A 9-Day Summer Trip to Yunnan

Summers in Hunan are scorching, so our family of three decided to escape to Yunnan for a summer vacation. We set off in the early morning to avoid the traffic peak, and arrived at the Pingtang Tianyan (FAST) in Guizhou just after 1 p.m. We grabbed some snacks in the Astronomy Town, then bought tickets to see the Tianyan. The scenic area is located in Jinke Village, Kedu Town, Pingtang County, Qiannan Prefecture, home to the world's largest single-dish radio telescope—the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). It's like a giant eye for China's exploration of the universe, equivalent in size to 30 football fields. An Astronomy Town has been built around it, combining science education, accommodation, and dining. The main attractions in the China Tianyan Scenic Area include the FAST Observation Base, the Astronomy Experience Hall, and the Cosmic Science Education Base. Electronic devices, lighters, and similar items can't be taken on the shuttle bus and must be stored. It's recommended to visit the Observation Base first, then the other spots. To see the Tianyan, you must buy a bus ticket—otherwise, you can't get in. The telescope is in the middle of the mountains, over a dozen kilometers from the ticket office, and after getting off the bus, it's about a half-hour hike up the hill. At first sight, it's truly magnificent—a once-in-a-lifetime must-see, but probably only once!

We finished the Tianyan scenic area in just over two hours. Since it was still early, we drove to the nearby Daxiaojing Scenic Area. This spot isn’t very famous, but the good thing is it's free. The highlight is the deep karst caves in Daxiaojing, which locals can guide you into. A round-trip boat ride costs 60 yuan, and there are plenty of farm-to-table restaurants along the road. This off-the-beaten-path gem has mountains, water, and caves. The village meals are tasty and reasonably priced, and it's not crowded, the scenery is beautiful, and it's nice and cool. We parked the car in front of a villager’s house for 10 yuan. After dinner there, we headed to our booked hotel in Luodian County to rest.

The next morning, we departed and reached Kunming close to noon. After checking into the hotel, we parked the car. This time, we stayed in a B&B in a residential complex near Haigeng Dam, very convenient for dining. The B&B had a bit of a hipster vibe, with a huge cluster of bougainvillea at the door—my wife absolutely loved it. We took a taxi out to eat and then visited the Yunnan Nationalities Museum and Dianchi Lake. During summer vacation, traffic jams were everywhere, so it was wise not to drive. We later saw that the Yunnan Nationalities Village was too crowded and decided to skip it. The Yunnan Nationalities Museum is next to the village in Haigeng, Kunming, covering 130,000 square meters. It's the largest museum of ethnic cultures in China, housing 120,000 artifacts—a great place to learn about Yunnan's ethnic history and culture. If you're in Kunming, it's worth understanding the local ethnic heritage, and this is a perfect spot: free, uncrowded, and educational. You can see it all in just over an hour. Then, we strolled a few hundred meters along Haigeng Road to the tail end of Dianchi Lake. The path was lined with snack and drink vendors, so we enjoyed walking and munching. The scenery at Dianchi is lovely—you can walk along the promenade, take a cable car up Xishan, or explore the amusement park nearby. With the cool breeze off the lake, it was incredibly pleasant.

I've been to Kunming many times, and this was just a one-night stopover. So, early the next morning, we checked out and headed to Lugu Lake. Now, there's a new expressway to Lugu Lake and Shangri-La, making it very convenient to drive—saving four or five hours compared to the national road, and most importantly, it's safer. Lugu Lake sits on the border of Yunnan and Sichuan, at an altitude of about 2,685 meters. It's known as the 'Pearl of the Plateau' for its stunning scenery and simple local customs. From June to August, the lake's water poplar flowers bloom, pure white like snow, scattered like stars, swaying delicately in the breeze—a truly enchanting, fairyland scene. Around 1 p.m., we entered the Lugu Lake scenic area. We'd booked tickets online in advance, so we just showed our phone to the staff and drove through. After the checkpoint, it was another half-hour drive up the mountain. At first, it didn't feel special—Yunnan is full of mountains—but when we reached the top and overlooked the full panoramic view of the lake at the mountain's foot, we were stunned. It was breathtakingly beautiful, like a dream, the lake a piece of sapphire. Things around Lugu Lake are a bit pricey, whether food or accommodation. The lake itself is quite peaceful, but the road around it is old, narrow, and prone to traffic jams. It's recommended to go clockwise; Goddess Bay is great for sunset, really pretty. Along the way, you can take a boat tour from Sanjiacun Pier. The famous 'water nature flower' (aquatic poplar) is a highlight—the water half like black jade, half like emerald, just gorgeous. The weather today was perfect. I heard the flowers close in the afternoon, so the best viewing is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lugu Lake's beauty is stunning—whether it's the serene lake and mountain hues, or the endless green of the marshlands. We drove clockwise most of the way around the lake to our pre-booked inn, stopping whenever we spotted a scenic view, very relaxed. The innkeepers were a warm couple. There were a few parking spots, convenient. In front of the inn was a restaurant with decent food. I bought two bonfire party tickets from the owner, 21 yuan cheaper than the on-site price. The party venue was a five-minute walk away. We had dinner at the inn—tasty—then strolled by the lake, and in the evening enjoyed the bonfire party, great fun. If you're not in a hurry, this place is perfect for a two-night stay, truly comfortable. But my itinerary was set and hard to change, because the hotel I booked in Shangri-La was non-refundable; otherwise, I'd have loved to stay an extra day. Next time, I'll definitely come back for a few more days.

The next morning, we strolled along the lake, enjoying the quiet surface—so much better than the crowds the day before. But the tranquility was short-lived; early risers gradually filled the scene. After breakfast, we drove toward Shangri-La. This time, I didn't take the expressway because I wanted to see the scenery along the way. The national road passes the Jinsha River and Tiger Leaping Gorge, but it adds two or three hours. I have to say, that was a mistake. The road was tough—mountain paths all the way, with occasional falling rocks. Especially the stretch from Jinsha River to Tiger Leaping Gorge was very dangerous; boulders often fell from the cliffs and blocked the road, and passing oncoming cars required extreme caution. But hey, at least now I can brag about having driven such a thrilling mountain road, haha. It took six or seven hours to reach Shangri-La. For the last part, I detoured onto the expressway—just didn't dare stay on the mountain roads. We arrived at our hotel near five. After a rest, we headed to Dukezong Ancient Town to eat and explore. Dinner was yak meat hotpot with some barley wine, decent, about 100 yuan per person. Dukezong means 'Moonlight City' in Tibetan. It's home to the world's largest prayer wheel and is China's best-preserved and largest Tibetan residential complex, a key hub on the Tea Horse Road. The town's layout resembles an eight-petal lotus, with Moonlight Square at its center, surrounded by traditional Tibetan wooden houses. The old town is quite commercialized; for most visitors to Shangri-La, staying here is most convenient.

We stayed two nights in Shangri-La. During the day, we visited Pudacuo and Songzanlin Monastery, returning to rest in the evenings. On the third day, after checking out, we drove to Napahai for half a day, then hit the national road to Dali. Pudacuo National Forest Park is the most beautiful spot—a key part of the World Heritage 'Three Parallel Rivers' scenic area. It includes Shudu Lake, which has two boardwalk trails. The scenery is concentrated along these trails; hiking them, you'll enjoy the lakes and mountains, and you might meet playful little squirrels that add extra fun. This is a must-see, a true paradise on earth. There are shuttle buses, so walking isn't tiring. Songzanlin Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan. If you want to learn about Tibetan Buddhist culture, this is the place. It holds great importance in the entire Tibetan region, and its appearance resembles the Potala Palace, earning it the nickname 'Little Potala Palace.' But the steps up to the monastery are steep and a bit strenuous. At the top, everywhere you see people in rented ethnic costumes taking photos—few seemed to be locals. The morning we left the inn, we were incredibly lucky to see a rare 'Golden Mountain at Sunrise' (sunlight on the snow peaks). It was my first time seeing it, and I was overjoyed, though it lasted only a few minutes!

After leaving the hotel in the morning, we drove straight to Napahai for sightseeing, then planned to head directly to Dali. Yila Grassland and Napahai are actually one and the same, a seasonal highland wetland. When the rainy season arrives, several rivers around Shangri-La, such as the Naizi River, flow into this area, raising the water level and submerging the grassland—then it's called 'Napahai' (Napa Lake). When the rains pass and the water recedes, exposing large wetlands, it becomes 'Yila Grassland.' To reach Napahai, set your navigation to the lake circuit road. From the ancient town to Napahai (the circuit road) is about 18 km. We drove clockwise slowly along the lake, and one pool after another reflected the mountains and cattle in the water, like a hidden paradise. There were many people horseback riding, renting costumes for photos, and even renting little lambs—quite lively. We made a special detour to the 'water road'—the one featured in the TV drama 'Si Teng.' The water level was very low, though, and it didn't match the drama's feel, a bit disappointing. Overall, this spot is nice: free, spacious, with a bit of a prairie vibe.

After playing, we drove a stretch of about ten to twenty kilometers on the national road, then got onto the expressway to Dali. I'd read online that this section of the national road was gorgeous, and my personal experience proved it absolutely true. The road was in good condition, with little traffic and beautiful scenery—everywhere you looked, green grass, wildflowers, river valleys, and forest farms. It was stunningly pristine. Near Tiger Leaping Gorge, there was an on-ramp to the expressway; we just turned in, and then it was all expressway to Dali. I'd been to Lijiang before, so we skipped it this time. Dali Ancient Town is a famous historical and cultural city in China, with over 1,300 years of history. It's the birthplace of Bai culture and a World Heritage Site. The town has unique architecture and rich historical relics like the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, the ancient royal palaces of the Dali Kingdom, and Erhai Lake—all unmissable sights. We stayed at a hotel right opposite the ancient town, parked the car, and basically didn't use it again. For nearby places, we walked; for farther ones, we rented an electric scooter, very convenient. Dali is extremely beautiful, with mild temperatures, perfect for a leisurely few days—but it was so crowded! The ancient town was a sea of people, bustling and lively. We rented an electric scooter to visit Erhai Lake the next morning, half a day for 40 yuan, and the scenery was absolutely stunning.

We spent two days in Dali, then started our journey back to Hunan. On the way, we stopped for one night in Xiasi Ancient Town in Guizhou, another off-the-beaten-path spot well worth visiting. Xiasi Ancient Town is in Kaili City, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. It was once dubbed 'Little Shanghai' and known as the 'Pearl on the Qingshui River.' The entire town features Miao and Dong architectural styles. All cars park in a free lot outside the scenic area. The entrance ticket cost a few dozen yuan, but the hotel I booked was inside the ancient town, and I'd called ahead to ask the owner to pick us up—a pleasant surprise! The night scenery here was beautiful, with cool river breezes and many cultural relics and historic sites. It's definitely worth a visit. The next day, we headed straight home.