#DiscoverChinaBorderland# On both banks of the Lancang River, a busy and picturesque scene unfolded in Miaowei Lisu Autonomous Township, Yunlong County, #YunnanProvince# on May 12. Maosheng Village and Songping Village by the river face each other across the water. Villagers are seizing the farming season and embracing the vibrant vitality of early summer through cultivation.

A Yunnan village's sweet success story Most people don't associate Xishuangbanna in Southwest China's Yunnan Province with chocolate. But in Sanman village, they are now turning locally grown cacao into handcrafted chocolate. More than just a sweet treat, the cacao industry is boosting farmers' incomes while protecting the local environment and creating new opportunities through tourism and educational experiences. Watch how a cacao pod becomes a bar of chocolate.

By Erhai Lake in #Yunnan# province, a coffee shop has turned collected litter into a meaningful reward. Visitors who collect litter can receive a medal and a cup of coffee, turning a simple cleanup into a memorable experience. 🏅☕️ #ErhaiLake# #sustainability#

Longchuan County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, at its border with Myanmar, has the largest population of the Jingpo ethnic group in China. Jingpo men start practicing the use of long knives at a very young age. The "Husa knife" is a unique knife with a crescent edge on the blade's tip. The knife dance, or Dao wu in Chinese, was developed through Jingpo men's daily practice with knives and is a powerful dance with strong rhythm, showing their strength and vigor.

Scientists are investigating a little-known mushroom from China’s Yunnan province after it was linked to one of the most unusual types of hallucinations ever recorded. When Lanmaoa asiatica is eaten raw or not cooked thoroughly, some people experience vivid visions unlike those caused by well-known psychedelic substances. Rather than seeing abstract colours or distorted landscapes, many report encountering crowds of tiny human-like figures. These miniature characters are often described as resembling elves, fairies, clowns, or gnomes, and are said to climb over furniture, emerge from doorways, leap into bowls of food, and interact playfully with their surroundings. Medical reports suggest that around 90% of documented poisonings involving this mushroom include these rare “Lilliputian hallucinations,” making it one of the most distinctive poisoning syndromes associated with any fungus. What has puzzled researchers is that laboratory testing has found no trace of psilocybin or any other recognised hallucinogenic compound. Instead, scientists suspect the mushroom may contain an entirely unknown chemical capable of producing these extraordinary effects. Symptoms usually appear between 12 and 24 hours after the mushroom is eaten and may continue for several days. Although the hallucinations can be intense and unsettling, researchers reviewing hospital records have found no confirmed deaths directly attributed to this type of poisoning. One researcher, a doctoral student at the University of Utah, has spent years studying the mushroom throughout China and the Philippines. By combining DNA sequencing with chemical analysis, the research team has narrowed the search to a small group of candidate molecules, but the exact compound responsible has not yet been identified. If the mystery molecule is eventually discovered, it could represent an entirely new class of hallucinogen and provide valuable insights into how the brain creates our perception of reality. Learn more: '''It sounds so impossible': Student studying fungus that makes users hallucinate tiny people may be on the verge of a scientific breakthrough." LiveScience

Time seems to slow down at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, where mist drifts over the peaks and waterfowl rest across the mirror-like lake.

Yingjiang County in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, is a major habitat for hornbills. The species' breeding season has now entered the fledging stage, with three young hornbills recently captured on camera leaving their nests. In recent years, local authorities have stepped up biodiversity conservation efforts through measures such as native rainforest vegetation protection, creating a more suitable habitat for hornbills to breed and thrive.

Tens of thousands of fireflies drift through the rainforest floor in the Xishuangbanna Tropical Flowers and Plants Garden in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, their flickering lights resembling drifting stars.

Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County in Pu'er southwest China's Yunnan Province, sits on the Tropic of Cancer's prime coffee belt. With 120,000 mu (approximately 8,000 hectares) of coffee plantations, premium varieties like Gesha and Sarchim have taken root and thrived here. The county has a complete "seed-to-cup" supply chain, integrating seedling cultivation, fresh cherry processing and specialty roasting — all under one streamlined operation. Thanks to a collaborative model linking enterprises, cooperatives, village collectives and coffee farmers, the industry's benefits reach communities across the county. These humble coffee beans have become "golden beans," a source of real income for farming families along the border.