Summer Retreat for the Dragon Boat Festival: 'Mountain' Popular Amid High Heat, 90-Minute Drive from Kunming

Dragon Boat Festival coincides with Summer Solstice. High temperature warnings. Escaping the heat is on the agenda.

This summer, the temperature in Spring City (Kunming) is catching up to that of 'furnace' cities.

After being roasted by high temperatures for over a month, temperatures have hit new highs.

It's the hot season again!

Dragon Boat Festival meets Summer Solstice, ushering in the year's highest temperatures.

Escaping the heat is already on the agenda!

How to spend the Dragon Boat Festival tormented by high heat?

You have to learn from the locals: escape the heat, cool off, and have fun in the water.

Under a bright sun, keep the fun going without feeling any heat at all.

Only feel the coolness and excitement of summer!

This scorching summer, everyone loves to run to the 'mountains.'

Because the Dragon Boat Festival is near, Kunming's climate is hot and temperatures are volatile.

'Hiding in the mountains' is the best way to escape the heat!

Just a 90-minute drive away, with an average summer temperature not exceeding 20°C,

Kunming Anning·Qinglong Gorge

has become one of the best nearby summer retreats for Kunming locals!

A Dragon Boat Festival weekend trip lets you see a different side of Qinglong Gorge!

Dense shade blocking the sun, streams leaping over rocks, a chill that seeps in.

Thousands of acres of forest release abundant negative oxygen ions.

Crystal-clear streams charge through dark crevices covered in moss.

Regulated by water vapor and dense shade,

Qinglong Gorge's summer seems tailor-made for escaping the heat.

Beneath the thick shade are joyful crowds cooling off and playing in the water.

This Dragon Boat Festival holiday, you must go see

two completely different sides of Qinglong Gorge!

Kunming's climate always has a bit of a 'temper' in summer.

Anning·Qinglong Gorge is no exception.

Come summer, Qinglong Gorge's weather can change at any moment.

Sunny and bright for two hours, then pouring rain for the next two.

It's that unique—weather changes with its mood!

Qinglong Gorge in rain and fog is at its most hazy.

Rain summons thick fog that drifts among the mountains, lingering long.

At such times, Qinglong Gorge is labeled dreamy, blurry, and misty.

It seems like the 'fairyland on earth' people talk about,

without a trace of worldly smoke and fire, instead carrying an extra touch of ethereality.

But in my view, it's more like

a flowing and lively 'ink wash painting.'

Colors deep yet elegant, scenery arranged with clear hierarchy.

It lacks none of the elements an ink painting should have.

At this moment, entering Qinglong Gorge truly feels

like stepping into a 'fairyland on earth.'

Fog wanders through the mountains,

just enough to let you feel that hint of 'ethereal energy.'

Wet, mossy stone paths, crystal clear dewdrops on leaves,

a faster-flowing stream, and roaring waterfalls.

Every scene and object in Qinglong Gorge lives up to the reputation of 'fairyland on earth.'

The rain and fog add a touch of distance between Qinglong Gorge and people.

Then, under the blazing sun, Qinglong Gorge gains

a little more human warmth and the exuberance that summer should have.

Away from the dense shade, it lets you feel the unique breath of summer.

Sunlight finds cracks in the forest, trying to dispel the thick shade.

Sun and forest lock in a struggle, neither able to dominate.

When sunlight wins,

it sprinkles mottled light through the gaps.

When the forest wins,

it rallies its companions to block the summer heat firmly outside.

Meanwhile, the stream never joins their competition,

fully playing its own role:

releasing coolness and moisture, regulating the surrounding temperature.

In summer, Qinglong Gorge is not only known for its weather, which people love to talk about,

but also for its fun and challenging activities and food!

Every unique activity at Qinglong Gorge is addictive.

5D Glass Bridge, Jungle Crossing, Mini Train,

Laugh Trap, Pacifier Fish Feeding, Shouting Spring, Water Drifting.

Any one of these activities will make you want to do it again and again.

But in summer, the most popular ones are still

the '5D Glass Bridge,' 'Laugh Trap,' and 'Water Drifting.'

Because summer is inseparable from water.

'Laugh Trap' and 'Water Drifting' are both water sports.

The 'Laugh Trap' looks simple but is full of traps at every step.

You need arm strength, stamina, and sharp eyes—none can be missing to pass.

Missing one could turn you into a 'drowned rat'!

Even if you fall in, it's fine, because summer belongs to water.

The thrilling, exciting, and even more challenging 'Water Drifting'

is hailed as the most adrenaline-pumping activity!

A single kayak can give you the most exhilarating joy.

The kayak rises and falls with the waves over a short drifting distance,

feeling like a journey of riding the wind and breaking waves.

Fight against the water, fight against the curves, fight against yourself.

The drifting route is never smooth.

The 5D Glass Bridge is another popular activity.

It's novel enough, spectacular enough, and challenging enough.

Suspended across two mountains, with a vertical ground distance of nearly 100 meters,

the '5D Glass Bridge'

with its unique '5D effect' is hard to ignore.

Transparent tempered glass reveals a panoramic view of the verdant forest.

Walking on it, you may not be on a 'flower road,' but at least you're walking through a 'forest sea.'

The secret to completing the whole walk: keep your head up, chest out, and stride forward!

The rainy season brings not only coolness to Qinglong Gorge but also countless mountain delicacies!

For example, a seasonal specialty: wild mushrooms.

Whether in soup or stir-fried,

you can taste the unique flavor here at the very first moment.

Besides that, ecological roasted lamb leg, roasted chicken, roasted spare ribs,

and local 'mountain flavors'—fresh seasonal vegetables—

any one of them will leave you with endless aftertaste!

Escaping the heat for the Dragon Boat Festival is urgent, and a trip around Kunming is the main theme.

Choose Qinglong Gorge for an integrated experience of sightseeing and fun!

Plenty to eat, plenty to play, plenty to see!

[Editor] Yue Yunnan · Le You

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