Life Is Full of Surprises, and Mine Was Meeting Lijiang Again
It's been almost a month since I returned, and memories are starting to blur. Maybe after more time, I might not even remember those little joys along the way. Humans are fundamentally cold-blooded; joy or sorrow, as time passes, they lose their vividness, even falling into nothingness. I think I've found what truly fascinates me: a longing for freedom and an innate curiosity about the world, making me fall in love with this game of heading towards the distance. There's a saying I completely agree with: Travel is a disease, but it's one you never want to cure.
DAY 1 Hangzhou – Kunming. Overnight at Kunming Railway Station.
DAY 2 Kunming: Yunnan University. After the long journey the day before, I slept in and had a brunch. I have to say, I was quite disappointed with Kunming's rice noodles. After storing luggage at the train station, I headed to Yunnan University. I don't remember which bus I took, but there's a direct one from the station. Although Yunnan University ranks among the top ten in China for its campus scenery, I was indifferent, just like when I visited Xiamen University and couldn't see how beautiful it was. Overall, the old buildings have some character. It was graduation season, and students in academic gowns were taking graduation photos on the sports field and in the corridors, looking youthful and full of life. Then in the evening, I took a sleeper train to Dali. The journey itself was fun because almost the whole carriage was filled with fellow travelers. If you're in a good mood, you can strike up a conversation with anyone and chat for ages about past travel adventures – full of color.
Dali, Erhai Lake, Haidi Life
DAY 2 Dali Ancient Town – Shuanglang Haidi Life. In the morning, right outside Dali Railway Station, you can take Bus No. 8 directly to Dali Ancient Town. Along the way, admire Cangshan Mountain – never miss the scenery en route. Well, it's really inconvenient to take photos from a bus, and the phone photos aren't clear anyway. Places like Yangren Street (Foreigner Street) and other famous thoroughfares have never been my thing. I prefer to wander into alleys, looking for weird but interesting little shops. And of course, there are those adorable alpacas – one has a perpetually cheeky expression, so cute! They charge for photos, but I stole these ones, hehe. You can finish exploring the old town pretty quickly. At noon, I stopped at a guesthouse for tea. From the outside it looked unremarkable, but inside was a hidden world. Outside the South Gate, there are many Bai restaurants where you can have lunch. Afterwards, I headed to Shuanglang. Shared a ride for 25 yuan per person; a bus would have been between 15 and 20 yuan, but I was too lazy to go to the bus station, so I opted for the shared ride, hehe. Once again, the scenery on the road is not to be missed.
DAY 3 More of Shuanglang. I got up at six to take a boat to see the sunrise – sunrise comes late here. But on Erhai Lake, you can't see a true sunrise because the lake is surrounded by mountains; you only see the sun emerge from behind them. In the afternoon, I cycled around Erhai Lake! For the first time in my life, I rode an e-bike and dared to speed at full throttle – wild, once again. Unfortunately, the battery gave out halfway, so I had to turn back. That's the dilemma: cycling takes too much energy and time, while an e-bike won't take you as far as you'd like. So, regrettably, I missed Haishe Park. I can only fantasize that maybe years later I'll come back to make up for it. So, fellow travelers, if you want to visit Haishe Park, start from Dali Ancient Town; it's closer and the battery will last. In the evening, I strolled around Shuanglang town. The yogurt is worth trying – it has a strong, delicious goat milk flavor.
DAY 4 Shuanglang – Lijiang. Overnight at Muguke. I was able to sleep in again. Shared a ride to Lijiang for 100 yuan per person, which was a bit of a rip-off. From here, my tragedy began. First, we ate a not-fresh cured rib hotpot, which upset both my friend's and my stomach. Then my camera's memory card suddenly malfunctioned – all my photos disappeared, nearly scaring my soul out. Fortunately, I consulted a professional and recovered them using software. That evening, I went to a bar for a drink. With an already upset stomach plus the alcohol, I suffered a spectacular case of altitude sickness back at the guesthouse: vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and blurred vision – a total nightmare. Lijiang is a lazy paradise. Even when the sun is high, you'll barely see a soul; people only start emerging around dinner time. But compared to the indulgent nightlife, I prefer Lijiang's purity during the day. Walking through nameless, empty alleyways, I let every cell slowly feel its authenticity. At night, I climbed Wangu Tower, but sadly didn't have my camera, so I couldn't capture Lijiang's nightscape. I ran into an adorable little 'zombie' too.
DAY 5 I slept in naturally, feeling very comfortable, my body almost recovered, and took a stroll around Shuhe Ancient Town. Shuhe is a special presence compared to Lijiang – a town that ages and beautifies alone. It's not as crowded and chaotic as the old town, but simple and peaceful! The gleaming light on grey tiles, the breeze through the branches, the trembling elderly walking on the ancient paths – they fill the softest part of your heart slowly but surely!
Tasting Lijiang cuisine, the distinctive Naxi delicacies of Lijiang. Lijiang's food is a not-to-be-missed landscape, and a gift for your taste buds. Lijiang, a border town in Yunnan and an ancient cultural capital, is a dream destination for so many! Beautiful scenery, sumptuous cuisine, unique culture, nature's masterpieces, the charm of little bridges and flowing streams, the fragrance of blooming flowers – I love the sunny, cloudless weather of Lijiang. I love traveling, tasting local specialties in different cities. What impressed me most in Lijiang was the local Naxi cuisine, full of flavor.
Checking in at a popular restaurant: Fuxian Small Pot Rice, a Yunnan folk-style restaurant. Location: next to the 'Flying Water Touching Flowers' scenic spot in Shuhe Ancient Town, Lijiang (convenient parking and transportation). Atmosphere: a Naxi-themed restaurant blending Chinese retro and Naxi architecture, exuding a fresh, comfortable, retro, and slightly bohemian vibe. Dining environment: elegant, relaxed, spacious, clean, surrounded by flowers, with a clear stream flowing by the entrance, and the warming voice of a singer drifting in. Service: attentive and thoughtful staff with great service awareness. Signature Naxi dishes: Small Pot Rice – aromatic; Steam Pot Chicken – fresh broth and tender meat; Naxi Grilled Fish – crispy skin and fragrant flesh; Pu'er Tea Braised Pork – rich but not greasy, incredibly savory; Baijiang Tofu – crispy outside, tender inside; Watercress (Shuixing Yanghua) – refreshing and graceful, etc. There are too many Naxi dishes to list; go experience them yourself! Lijiang's scenery is stunning, its nights are lively, the people are warm, and the food is delicious. The gentle time in Lijiang, the slow life in Shuhe – all are reasons why I love Lijiang as always!
Tiger Leaping Gorge, Langdu Flower Sea, Napa Lake, Shangri-La
DAY 6 Lijiang – Shangri-La: Tiger Leaping Gorge, Langdu flower sea, Napa Lake. Usually, you charter a car from Lijiang to Shangri-La because you'll pass by Tiger Leaping Gorge, Xiaozhongdian, etc. – buses don't stop there. Chartering a car costs about 800–900 yuan per day per car, so the most cost-effective way is to join a local 'pure play' group; they can stop along the way and it's safer. Next was Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge. I actually wanted to go to Middle Gorge, where the scenery is more spectacular, with roaring rivers right before your eyes. But it wasn't on the way, so I could only do Upper Gorge. Ugh, getting older means discrimination – I specially bought an undergraduate student ID, but they don't accept it if you're over 24. So any hopeful students out there, forget it; they check at every scenic spot. I didn't originally plan to ride a horse at Napa Lake, but I recalled last year's galloping adventure in Kanas and couldn't resist. In the end, it was disappointing: the herders, worried about safety, wouldn't let the horses run at all, only a slight trot – very unsatisfying. The biggest regret of this trip was missing the flower sea in Shangri-La. The azalea sea had already wilted a week earlier. Normally, at this time, Gelsang flowers, langdu flowers, and various wildflowers would bloom in competition, but this year was unusual. Although the rainy season had begun, it hadn't rained at all, and apart from the langdu (thankfully there were some langdu), nothing else bloomed!! The Xiaozhongdian flower sea I had been yearning for – the heavens played a joke on me. I could cry my eyes out. Around 6 pm, I arrived at Dukezong Ancient Town. Due to altitude sickness the day before, I had no appetite and felt nauseous all day. The food here was too greasy and I wasn't used to it. I wanted to stroll around the old town after dinner, but a huge fire last year burned down most of it, and it's largely under reconstruction. Ah, a lost civilization – even if rebuilt, it won't be what it once was.
DAY 7 Pudacuo – Shangri-La. Shangri-La's elevation is much higher than Lijiang's; when I reached Meili, it was over 4,400 meters. But surprisingly, I didn't suffer altitude sickness there, probably because the sickness in Lijiang was caused by the bad stomach. Although I missed the flower season, the sight of Pudacuo – where sky meets water, green mountains and white clouds – still made the trip worthwhile, with its vast, open feel. Shudu Lake: the boardwalk is 2.8 km (if I remember correctly) and takes about an hour to walk, depending on how many photos you take. By Bita Lake, it was noon and I was starving; not bringing snacks was a mistake. I had to buy some dry food at the bakery at the entrance – painfully expensive, as you'd expect at scenic spots. The boardwalk there is 4.2 km long (if I'm not mistaken). Following the principle that travel means personally experiencing every unmissable view, I resolutely didn't take the boat – this distance was meant to be walked. It was the blooming season for northwestern irises, and that touch of purple was visible everywhere along the roadside. After walking for most of the day, I wasn't even that tired – unlike mountain hiking, which leaves me gasping after a few steps. I suspect I'll never warm up to mountain climbing. Leaving Pudacuo, I couldn't help but sigh: 'Ah, no flowers...'
Back in Lijiang, I finally couldn't stand Yunnan cuisine any longer and had a normal dinner at Pizza Hut. To make up for not photographing the night view two days earlier, I took my camera and climbed Wangu Tower again. Actually, you don't need to buy a ticket; up on Lion Hill there are many tea houses or bars with great vantage points, charging just 2 yuan for the view.
DAY 10 Still in Lijiang. Earlier, due to altitude sickness, I had lain in bed all day and hadn't had time to truly absorb Lijiang's charm, so I simply stayed in the old town, wandering around. During this time, I found a book bar I really loved. If it weren't for the limited time, I could have easily spent the whole day there reading and writing – in Lijiang, such laziness feels completely justified. The books and postcards in the store were so endearing, and there was a cat sound asleep, totally oblivious to the world. Around 7 pm, I headed to the train station, took a sleeper back to Kunming. Goodbye, Lijiang.
DAY 0 Kunming – Hangzhou return.
