Exploring Yunnan: The Land of Colorful Clouds
In my previous impression, Yunnan was a province of diverse ethnic minorities and stunning scenery, but also one with a reputation for backward development and many negative stories about tour guides. The well-known cities that come to mind are nothing more than Kunming, the city of eternal spring; the artsy Dali and Erhai Lake; Lijiang, that bar-hopping town for chance encounters; and the mysterious Xishuangbanna. But just because of a few not-so-great stories, I wasn't about to miss out on the fabulous food and scenery. So when planning our trip at the start of the year, we shortlisted Yunnan, Xinjiang, or the great grasslands. Our thought was, if packaged tours didn't work out, we'd just go independent. Then, by chance, I saw a recommended Yunnan tour on a well-known public account. The group-buy price was 699 yuan (excluding flights) for a Kunming–Dali–Lijiang–Jade Dragon Snow Mountain trip. It already had over 10,000 participants and a satisfaction rate above 95%. I discussed with my family whether to go, how reliable it might be, and after some analysing, we all agreed to take this trip and promptly paid up. The group buy was valid for one year; once we confirmed our travel dates, I'd contact the travel concierge to arrange the details.
By July, the little rascals were on summer vacation, prime time for family trips. But I had a full course load that year, with the latest classes finishing only in early August. So we set our travel for mid-to-late August. After liaising with the concierge and checking flight availability, we finally settled on August 21 for departure.
Day 1: Flying to Kunming
Once our travel date was locked in, the concierge sent me lots of confirmation info, notices, and a packing list. Huge thumbs up to our concierge Keke!
And so it was, on August 21 at 6 a.m., we arrived punctually at Shuofang Airport to catch a 7:30 a.m. flight. In reality, I was up at 4:30 a.m. — early rising makes you drowsy — and had to prepare breakfast. Urged on by the kid's dad, we finally dashed out of the house with our suitcases. Driving from Suzhou to Shuofang on the highway takes 40 minutes.
At boarding, they announced the flight was delayed. Trains being late is common, but why couldn't the plane fly on a clear day? As it turns out, many factors determine takeoff; this time, it was probably heavy rain in Kunming, so we had to wait for weather conditions to improve before we could leave.
After a flight of less than three hours, we landed, collected our luggage, called the local guide, and were greeted with fresh flowers — just one per person, but a sweet gesture all the same.
The driver in Kunming took us to the hotel, an Ibis at the corner of Kunling Road, where we checked in. The room wasn't bad, the lobby had a pretty sister, and the place featured distinctive décor. My old man quickly settled down for a rest. Since tourism in Yunnan requires real-name registration, adults' ID cards were a must, and the kid's household registration booklet had to be carried. Hotel check-in required face scans — the little rascal was no exception.
In our room, it all looked quite clean.
After a short break, we headed out for a late lunch. With many restaurants near the hotel, we asked the front desk girl for a recommendation and chose the Aicai Restaurant next door. We ordered five dishes and a soup. The fried erkuai resembled rice cakes, the salt pork was very salty, but the rice soup and greens soup were a hit, with the little one downing two or three bowls. The local cuisine leans sour and spicy, so I’d specifically asked the chef to skip the chili.
After lunch, we visited Green Lake Park, taking in Yunnan University and the snack street on Yuanxi Road as well. From the hotel to the park, we took bus 118 then transferred to bus 2, the journey taking an hour and a half. In the park we saw people doing the Guozhuang dance; Mom joined in. The rhythm was strong, suitable for all ages — just let loose and follow the lead dancer, easy to learn.
Green Lake Park's environment was quite nice. When the kid spotted paddleboats, he clamoured to go. So okay then, the four of us went boating while Grandpa and Grandma continued dancing.
Day 2: Nai'gu Stone Forest ~ Dianchi Lake ~ Chuxiong
On the first evening, I received the itinerary for Day 2 from the concierge and local guide. We were to depart at 7 a.m., so a 6 a.m. wake-up.
Day 2, up at 5:30 a.m., packing, waking the little rascal, and off to breakfast next door. Breakfast was a buffet: juice, milk, soy milk and coffee, small steamed buns, porridge, toast, croissants, youtiao (fried dough), special rice noodles, veggies and vegetable fried rice, apples, corn, and sweet potatoes. Basically a fusion of Chinese and Western, with a good mix of meat and veg. The little rascal wolfed down two bowls of rice noodles and several cups of juice.
After gathering, we set off for Nai'gu Stone Forest.
On the bus, the guide introduced herself and began telling us about Yunnan and Kunming. I'll refer to our beautiful and generous guide as Guide Du in this travelogue. She illustrated Yunnan's map in a fun way: using the standard gesture from Li Yong's "Lucky 52" show, the index finger marks Tengchong, which borders northern Myanmar, and the thumb points to Xishuangbanna, bordering southern Myanmar — the longest boundary line. Raw jade collected in Myanmar is processed in Tengchong and Ruili and sold worldwide.
Kunming lies to the southeast of the palm, with Chuxiong at the very center. Kunming has three nicknames — does anyone know them? The first, as everyone knows, is Spring City, meaning it feels like spring all year round, with an average annual temperature of 15°C. No scorching summer, no freezing winter. Compared to the 37°C we'd just left in Suzhou, we felt not a hint of heat. The second is Flower City: it's one of China's largest flower production hubs, distribution centres, and markets. In Kunming, flowers are sold by the jin (half-kilo), not by the bunch or bouquet. There are no flower shops here — you only get fresh flowers at farmers’ markets or the flower market. Flowers go on electronic auction at one or two in the morning and end by 5 a.m., then are shipped to cities nationwide that very day. The third, which not many people know, is Turtle City. This one has a mythical flavour: they say the mountains here stretch endlessly all the way to Sichuan, earning the name “Long Snake Mountain.” The long snake that feeds on Yunnan and excretes onto Sichuan supposedly created the fertile “Land of Abundance” while Yunnan was left impoverished. In one dynasty, a feng shui master came, assessed the situation, and built Kunming with six city gates — in addition to the usual north, south, east and west gates, he added Small South Gate and Small West Gate. This formed a configuration where the snake and turtle intersect, neutralising the disadvantage.
In this part of Yunnan, the language is distinctive too: eating a meal is called “gan fan” (chow down), where “gan” uses the fourth tone; asking if you're full is “has your belly grown big?” The terms for boys and girls change with the place: in the Kunming area they're called A Hei Ge (dark brother) and A Shi Ma (a woman shining like gold); around Dali it's A Peng Ge and Jin Hua (golden flower); in Lijiang it's Pang Jin Ge (plump golden brother) and Pang Jin Mei (plump golden sister); and in Xishuangbanna it's Mao Duo Li and Sao Duo Li.
Our first stop in the morning was Nai'gu Stone Forest — “Nai'gu” means ancient and black. The stone forest is a karst formation of sword-like pinnacles; the vast stretches of black stone gave me the feeling of a monster's lair. The 1986 TV series "Journey to the West" was filmed here — remember that catchy song “The King Sends Me to Patrol the Mountains”?
After passing through this “Ruyi Gate” (as you wish), we officially entered the scenic area.
One classic sight is the “Liang Zhu meeting” stones: three parts observation, seven parts imagination. And well, Grandma's photo-taking skills left something to be desired...
Climbing to the top, you could see the whole stone forest — truly a black forest, a bit eerie and macabre.
After leaving the stone forest, we chowed down lunch and then headed to Dianchi Lake, a drive of under two hours. It's said that apart from two factories (Kunming Steel and a cement plant), there are no other factories to be seen in Yunnan. So no matter where you go, you're breathing national-grade air quality, with lush mountains and clear waters. You can't take the air away, so just inhale deeply a few extra times — once back in Suzhou, that benefit's gone.
After resting, we continued on our way, driving nearly three hours to reach Dali and Erhai Lake. Dinner time: the legendary wild mushroom hotpot. Honestly, just so-so. One dish featured three grasshoppers — one of Yunnan's “eighteen oddities.”
Finished eating, we headed to the hotel to rest, another hour-plus drive.
Day 3: Dali and Erhai Lake
On the drive from Chuxiong to Dali, we saw many villages of white-walled houses — some with just five or six families, others with over a hundred. Each home was distinctive, painted on the outside with their totems, calendars, and other patterns, very unique. Guide Du explained that the Bai ethnic minority has a year of 10 months, each with 36 days. The leftover 5 days are their Torch Festival, falling on June 25 each year, comparable to our Spring Festival. They slaughter sheep and cattle and celebrate through the night for five days. This time we were too late; otherwise we could have joined the revelry.
Dali, long ago, was an independent kingdom called Nanzhao. Prince Duan from “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” was a real person, said to be the tenth-generation king. The Kingdom of Dali lasted over 400 years. Traditional architecture here features three rooms and a screen wall, with a central courtyard and four small corner yards. The screen wall resembles Anhui-style architecture but differs: the gatehouse has a “three-drip” roof design. By looking at the pattern on the first tier, you can tell whether the household is headed by a man or a woman. And remember not to step on the threshold, because the mythical beast Pi Xiu protecting the home dwells beneath it.
The home we visited had “Nan Zhao Zai Fu” (Prime Minister of Nanzhao) inscribed on the screen wall; it belonged to a family surnamed Dong. If it says “Qing Bai Chuan Jia” (purity and honesty passed down), that family is surnamed Yang. If it reads “Zi Qi Dong Lai” (purple air from the east — a lucky sign), it's a business family. The Bai people's screen wall inscriptions are many; when you encounter them, you can Baidu the surname.
After seeing the Bai architecture, we tried Bai-style tie-dye. An old grandma taught us a few stitches, then handed it to a junior guide, who passed it to a grandpa for the tie-dye process: hot water to remove the gum, dehydration, and dyeing in a vat made from Isatis root (banlangen) extract. The whole process took less than half an hour, and we each got to keep our own dyed cloth.
Then we toured Dali Ancient Town. With only about an hour, it was a rushed glance — they say there are nine lanes and eighteen streets. We snapped photos of anything fun or tasty, and came across one of Yunnan's oddities: milk made into sheets and sold. The taste depends on the person; I wasn't too fond of it.
After lunch, it was time for Erhai Lake. I'd thought there'd be a Jeep ride encircling the whole lake, but I misunderstood. The full loop around Erhai is over 150 km, and with many bays, the speed wouldn't exceed 60 km/h, so encircling it would take five or six hours. In reality, we just drove to an Instagram-famous spot to take photos.
Next time I travel, I'll make sure to visit Erhai again, and ride a bike along its shores for a bit.
Erhai done, we gathered and headed back to the hotel — another hour's drive.
That night we stayed in a villa-style hotel. The difference from others was that the toilet and shower were separate, and also separate from the washbasin, plus there was a small balcony. A bit nicer than the hotel in Chuxiong, which was a Century Star Hotel, billed as four-star though comparable to a three-star in Suzhou.
But hey, we're here to play, not to be too fussy about accommodation and food. Otherwise, wouldn't it be more comfortable just staying home with good food and drink?
Day 4: Emerald Green ~ Lijiang ~ Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Since this was marketed as a quality tour, today's itinerary included one shopping stop. Given past news reports of guides scolding tourists or holding ID cards hostage, I felt a bit anxious after listening to Guide Du. Would I buy something? If so, what price range? If not, would the guide get angry? My heart was quite uneasy.
But during Guide Du's commentary, we learned that after the reforms led by Ruan Chengfa on April 15, 2017, many travel agencies were shut down — even the largest shopping malls closed. After a major overhaul, there had been great improvement. And indeed, throughout this trip, we felt that: everything from sights to dining, accommodation and transport was well arranged, and Guide Du was knowledgeable, professional and dedicated. So, I approached the jadeite shopping stop with a learning and understanding mindset. After all, jade is a pillar industry in Yunnan. My two concerns: one, would I end up with a fake? Two, would the price be hugely inflated?
With these questions, after breakfast we were driven to Yunnan's largest jadeite mall. Inside, the price range was incredibly wide, from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of yuan. But thinking of Suzhou's jadeite, prices there mostly started at several thousand. After following the sales assistant to compare and assess, I originally wanted a Guanyin pendant, but the little rascal didn't fancy it, so we opted for a peace buckle. It took almost half an hour to find one that matched my expectations.
Here, let me clarify—this isn't an ad at all. As the saying goes, everyone has their own taste. If you can find something you truly like, that's happiness enough. My son liked it too, as it had both purple and the green that his dad loves — something for everyone. I hope it will keep my little rascal safe and sound.
Happy with our purchase, we continued by bus to Lijiang. Due to Lijiang government regulations, upon arrival we had to switch to a local guide from the travel agency's Lijiang branch. And so we bid farewell to Guide Du, who had accompanied us for four days.
Then, a big, burly man stepped aboard, saying we could call him “Pang Jin Ge.” In Lijiang, men are called Pang Jin Ge, and women Pang Jin Mei. Their beauty standards are different from ours: the darker and plumper, the better. Especially desirable is a Pang Jin Ge with a large belly — such a physique could be bartered for 200 yaks! This guide was a joker, claiming he was so sought-after that he called himself the “Little Prince of the Naxi,” so our group was promptly renamed the Prince Group. Many burst out laughing on the spot. Our Little Prince turned out to be hilarious and brutally honest. Under his lead, our group shouted the loudest, constantly greeting with “Tashi Delek” (blessings and good luck). Luckily, he managed to snag us tickets for the Glacier Cableway on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. In peak tourist season, there are 150,000 visitors a day, but the mountain's daily capacity is only 14,000. There are large, medium and small cableways; the Glacier Cableway takes you closest to the snow, and the viral photo point at 4,506 metres altitude is only reachable via this one. The Little Prince really pulled it off.
The bus wound up the mountain road. We bought oxygen canisters, received the thoughtful packed lunch from our agency, collected or rented down jackets. The sacred mountain of the Naxi people — here we come!
At Parking Lot No.3, we transferred to an electric cart heading to White Water River and Blue Moon Valley. The water here is glacial meltwater rich in minerals, and it changes colour depending on the weather.
We washed our hands by the White Water River, paying homage and making wishes towards the snow mountain.
Day 5: Lijiang Old Town – Yellow Dragon Jade – Kunming
We visited Lijiang Old Town the night before after coming down from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and checking into the hotel. After putting our things away, we went to grab dinner. Finally, a chance to eat the Mengzi Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles I'd seen so many times. The broth was a simmering chicken soup; after adding the ingredients in sequence, a sip of soup and a slurp of noodles — incredibly fresh and delicious.
After dinner, while the little rascal played with pebbles with other kids, and his dad returned from withdrawing cash, we decided to stroll through Lijiang Old Town. Our hotel was only about 300 metres away, very close. Lijiang Old Town is a bit different from other ancient towns; there's no obvious gate tower, but 27 entrances. Without a local to guide us, directionally challenged folks like us would wander into a labyrinth. The lanes all look alike, spinning you in circles. Following the Little Prince's instructions, we entered from the north gate, where the landmark is a mother-and-child waterwheel. Walk south along the water — “go with the flow” — and when tired, just follow the water back north — “go against the flow.” The shops were dazzlingly varied, from the usual silverware, jade, and tea houses, to snack stalls, bubble tea shops, and scarf vendors common in other old towns. The crowds were truly massive.
Day 5 proper: we slept until 7 a.m., washed up, went to the ground floor restaurant for a breakfast that was quite varied, then set off by coach for Heqing, the origin of Yellow Dragon Jade. This is the jade that Yunnan's oddity “houses not lived in but bought and dismantled” refers to.
It has the colour of Tianhuang stone and the hardness of jadeite — tough, with high transparency and rich, vibrant colours. Since it's mined in Longling and predominantly yellow, it's named Yellow Dragon Jade. Its price is a notch lower than jadeite, ranging from a few dozen to tens of thousands. Some large ornamental pieces with fine colour and exquisite carving can cost several hundred thousand.
After the jade hall, we visited a silverware hall. The silver purity here is 999, much softer than the common 925. Many shops had beautiful silver water cups priced around a thousand yuan or more. And of course, the famous Jiulong (Nine Dragon) cups, pure silver inside and out, were sold by gram weight — from 13–14 yuan to over 20 yuan per gram.
Around 10 a.m., we said goodbye to our Naxi Little Prince guide and headed back to Kunming. The guide changed to A Mu from the Stone Forest area.
We arrived in Kunming close to 7 p.m. The final meal was a Peacock Feast — a farewell dinner with the Fujian family who had shared our table for five days.
Day 6: The Last Leg
The itinerary was really packed; each day we rose early and returned late, with only six to seven hours of sleep. The little rascal was basically out cold the moment his head hit the pillow. But we gained so much. It was precisely because our main guides, local guides, poured out so much information that I was spurred to write this travel diary. Of course, receiving so much info at once means there are inevitably inaccuracies in my account, and many things I've missed, such as the Yi people valuing men over women and the Bai valuing women over men, the differences in customs and wedding traditions between the two, the Bai Three-Course Tea, the ancient Tea Horse Road in Dali and Lijiang, Yunnan's “three leaves,” the three bracelets that symbolise a Yi woman's happiness, the crops they grow... So much was seen, heard, and felt — it's hard to sum up in a few words.
Since this was my first visit to Yunnan, I joined a group tour to scout the terrain. Next time, when I have more leisure time, I'll return for Erhai Lake, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La, Daocheng Yading, and more. Over these six days and five nights, the longest companionship was from Guide Du, the most passionate was from the Little Prince guide, the best joker was also Du (our Guide Du), and our ever-reliable driver Master Ye in the four-star tour bus who took us up mountains and down slopes. Thank you all so much. Thank you, Travelling Eyes, for this opportunity.
