Jinping is an autonomous Miao, Dai and Yao district within the heart of an autonomous Yi and Hani region. This extraordinary ethnic mix can be explained by the region's unusual geographical location on the edge of China and the border of Vietnam, a rice-growing region surrounded by mountains and dominated by Xilong mountain, the highest point of southern Yunnan. The region is still home to the occasional prospector panning for gold in its rivers, although its greatest treasures can be found in its magnificent markets.