2021 Self-Drive Diary of a Complete Tour of Colorful Yunnan – Part 1
2021 Self-Drive Diary of a Complete Tour of Colorful Yunnan
The plan for spring 2020 was completely postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic for a full year. This was our dream trip covering all of Colorful Yunnan, a 41-day self-drive journey. The total cost for two people was just over 16,000 yuan (one person aged 65+, the other a person with a level-4 disability also aged 65+). Of that, expressway tolls cost nearly 3,000 yuan, fuel nearly 5,500 yuan, and admission tickets, scenic shuttle bus and cable car tickets over 2,200 yuan. The unexpected highlights of this trip were 元谋土林 and feeding black-headed gulls at 海埂大坝. The trip’s standout moments were the rapeseed flower sea in 罗平, 西双版纳, 德宏, 腾冲, 怒江, 独龙江, 迪庆金沙江大湾 and 梅里雪山, 玉龙雪山, 三星堆, etc. Of course, we also missed some spots we had hoped to visit: 九龙瀑布, the volcanoes in 腾冲, 德贡公路, 苍山 in 大理, 巴拉格宗国家公园, and the Upper, Middle and Lower Tiger Leaping Gorges.
We set off from home at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 2 March 2021, to begin our Yunnan self-drive adventure.
The air in 石家庄 was dreadful that day. Near 井陉 heavy fog rolled in, so I switched on the front and rear fog lights. Snow clung to the hills and trees. After entering 山西 the weather improved, with the sun peeping through. Beyond 阳泉, the sky turned glorious. Along the way we stopped at four service areas: 鹿泉, 盂县, 灵石, 襄汾. At the first two we only used the restrooms; at the latter two we took a brief rest. At 12:50 p.m. we arrived at 镇国寺 in 平遥.
镇国寺 was listed as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1988, and in 1997 it and 双林寺 were inscribed as part of the World Heritage site ‘Ancient City of 平遥’. The 天王殿 (Hall of the Heavenly Kings) is a building from the Yuan Dynasty.
On the bell tower beside the 天王殿 hangs an iron bell cast in the fifth year of the 皇统 era of the Jin Dynasty (AD 1145). It has an elegant, ancient form and exquisite workmanship, a rare treasure in the 平遥 area.
The 万佛殿 (Ten-thousand Buddha Hall) at the centre of the front courtyard was first built during the Five Dynasties period and is one of the very few surviving wooden structures from that era in China. Among temple buildings through successive dynasties it is particularly rare; among extant wooden structures in China, it is older only than the South Chan Monastery and Foguang Monastery on 五台山. Every hall in 镇国寺 contains statues, but the ones in the 万佛殿 are the most precious – works created during the 天会 reign of the Northern Han in the Five Dynasties.
On a central altar sits a waist-bound Sumeru throne with a seated figure of Sakyamuni Buddha. The hall houses a total of fourteen statues. All except three (Guanyin, Sudhana and the Dragon Maiden, which were sculpted in the Ming Dynasty and repainted in the Qing) are original Five Dynasties works, reflecting the styles of the Tang and Five Dynasties. We spent over half an hour here.
It was past 1:00 p.m. when we left 镇国寺, and we decided to adjust our itinerary. We had originally planned to overnight in 临汾, expecting to arrive around 3:00 p.m., but that felt too early to stop. We decided to stay in 韩城市 instead, a drive of more than three hours.
Before leaving 镇国寺, I noticed the fuel gauge showed only one bar. All along the road there were only private petrol stations, so I didn’t dare fill up there, thinking I would refuel on the expressway. The 高德导航 app said there was a petrol station 80 km ahead. I considered getting off the expressway at 介休 to find one, but then we saw a sign for a service area 26 km away. About ten kilometres short of it, the low-fuel light came on and the instrument cluster prompted me to refuel. At 灵石 Service Area we added 44.13 litres.
Just after we exited the expressway at 韩城 we were stopped and asked to scan the 陕西 health code before being allowed to proceed. At the 禹龙宾馆 we again had to scan the health code. A room cost 198 yuan at the front desk, but on 携程 we booked a twin room without breakfast for 98 yuan. The hotel felt decent; if we have a chance, we’ll stay here again. We ate 韩城 wontons on 状元Street.
We amended the next day’s plan: we would drive to 南江县 and stay there, roughly nine hours.
The second day we had buffet breakfast at the hotel for two, 30 yuan. After eating we set off for 南江. While driving past 西安, we spotted the sign for 汉阳陵 and decided on the spur of the moment to visit.
汉阳陵 is the joint burial mausoleum of the fourth Western Han emperor Jingdi (Liu Qi) and his empress Wang, constructed with separate pits in the same mound. It is said to be the most complete Western Han imperial mausoleum discovered to date.
A large number of pottery figurines, animal sculptures, household utensils, building materials, chariot and horse fittings, and weapons have been unearthed from the underground chambers – a replica and re-creation of the prosperous Wen-Jing era more than 2,000 years ago. They reflect the exquisite and skilled craftsmanship of the 汉景帝 period in sculpture, weaving, metallurgy, ceramics and more. Another highlight is the site of the South Gate Tower (南阙门遗址), currently the earliest, highest-ranking, largest and best-preserved ‘triple-gate’ (三出阙) ruin ever excavated. We visited the underground exhibition of the eastern outer burial pits, the South Gate Tower site, and walked a full circle around the tomb mound. We also toured the Archaeological Exhibition Hall. We spent a total of two hours here. Admission to 汉阳陵 was 90 yuan; seniors aged 65+ entered free.
Calculating the time, we realised we could only make it as far as 汉中. Once again we adjusted the plan and checked into a hotel in 汉中. We refuelled at 秦岭 Service Area, and at 4:10 p.m. rested for half an hour at 洋县 Service Area. We reached 汉中 around 5:30 p.m. and checked into the Mayflower Holiday Hotel.
On 4 March we departed at 7:00 a.m. heading for 阆中市. We had originally planned to take the 巴中 route, but when setting the navigation we selected the wrong route and ended up on another road. Around 11:00 a.m. we arrived at 滕王阁 Park in the ancient city of 阆中.
阆中’s 滕王阁 is a thousand-year-old tower perched on the waist of 玉台山 on the 嘉陵江 River north of the old town. It has a history of over 1,300 years and was built by 李元婴, the 22nd son of Tang Emperor Gaozu (李渊), who was enfeoffed as Prince of Teng.
As is widely known, there is another 滕王阁 in 南昌, 江西, built when 李元婴 served as commander of Hongzhou (present-day 南昌). That tower became famous through the preface written by 王勃. The 阆中 滕王阁 was built after 李元婴 was reassigned as prefect of Longzhou (present-day 阆中, 四川). It seems less renowned, yet it has become known through later generations passing down poems inscribed by 杜甫, such as ‘Teng Wang Tingzi’ and ‘Yutai Guan’.
We spent an hour and a half here, then drove to 华天楼, parked in the old town car park, and finished sightseeing within 45 minutes. We checked into the 优逸家酒店 and walked into the old town. First we visited the 贡院 (Imperial Examination Hall), then the 阆中市 Museum, and afterwards the 川北道署 (Northern Sichuan Government Office). By 4:30 p.m. we were back near the hotel.
Our plan for the next day was to head straight to 蜀南竹海.
On 5 March we left at 8:00 a.m., heading for 三合界 in 蜀南竹海. The navigation led us to the east gate of the scenic area. After leaving the expressway, the road to 蜀南竹海 was very narrow and driving was difficult, especially when meeting other cars. At the gate we learned it was actually the north gate. The staff said the east gate had been closed for a while after a landslide caused by earlier rains, so navigation had rerouted us here.
蜀南竹海 is a national 4A tourist attraction and the world’s largest natural bamboo forest by area. Its unique location has created a landscape of “bamboo sea amid cloud-topped mountains, heaven on earth.” It is a rare, China-only destination that combines bamboo scenery, mountains and waters, lakes, waterfalls and ancient temples, plus time-honoured cultural sites, into one place for bamboo culture and eco-relaxation holidays.
Admission for over-65s is free, and self-drive cars enter without charge. At 三合界 we found a resort hotel, but unluckily it was full. We found a random place nearby, 竹缘人家, where a room cost 100 yuan. The landlady suggested that this afternoon we visit 仙寓硐, 天宝寨, 仙女湖 and 海中海, and see the other sights tomorrow.
Around 2:50 p.m. we went to 仙寓硐, where I bought a bag of bamboo shoot tips for 15 yuan. The main features there are the 大雄宝殿 (Mahavira Hall), a secondary hall, the 观音殿 (Guanyin Hall) – with a very tall standing statue of Guanyin – and a giant reclining Buddha.
In fact, 仙寓硐 and 天宝寨 are close neighbours. 天宝寨 mainly features some modern cliff-face carvings illustrating the Thirty-Six Stratagems and various idioms.
仙女湖 is just a small artificial reservoir, but 海中海 had quite a large surface area. After leaving 海中海 and walking back to the parking spot, then taking the road back to the 仙寓硐 car park, it was actually very close – about 400 metres – and we were back at 竹缘人家. The landlady told us it was only 5:30 p.m. and we could still go see 翡翠长廊 and have dinner when we returned. Five minutes later we reached 翡翠长廊, which was a huge disappointment – just a broad track flanked by bamboo.
On 6 March, as we were getting ready to leave, a light rain began. I first headed to 七彩飞瀑. The ferryman hadn’t come to work yet; I called and they came over. The boat trip cost 8 yuan per person, 16 yuan total. We spent about an hour there.
We continued driving. Thick fog set in, so I switched on the front and rear fog lights. Along the road several scenic spots were still under construction, but when we reached the turn-off for 墨溪, there was a checkpoint and they wouldn’t allow us to drive through, so we skipped it. We decided to head for 黄连河 in Yunnan.
The navigation had a ‘fewer expressways’ option selected, but 高德 still routed us onto the expressway. When we realized, we exited at the second exit and then took ordinary roads. On the way we ran into a traffic jam; an accident had occurred in the opposite lane. Our side was allowed alternating one-way passage, but I noticed there were no oncoming cars, so I boldly overtook to shorten the waiting time. Later, we got back on a short stretch of expressway. 大关县 is built on the mountainside and the roads are tricky.
黄连河 scenic area is dominated by waterfalls – 47 in total, the tallest drop being 142 metres. It also features dreamlike misty peaks, dignified ancient trees, bamboo groves filled with birdsong and flowers, the rare dove-tree (Davidia involucrata) – “dove flowers” – and the flavour of Miao village customs as thick as wine.
At a spot called ‘Big Slide Board’ I slipped and landed flat on my back; my clothes got soaked and I had no choice but to tough it out and walk back. We spent two and a half hours at 黄连河 and stayed overnight at 云水轩山庄.
On 7 March we had a complimentary breakfast at the lodge. After eating, we took a second-class highway to 昭通, got on the expressway at 昭通南, exited at 阿都 Toll Station, and continued towards 雨碌 in 会泽. At 11:30 we arrived at the front entrance of 大地缝 (Great Earth Crack).
会泽 大地缝 is more than ten kilometres long, over 20 metres at its widest, only 1.4 metres at its narrowest, and reaches a height of 486 metres. The landform is complex and varied, formed by crustal uplift over hundreds of millions of years, creating a displaced ‘mountain-shaped’ stratum. A stream called 小米河 flows through the fissure. The place is famed for its strangeness, danger, seclusion, depth and elegance. Inside are countless rock teeth, pillars, curtains, karst caves and more. The whole crack is winding and mysterious, unfathomably deep. The steep cliffs on both sides are perennially green, with dewdrops on grass tips seeming coyly about to fall. Main spots include the Gate of Life, Phoenix Tail Dripping Emerald, Divine Turtle Crossing the River, One-Line Sky, Peacock Spreading Its Tail, Golden Buddha Cave, Sleeping Beauty, Natural Waterfall, Ancient Grape Vine, and Immortal Pointing the Way.
We bought one half-price ticket for 17 yuan and two scenic shuttle bus tickets at 15 yuan each. At noon we took the bus to the rear gate of the 大地缝. From there we entered and descended 1,256 steps to the valley floor. Although only a three-star attraction, 大地缝 was truly impressive. To be honest, I think you can skip the shuttle bus completely: just walk in from the front gate, go to the far end and retrace your steps. Those thousand-plus steps have little scenery and are hard on the knees.
We played around and by 2:30 p.m. had walked back to the front entrance. Reckoning the time, we realised we couldn’t make it to 大海草山, so we had to stay overnight in 会泽.
On 8 March we had the hotel-provided breakfast at a small eatery nearby. Afterwards we visited the 江西会馆 (Jiangxi Guild Hall), which covers 7,545.92 square metres. The entire complex integrates principles of architecture, mechanics, aesthetics, acoustics, mathematics, yin-yang theory and visual illusion, along with wood, stone and brick carving. It is praised as the finest example of Qing Dynasty provincial architecture in Yunnan, a quintessential gem of Qing construction.
Today was International Women’s Day, so women got free admission and could bring a family member for free too. The main gate tower and the stage form one structure, with the gate tower facing inwards as a grand stage – very impressive. The hall has two courtyards. We spent half an hour here.
Leaving the guild hall, we went to the former residence of 唐继尧. It functions as a museum and is closed on Mondays, so I could only take a photo of the gate. On the way back we searched for the 川陕会馆 (Sichuan-Shaanxi Guild Hall); locals hadn’t heard of it. Returning to the car park, I asked the attendant if he knew of it, and he said, “This is it.” Looking closely, only two buildings remained, seemingly old, and the courtyard was empty, used as a parking lot. Clearly, not all guild halls in 会泽 have been well preserved.
I noticed a water pipe gushing water and asked the attendant if I could wash the car. He said it was well water and I could use it freely. So the two of us briefly washed the mud off the car. It took nearly an hour.
At 10:00 a.m. we left 会泽 County for 大海草山, arriving about an hour later.
大海草山 lies in the southeast of 大海乡, 会泽 County, part of the main peak section of the Wumeng Mountain range. The terrain is gently rolling and wide, an endless subalpine meadow covering 180,000 mu (about 12,000 hectares) at elevations between 3,570 and 4,017 metres. In spring and summer, grasses grow thick and birds dance, with sheep drifting like clouds; in autumn and winter, clouds swirl and fog surges, and snow gleams white… different seasons bring a different grass mountain. At times it feels like the depths of the Mongolian steppe; at other times, like the snowy Tibetan Plateau. Precisely because of this wondrous blend that combines “Mongolian flavour and Tibetan scenery”, the magazine ‘National Human Geography’ has recommended it as one of China’s 108 most stunning landmarks.
We bought one half-price ticket for 17 yuan and two shuttle tickets for 40 yuan. The ticket seller said the bus only stops at two scenic points. We first took the bus to 滴水岩 (the viewing platform), at 3,540 metres elevation. Hiking up to the platform was quite strenuous. On top, we could look all around, with distant mountains and nearby views all in sight. Descending, we saw another shuttle bus just arriving and hurried down to take it to the second scenic spot. Upon arrival, we found it uninteresting – all were roasted meat and horse rides, so we stayed on the bus and went straight back to the park entrance. It was midday. Inside the 大海草山 scenic area there is a ski slope; in the off-season, the ski shuttle drivers run the scenic buses.
We then set off for 东川红土地 (Dongchuan Red Land). The whole way was dreadful: roads full of bumps and potholes, and countless heavy trucks. Overtaking was a struggle, and if you didn’t overtake, you ate their dust. At a fork, the navigation told us to continue straight, but we spotted a big sign on the other road saying “红土地”. We were confused and went into a roadside hotel to ask directions. A kind aunt introduced the sights and gave us directions. Following her advice, we first went to 落霞沟. We saw the Millennium Old Dragon Tree in the distance but didn’t go up to it. At 多依树 we drove in but couldn’t find an exit, so we had to turn back, nearly grounding the car. Afterwards we visited 乐普凹 and 螺丝湾, then returned to 锦绣园, which was quite nice but under construction. We also headed to 七彩坡 and 打马坎. 七彩坡 had no sign; we drove past without knowing. At 打马坎, there was no mobile signal. We asked a local for directions to 武定 and were told we had to backtrack through 花石头 to 倘甸 to get on the expressway. So we turned back. By then it was 6:00 p.m. It is said that the best seasons for photographing the Red Land are May–June and September–December, so the photos we took this time weren’t very satisfying.
We arrived at 武定楚昊大酒店 at 8:00 p.m. The hotel was huge, as if run by a government organ, but the hot water wasn’t hot. Li Jiqing didn’t even dare take a shower.
On 9 March we set off for 狮子山. When we got there, there were hardly any visitors. Tickets cost 70 yuan, half price for 60–69 year-olds. We only visited the 正续禅寺. The incredible story of how Emperor Jianwen (Zhu Yunwen) of the Ming Dynasty shaved his head and became a monk here, taking refuge on 狮子山, is a household legend throughout the 武定 basin. 狮子山 is rich in legends. After calculating, we realised we wouldn’t have enough time for 土林 if we climbed the mountain, so we decided not to ascend and headed straight for 元谋.
We took the 京昆 Expressway to the 元谋土林 exit. We made a stop at 元谋 Service Area, where Li Jiqing chatted for a while with two ladies from 北京 who had rented a car in 昆明 to visit 元谋.
First we went to 物茂土林. Its tourist resources are extremely rich: bizarrely shaped earth pillars, deep and serene hidden gorges and cracks, cave gates suspended mid-cliff, rough, primordial sand gulches and desert, oddly shaped multicoloured stones, and a wide range of ancient plant fossils all form the rich landscape. The earth formations mainly take castle-like, screen-like, curtain-like and pillar-like forms. The pillars vary in height, arranged unevenly, generally between 5 and 15 metres, with the tallest reaching 42.8 metres. It is nature’s uncanny workmanship and meticulous sculpting that has created this gallery of bizarre sand sculptures and mud figures and this bewildering geological wonder, making 元谋土林 a mesmerising art palace. Half-price ticket: 35 yuan. We walked for two hours.
From 物茂土林 to 浪巴铺土林 was about an hour’s drive. About eight or nine kilometres before reaching it, there was a sign saying ‘土林 8 km’, but the navigation pointed to another road showing 9.2 km. We had no choice but to follow the navigation. Part of the road was very narrow, impossible for two cars to pass.
When we reached 浪巴铺土林, there were few visitors; only one coach was in the car park. The 浪巴铺 forest is tall and dense, with complete types, particularly well-developed conical pillars generally 8 to 25 metres high, the tallest at 42.8 metres – the crown of all single pillars in 元谋土林. Shapes include cones, peak clusters, snow-peak forms, and fortress walls. The snow-peak-style formations are huge, up to 40 metres tall. The colours: predominantly purplish-red at the top, grey in the upper-middle section, and a yellowish base tone in the mid-lower parts, interspersed with brownish-red, grey-white, brown-yellow, grey-black and cherry red. From afar, it looks like a magnificent palace; up close, some pillars resemble stern warriors ready for battle, others are like awls or swords pointing to the blue sky, some like graceful maidens gazing into the distance, and others like figures, animals or birds. Some look like the Great Wall. Many pillars stand tall and upright, like ornamental columns or giant bamboo shoots. Some have tufts of weeds or wildflowers on top; others are piled with gravel or bare bodies… truly breathtaking.
Half-price ticket: 25 yuan. Two shuttle bus tickets: 40 yuan (round trip 3 km). To save time we chose to ride the shuttle. We started at 2:30 p.m. and finished at 5:30 p.m. – three hours in total. I strongly recommend 元谋土林! It’s absolutely worth visiting!!
Leaving the scenic area, we headed for 大姚县. 高德 gave us a route, then went silent. We ended up on the road we had seen on the sign earlier. At a fork, I realised something was wrong and stopped to reset the navigation, which then took us back along the road we had taken at noon towards 浪巴铺土林. That added extra distance. It was already 6:00 p.m. We expected to reach 大姚 at 8:00 p.m. This was the 元大路 (元谋 to 大姚); the road surface was terrible, full of potholes, averaging 40 km/h. The last stretch into 大姚 was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one car.
In 大姚 we checked into 彝和大酒店. The hotel was okay, especially the hot water, but the room wasn’t very warm.
On 10 March we headed to 三潭瀑布 in the morning, arriving half an hour later. 三潭瀑布 is a waterfall cluster: within a river course less than 4 km long there are 33 tiers. In order from upstream to downstream, the first tier is 19 metres high, with misty spray and graceful shape; the second is 121 metres; the third is 82 metres. The second and third pools are constantly full of dancing water droplets, wrapped in thin mist, with endless drizzle and a roaring sound. The three tiers merge seamlessly; the river water plunges down a fault line with tremendous force, forming three deep pools – hence the name ‘三潭’ (Three Pools). The total drop is 220.28 metres, making it the highest waterfall in Southwest China.
We could only gaze at the waterfall from afar across a deep gully. After taking photos, we retraced our route to 大姚 and continued on to 紫溪山 in 楚雄. The secondary highway was in good condition. We reached the north gate of 紫溪山 at 11:00 a.m. Admission was free, and cars could drive inside.
紫溪山 lies southwest of 楚雄 city, just over 20 km from downtown, beside National Highway 320 – very accessible. The total scenic area covers 16,000 hectares, with forest cover of 96%. The main peak reaches 2,500 metres. It’s Yunnan’s largest natural park. 紫溪山 is abundant in camellias. According to contemporary botanists, camellias have been cultivated here for at least a thousand years. One surviving ‘Childlike Face’ camellia blooms in two colours on the same tree: red flowers first, then white – a camellia wonder. It is the earliest known artificially cultivated camellia in China. Not only are the camellias of 紫溪山 ancient, but their variety and colour range are unsurpassed in central Yunnan. A common saying holds that “Yunnan camellias are the best under heaven, and 紫溪山 camellias are the best in Yunnan” – probably not an exaggeration.
We first visited the 相国花园 to photograph 马樱 rhododendrons, camellias and peach blossoms. We saw ancient trees and went to the fine camellia garden. After coming out of 紫溪山, we drove to 昆明 and checked into the 昆明世纪水汇温泉酒店, which is attached to a bathing centre.
On 11 March we had a buffet breakfast at the hotel – a generous spread. Then we walked 27 minutes to the Yunnan Provincial Museum. A staff member told us the museum’s star exhibit is the ‘Ox and Tiger Bronze Offering Table’ from the Warring States period. We saw: a Western Han bronze lamp with three kneeling figurines; the lid of a scene-depicting bronze drum-shaped cowrie container showing warfare in the Dian Kingdom during the Western Han; a Western Han bronze drum with ox motifs; the ‘Seal of the King of Dian’ (replica); a Song Dynasty silver-backed gold statue of Acuoye Guanyin; a five-colour offering pagoda; a Song Dynasty silver-gilt gold-inlaid Garuda (golden-winged bird) from the Dali Kingdom; and a Ming Dynasty gold crown inlaid with rubies, sapphires and gemstones, among other treasures. On the ground floor there was also a Polish agate exhibition – some of the agates were enormous. We spent about two hours here.
Driving from the hotel to 海埂大坝, as soon as we stepped onto the embankment we saw black-headed gulls flying in the distance. The waters of 滇池 were densely dotted with them. I snapped away frantically with both my phone and camera, trying to capture people holding out food to feed the gulls. My skills being limited, I didn’t get many good photos. We felt that 金马碧鸡坊 would be tricky to park near, and that feeding gulls at 翠湖 Park might not be better than at 海埂大坝, so we simply decided to stay overnight in 陆良.
We arrived at 陆良愉快商务酒店 a little after 5:00 p.m. 陆良 County seems to have very tight land use. The most interesting part was the hotel’s car park: it’s underground, accessed by a car lift – a large flat platform like those used at construction sites, but luckily only one storey down. In 陆良 County it was hard to find a restaurant; we walked two blocks before we could eat.
On 12 March we went to 陆良彩色沙林. Half-price admission: 35 yuan. 陆良彩色沙林 is a national AAAA tourist area, 18 km from 陆良 county town. It covers 180 hectares, with 108 named scenic spots scattered in a ‘Y’-shaped gorge. The sand forest was formed by weathering and erosion, creating layer-upon-layer, peak-upon-peak forms. Because the predominant colours are red, yellow and white, mixed with green, blue, black and grey, and because the tones change with the season, weather, sunlight and viewing angle, it produces brilliant and varied hues – hence the name Colourful Sand Forest. It is a famous geological tourism attraction. Parts of the rocks show different colours, but personally I felt the scenery was much less impressive than 土林. At the far end of the scenic area there are some sand sculptures, but of rather mediocre quality. We spent three hours from entry to exit.
Outside the scenic area we discussed skipping 英武山 and 凤凰谷 and going straight to 罗平.
Here I’ll quote a description of the 罗平 rapeseed flowers: “The rapeseed flower sea among karst peak clusters in the 罗平 basin fully reveals its uniquely natural charm. Around the Spring Festival each year, the 罗平 basin becomes an ocean of rapeseed flowers. 800,000 mu of contiguous rapeseed blooms, exuding the fragrance of spring and singing a harvest song, enveloping the entire town of 罗平 in a sea of flowers. 金鸡峰 is one of the best places to view the flower sea. Standing on the hill, you see rapeseed flowers stretching as far as the eye can see, covering the earth and sky. Handsome peaks, villages, roads, streams… everything melts into this floral ocean. Yellow blossoms and green leaves contrast vividly in bright, cheerful colours, while sunbeams comb through the blooms like golden shuttles, casting a splendid golden glow that makes your heart beat faster.”
We reached 金鸡峰丛 scenic area before 2:30 p.m., bought one half-price ticket for 10 yuan, and walked in. The view was wonderful – vast expanses of brilliant yellow rapeseed flowers. First we climbed a small hill along a wooden walkway. Then we walked down and continued along the path, passed a gap between two small hills, and saw an observation platform and walkway at the top of Old Pointed Mountain in the distance. My wife wanted to go. Just then a shuttle bus came along; we bought two tickets for 60 yuan and took the bus to the foot of Old Pointed Mountain. The driver said we needed to catch the return bus back to the exit by 6:30 p.m., or there would be no more buses. We climbed, took photos, descended and waited for the bus. We got back to the entrance at 5:00 p.m. We stayed at 罗平深港湾酒店.
On 13 March the restaurant owner told us that 九龙瀑布 was closed. We drove to 螺丝田 scenic spot in thick fog. The area is free. We waited about half an hour for the fog to thin a little, then took photos. We spent about an hour there. Then we headed for 万峰林 in 兴义, 贵州. Along the way we passed 九龙瀑布, where I took a long-distance photo. The road was relatively easy.
万峰林 scenic area is located in the southeast of 兴义市, 贵州. Its grand, majestic expanse and bizarrely shaped peaks, with their elegant overall forms, make it China’s largest and most typical karst peak forest. 万峰林 has won titles such as “National Key Scenic Area” and “China’s Five Most Beautiful Peak Forests”.
We arrived at 万峰林 at noon, free admission. We bought 50-yuan shuttle bus tickets. The bus stopped at eight viewing platforms, including 八卦田 and 六六大顺峰. We spent two hours there.
At 2:30 p.m. we drove to 马岭河峡谷 Scenic Area. 马岭河峡谷 is in 兴义市, 贵州; it is a national-level key scenic area and AAAA tourist attraction. The canyon is 74.8 km long, 50–150 metres wide, and reaches a depth of 280 metres at its deepest. It is known as the “Heavenly Trench and Earthly Crack” and “Earth’s Most Beautiful Scar”. The biggest draws are the hundred-plus waterfalls inside the gorge, the three-million-square-metre travertine cascades, and a variety of rare plants. Admission was free. We walked the whole loop in one hour and forty minutes. In the early part of the area, the waterfalls were small, barely visible in phone photos. Only the western cliff walkway was open; the opposite side was closed. The most noteworthy waterfalls were Pearl Falls and Ten Thousand Horses Galloping Falls. You have to retrace your steps to exit.
At the 赣兴酒店, the TV didn’t work and I couldn’t get online, so the staff changed our room. The hot water took a while to come through, but once it did, it was very hot!
On 14 March we had a free breakfast at the hotel. At a PetroChina station in 兴义, we refuelled and got a free car wash, then dried the car ourselves. At 2:00 p.m., the navigation led us to an old entrance of 坝美 Scenic Area. The guard told us we needed to go 7 km to the visitor centre to buy tickets and take a shuttle bus into the area.
坝美 Scenic Area in 广南 County, with its distinctive karst topography, karst caves, rivers and village, closely resembles the Peach Blossom Land described by the Jin Dynasty writer 陶渊明, hence it is called the “Last Shangri-La”. One half-price admission ticket: 40 yuan. Scenic shuttle bus: 50 yuan. Three boat rides: 30 yuan each. Total transport: (50+90)×2 = 280 yuan, plus ticket: 320 yuan total.
We took the shuttle to the cave entrance and a motorised boat into the scenic area. There were a big banyan tree, water wheels and such. The overall feeling wasn’t good. I think the area has been overdeveloped – too many man-made additions, new folk houses, artificial boardwalks, etc. Near the water wheel, several four- or five-year-old boys were playing in the water with bare bums. I asked a hostel owner the room rate; it was 180 yuan.
Before the second boat ride we walked a stretch of boardwalk. Before the third boat ride we walked a very long boardwalk with no scenery. After the third boat we reached the visitor centre. Personally, I think 坝美 is not worth visiting!
A drive of under an hour brought us to 汇丰商务酒店 in 广南 County, but it was fully booked. They directed us to the nearby 金园商务酒店.
On 15 March we drove to 普者黑 in the morning, arriving at the visitor centre at 10:30. A man approached us, saying he could guide us driving into the scenic area without buying admission tickets or shuttle bus tickets, and could recommend accommodation, for 50 yuan. His wife took us to 普者黑 village and showed us two guesthouses. We negotiated the later one, 福照阁, down to 120 yuan for a twin room.
普者黑 Scenic Area in 丘北, 文山 Prefecture, lies within 丘北 County, Yunnan Province, 13 km from the county seat. It is a national scenic area and AAAAA tourist attraction, covering 388 square kilometres (with a core area of 165 sq km). It belongs to the southeast Yunnan karst region and is a typical developed karst landscape, famed for six great scenes: “Water Garden, Lakes and Peak Forests, Yi Water Village, Karst Wetlands, Lotus World, and Migratory Bird Paradise”. It’s said that 普者黑 is best in summer, with lakes full of lotus and boat water fights.
We first climbed 青龙山, then visited the 三生三世十里桃花 scenic spot, spending two hours. I bought half a kilo of strawberries. It was very hot; back at the hostel I changed into a short-sleeved shirt. At 3:45 p.m. we went to the 普者黑 information point. The staff suggested we buy a 60-yuan shuttle bus ticket plus a 天鹅湖 ticket. We took the bus to the visitor centre, transferred, and got a bus tour of 西荒湿地. We got off at 天鹅湖 Gate 1 and walked the whole 3.1 km through the swan lake attraction. We had to catch the return bus by 6:00 p.m. back to 普者黑 village. We exited 天鹅湖 via Gate 2 at 5:34 p.m., waited until 6:00 p.m., and took the last shuttle back to 普者黑 village. We took an evening stroll around the village and got back to the hostel at 7:20 p.m.
On 16 March we had breakfast at 福照阁. Then we drove an hour to 云上天坑. The scenic spot was deserted; no staff, no need for tickets. It seemed abandoned. We climbed for 27 minutes to one tiankeng. Visibility was poor – no wonder nobody comes. We snapped a couple of photos and headed back.
Driving from 云上天坑 towards 建水, we passed a small village where several women stood in the middle of the road. They stopped our car and spoke words I couldn’t understand. Later a young woman who could speak Mandarin came over and explained that the village was celebrating some festival and passing vehicles were asked to donate one yuan. I gave her two yuan, and they tied a red string onto my wing mirror before letting us go.
We drove on to 建水. We got on the expressway at 阿三龙 station and refuelled. At 1:30 p.m. we arrived in 建水 and parked near 朝阳楼 (Little Tiananmen). The 朝阳楼 dominates the county centre; built in the 22nd year of the Hongwu reign (1389), it has stood for over 600 years and is one of the main symbols of 建水’s long history as an important town in southern Yunnan and a landmark of the old frontier garrison.
We bought a jin of loquats on the street.
We visited the 朱家花园. Located on 翰林街 in the heart of the ancient city, it is a century-old private mansion built over 30 years by the Zhu clan during the Guangxu era of the late Qing Dynasty. The whole complex faces south on a north-south axis, covering over 20,000 square metres, with building floor space exceeding 5,000 square metres. It has 214 rooms of various sizes and 42 courtyards. The main buildings are divided into inner residential courtyards, halls, an ancestral shrine, embroidered buildings, shops, waterside pavilions, flower halls, ponds and bamboo groves – everything you’d expect. Here you can get to know the style of traditional Southwestern Chinese residences. Half-price ticket: 18 yuan. The four courtyards named after plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are stunning. We spent two hours here. Afterwards, we had a serving of the famous 建水 tofu on the street: 5 yuan for ten pieces, but it wasn’t anything special.
A ten-minute drive took us to 双龙桥. The 建水十七孔桥, commonly called 双龙桥, is situated 5 km west of the old town, spanning the confluence of the 泸江 and 踏冲 Rivers. This ancient bridge was built during the Qing Dynasty and is a famous historic site in Yunnan. It has 17 arches linked together, with a three-storey pavilion on top, looking both ancient and imposing – from a distance, like a large ship floating on the water. We spent 30 minutes there.
Then we drove to 团山民居. Along the way we passed a bridge called 乡会桥. 团山民居 is located 13 km west of 建水 Old Town. 团山村 is a typical Han Chinese immigrant village in southern Yunnan with over 600 years of history. Here, 15 well-preserved large courtyard homes, 3 village gates, 3 temples, 1 ancestral hall and 1 ancestral tomb remain, covering an area of 18,384.5 square metres with a total building floor space of 16,158 square metres. The layout is orderly yet flexible, rich in spatial landscape, elegant inside and out, with fine architecture and exquisite craftsmanship. It exhibits the quintessential characteristics of southern Yunnan vernacular architecture and represents the highest level of indigenous building development in Yunnan. The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has listed it as a World Monument Heritage Site, confirming 团山 Ancient Village as a rare untouched example of precious human heritage.
Half-price ticket for 团山民居: 18 yuan. We toured several courtyards, but the last three were already closed for the day.
Back in 建水 we stayed at 金氏缘酒店 for 118 yuan.
On 17 March the hotel had a group of 上海 tourists, making an awful racket.
We took National Highway 245 towards 元阳梯田. On the mountain road I tailed a 昆明 car tightly, shaking off a 天津 car behind us, until we separated at 元阳 County.
元阳梯田 is the core area of the 红河 Hani Rice Terraces. These terraces lie in the south of Yunnan, across the four counties of 元阳, 红河, 金平 and 绿春 in 红河 Prefecture, covering a total area of about one million mu (approx. 66,700 hectares). Just within 元阳 County there are 170,000 mu of terraces. The terraces are a living landscape painting ‘carved’ by the Hani people over more than 1,300 years. On 22 June 2013, the 红河 Hani Rice Terraces were inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 37th World Heritage Committee session, becoming China’s 45th World Heritage site.
Following navigation, we first went to 龙树坝梯田. Part of the road was very narrow. When we got to 龙树坝, we couldn’t find the best photo spot, and the nearby terraces were not attractive. Some fields had red floating material; a local farmer explained, but I didn’t understand. We then headed to 菁口村.
元阳梯田 has three main scenic clusters: 坝达景区, 老虎嘴景区 and 多依树景区. Overall, the terraces were shrouded in a layer of haze. If it were just ‘fog’ it would have cleared after sunrise, but the 元阳 smog persisted, keeping distant vistas a murky blur.
菁口梯田 looked fairly good, with glints of water reflecting in the paddies. Then we went to 老鹰嘴梯田, which was also nice. Before reaching 坝达 we stopped twice more but weren’t impressed. At 坝达 we bought one half-price ticket for 35 yuan. The viewing platform was well positioned, revealing a vast expanse of terraces, but the timing was wrong – no water reflection could be seen, and the photos came out flat and dull.
At 多依树, we saw green hoardings outside the scenic area; the site was under renovation, with only some viewing platforms open. Not many visitors. The terrace area seemed smaller than at 坝达. It’s reputedly the best sunrise photography spot, but during ordinary daytime it looked very average.
It wasn’t yet 3:00 p.m., so we headed to 红河县. The navigation said it was just over two hours away. However, on the 元绿 Second-Class Highway, the navigation instructed us to turn off. Thinking it was a shortcut, I followed the minor road. We passed through 麒麟台 village and kept going for about an hour and a half. The narrowest parts required one car to reverse to a passing point. Then the navigation announced we had reached the via point and should turn around. This routing error cost us nearly three hours. By 6:00 p.m. we were back on the 元绿 Second-Class Highway, reset the navigation for 红河县商务酒店, and finally arrived at 7:15 p.m. Room: 78 yuan for a twin. The Wi-Fi was poor.
On 18 March, after breakfast, we drove an hour to 撒马坝梯田 Scenic Area. Along the mountain road we took a few photos that were quite pleasant, albeit small in scope. We reached the gate at 9:00 a.m. Seniors 60+ were admitted free – our first such experience since entering Yunnan. The scenic shuttle bus is divided into two sections: 5 yuan to the viewing platform, and 10 yuan down to the fields. The ticket seller suggested we first buy one 5-yuan ticket, walk down to the platform and then ride back, or ride down and later choose to walk or ride back to the gate. We took some shots from the platform. Because we arrived late and the sun was already high, the scenery was rather average. The ticket inspector told us this spot is best photographed at sunrise, the park opens as early as 6:30 a.m., and before 8:00 a.m. you can even drive to the viewing platform. I regretted a bit not coming here before breakfast, but there’s no use crying over spilt milk.
We discussed and decided to drive from 红河 along the national highway to 元江, then take the expressway to 墨江 and see how things went. The section within 红河 County was excellent – smooth tarmac, light traffic. Once we entered 元江, the road turned to concrete and became narrow, though still quiet. Near 元江 we got on the expressway at 南洒 station and exited at 墨江. The 北回归线标志园 was rather odd: only buses were allowed into the car park, not cars. Someone directed us to park on the roadside.
墨江 Hani Autonomous County lies between 22°51′–23°59′ N and 101°07′–102°04′ E; the Tropic of Cancer passes right through its county seat. With state approval, the provincial government built the 北回归线标志园 on a hill in 墨江 County, integrating astronomy, geography, botany, science popularisation, landscape art and tourism. I felt the Tropic of Cancer monument essentially enclosed a hill and added quite a few attractions; some areas were still under renovation. The Tropic of Cancer here is 23°26′ N.
We arrived in 墨江 around 1:30 p.m. and left around 3:00 p.m. We booked the 普洱安柏商务酒店 online for 113 yuan, with a 携程 discount of 7 fen. We refuelled at 同心 Service Area. Exiting the expressway at 普洱南站, we checked directly into the hotel and ate 三尖格粑粑 and 灰水粑粑 on the street.
Tomorrow we would finally reach our long-awaited 西双版纳!
On 19 March our goal was 西双版纳 (景洪). Taking the expressway via 普洱, we reached the north gate of 野象谷 in about an hour. 西双版纳野象谷 lies within the 勐养子保护区 of the 西双版纳 National Nature Reserve, inside a ‘UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve’, 22 km from 景洪 city. It is China’s first national park themed on animal protection and environmental conservation. Half-price admission: 30 yuan.
Hoping to see wild elephants, we arrived as early as possible. On the boardwalk inside, we saw a keeper teasing a grey and a black gibbon; the grey one had its right arm amputated. The keeper said wild elephants were just 50 metres ahead. Excited, we ran forward and indeed saw a dozen or so wild elephants playing under some trees a little way off. Tree branches and leaves partially hid them, so they kept appearing and disappearing – very hard to photograph. We lingered here for about an hour. On the way back past the first section of the walkway, the gibbons were still playing. Then we visited the Butterfly Garden and walked to the southernmost Elephant School to watch the elephant show. I’ve read some opinions that animal performances are a form of cruelty, and I partly agree. After the show, we returned along the same path past the first boardwalk to the north gate. The weather had become unbearably hot; I changed into shorts in the car park. We booked a hotel on 携程.
Driving via the south gate onto the expressway, it took nearly an hour to reach 曼听公园. Half-price ticket: 20 yuan.
曼听公园 has hills and watercourses, plus cultural landscapes rich in ethnic flavour. It’s a natural village-style park that was once the royal garden of the Dai kings, with a history of over 1,300 years. The scenic area highlights three main themes: “Dai royal culture, Buddhist culture and Dai folk culture”. It is 西双版纳’s oldest park; the Dai people call it “春欢”, meaning “Garden of the Soul”. Legend says that when a Dai queen came to play, the beauty captivated her soul – hence the name.
In the park we saw many tropical plants and flowers whose names we didn’t know. There’s also a Buddhist cultural area with 西双版纳总佛寺 (瓦叭洁) and a white pagoda, famed throughout Southeast Asia. The heat was still intense! We bought two ice lollies. At the far end of the park there was another elephant show, but we were too hot and exhausted to continue, so we decided to call it a day and return to the hotel.
Following the navigation to our booked hotel, the app announced we’d arrived, but we didn’t see it and drove past. The navigation then said we were off route and should turn around. I walked back to find the hotel, which was inside a residential compound – completely invisible from the street. I then drove around a one-way loop and checked in.
We ate pineapple rice, boletus (porcini), and spicy-and-sour fish on the street.
On 20 March we went to the 热带花卉园 in the morning. Half-price ticket: 20 yuan. The ticket inspector had a quirk, insisting we wear masks even though the garden is outdoors – meaningless, I thought, but she said it was a requirement from above. Despite this minor annoyance, the 热带花卉园 was very impressive. It collects and conserves nearly 1,000 species of tropical special economic trees, tropical fruits and other tropical crops, having become an important garden for the provincial tropical crop research institute to preserve germplasm resources. It is a thematic botanical garden combining scientific research, science popularisation and tourism. We saw many plants and flowers for the first time, and some we’d never even heard of. We also learned how some tropical fruits grow.
One highlight was the 见血封喉 (Antiaris toxicaria). We spent three hours inside. The car park even charged a fee – unlike 曼听公园, which didn’t.
Just before noon we set off for the 望天树 Scenic Area, over 100 km away. We napped briefly on the expressway and arrived at the ticket office around 3:00 p.m. We bought one half-price ticket for 27 yuan.
望天树 Scenic Area is located in the 补蚌 National Nature Reserve northeast of 勐腊 County, 西双版纳 Autonomous Prefecture, covering 864.4 hectares, 14 km from the county seat. It features a ‘sky walk’ (including a canopy walkway and a glass bridge), 500 metres long, constructed between towering 望天树 (Parashorea chinensis) trees using massive iron chains, suspended by steel cables, with nylon rope and netting as railings and aluminium ladders as treads. Each section connects to a wooden platform built around a tree trunk. It challenges the world’s highest canopy walkway. In the 1990s, American botanist Moore, wishing to observe the 望天树 tropical rainforest up close from multiple angles, worked with the local government to unexpectedly build this 36-metre-high, many-hundred-metre-long walkway linking the crowns, now a global focal point for experiencing China’s tropical rainforest.
The scenic area provides free shuttle buses from the ticket office to the site (about 5-6 minutes). If interested, you can take a boat one way for about 40 yuan. We bought two tickets to enter the sky walk, totalling 240 yuan, and a group photo for 40 yuan.
After the sky walk we entered the 菲利普 (Philip) Trail, said to be about 2 km long. It’s named in honour of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, international chairman of the World Wildlife Fund. In 1986, Prince Philip personally came to 西双版纳 for research and ultimately confirmed the existence of 望天树, the iconic tree of the Dipterocarpaceae family. After returning home, he actively publicised it and wrote books confirming the existence of true tropical rainforest near latitude 21°N, making China one of only three regions in the world with such forest.
We strolled and took our time, exiting at 4:45 p.m. We waited for the shuttle bus, which only came at 5:00 p.m. We decided to stay in 勐腊 and found the 西双景泰大酒店 on 携程 for 102 yuan, with a 1.11 yuan discount.
(End of Part 1 – to be continued)
