Nature's Bounty on the Western Frontier

Baoshan is a frontier city in western Yunnan Province that borders Myanmar. In bygone days, it was one of the Southwestern Silk Road trade routes, and a vital link between inland China and the outside world.The altitude of Baoshan ranges from 535 meters to 3,780 meters above sea level. Its climate varies over the terrain as the altitude changes. A local saying describes it as having "four seasons within one day, and. different climates within a five-kilometer radius."I visited Baoshan in the spring of 2003. Nestling in the moun-tains, it is a compact modern city, with six-lane urban roads, large billboards advertising world famous brands, flowers and lawns. The local people are justly proud of the changes that have occurred in the city over the past 20 years. They stem front the city’s rich tourism, resources and the initiative of its populace.