of the first frost being November 17th, and the average date of the last frost being March 23rd. The average frost-free period is 234 days.
Tengchong City has a distinct three-dimensional climate with significant vertical climate differences. It has a variety of climate types, which can be roughly divided into four types: the South Asian subtropical to Mid-Subtropical climate type (altitudes of 930 meters to 1350 meters), the Mid-Subtropical to North Subtropical climate type (altitudes of 1350 meters to 1600 meters), the North Subtropical to South Temperate climate type (altitudes of 1700 meters to 1900 meters), and the Mid-Temperate and North Temperate climate types (altitudes of 2000 meters to 3000 meters). This results in a typical three-dimensional climate where one mountain exhibits four seasons.
Topography and Landforms
Tengchong City has an average altitude of 1600 meters and is situated at the southern end of the Hengduan Mountains, on the relatively open edge of the southern section of the Gaoligong Mountain range. The crustal uplift during the Yanshan movement formed the modern landform framework. The terrain slopes from north to south, with higher elevations on the east and west sides, and lower elevations in the middle, which contains several wide valley basins. This creates a horseshoe-shaped opening towards the west. Gaoligong Mountain, Langya Mountain, and their connected peaks serve as natural barriers to the east and north of Tengchong. The highest point is the Great Brain peak on Gaoligong Mountain, with an altitude of 3780.2 meters. The lowest point is the Longchuan River bank in Xinhua District, at an altitude of 930-940 meters, with an altitude difference of 2800 meters.In addition to the Gaoligong Mountain range, the topography of Tengchong is divided into the northern high-mountain gorge area, the central volcanic lava platform, and the southern mid-low mountain hilly area. The northern high-mountain gorge area includes several districts such as Jietou, mainly consisting of high mountains, middle mountains, and gorges (basins). There are five north-south trending branches, and the five branches converge into five north-south trending rivers, forming five valley basins from east to west. The central volcanic lava platform covers a total area of about 750 square kilometers, including the Qushi and Magu volcanic lava platforms, the Dajia east middle-mountain area, the northern volcanic area, the Zhonghe volcanic lava platform, the Zhonghe western mountainous area, and the Tengchong Basin. The southern mid-low mountain hilly area includes the Longjiang River valley area, the Menglian hilly area, and the southern hilly area.
Gaoligong Mountain Range
The Gaoligong Mountain range extends from the Nujiang Prefecture to Tengchong and Longling, running north-south. It is the natural barrier to the east of Tengchong. Within Tengchong, it begins in the north at the Da Jueba head mountain in Pinghe, bordering Lushui and Myanmar, and extends south to Huipo in Longling County, with a geographical distance of 114 kilometers. The western slope is part of Tengchong, defined by the watershed. The northern section of the mountain range spans 20 kilometers, including the areas north of Datang in Jietou, Xiangbailing, Dazhubazhai, and Wugu Mountain in Mingguang. The southern section spans 9 kilometers, including the areas east of Longchuan River in Shangying, Mangbang, and Wuhe.The Gaoligong Mountain range is a folded block mountain composed of ancient metamorphic rocks. The mountains are high and steep, with a higher elevation in the north and lower in the south. The ridges are connected by groups of peaks, and the slopes are steep, generally over 3000 meters above sea level, with a slope of more than 35°. The relative elevation difference in the valleys is over 2000 meters. The highest peak is the star-shaped Great Brain peak, with an altitude of 3780.2 meters. The middle of the mountain range features steep peaks and ridges, ranging from 2500 to 3000 meters above sea level, deeply cut by a feather-shaped water system, forming a descending mountain body extending towards the valleys. The lower part of the mountain range consists of gentle slopes and river terraces, interspersed with mountainous areas, generally at an altitude of 1700 to 2000 meters.Biological Resources
Plants
The Tengchong flora is complex, with diverse vegetation types and a wide variety of plant communities. In addition to the five major forest types, including timber forests, protection forests, special-use forests, fuel forests, and economic forests, the main forest by-products are medicinal plants, ornamental plants, starch plants, oil plants, forest vegetable plants, and resin and gum plants. The forest resources are mainly distributed in the northern townships (towns) in the Gaoligong Mountain, Zimei Mountain, and Langya Mountain areas, which are the county's timber forest base.As the latitude increases and the altitude rises, the natural vegetation in Tengchong exhibits a harmonious overlapping and intertwining of vertical and horizontal vegetation types. There are significant differences in the vegetation areas in the south, middle, and north of the city. Based on vegetation types, there are five vegetation types, including warm-temperate coniferous woods, warm coniferous forests, evergreen broad-leaved forests, deciduous sword-leaved forests, and shrublands. There are more than 2000 species of higher plants. Gaoligong Mountain is known as the "Species Gene Bank" and "Natural Museum."
As of 2022, Tengchong City has three national first-class protected plants, including the Isoetes sinensis, Cypripedium flavum, and Taxus wallichiana. There are 37 second-class protected plants, including Cyathea spinulosa, Taiwania cryptomerioides, Nymphaea tetragona, Michelia wilsonii, and Camellia oleifera. There are two species with extremely small populations, namely Pedicularis henryi and Rhododendron decorum.
Animals
Located in the southwestern part of the Hengduan Mountains, Tengchong is considered the "birthplace and breeding ground of mammal ancestors," a "paradise for pheasants and birds," and a "refuge for primitive animals," attracting significant attention from domestic and foreign zoologists. There are over 200 species of insects in Tengchong, belonging to 9 orders and 59 families, including Atractomorpha sinensis, Dactylopius coccus, and Boreidae. There are 244 species of birds belonging to 14 orders and 41 families, including the Intermediate Egret, Chestnut Bittern, Cattle Egret, and Mallard. There are 29 species of mammals belonging to 8 orders and 21 families, including the Malayan Flying Lemur, Suncus murinus, the Horseshoe Bat, the Slow Loris, and the Red Deer.Nature Reserves
Tengchong has seven nature reserves, with a total planned area of 85013.5 hectares, covering 14.54% of the city's land area. These include: Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve, Beihai Wetland Provincial Nature Reserve, Geothermal Volcano County-level Nature Reserve, Tengchong Volcano Geothermal National Geological Park, Tengchong Geothermal Volcano National Scenic Area, Laifeng Mountain National Forest Park, and the Pseudobagrus vachellii National Aquatic Germplasm Resources Protection Zone of the Betel Palm River.Geothermal Resources
Tengchong City is one of China's three major geothermal areas, known for its high geothermal humidity, pressure, steam, and intense hydrothermal activity, which are rare in China. Tengchong is rich in geothermal resources and is known as the "Sea of Heat" and the "China's Hot Spring Capital." The travel writer Xu Xiake left behind the exclamation "I do not yearn for the heavenly pool birds, I am content to be a hot spring person" and "Tengteng, bathed in the sun, steaming heat arises." Some describe Tengchong's hot springs as a geothermal natural history museum, where high-temperature boiling springs, thermal springs, geysers, low-temperature carbonated springs, and poisonous gas springs can all be found. As of 2024, there are 88 hot springs in the area, including 3 boiling springs (96℃ or higher), 25 thermal springs (45℃ to 96℃), and 35 hot springs (below 45℃, with 5 below 30℃). The total water flow is approximately 613.24 L/s, or about 53,000 cubic meters per day. Hot springs are found in 17 townships, excluding Tuantuan Township. The chemical types of Tengchong hot spring water are mainly sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride-bicarbonate, sodium carbonate-bicarbonate, calcium bicarbonate, and sodium sulfate.Tengchong Rehai (Hot Sea)
The Tengchong Rehai Scenic Area is located 8 kilometers south of the urban area in Qingshui Township. It is a national 5A-level scenic area, a national geological park, and one of the eight provincial-level tourist resorts in Yunnan Province. As early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, it enjoyed the reputation of "One Sea of Heat" and is one of the Twelve Scenic Spots of Tengyue, renowned as a "natural geothermal museum" and "a world of hot springs, a paradise for health preservation."Cuisine
Tengchong's culinary culture is influenced by both the Central Plains and Jiangnan culinary cultures, incorporating the cuisine of neighboring Myanmar and introducing some Western culinary elements, resulting in a unique Tengchong culinary culture. Tengchong cuisine is distinct from Yunnan cuisine, characterized by being oily but not greasy, with a balance of sour and spicy flavors, and a fragrant and refreshing taste. The home-style dishes of Tengchong cuisine are mainly sour and spicy. The most commonly used seasonings are sour bamboo shoots, dried pickled vegetables, pickled waxed vegetables, water-pickled vegetables, chili paste, fermented chili paste, millet chili, and pickled vegetables, which are all unique Tengchong specialties.Customs
Tengchong City is a Han cultural enclave in the border area. Because it is located on the extreme border, and most of the Tengchong people are descendants of border generals and soldiers, the Han culture has been well-preserved and passed down.Religious Festivals
Tengchong's religious festivals include the Jade Emperor's Festival, Guanyin Festival, Buddha's Festival, Lao-Tzu's Festival, the worship of the Southern Dipper, the worship of the Northern Dipper, the Temple Fair of Mount Tai, the Temple Fair of Mount Hua, the City God's Festival, the Festival of Wenchang Emperor, the Guan Yu Festival, the sacrifice to the Dragon King, the sacrifice to the Fire God, the sacrifice to the Mountain God, the sacrifice to the Star of Literature, the Water Dragon Dance, the Incense Dragon Dance, the Medicine King Festival, the sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, the Nation, the Kin, the Teachers, the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, and the sacrifice to Confucius, among others.Folk Festivals
Tengchong City's folk festivals include the Laba Festival, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Torch Festival, Ghost Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Double Ninth Festival.Spring Festival Customs
The Spring Festival, also known as "New Year," is the most important traditional festival for people, celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month. According to traditional folk customs, the New Year period extends from the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month to the Lantern Festival on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. The Spring Festival customs in Tengchong City include offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God, dusting, pasting Spring Festival couplets, pasting door gods, planting New Year pines, keeping fire overnight, giving lucky money, New Year's Eve, staying up late, welcoming the Kitchen God, and the Lantern Festival.Ghost Festival Customs
The customs of the Ghost Festival in Tengchong are quite different from those in other parts of China, and the festival period lasts for half a month. Generally, on the second day of the seventh lunar month, they "welcome the dead" (on the first day of the seventh lunar month, they "welcome the newly deceased" within the year), and on the thirteenth day, they "send off the dead" (on the twelfth day of the seventh lunar month, they send off the "newly deceased"). On the day of "welcoming the dead," people prepare a relatively sumptuous feast. Above the offering table, they hang a "list of the dead" filled with the names of family members who have passed away. "List of the Dead" are hung on both sides of the offering table with the names of the deceased family members. In the middle, there is an incense burner, and there are also fresh fruits, tea, wine, and sugar. When "welcoming the dead," they first open the door, then burn yellow money and large ingots under the door, asking the door gods to let the dead pass. The person welcoming the dead (usually an elder in the family) recites the names of the dead while stepping through the door. Behind the door are face wash water, a towel, toothpaste, and a toothbrush, allowing the dead to wash away the dust and fatigue of the journey. After that, they burn incense, offer food, and serve tea and wine three times a day, morning, noon, and evening. The ceremony of "sending off the dead" is more complex and solemn, and the food is also more sumptuous. All the "gold and silver ingots," clothes, shoes, and socks prepared for the dead must be packed separately and labeled with the "names of the dead" for use. After offering food, they "unfold the packages" and burn them. When offering food and burning packages, they also offer a bowl of soup and rice and burn some scattered coins and small ingots separately. After the ceremony of sending off the dead, they continue to offer food on the fourteenth day until they offer a midnight snack at night, and the entire Ghost Festival comes to an end.Ethnic Minority Customs
Tengchong is a border city with a scattered population of multiple ethnic groups, with the characteristics of a wide distribution and small concentrations. Among them, the Dai, Hui, Lisu, Wa, Bai, and Achang ethnic groups are the indigenous ethnic groups.Arts
Tengchong Flower Lantern
Tengchong Flower Lantern has a long history. It evolved from the folk songs, ballads, dances, and small plays of various parts of the Central Plains, which merged and developed with the original songs and dances of the Tengchong area. It takes many forms and has a full range of colors, hence the name "Flower Lantern." It is often accompanied by Dragon Lanterns and Lion Lanterns, and its programs are mostly short Flower Lantern song and dance performances dominated by dance or singing. The Immortal Lantern is the signature program of Tengchong Flower Lantern, while the Fishing Lantern and Tea Lantern are older Flower Lantern dramas.Dai Opera
Dai Opera is popular in the Dai villages of Yongle and Xianduo in Lotus Village. Most of the plays are adapted from Han Chinese storytelling and historical novels. The singing voice of the male role in Dai Opera is in the key of the scale, while the female role is in the scale of the fifth note. Originally, only the Tang drum, large gong, large bowl, and horse gong were used as accompanying instruments. Later, silk and bamboo instruments were added. The costumes for the male role in Dai Opera are similar to those of Han operas, while the female role wears the ethnic costumes. It is often performed during the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Spring Festival, and it often lasts for several days or even half a month.Dian Opera
Dian Opera (Yunnan Opera) was introduced to Tengchong around the end of the Qing Dynasty and is widely spread in the urban and rural areas of Tengchong. Many farmers can sing and perform the opera, and some of them are famous Dian Opera artists in Tengchong, and these areas are known as "Dian Opera nests." Dian Opera has a rich repertoire, including dozens of excellent traditional plays that are often performed, such as Mu Kezhai and Zhan Hongzhou.Mountain Songs
Tengchong mountain songs are popular in the vast rural areas of Tengchong, especially in the mountainous areas. In terms of form, there are solo singing, antiphonal singing, and chorus singing; in terms of content and tone, they are divided into "two categories" and "three tunes." The two categories are terrace mountain songs and flower mountain songs. The three tunes, according to the differences in the region and tone of Tengchong, are divided into the Longjiang tune (southern region of Tengchong, simple, steady, lingering, and turning), the Zhonghe tune (central region of Tengchong, brisk rhythm, strong narrativity), and the Xilian tune (northwestern region of Tengchong, high-pitched, loud, fluctuating, and expressive, lyrical), which has become an important part of the folk art of Tengchong, and is displayed in various festivals and cultural activities.Dai Songs and Dances
Dai culture in Tengchong is well-developed, and songs and dances are rich. Folk songs are mainly based on singing folk stories, narrative poems, and love songs. Dances include the "Ga Guang" that is popular in the Lotus and Xianduo areas and the "Qilin Dance" that is popular in the Wuhe, Tuantuan, and Puchuan areas, as well as the Peacock Dance, which combines grace and beauty.Lisu Songs and Dances
The Lisu ethnic group is a singing and dancing ethnic group, and almost everyone can sing and dance. Lisu folk songs have 12 long narrative poems such as "Ke Xue Mu Kuo" (New Year tune), "Na Xue Mu Kuo" (Visiting Relatives tune), and "Li Xia Mu Kuo" (Building a House tune), as well as a large number of love song ballads. Dances have two types: "Tiao Ga" and "Three-String Dance."Achang Songs and Dances
Achang ethnic songs are mostly sung by men and women in antiphonal singing, led by one person and sung by many people, and they are sung in both Mandarin Chinese and the Achang language. The traditional dance is "Deng Woluo," which means to jump and be happy, a dance that is both ancient and primitive.
