3 Days in Yuxi

An hour north of town, Fuxian Lake drops to a maximum depth of about 158.9 m and stores some 20.6 billion cubic meters of water — more than any other lake in China — in water clear enough to see stones on the bottom from a boat.

1. yuxi fuxian lake

At Maotianshan, geologist Hou Xianguang cracked open a slab in 1984 and found a 518-million-year-old Cambrian marine world — more than 280 species now cataloged. The UNESCO listing came in 2012, and the modern museum below the hill lays out the whole story.

1. yuxi chengjiang fossil site
2. yuxi chengjiang fossil museum

Composer Nie Er (1912-1935), who wrote China's national anthem in 1935 and died that year in Japan at 23, came from a Yuxi family — the residence, the music square by the river and Hongta Hill above town form a factual circuit. Close with the city markets before the train north.

1. yuxi nieer former residence
2. yuxi nieer music square
3. yuxi hongta
4. yuxi city markets