Mile County

Mile is famous for being the site of having good hot springs near Kunming which are convenient for people to access. Another claim to fame is having Buddha statues as high as 19.99 meters. Mile County is about 143 KM (89 miles) southeast of Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province. Located in the center of the tourism area of southeastern Yunnan, with well-constructed roads and railways, it is easy and convenient to travel to other tourist spots from Mile, such as the Stone Forest, Jianshui and Luxi, among many other popular areas in central Yunnan.

Mile is a county of many ethnic groups with long histories. Over 23 nationalities live here, including Han, Yi, Miao, Hui, Zhuang, just to name a few. Among its over 500 thousand people, about 42% belong to minority ethnic groups. Yi is the largest ethnic group here, making up 30% of the total population. Weaving into the grand tapestry of Yi culture are the sub-groups of Yi people, among which are the Axi, the Azhe, the Sanni, the Black Yi and the White Yi.

There are various sorts of landforms in this county region, including hills, basins, and karst landscapes.  They possess such natural beauty to make a visit worthwhile.

The Keyi Yi culture ecological village
Here is the origin of the most famous folk dance, “Axi Tiaoyue” (Axi people dancing with the moon) among Yunnan's many ethnic dances. The village is located in the Xisan Township, about 21 KM (13 miles) north of Mile County proper, and there are more than 200 households of Axi, one of the subgroups of the Yi ethnic group. With a good location and accessibility, it has become a popular tourist destination. As more and more traditional ethnic customs and cultures are being revitalized, such as the “Axi Tiaoyue”, the Fire Sacrificing and Dragon Sacrificing ceremony of the Axi people, and also their unique wedding costumes, more and more visitors are coming here for different cultural experiences and to appreciate the extraordinary natural beauty.

The Western Ecological Vineyard
Just on the side of the Kunming–Hekou highway, about 14 KM (8.7 miles) from the seat of Mile County, is the Western Grape Ecological Garden. It was constructed to be a comprehensive landscape featuring sightseeing in the vineyard, a wine culture exhibition and historic heritages. Mile has hundreds years of grape cultivation and wine making going back to when French missionaries introduced the whole process of making quality wines. Ever since then, wines from Mile have been highly praised. Covering over 10 thousand acres (or about 666 hectares), the vineyard is the largest grape growing and processing base in southern China.

Silver Screen Mountain
About 10 KM (6.2 miles) from the county seat is the Yinpin Shan, or Silver Screen Mountain. With lush plantations and crystal clean stream water, there is a range of Buddhist buildings on the mountain. For hundreds of years it has been one of most famous Buddhist holy pilgrimage sites. Just recently, a gigantic golden statue of Maitreya, 19.99 meters (65.5 feet) high, was set up. Maitreya is believed to be the successor to the present Sakyamuni Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism. Maitreya, which is from Sanskrit, was translated to “Mile” in Mandarin Chinese, which is exactly the same word as the name for the county. After the erection of the statue, even more visitors from all over were drawn to Mile, including both laymen and Buddhism followers.

White Dragon Cave Scenic Spot
Praised to be a famous provincial tourist area, the White Dragon Scenic Spot is composed of the Bailong (White Dragon) Cave; the tomb site of Sun Ranwen, a famous scholar in Yunnan; the residential site of Xiong Qinglai, a renowned mathematician; the Plum Hot Spring, among others. Covering an area of more than 2 million sq. meters (21.5 million sq. ft), the scenic spot features typical karst landscapes, with the White Dragon Karst Cave being the chief attraction.

The Hot Springs in Mile
Mile is abundant with geothermal resources. Hot springs of various sizes are scattered all over the county. Topping the most recommended list are the Xiao Qin Tian Hot Spring in the northeast of the county, Meihua (or Plum) Hot Spring in the west of the county and the Xiao Zhai (or Small Village) Hot Spring. All three springs are have a history of hundreds of years, and are popular places for recreation, relaxation and medical treatment. More recently a large scale and relatively modern hot spring site has been established. The Huquan (or lake spring) Ecological Park is reputed to be the most beautiful hot spring in Mile. It is a comprehensive recreational center built with artificial beaches, tea houses, an amusement park and hot spring spas. A five star hotel is located in the park making it one of the few counties able to provide top hospitality services. It is a good place for touring, vacation and recreation.