Dong Chuan

Dongchuan Red Soil is located northeast of Kunming City. Compared with other areas, the soil here contains high levels of iron and aluminium. Through gradual oxidation, these minerals have slowly formed a striking colour. The colours are especially rich and deep after rain.

The best time to photograph the Red Soil is from mid-May to early June, and from September to December.

When farmers grow potatoes and wheat during the summer months of May and June, the crops are green and golden yellow. Together with the red soil, this makes it one of the most colourful periods.

From September to December, the white rapeseed flowers unique to Yunnan are in full bloom. Some of the red soil is also planted with green barley and wheat, creating a particularly colourful mix of white, green, and red.

In November, when it starts to snow in the Red Soil, some crops in the fields still retain their colour. That gives the landscape a different appearance.

In fact, the Red Soil offers different scenery at different times. If it rains, the land takes on a deeper red. If one is lucky and a rainbow appears, or even more than one, it can become a dream image for any photographer.