A Group of Sunshine Chasers — A Self-Drive Journey Through Western Yunnan

This is a journey long in the planning — a self-drive trip from Chengdu to Western Yunnan, to soak in the blue skies and white clouds, to watch red-billed gulls soar, and to witness the sun sinking into the west.

Originally scheduled for early December 2020, but the imported virus cases in Chengdu's Pitong District suddenly heightened pandemic tensions from an otherwise calm period. We heeded the call to stay put and hit the pause button on our travel plans.

Two weeks later, the outbreak was contained, and friends discussed taking an off-peak trip before the Spring Festival, moving the 2020 plan to early 2021. On January 8, 2021, we set off: two cars and 7.5 people. The 0.5 was a little princess of two years and eight months. Having her along added countless joys to our long road trip.

This trip's itinerary was devised by me. I spread out maps, made plans, incorporated everyone's ideas, and revised it four times. The final execution was adjusted on the fly according to weather changes and everyone's physical condition.

First, here's a map of the plan.

On the morning of January 8th, we departed. Unfortunately, a once-in-a-century cold wave hit the whole country starting that day. We set off at 9:00 AM, missing the commuter rush. By then, snowflakes were already drifting in the Chengdu sky. Everyone was in high spirits, thinking southward to Yunnan, a place of eternal spring. Coincidentally, the Chengdu-Yibin-Zhaotong expressway had just opened at midnight on December 31, 2020, shaving an hour off the journey, so we chose the route entering Yunnan via Yibin and Shuifu.

Everything went smoothly, except when we hit snow in the Zhaotong area. White covered the mountaintops, and we drove carefully, enjoying the beautiful snowy scenery.

We arrived at Huize Ancient Town in Yunnan at 7:00 PM. The temperature was 0°C, very cold. After settling into our pre-booked guesthouse, we went out for dinner. Searching on a review app, we found a nearby fish hotpot restaurant that was still open. The little princess was such a good child — she was starting her dinner with us and didn't fuss at all, and everyone adored her.

After dinner, we braved the cold wind and walked back to the guesthouse.

On January 9th morning, Huize was -3°C. Our plan was to go to Dongchuan Red Land for photos. Checking the weather forecast, temperatures there were slightly higher, so we decided to stick to the plan. If it was too cold, we'd head straight to Kunming.

We hadn't planned to explore Huize Ancient Town, so after packing, we stopped at Huize Park on our way out to photograph the world's largest copper coin. We wanted to walk through the coin's hole via the plank walkway, but the bridge surface was icy, and as soon as I stepped on it, I slipped and landed on my bottom. So we just took photos from below and then headed to Dongchuan.

A rest stop photo on the road to Dongchuan.

As soon as we entered Dongchuan, we were overjoyed — it was 16°C and brilliantly sunny! We congratulated ourselves on the decision. We jumped out and frantically snapped photos.

"Grandma, the car is coming!"

The little one coordinated so well with us; she pointed her little finger at the sky too.

The texture of the land, a vision of harvest.

Leaving Dongchuan, we drove straight to Kunming.

We arrived in Kunming at 8:00 PM, had dinner at a restaurant, and without a word, went to bed early.

January 10th. Originally we planned to visit Dianwei Village, but the forecast said the cold wave had reached Kunming, with temperatures dropping to 3°C. So we adjusted the plan: spend the morning soaking in a hot spring to relieve two days of driving fatigue, then in the afternoon head towards Dali, chasing the sunshine. After tidying up, we went to a hot spring resort.

After relaxing, we drove to Chuxiong in the afternoon, splitting the journey to Dali into two legs to make it easier.

January 11th. After breakfast in Chuxiong, we set off for Dali. The cold wave followed us all the way. The road from Chuxiong to Dali winds through mountains. On the shady side, thick fog rolled in, visibility was low, and we drove slowly; once we reached the sunny side, the world opened up. Around noon, we arrived in Dali and stopped at a restaurant called Sanyuesan for lunch. I highly recommend it — the food was really delicious. The backyard is filled with succulents, many I couldn't name, and the hosts were warm and welcoming, even performing some local ethnic songs and dances during the meal.

There's an inn by Erhai Lake called Fucui Yunhai Inn. The owner is a young woman originally from Qingdao who has settled in Chengdu. I'd known her for years online but never met. I messaged her before we left, and she gave us a warm welcome. Even though it was midday when we arrived in Dali, a chilly wind had swept in. After settling into the inn, we lit the fireplace, got out our tea set, and boiled water for tea. Looking out at the leaves being tossed by the wind, we sat cozily by the fire, sipping tea, chatting, snacking, playing games, and mahjong.

The inn is quite large, three stories. The ground floor has a lobby, kitchen, and staff rooms; the second and third floors are guest rooms. Every room’s window faces Erhai Lake, and you can watch sunrise and sunset from your bed. The rooms are tastefully decorated, and the bathrooms are well-appointed with bathtubs, shower rooms, smart toilets, and spacious vanity countertops. Everyone picked a room they liked. The inn also has a huge garden; even in winter with many flowers gone, it was kept neat and refreshing.

Brewing tea and roasting potatoes over the fire pit.

While friends played mahjong, I strolled in the garden, casually taking night photos.

Lying in bed, I could see the sun rise.

The view outside was intoxicating.

In the morning, dining in the sun-drenched restaurant lifted my mood all day.

On January 12th morning, the wind had stopped, but it was still cold — though much warmer than Kunming. After breakfast, we decided to drive around Erhai Lake.

The inn owner recommended Gusheng Village and Longkan Wharf. We set the navigation and took the lakeside road first to Gusheng Village.

Only when we arrived did we learn that Gusheng is an ancient Bai ethnic village. In 2009, the village underwent ecological restoration of Erhai Lake, improving the appearance and showcasing Bai culture. By 2014, the per capita net income of villagers exceeded 10,000 yuan, leading a happy and prosperous life. In 2015, the General Secretary visited Gusheng Village and highly praised the excellent ecological environment of Erhai, saying that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.

A Bai temple in the village.

The village's grand opera stage.

In the center of the village stands a large tree, right opposite the opera stage. It reminded me of Lu Xun’s "Village Opera" and the children who would climb trees to watch the show.

The next stop was Longkan Wharf. To get there we passed through Dali Ancient Town. Everyone had visited the ancient town many times, so it wasn’t on our itinerary, but it happened to be lunchtime, so we decided to have a mushroom hotpot there.

The firecracker vines in the old town were blooming lavishly — a casual snap.

Ne Zha — definitely a favorite with kids.

After lunch, we left the old town and headed straight to Longkan Wharf. This is an abandoned wharf that the local government is turning into a tourist attraction. When we went, it was still under construction, but the basic form was already visible. It wasn’t officially open, but the small gate to the wharf area was open. Stepping inside, the first thing we saw was a Japanese-style dry landscape garden. Beyond that, a small grove, and along its edge, a long reinforced concrete boardwalk; then, the boundless Erhai Lake.

Longkan Wharf under construction.

Outside the Longkan Wharf scenic area.

Pushing open the small gate, the Japanese dry garden came into view.

Beyond the dry garden, a grove of trees.

At the edge of the grove, the old wharf and the newly built boardwalk.

Standing on the boardwalk, gazing at the endless Erhai. Due to the cold wave, the sky was overcast, and the photos from Longkan Wharf looked like ink-wash paintings.

After returning to the inn from Longkan Wharf, the meat and vegetables we’d asked the owner to buy were already in the kitchen. Everyone pitched in to cook our own dinner — a lively scene. After dinner, mahjong began, and the night passed quietly.

January 13th. Today’s plan was to visit Shaxi Ancient Town in Dali. Shaxi is 99 km from our Dali inn, about an hour and a half drive.

Today was sunny, 16°C. We sunshine chasers finally got a brilliantly clear day. Though this was my third visit to Shaxi, I still love it. It has none of Lijiang's noise and commercialism, nor Shuhe's pretentiousness and gaudiness — only authenticity, tranquility, and quaintness.

On the road from Dali to Shaxi, we saw hardworking villagers.

After parking, we entered the ancient town. Beams of a Shaxi inn were hung with cured meats — clearly ready for the Spring Festival.

Strolling through the lanes of Shaxi.

Most ancient towns in Yunnan follow a "square street" layout. In the center is a square plaza, once a market. From the four corners, lanes lead out of town. The square served many purposes: it was a market, a cultural and social hub, because it always had a temple and an opera stage, and the spacious square was where locals danced and sang. Shaxi’s square street is no exception, and its opera stage architecture is exquisite and grand.

A panoramic view of Shaxi’s square street.

Around Shaxi’s square street are coffee shops, restaurants, and souvenir stores.

There is a temple on Shaxi’s square street, but we didn’t enter because it charged an entrance fee. From the carved foundation stones, you could tell the temple had some history.

The opera stage on Shaxi’s square street, with a triple-tiered overhanging roof that provided excellent acoustics. In an era without microphones or loudspeakers, the clever architectural design could project sound far into the distance.

From any window in the serene, rustic Shaxi old town, the view was a painting.

"When my hair grows waist-length, I’ll ask the granny to braid it with colorful ribbons too."

This is the only remaining relic of the Tea Horse Road in the town. It’s said that when it rained and the river rose, horse caravans entering the village would bring mud from outside. To keep the town clean, villagers carried stones from the river and paved the paths. Over time, horses’ hooves wore deep marks into the hard stone. Even now, you can clearly see the hoof prints. Though compared to the "Five-Chi Road of the Qin" at Doushaguan, this ancient path is still quite "young".

We followed this lane out of the town.

In ancient China, cities and towns were almost always surrounded by rivers — to provide water for people and livestock, to irrigate farmland, and importantly, to serve as a defense moat. Shaxi is no exception.

This was a horse market and drill ground.

The river outside town is clear and scenic; it must be Shaxi’s ancient moat.

It’s said that horse caravans left town via this bridge, heading to foreign lands for trade.

Back from Shaxi, we decided to return to Kunming the next day, because sunshine had returned there, and we were going to chase it.

January 14th. We packed up, said goodbye to the inn owner, and headed back to Kunming. Between Dali and Kunming is a resort town called Lixiangbang (Ideal Land), 40 km from Dali, about a 40-minute drive. It’s built along Erhai Lake in a style reminiscent of Santorini, Greece. Well, since the pandemic kept us from traveling abroad, we went there instead.

It’s a real estate development; the houses are for rent or sale, set against Dali’s blue skies and white clouds along Erhai. It does have a Greek flavor. But such scenery is best for summer photos; bundled in down jackets and looking puffy, we took a few pictures and left.

January 15th. Kunming, clear skies, 17°C — just the right comfort level. We had long planned to visit Dianwei Village on the nicest day to photograph the dawn redwood trees. Dianwei is 65 km from Kunming, about an hour and a half drive. This was a place I had longed to visit, and it had to be in winter. In winter, the dawn redwood leaves turn golden-brown, and under the sun and blue sky, the forest glows with a golden-red hue.

We arrived in Dianwei at noon. With the little one in mind, we decided to eat lunch in the village first. We found a black goat stew restaurant. Honestly, restaurants in Yunnan tend to be old-fashioned, with simple tables and chairs. Friends said they’d never step into such a place in Chengdu, but the food was delicious.

A local told us about a dirt road that could take us close to the redwood forest. Hoping for the best, we found the narrow, bumpy track. After about ten minutes, the road widened slightly. As we were figuring out parking, a villager came by and told us that just ahead there was a large structure like a biogas tank, and there was enough space to park. From there, it was just a few minutes’ walk to the forest. Delighted, we soon found the round tank, parked, grabbed our gear, and headed cheerfully down the slope.

From a distance, we saw the red dawn redwoods, and excitement grew. Even the little one refused her stroller and toddled along with us.

Wow, the sight stunned us. It seemed to be a lake, with the trees growing in the water, leaves turned a deep rust-red. The sky was a brilliant blue, the water mirrored it, and sunlight and a gentle breeze made the surface shimmer. In the distance, a white bridge cut through the redwood forest. We had never seen such breathtaking beauty — whoops and cries of amazement filled the air. Best of all, there was no one else around; we had the place entirely to ourselves.

I followed a steep, slippery path along the lake to the opposite shore and used a telephoto lens to capture the bridge and my friends on it. I’d wanted to walk all the way around the lake, but it was too far from the others, so I simply turned back after reaching the opposite side.

Dawn redwoods against the blue sky and white clouds.

The full view of the white bridge through the redwood forest. The bridge was long neglected, with many broken railings.

Wandering through the redwoods, I heard voices and followed them to find two elderly men fishing. I chatted with them and learned that this is Songhuaba Reservoir. Every November, the reservoir water floods the redwood forest to help purify the water; in March, the water is released for farming, and the trees sprout green leaves again. Oh dear, I’m glad I didn’t try to circle the lake — it’s a reservoir, and walking all the way around would have been nearly impossible!

This place is so beautiful; why don’t the locals turn it into a tourist attraction?! We all agreed that the best time would be December. By the time we came, most of the leaves had fallen, and up close, they looked a bit past their prime.

Reluctantly we left Dianwei Village and headed back to Kunming. By the time we arrived, it was 6:00 PM, and the sunset was perfect. We decided to go to Haiyan Village by Dianchi Lake, where there’s a photography base specifically for shooting the Dianchi sunset.

Driving into Haiyan Village, the roads were winding and narrow, with cars parked wherever it was slightly wider, and the alleys were too tight to pass. In the center of the village, many villagers had barbecue stalls, with people eating grilled tofu and potatoes. As we were fretting about parking, a villager warmly guided us to park in front of his house for a 10-yuan fee, then told us to follow the path to the lake to catch the sunset — time was running short. This is the photography base, and many visitors come for the sunset, so charging for parking has become a local livelihood. Happily, we paid, thanked the villager for watching our car, and hurried toward Dianchi Lake. It turned out many people were already there. To let visitors enjoy the sunset, villagers had even built a long concrete boardwalk stretching into the lake, crowded with people. This is the season when red-billed gulls from Siberia fly to Yunnan for the winter, and tourists were feeding and photographing them. Though the wind was picking up and the evening chill returning, the excitement of watching the sunset made us oblivious.

The long concrete boardwalk stretching into Dianchi Lake.

Evening returning red-billed gulls dancing in the twilight glow.

A solitary wild duck flies with the sunset clouds, autumn waters share the same hue as the vast sky.

A stone thrown, the splash dyed with the color of the setting sun.

A dedicated photographer.

Today was a fulfilling and satisfying day. The day after tomorrow was our planned return, so tomorrow would be very relaxed, just adjusting our physical state for a smooth journey home.

January 16th. Today’s plan was to have fun at Kunming Wetland Park, a 4A-level scenic spot. With the glorious sunshine, we rented a multi-person bicycle, pedaled around, and took photos. The multi-person bikes here are great — there’s a special seat for the little one.

With the park’s background music, we danced along.

January 17th. Today we started the journey home. Checking the weather and navigation, returning via Zhaotong would be shorter, but the cold wave had hit Zhaotong again, temperatures below zero, and roads in the Zhaotong and Bijie sections were icy. Meanwhile, the Yaxi Expressway via Panzhihua and Xichang had 8°C and good road conditions. Considering the little one, we chose the Yaxi route, even though it was longer, and planned to stay overnight in Xichang. Kunming to Xichang is 513 km, about 7 hours’ drive. After checking into the hotel, we went to Xichang’s BBQ street. Coming to Xichang and not eating barbecue is like going to Beijing and skipping the Great Wall. We found a highly-rated BBQ place on a review app and, of course, feasted.

January 18th, we departed Xichang and headed directly back to Chengdu. Xichang to Chengdu is 435 km, about 6 hours. The roads were clear, the weather was great, and we could see snow-capped mountains in the distance and the famous Yaxi Expressway, reputed as China’s most scenic highway. Naturally, we had to stop for photos.

As we passed Hanyuan in Ya’an, we decided to visit Jiuxiang Town, home to a huge grain and oil market, where everyone happily bought meat and provisions for the upcoming Spring Festival.

The 11-day self-drive trip ended smoothly, covering 3,407.4 km in total. The little princess behaved wonderfully — no fussing, no crying, and she even kept up with her daily children’s English lessons. The accompanying grandparents all adored her.

Everyone returned safely to their warm, happy homes.

The final executed itinerary is below. We didn’t have the time or energy to visit Jianshui Ancient Town, and due to the cold wave, we also skipped Lijiang. All other plans were completed, especially my long-awaited visits to the red dawn redwood forests at Songhuaba Reservoir and the sunset photos at Haiyan Village on Dianchi Lake. Many thanks to the little one and all my friends who traveled together.

Here’s a map of our route.