Photo by courtesy of Xiao Yuwen for blog.sina.com

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 hit Yingjiang of southwest China's Yunnan Province at 12:58pm., March 10, 2011. Some may start now to know Yingjiang just because of the earthquake, while many say it is just not fair for such a beautiful place to be known merely for the catastrophe. We need to know that what Yingjiang was like before the earthquake and we need to remember it for all beautiful things deserve to be remembered.

Yingjiang, a county with beautiful natural scenery and rich natural resources is located in the western part of Yunnan Province. It is a place where various ethnic groups live and work together harmoniously.

Yingjiang borders the west, northwest and southwest of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). In ancient times, Yingjiang was an important county on the famous "Silk Road," as well as a main trading route connecting ancient China and Burma, India and other countries.

The unique location of Yingjiang made it a place with good farming conditions, and it also became a habitat for hundreds of animal and plant species. Many well-known tourist attractions can be found in Yingjiang. For example, the Banyan King is a place where a single but huge Banyan forms a forest, attracting numerous tourists around the world coming to visit.

Besides that, Yingjiang is also a paradise for local opera lovers, since the Dai Opera originated there and has since been maturing as an art form for decades upon decades.

Photo by courtesy of Xiao Yuwen for blog.sina.com