Yunnan Province is home to more than half of the nation’s ethnic minorities. The diverse cultures are unified by its unique landscape and accentriated by the rich colour of different people.

The generative concept of this museum is derived from the potent imagery of Yunnan's famed local 'stone forests', the dramatic geological landscape sculpted by nature over millions of years. It is the geography of raw, powerful beauty and, combined with the idea of stacked boxed holding diverse and fragile historical treasures gave the architecture its defining metaphor as an assembled container of multi-cultural artifacts. The museum makes use of the excellent climatic conditions of the high-plateau. Photo-voltaic, open courtyards, natural ventilation, and local vegetations are integrated in the building with minimum energy consumption.