If you’re claustrophobic, you might want to think twice before visiting Yanjin.
Located on the banks of the Heng River in a valley between two steep mountains, it’s widely thought to be the narrowest city in the world.
At its narrowest, Yanjin, in China’s Yunnan Province, measures just 30 metres wide – equivalent to the length of three London buses – while the widest part is 300 metres.
And despite how tight some spaces are, the area is estimated to be home to around 400,000 people.
Once a relatively unknown city in China, Yanjin has been gaining popularity on social media, with viewers fascinated by its compact layout and sprawling mountain views.
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Traveller Drew Binsky – who recently shared his experience visiting the city on YouTube – claimed that in certain areas ‘you can almost shake hands with your neighbours from across the alley’.
In the video, he showed its array of high-rise buildings crammed beside each other, describing the way residents ‘make the most of every inch of space available’ as ‘truly mind-blowing’.
Two strips of land run along either side of the river banks in Yanjin, with just a few bridges running along the murky brown water to connect the two sides.
Due to its precarious location, the city’s lower areas are often threatened by floods during the rainy season, while its steep mountainsides are prone to landslides.
To handle these extreme weather events, many of the city’s buildings stand on tall pillars – and the design has the added benefit of being a great space saver.
Although Yanjin’s main draw is its unique layout, tourists can find plenty to keep them occupied. Dousha, the city’s old town, boasts quaint, narrow streets and traditional buildings.
It’s also surrounded by picturesque mountainous, which can be viewed from the many pedestrian bridges crossing the river. One YouTube traveller, who goes by Little Chinese Everywhere, describes the landscape as ‘spectacular’.
Or, if sampling the local cuisine is more your thing, there are also plenty of local markets and food stalls to enjoy delicacies like cross-bride rice noodles and steam pot chicken.
Bear in mind though, getting to Yanjin isn’t easy. The journey involves a combination of long train rides – and road tripping isn’t an option, as China doesn’t recognise foreign driver’s licences or International Driving Permits (IDP).
Most travellers take the high-speed bullet train to Kunming, the provincial capital, from major cities such as Shanghai, Beijing or Hong Kong. Once you arrive in Kunming, a long-distance bus (around a six-hour ride one-way) makes up the last leg of the trip to the county itself.
Travellers can find more information on bus routes, times and ticket prices by contacting local travel agents, such as Yunnan Exploration.
China is becoming a major tourist destination
Tourism in China has been booming in recent years, and formerly under the radar places like Yanjin are gaining more and more traction, largely thanks to social media.
Though international tourism figures haven’t quite surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to China Daily, the industry saw ‘remarkable developments’ and ‘unprecedented growth this year’.
Throughout 2024, holidays including the country’s National Day Golden Week, from October 1 to 7, led to surges in domestic and international tourism.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a total of 765 million domestic trips were made in China, marking a 5.9% increase year-on-year and a 10.2% rise compared to 2019.
Harbin Ice and Snow World, a unique ice and snow festival in Heilongjiang province, also saw an influx of tourists.
Attractions in the iconic ice city, recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest temporary ice and snow theme park, welcomed around 30,000 visitors daily since its opening on December 19, nearly doubling pre-pandemic numbers.
Yanjin isn’t the only unexpected area to become popular as a result of social either. The city of Tianshui in Northwest China’s Gansu province welcomed 4.64 million tourists in March alone last year after a resident’s video of its signature dish, the fiery malatang hotpot, was viewed by millions online.
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