Spring 2023 Yunnan Trip

I. Planning the Trip

It's been over half a year since retirement, and the three-year pandemic is finally over. February weather is still a bit cold, so the first destination my partner and I set our sights on was Yunnan, where temperatures are higher. From the Yunnan map, we picked Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang, and Kunming.

If you're visiting more than one region, it's worth taking a look at the Yunnan map.

II. Xishuangbanna

On February 20th, we flew to our first stop, Xishuangbanna, and stayed at "Chufan Jiangsu Resort Hotel (Xishuangbanna Jinghong Gaozhuang Xishuangjing Starlight Night Market branch)". There was no direct flight; we connected through Chengdu.

Clouds seen from the plane.

The river view from the Chufan room was beautiful, and the infinity pool was a highlight. The service was slightly lacking, and the facilities had a few minor issues.

In the evening, we strolled around the night market – it was incredibly lively.

On February 21st, as planned, we visited the "Tropic of Cancer". After doing some research, we took a Didi to the train station, a train to Mojiang, and then a bus to the "Tropic of Cancer Marker Park". The one-way journey took a little over two hours. The entrance fee was 40 yuan per person.

On the 22nd, we chose the Primeval Forest Park. I won't go on about all the large tropical plants. My accommodation was less than 10 kilometers from the park. The hotel guide recommended a charter car service for a whopping 300 yuan, but we simply took a Didi, and the round trip cost less than 40 yuan.

The peacock show is worth seeing; just make sure to check the performance times.

In Aini Village, you must see the Hani people's performance.

And there were adorable monkeys.

On February 23rd, we opted for Manting Park.

The main activities were a loop around Erhai Lake and hiking. Erhai Lake is quite large; circling it takes a full day. Chartering a car is convenient. The hotel quoted 450 yuan, which I felt was reasonable. The driver was very responsible, and we had a wonderful time.

The service at this hotel was excellent, and they even upgraded our room for free.

Erhai isn't a sea; it's a lake. It's 116 kilometers around.

A bookstore in Xizhou Bai Ancient Town, with some history.

The Corner Tower in Xizhou Bai Ancient Town.

Butterfly Spring was one of our must-visit spots, because of our nostalgia for the film "Five Golden Flowers".

A lakeside scenic spot.

Moon-viewing spot on Erhai.

On the second day in Dali, we climbed Cangshan Mountain. We started hiking from the Gantong entrance, and at the Gantong cableway exit, we walked along the Jade Belt Cloud Path (5 kilometers). Considering we'd already spent over five hours, we didn't continue to the summit. We took the cableway down and visited the filming location of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" on the descent.

The "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" filming base.

Duan Gongzi's Condor Heroes Restaurant – the food was good but a bit pricey.

Next to the hotel is the internet-famous Cang'er Avenue, a halal food street. With Cangshan at one end and Erhai at the other, the sunrise is also stunning.

In Lijiang, we stayed at "Floral Hotel · Lijiang Old Town Zangyuan Snow Mountain View Hotel". Across from the hotel is Black Dragon Pool Park. The service was also very good.

The view from the window.

On our first day in Lijiang, we visited Lugu Lake. Given the long distance, we joined a small tour group of six, which included a loop around the lake, riding a pig-trough boat, and a lunch.

Lugu Lake was the most beautiful of the three lakes (including Dianchi Lake in Kunming and Erhai Lake in Dali).

This is a photo of the Jinsha River taken on the return journey. Lijiang's river is the Jinsha River.

On the second day in Lijiang, we visited Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We also joined a six-person tour, but the experience wasn't great. First, the guide pressured us to buy oxygen bottles, saying one wasn't enough – we barely needed them, and the highest altitude was 4,680 meters. Second, the so-called "snow mountain worship" was mainly to sell flags. We didn't buy any, but it wasted a lot of time. Third, the lunch spot was arranged far away and pushed sales. Fourth, they grouped those watching the show with those who weren't; after we came down the mountain, we didn't want to wait and had to take a taxi back ourselves. Fifth, they begged for five-star reviews. I didn't give one, but it was awkward. I recommend not joining a tour, but you must grab tickets at 7 a.m.

These two are Blue Moon Valley, a scenic spot included in the package ticket.

On the cable car up the mountain.

There's a landmark at 4,508 meters above sea level.

The highest point accessible to visitors is 4,680 meters above sea level. The main peak is 5,596 meters, but you can only gaze at it – there's no trail, and climbing is forbidden.

Lijiang Old Town is much larger than Dali Old Town. With limited time, we only had a brief look around.

Took shared bikes for a night ride through Shuhe Ancient Town and were lucky to see a long-missed open-air movie.

In Kunming, we stayed at Deting Garden Hotel (Kunming Hi-Tech West City Times), where the service was excellent. I especially loved the unlimited bottled water.

Originally, we planned to stay seven nights, but after arriving, my partner disliked the traffic in Kunming – too many electric bikes. We hastily adjusted to two nights and lost 840 yuan on the flight change. So, be cautious about changing tickets. We mainly visited Dounan Wetland Park, Yunnan Ethnic Village, Xishan Scenic Road, Cuihu (Green Lake), and Dianchi Lake.

Dounan Wetland Park is very distinctive.

Cuihu Park is open-style.

The legendary datura flower.

On March 4th, we returned to Tianjin. To have more time in Kunming, we chose a 5:40 p.m. to 8:55 p.m. flight.