The cuisine might look a little bit complicated when you look at a Chinese character menu listing. Though you won't find many Yunnan-restaurants outside Yunnan, certain dishes are famous, like 'crossing the bridge' noodles and steam-pot chicken.
One-third of the province's population belongs to one of the 26 minorities present. This ethnic diversity has led to a varied and complex order of religious beliefs, which co-exist happily.
Yunnan province is a zoological and botanical garden. It houses a lot of lakes and uncountable rivers, and deep mountain gorges as well as plateaus. And vast mineral resources are Yunnan's main source of wealth.
Yunnan history dates far back. By the Neolithic period - around 9500 BC - there already were human settlements near Kunming. Around 300 BC, the area around the present day Kunming was known as Dian. General Zhuang Qiao, from the Chu-people that were living northeast of Dian, entered the region and made himself 'King of Dian'. This was the start of Chinese influence in the Yunnan province, and the beginning of a long history of migration and cultural expansion.