Zhaotong Counties Travel Guide

Zhaotong is situated in the northeast of Yunnan Province, sharing boundaries with Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. The city plays an important role in the economy and culture as the northern gate of the province.

Located at the juncture of the Yunling Plateau and the Sichuan Basin, Zhaotong exhibits a typical mountainous landform, characterized by lofty mountains, deep valleys and great altitude differences.       

The city has a plateau monsoon climate. Due to the terrain, Zhaotong is sunny and warmer in the south region. The climate is capricious, ranging from the south's subtropical to the north's temperate. The temperature varies greatly in accordance with time and place.    

Like many other cities in Yunnan, Zhaotong has a great number of ethnic minorities. Among the 520 thousand minority people, Yi and Miao ethnic minorities dominate. In addition to the traditional festival of Yi and Miao, unique local operas, music and dances are all common entertainments in the Zhaotong People's daily life.

Administrative Division:
1 district (Zhaoyang); 10 counties (Ludian, Qiaojia, Yanjin, Daguan, Yongshan, Suijiang, Zhenxiong, Yiliang, Weixin, Shuifu)

Map
#	Name	Hanzi	Hanyu Pinyin	Population (2003 est.)	Area (km²)	Density (/km²)
1	Zhaoyang District	昭阳区	Zhāoyáng Qū	760,000	2,240	339
2	Ludian County	鲁甸县	Lǔdiàn Xiàn	370,000	1,519	244
3	Qiaojia County	巧家县	Qiǎojiā Xiàn	520,000	3,245	160
4	Yanjin County	盐津县	Yánjīn Xiàn	360,000	2,096	172
5	Daguan County	大关县	Dàguān Xiàn	250,000	1,802	139
6	Yongshan County	永善县	Yǒngshàn Xiàn	410,000	2,833	145
7	Suijiang County	绥江县	Suíjiāng Xiàn	160,000	882	181
8	Zhenxiong County	镇雄县	Zhènxióng Xiàn	1,260,000	3,785	333
9	Yiliang County	彝良县	Yíliáng Xiãn	520,000	2,884	180
10	Weixin County	威信县	Wēixìn Xiàn	370,000	1,416	261
11	Shuifu County	水富县	Shuǐfù Xiàn	90,000	319	282