Why visit Zhaotong
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails and 4 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Long Yun Ancestral Palace and Qinggong Pavillion.
Weather in Zhaotong
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Zhaotong
Zhaotong (Chinese: 昭通) is a prefecture-level city located in the northeast corner of Yunnan province, China, bordering the provinces of Guizhou to the south and southeast and Sichuan to the northeast, north, and west. By the end of 2024, the resident population of the city was 4.804 million.
From the Wikipedia article Zhaotong (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks14
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship2
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
History
Zhaotong has historic and cultural links to the Shu (Sichuan Basin) region. Yi people consider Zhaotong to be their homeland (called Zizipuwu). Zhaotong was part of Zhuti County (朱提縣) from the Han to Tang dynasties. Zhaotong belonged to the Nanzhao then Dali Kingdom until the Mongols destroyed the latter in the 13th century. During the Yuan Dynasty, it became the Wumeng Commandery (乌蒙路), during which time many Hui Muslims settled in the area. During the Qing dynasty, local tusi chieftains were removed, and the region was renamed Zhaotong Prefecture.
From the History section of Zhaotong on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Healthcare2
Map of Zhaotong
56 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Zhaotong Airport (ZAT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 km away.
- Weining 73 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 威信大坝子, ICYWATER, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 八仙清真寺ba xian mosque - panoramio, hilloo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 龙氏家祠 - panoramio (10), hilloo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 昭通一中 - panoramio - hilloo (2), hilloo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.