Get to know Zhaoyang District
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- Administrative area
- District · 市辖区
- Part of
- Zhaotong
- Chinese name
- 昭阳区
- Local areas
- District guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 2,240.00 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 911,766
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Wetland and autumn fields
At Dashanbao, views extend towards the Jinsha River (金沙江) and Niulan River (牛栏江), with cloud seas and the Jigong Mountain Grand Canyon (鸡公山大峡谷). Autumn fields alternate dark red buckwheat and golden oats, with white potato flowers. The cranes return in late autumn; Dashanbao’s reserve entered the List of Wetlands of International Importance in December 2004.
Small skewers and cold jelly
Zhaotong small meat skewers (昭通小肉串) and Zhaotong liangfen (昭通凉粉), a cold jelly dish, are local foods highlighted by the district’s culture and tourism bureau. The district also produces Zhaotong apples (昭通苹果) and celebrates the Huashan Festival (花山节) and Torch Festival (火把节).
Sources for this guide
文旅局长话旅居丨冬日暖暖，就到昭通来一场“奔县游”_文旅头条 · Wenlv Toutiao / Yunnan Daily Press Group
到云南大山包，看黑颈鹤迁徙奇观_国家林业和草原局政府网 · China Green Times via National Forestry and Grassland Administration
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-27.
Explore Zhaoyang District
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Zhaoyang District
AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Dashanbao Crane Reserve Viewing Area大山包外围合法观景区
This viewing area lies on the periphery of the Dashanbao Black-necked Crane National Nature Reserve in Zhaoyang district, Zhaotong, 63 kilometres from the city centre. The reserve covers 19,200 hectares between 2,210 and 3,364 metres elevation and was upgraded to national-level status by the State Council General Office on 25 January 2003, after county-level designation in 1990 and provincial-level status in 1994.
Read the place guide →
Zhaotong Ancient City · 昭通古城Zhaotong Ancient City昭通古城
Zhaotong Old City, in Zhaoyang District, Zhaotong, was first built in 1732, the tenth year of the Qing Yongzheng reign, and today covers a protected area of 2.3 square kilometres, with a core zone of 0.54 square kilometres, home to about 19,000 households and 52,000 residents. A People's Daily Online Yunnan channel report filed on 9 July 2026 said Zhaotong had recently been awarded the title 'Yunnan Provincial Historic and Cultural City', citing the provincial department of housing and urban-rural development and the provincial cultural heritage bureau.
Read the place guide →Plan your visit
Getting there
Zhaoyang District covers the centre of Zhaotong. Search for 昭阳区 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Dashanbao Crane Reserve Viewing Area and Zhaotong Ancient City are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Zhaotong →More in Zhaotong
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Zhaotong Ancient City · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.