3586 Yuan, 10 Days, 5 Provinces [Fujian/Chongqing/Dali/Lijiang/Shangri-La] Let's Go~

Me: Let's go travel~.

Mate: No money.

Me: Budget 3500 yuan for half a month.

Mate: I'll borrow from Huabei~ let's go.

Itinerary: Fujian/Wuhan/Foshan - Chongqing - Dali - Lijiang - Shangri-La.

And just like that, on January 17, 2021, ten days later, the Heisei Three Heroes' spur-of-the-moment trip was born~

Because I travel often for work, I’m used to roughly planning the route and budget, but never too rigidly. Travel is full of uncertainties—that’s where the regrets and memories come from.

Before leaving, check on Alipay’s nationwide epidemic search to make sure both your city and the destination are low-risk areas. Otherwise, you’ll be quarantined right after getting off the train!!!

Since the three of us started from different places, we chose to meet in Chongqing, a city none of us had visited before. Considering the budget, we all took high-speed trains or regular trains.

Attractions: Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street; Hongya Cave; Shibati; Liziba Light Rail; Chongqing Three Gorges Museum; Zoo; Xiannvshan Forest Park; Wulong Grand Canyon

🍄 Food: 1- Hotpot 2- Noodles...👍

🍄 Hotel: Panda Apartment Homestay 58 yuan...👍

🍄 Tickets: Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street (free); Hongya Cave (free)

⏰ By the time we reached Chongqing, it was already evening. After a short rest, it was around 9pm. So we first headed to the nearby Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street + Hongya Cave.

The hotel location was very convenient. A 1km walk got us to Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street. At a road junction about 500m away, the view was pretty nice so I casually snapped a few photos.

The building’s exterior is also awesome👍

✌ At Bayi Food Plaza, you can listen to some music. The streets are lined with snacks, so you can eat while strolling towards Hongya Cave.

⏰ Walk through Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street, then continue for about 1.5km to reach Hongya Cave. Entry is free. Just scan the QR code on site to enter.

It’s gorgeous—the buildings look like something straight out of an anime.

⏰ For hotpot, there’s an old street with hotpot places on both sides. You can take a taxi and ask the driver to take you there. Taste👍 Price👍 . Oh, and remember to pick mild spice! o~...... (I’m the spokesperson for ❀.)

⏰ About the hotel, it exceeded my expectations this time. Because of the pandemic + Chinese New Year, Chongqing was full of 58 yuan/night rooms. You’d think they’d be crappy and dirty. But actually.....

One 1.8m big bed + one 1.5m tatami mat. The three of us played rock-paper-scissors—the winner got to sleep on the small bed alone~

🍄 Tickets: Shibati (free); Liziba (free); Three Gorges Museum (free); Zoo 24.5 yuan

⏰ From the hotel, just walk 200m to reach the old buildings of Shibati. You can wander around and grab breakfast. The metro entrance is also right there, taking about 1 hour to explore.

When taking the metro/bus, you can open WeChat or Alipay and search for the “transit code”—no need to buy a ticket, just scan to pay~ dear.

⏰ Liziba Station on metro line 2 is an internet-famous spot.

You can take photos pretending to “swallow” the light rail. Hmm~ I think I could eat another one🤭

⏰ Continue on line 2 for 3 stops to Zengjiayan Station. Exit and walk about 1km following the navigation. Along the way, there are many noodle shops where you can settle lunch for 15💴. Delicious👍 and a great deal

⏰ At Chongqing Three Gorges Museum, there’s a square in front. Opposite is the People’s Auditorium.

Due to the pandemic, even with a green code, people from outside the province couldn’t get in. So we rested in the square and, by chance, got pooped on by a bird😅. Hope the same for you.....

⏰ Then take metro line 2 to Zoo Station. Walk 850m to reach Chongqing Zoo. Ticket 24.5 yuan.

It was my first time having zero-distance contact with peacocks, ostriches, and pheasants~👏 Like this.

Finally, took the metro back~ showered. Then went nearby for a bowl of noodles. Not that we couldn’t eat hotpot. (Even mild spice was too much for ❀!!! (〃＞目＜))

🍄 Tickets: Xiannvshan Forest Park 99 yuan; Eye of the Forest 25 yuan

⏰ A heads-up: Xiannvshan is about 200km from downtown, taking around 4 hours. We rented a car through Liandong Cloud, all in all about 600 yuan. Regrettably, due to time, we didn’t make it to Wulong Tiankeng Grand Canyon/(ㄒoㄒ)/~~. See, a regret appears. And a memory is born~

We woke up at 7:30am, had noodles nearby, and cheerfully set off. By the time we arrived, it was already noon. After parking, without a word, I gifted my buddy a mouthful of snow. Exactly 3.8 liang, no more no less.🤭

At the entrance, there are some amusement rides for kids to play, but of course...... we’re kids too, so we had to play!

⏰ Continue following the signs for 500m, and you can start the Treetop Walk. The end is the Eye of the Forest, YEAH!!

✌ Lunch was at the Eye of the Forest—we splurged 6.5 yuan on instant noodles. Didn’t use Huabei for that one oh~

⏰ Coming out of the Eye of the Forest, drive on following the signs. I forgot exactly what it’s called. Once you see something like a ticket hall, you’ve arrived.

Take the little train, about 15 minutes. Get off. Walk 500m back the way you came. Take photos, enjoy the scenery, then wait at the three-way junction for the return train.

⏰ TIP: Ask the driver when the last train back is. Don’t get carried away and miss it. Otherwise, you’ll have to walk 1 hour back to the parking lot😄

⏰ Back in the city around 9pm. The Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street parking lot has dedicated Liandong Cloud spots, so we returned the car right there.

Then walked out from the underground garage and had dinner at the Jiefangbei food street.

Day 4-5: Dali; Cangshan; Erhai

At 8am, took a taxi to Chongqing West Station. After an 8-hour journey, arrived in Dali.

🍄 Hotel: Dali Mihai Inn, 2-person bed + single bed, 70 yuan/night👍

🍄 Dinner: Yejun Huang Seaview Restaurant (group-buy dinner for 3)👍

🍄 Tickets: Cangshan Scenic Area 115 yuan; Erhai (free)

⏰ After coming out of Dali Station, we tried to get a taxi but waited ages. Neither the app nor hailing worked, so we took the bus + walked—just follow navigation.

The hotel is right by Erhai~ Dinner was the same: walk 600m from the hotel along Erhai and you’re there. Eating while enjoying the sunset glow, so relaxing😊

⏰ In the morning, we chose to cycle around Erhai. Rented bikes right next to the hotel (the only rental nearby). 80 yuan per bike, can go about 180km. Breakfast was also at the little eatery next door.

⏰ My route: Cangshan Scenic Area - Dali Ancient Town - Haishe Ecological Park - Xizhou Ancient Town - Shuanglang Ancient Town - Xiao Putuo (cycling was really cold...)

✌ Cangshan Scenic Area is close to the city, so you can visit it first. Ticket 115 yuan.

⏰ After Cangshan, you can choose to visit Dali Ancient Town, which is right next door. Included in the ticket.

✌ Then just cycle and enjoy the scenery along the way. Many people rent convertible sports cars to circle Erhai, usually costing over 1000 yuan.

⏰ My advice: no need to circle the whole Erhai, it’s just so-so. Just take a taxi to the Erhai boardwalk entrance in the city. Then rent a bike and do half the lake, enough. Stop and start, look at the lake, sip some coffee. Isn’t that better?

A side note: I’m a bit of a boozehound. Coming to Dali, of course I had to hit a bar. Turned out the experience was awful. Atmosphere aside, there wasn’t even a shill. Thumbs down~ And they wanted an extra 200 yuan as a table booking fee.

Today’s schedule is relaxed with a 12:29 high-speed train. Slowly ate breakfast. Strolled by Erhai at the hotel entrance.

⏰ Dali - Lijiang takes 2 hours

🍄 Hotel: Lijiang Yuanmeng, two double beds, 92 yuan/night (with washing machine and gym)👍

🍄 Dinner: Rice bowl at the intersection, 15 yuan.👍

🍄 Tickets: Lijiang Ancient Town (free)

In the afternoon, we strolled through the ancient town, which is full of guesthouses and inns. You can scan the QR codes on roadside signs to get a cute Q-style map of the whole old town. On the way to the highest point, we passed Lion Hill but didn’t go in—not because it charges a ticket. At the top, we ordered a 58-yuan pot of tea and sat down. In that moment, it felt like the clouds were within reach.

⏰ Late-night snack: Cai Cai BBQ at the entrance of Zhaoqing Market, 200m walk from the hotel. Price👍 Taste👍

🍄 Tickets: Lashihai 30 yuan; Yuhu (free)

At 9:00am, took the bus to Lashihai Wetland Park, 1 hour. Check Baidu Maps for navigation. After getting off, you need to walk 1km to the scenic area.

Outside the scenic area gate, you can also ride a horse around the lake, but that’s a different price. Going back, the bus was so hard to wait for, so we used the app to hail a taxi, about 40 yuan.

⏰ In the afternoon, since we still had time, we wanted to visit Heilongshan Park. But entering required paying the Lijiang maintenance fee of 50 yuan per person, so we gave up.

⏰ Instead, we took a taxi to nearby Yuhu, about 60 yuan fare. The unique feature is that the houses are built with stones + timber.

In Yuhu Village, there’s the Rock’s Former Residence. He lived in China for 27 years, dedicated to studying Yunnan culture. The hiking route to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was discovered by him.

Hint: The entrance for hiking Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is right there in Yuhu😄

On the way back, we spotted a coffee house at the village bus stop. So we ditched the taxi idea and took the bus. Ordered a pot of tea, ate some local red cake, played a few rounds of Honor of Kings in a losing streak~😔

At night, after showering, we continued wandering Lijiang Ancient Town. At the top viewing platform in the old town, my buddy carried a camera, and I carried five cans of Budweiser.

🍄 Tickets: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain + Blue Moon Valley 100 yuan

⏰ Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is 30km from the city, taxi fare 120 yuan. If alone, you can take the bus for 70 yuan.

The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ticket includes Blue Moon Valley, but if you want to take a tour bus to Blue Moon Valley, you need to buy that ticket separately.

⏰ Tip: Check the weather at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain one day before. If it’s rainy with thick fog, reschedule. Otherwise, you’ll end up like me, seeing loneliness. Wind blew snow everywhere, all white, and we could only stay on the observation deck.....😔

At Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, it was all white so I didn’t take photos.

Blue Moon Valley is made up of several interconnected lakes at different elevations, each with its own charm.

⏰ From Lijiang to Shangri-La, only buses are available. Ticket 76 yuan, 2.5 hours.

🍄 Hotel: Wanglai Homestay, 2-person bed + single bed, 124 yuan👍

🍄 Food: Yak hotpot (forgot the name, ask the homestay owner); highland barley noodles; yogurt candy; butter tea

🍄 Tickets: Napahai 30 yuan; Songzanlin Monastery 90 yuan; Dukezong Ancient Town free

We left at 9:00am, reached Shangri-La by 12:00. After dropping luggage, we headed straight to Napahai. Could have skipped the fee, but considering.....

⏰ Plus, aunties kept trying to get us to ride horses around the lake. Let’s clarify, we didn’t ride not because we had no money😄. She went from 200/person, self-dropping to 180~120~90 yuan, but in the end, the sale failed.....

⏰ If you choose to walk like we did, remember to bring a few plastic bags to cover your shoes. This place is similar to wetlands, the paths are all soft mud.

🐟 Napahai is huge, so while walking through the village, I suddenly wanted to experience the local hospitality.

🐟 Because UV rays are strong here, a girl’s skin was a bit rough, so I sort of awkwardly chatted up a lady (actually a young miss)...... Although she was busy, she told her friend to take us to her home for butter tea and highland barley noodles, yogurt candy. Honestly, the instant she agreed so readily, my first thought was pretty sleazy: Are we gonna get ripped off later.....

🐟 How to put it, the butter tea and yogurt candy were nice. The highland barley noodles.....were also really nice. Thanks to the miss for sitting across from me the whole time, which forced me to swallow the barley noodles. She didn’t charge us when we left, but we secretly left 100 yuan😀

🐟 Thanks also to the big bro who gave us a hitchhike ride later. No idea if he discovered the money we stealthily left in the back seat~😀

The hitchhike ended here, next to a gas station. Navigation showed 1.5km to Songzanlin, so we walked. Songzanlin Monastery is nicknamed the “Little Potala Palace”.

At night, we strolled through Dukezong Ancient Town. Very few people, and 70% of the shops were closed. Actually, Dali and Lijiang were pretty much the same.

Dinner was hotpot. And I was happy to meet a beautiful young lady.

Off-topic: Locals don’t take their parents’ surnames. After birth, they go to a monastery to ask for a name, always four characters. So if a son doesn’t share his father’s surname, don’t misunderstand.😊

🍄 Tickets: Pudacuo National Park 138 yuan

⏰ Pudacuo is 25km from the city, taxi fare 120 yuan.

When leaving after the visit, you can buy special stamped souvenirs in the lobby, 80 yuan per set. The young lady selling them is very pretty oh~

Lijiang - Guangzhou flight 300 yuan

Total all expenses: 3586 yuan.

At this point, the journey has come to an end. Arrived home on the 29th of the lunar year. Perfect~😊

Upcoming: Roughly planned for late 2022, a trip to Northwest China, budget also 3000-4000, 10-day tourヾ(•ω•`)o

Travelogue Index

1. Day1; Chongqing; Hongya Cave

2. Day2; Shibati + Liziba + Three Gorges Museum + Zoo

3. Day3; Chongqing; Xiannvshan Forest Park

4. Day4~5; Dali; Cangshan; Erhai

5. Day6: Lijiang Ancient Town

6. Day7; Lashihai; Yuhu

7. Day8; Jade Dragon Snow Mountain; Blue Moon Valley

8. Day9; Shangri-La; Napahai; Songzanlin Monastery; Dukezong Ancient Town

9. Day10; Pudacuo National Park

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