Ethnic Yao village in Yunnan turns rich wildlife into adventure kingdom for tourists

A young man from Hebian, an ethnic Yao village in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has combined cultural heritage with professional expertise to turn the region's rich wildlife into a unique adventure kingdom for tourists.

China's tropical rainforests span over 700,000 hectares, with nearly 60 percent in Yunnan Province.

"My name is Pan Yongfei, and I am currently the room manager at Rainforest Yao Cooperative. I am mainly responsible for logistics support. When guests arrive, there will be some activities, and I am also primarily responsible for guiding the rainforest trekking tours," said the young man.

According to Pan, the new wave of eco-tourism is transforming the lives of local people. Young residents are stepping up as tour guides, bridging their traditional knowledge with modern eco-tourism practices.

"We've been exploring the mountains since childhood. Now tourists are coming, so those young among us and those who speak Mandarin will look after them after training. By learning those professional knowledge, we can explain some basic plants, trees, and fruits to tourists. This is an amomum villosum plant, used in traditional Chinese medicine. A flower is blooming here at the bottom, a white flower. But these days, it's not allowed to be cultivated in the rainforest," he said.

As eco-tourism continues to flourish in Yunnan's tropical rainforests, individuals like Pan exemplify how blending cultural heritage with environmental stewardship can create sustainable opportunities for local communities. By sharing their knowledge and passion for the land, these young guides are not only preserving their traditions but also fostering a deeper appreciation for the delicate balance of nature among visitors from around the world.

Ethnic Yao village in Yunnan turns rich wildlife into adventure kingdom for tourists

Ethnic Yao village in Yunnan turns rich wildlife into adventure kingdom for tourists

Russia reported on Tuesday that its forces hit several Ukrainian military targets, took control of a settlement in the Kharkov region in the past 24 hours, while Ukraine on the same day claimed to have downed over 1,000 Russian drones.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its daily report that over the past day, Russian forces had launched a large-scale attack on Ukrainian military industrial enterprises producing various types of missiles and components, as well as military airfields, using long-range air-based and land-based high-precision weapons and drones. All designated facilities were hit. Moreover, the Russian air defense systems shot down 10 guided-missile bombs and 259 fixed-wing drones.

On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Ukrainian forces engaged in a total of 168 battles with Russia in the past day, with Ukrainian forces striking Russian personnel and equipment concentration areas, drone control points, and command and observation posts, shooting down 1,023 drones.

In addition, the Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence reported on Tuesday that its unmanned systems forces destroyed a Russian Zircon hypersonic missile launcher and two missiles of the same type in Crimea that day.

The Ukrainian air force reported on Tuesday that the Russian army launched one of the largest drone attacks since the start of the conflict. On that day alone, the Russian army deployed over 550 drones to carry out the attack. Furthermore, from 18:00 on Monday, to 18:00 on Tuesday, the Russian army had already used nearly 1,000 drones of various models to strike Ukrainian targets.

Russia claims hitting military targets, Ukraine reports downing Russian drones