A 9-Day Summer Trip to Yunnan

The summer in Hunan was scorching, so our family of three decided to head to Yunnan for a cool summer getaway. We set off before dawn to beat the traffic, and arrived at the Pingtang Fast (FAST) site in Guizhou just after 1 p.m. We grabbed a quick snack at the Astronomy Town before buying tickets to see the FAST telescope. The scenic area is located in Kedu Town, Pingtang County, Qiannan Prefecture—home to the world’s largest single-aperture radio telescope, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), often called China’s ‘Big Eye’ for exploring the universe. It’s about the size of 30 football fields. An entire Astronomy Town has been built around it, combining science, dining, and lodging. The main attractions include the FAST observation base, the astronomy experience hall, and a space science education center. Electronic devices and lighters aren’t allowed on the bus, so we had to store them. It’s recommended to visit the observation base first. To see the telescope, you have to buy a bus ticket; otherwise you can’t get in. FAST sits in the middle of the mountains, over a dozen kilometers from the ticket office. After getting off the bus, you need to hike uphill for about half an hour. At first sight, it’s truly spectacular—a must-see once in a lifetime, but probably only once!

We finished seeing the FAST site in just over two hours. It was still early, so we drove to the nearby Daxiaojing Scenic Area. Not very famous, but the good thing is it’s free. The highlight is the karst cave deep in Daxiaojing, where local villagers can guide you in. A round-trip boat ride costs 60 yuan. Both sides of the road are lined with farm stays. This lesser-known spot is great—mountains, rivers, caves, and delicious village food at reasonable prices, with few tourists, beautiful scenery, and cool weather. We parked the car in front of a villager’s house for 10 yuan. After dinner there, we headed to our hotel in Luodian County for the night.

The next morning, we drove on and reached Kunming close to noon. After checking into our hotel and parking the car, we stayed in a guesthouse near Haigeng Dam in a residential compound, very convenient for meals. The place had a bit of an artsy vibe, with a big cluster of bougainvillea at the door—my wife absolutely loved it. We took a taxi out to eat and visited the Yunnan Nationalities Museum and Dianchi Lake. During summer vacation, traffic jams were everywhere, so leaving the car behind was a smart choice, especially since the Yunnan Nationalities Village was so crowded that we decided to skip it. The museum is next to the village, covering 130,000 square meters, making it China’s largest ethnic museum with a collection of 120,000 objects. It’s a great place to learn about Yunnan’s ethnic history and culture—free admission, not crowded, and eye-opening. A bit over an hour was enough to see it all. Then we walked a few hundred meters along Haigeng Road to the southern tip of Dianchi Lake. Street vendors selling snacks and drinks lined the path, so we strolled and munched our way along. Dianchi’s scenery is lovely; you can walk the surrounding trails, take a cable car up to West Mountain, or enjoy the amusement parks. A cool breeze blowing from the lake made it extra pleasant.

I’ve been to Kunming many times; this stop was just to rest for one night. So the next morning we checked out and headed to Lugu Lake. Now there’s a highway linking it to Shangri-La, making the drive very convenient and saving about four to five hours compared to the old national road—and, importantly, much safer. Lugu Lake sits on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan at an altitude of about 2,685 meters. With its stunning scenery and simple ethnic customs, it’s known as the ‘Pearl of the Plateau.’ From June to August, the lake’s water flowers burst into bloom—pure white like snowflakes, scattered across the water, quivering with every breeze, turning the scene into a fairytale. Around 1 p.m., we entered the Lugu Lake scenic area. We had booked tickets online, so we just showed our phones to the staff and drove right through. After the ticket gate, we still had to drive uphill for over half an hour. At first it didn’t feel like much—Yunnan is full of mountains—but when we reached the top and caught the panoramic view of Lugu Lake below, we were stunned. It was breathtakingly beautiful, like a sapphire gem, surreal and dreamlike. Prices around the lake, whether for food or lodging, tend to be high. The lake itself is serene, but the road encircling it is narrow, bumpy, and prone to jams. It’s better to circle clockwise. Goddess Bay is perfect for sunset—really beautiful. At Sanjiacun Pier, you can take a boat ride around the lake. The most famous sight is the legendary ‘Water Flower’ (a type of aquatic plant); half of the lake looked like black jade, the other half like emerald—just stunning. The weather was perfect that day. I heard the flowers close up in the afternoon; the best viewing time is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The scenery at Lugu Lake is gorgeous, whether it’s the shimmering water and surrounding hills or the endless green of the marshes. We drove clockwise most of the way around the lake to reach our booked inn, stopping whenever we felt like to enjoy the views—very relaxed. The innkeepers were super friendly. There were a few parking spots, so it was easy. Right in front was a restaurant with tasty food. I bought two bonfire party tickets from the owner, saving 21 yuan per ticket compared to buying them on site. The venue was just a five-minute walk away. We had dinner at the restaurant, which was good, then strolled by the lake and watched the bonfire show in the evening—so much fun. If you’re not in a hurry, staying two nights here would be ideal, it’s truly comfortable. But I couldn’t change my plans because the hotel in Shangri-La was non-refundable; otherwise I would have loved to stay an extra day. Next time I’ll come back and stay for a few days.

The next morning we walked along the lake, enjoying the quiet water—much better than the crowds of the day before. But the calm was short-lived as early risers gradually appeared. After breakfast, we drove toward Shangri-La. This time I avoided the highway, wanting to see the scenery along the old road, since the national route passes by the Jinsha River and Tiger Leaping Gorge. However, it added two or three extra hours. That turned out to be a mistake. The road was terrible—winding mountain paths everywhere, occasional falling rocks, and the stretch from the Jinsha River to Tiger Leaping Gorge was especially dangerous, with boulders from the cliffs often blocking half the road. We had to be extra careful when passing other cars. But then again, driving such a thrilling mountain road is something to brag about later in life, haha. After six or seven hours, we finally reached Shangri-La, with the last part on the highway because I no longer dared to stay on the mountain roads. We arrived at our hotel around 5 p.m., rested, and then headed out to explore Dukezong Ancient Town for food and shopping. Dinner was yak meat hotpot with some barley wine—pretty good, about 100 yuan per person. Dukezong means ‘Moonlight City’ in Tibetan. It boasts the world’s largest prayer wheel and is the best-preserved and largest Tibetan residential complex in China, as well as a key hub on the ancient Tea Horse Road. The town’s layout resembles an eight-petal lotus, with Moonlight Square at the center, surrounded by traditional Tibetan wooden houses. The commercial scene is lively here, and it’s the most convenient place to stay when visiting Shangri-La.

We stayed two nights in Shangri-La. During the day, we visited Pudacuo National Park and Songzanlin Monastery, returning to rest in the evenings. On the third morning, we checked out and spent half a day exploring Napahai before hitting the national road to Dali. Pudacuo National Forest Park is the most beautiful spot—a key part of the Three Parallel Rivers World Heritage area. It includes Shudu Lake, with two plank trails where most of the beauty is concentrated. Walking along them, you’ll enjoy the lake and mountain views, and might meet some cheeky little squirrels that add extra fun to the trip. This is a must-see, a true paradise on Earth. There are shuttle buses, so you don’t get tired. Songzanlin Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan; if you want to understand Tibetan Buddhist culture, you have to go there. It holds great importance across the Tibetan region, and its architecture resembles the Potala Palace, earning it the nickname ‘Little Potala Palace.’ The steps up to the temple are steep, though, and it’s a bit tiring. Inside, you’ll see lots of people in rented ethnic costumes taking photos—few seemed to be locals. The morning we left the guesthouse, we were incredibly lucky to witness the rare spectacle of the sun shining on the snowy peaks at dawn—my first time, and I was super excited! Sadly, it lasted only a few minutes.

After leaving the hotel in the morning, we drove straight to Napahai. After touring it, we’d head directly to Dali. Yila Grassland and Napahai are actually one and the same—a seasonal high-altitude wetland. When the rainy season arrives, rivers around Shangri-La flow into this area, the water rises, and the grassland gets submerged, becoming ‘Napahai.’ When the rains pass and water levels drop, large wetlands appear and it’s called ‘Yila Grassland.’ To get to Napahai, we set our map to the lake loop road, about 18 km from the ancient town. We drove clockwise along the lakeside road, slowly, with pools of water reflecting the mountains, herds of cattle and sheep—an idyllic scene. There were lots of horse riding, costume rentals, and even little lambs for rent—very lively. We also made a point to see the ‘water road,’ the one from the drama Rattan, but the water level was very low, not quite the dramatic feel from the show, which was a slight letdown. Overall, it’s a great spot: free, spacious, with a grassland vibe.

Afterward, we drove a stretch of about 10–20 kilometers on the national road before getting on the highway to Dali. Online, people said this section of the national road was stunning, and I can confirm it’s absolutely true. The road conditions were good, with few cars and gorgeous scenery—green grass, wildflowers, river valleys, and forest farms on both sides, all completely pristine. Near Tiger Leaping Gorge, there’s a highway entrance, so we turned onto it and then stayed on the highway all the way to Dali. I’d visited Lijiang before, so I skipped it this time. Dali Ancient Town is a famed historical and cultural city with over 1,300 years of history. It’s the birthplace of Bai culture and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town features unique architecture and rich historical relics, like the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, the former royal palaces of the Dali Kingdom, and Erhai Lake—all unmissable. We stayed at a hotel opposite the ancient town; we parked the car and basically didn’t move it, walking to nearby places and renting e-bikes for farther spots—very convenient. Dali is beautiful, with mild temperatures, perfect for a leisurely stay—but it was so crowded! The ancient town was a sea of people, incredibly lively. I rented an e-bike the next morning to explore Erhai Lake; half a day cost 40 yuan, and the scenery was stunningly beautiful.

We spent two days in Dali, then started our journey back to Hunan. On the way, we stopped for a night at Xiasi Ancient Town in Guizhou—another off-the-beaten-path gem well worth visiting. Xiasi is in Kaili City, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture. It was once known as ‘Little Shanghai’ and the ‘Pearl on the Qingshui River.’ The whole town is built in the Miao and Dong architectural style. Cars are parked in free lots outside the scenic area. Entry tickets cost a few dozen yuan, but I’d booked a hotel inside the town beforehand, and after calling the owner, he came to pick us up at the entrance—a pleasant surprise! The evening scenery was lovely, with a cool river breeze and many cultural relics. Definitely worth a visit. The next day, we headed straight home.