Nuodeng

Nuodeng sits on a steep slope above a river bend in western Yunnan, and its existence rests on a brine well in the valley floor that has been worked since at least the Tang, producing salt that was traded along the caravan routes and made the village unusually prosperous for its size, with temples, a Confucian hall and tiered timber houses climbing the hill. The salt is still drawn and boiled, and it is used to cure the hams the village is now better known for, hung for years in the cool mountain air and given national attention by a food documentary. The river below loops into a near-circle called the taiji bend.

What you actually see

• The brine well - the salt source worked for over a thousand years.
• The ham cellars - hams cured in local salt and aged for years.
• The stacked village - timber houses climbing the steep slope.
• The river bend - the near-circular loop below the village.

When to go

March to June and September to November for mild weather; the hams are cured in winter and aged through the year. Summer brings rain and difficult roads. Nights are cold at altitude.

Honest expectations

Access is slow, requiring a change at Yunlong and local transport up. Facilities are basic guesthouses. The village is steep, with all movement on stairs and stone paths.

Nearby

Dali lies east; Shaxi is northeast.