Shiping County

Shiping County is a county in the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in the southern part of the Yunnan province, China. It is located about 240 km from Kunming, the provincial capital. The county has a population of approximately 280,000 and its area is 3037 km2.

Notable sights
The county features many gardens and colorful murals. Yilong Lake, a large fresh water lake with a surface area of 32 square km, is particularly notable for its scenery, including the colorful lotus flowers that bloom on its surface. It is located about 2 km east of the county seat.

The Xiushan Temple is located southwest of the county seat. It was constructed during the Tang dynasty and renamed Xiushan Temple during the Ming dynasty.

Administrative divisions
In the present, Shiping County has 7 towns and 2 townships.
 * 7 towns
 * 2 townships
 * Xincheng (新城乡)
 * Daqiao (大桥乡)

Ethnic groups
Shiping County has the following ethnic groups (Shiping County Gazetteer 1990:655-669).


 * Yi people
 * Niesupo 聂苏颇 (exonym: Sandaohong 三道红; 90,000 people)
 * Niesupo (exonym: Huayao 花腰; 26,000 people)
 * Pula 朴喇 (about 100 people)
 * Shansu 山苏 (about 100 people)
 * Hani people
 * Dai people
 * Hui people
 * Bai people
 * Han people

Culture
The county is known throughout China for its traditional dances and songs. The Yi people of Shiping County who live near Yilong Lake perform a form of traditional music called hǎicài qiāng.

Cuisine
Among the county's culinary specialties is Shípíng dòufu (石屏豆腐). Agricultural products include fruits such as oranges and yangmei (Myrica rubra).

Notable residents
The Qing dynasty scholar and civil servant Yuan Jiagu (袁嘉谷; 1872–1937) lived in Shiping County, and his home was named on November 16, 1993, for preservation as a “provincial level cultural relic”.