Step by Step: Xiaoxin's Trip to Lijiang

Xiaoxin is about to turn 3. Starting last year, we began bringing her along on trips. Last year, when she was almost 2, we took her to Xiamen. Even though it was only four days, when we got back, we concluded that traveling with a kid is just too exhausting and swore we'd never do it again. But when we started planning this year's trip, my husband and I debated back and forth and ultimately decided to take her along once more. Yes, traveling with a little one is tiring, and adults can't fully relax. And when Xiaoxin grows up, she probably won't even remember it. But we believe the whole family's shared experiences on the road, and the feelings she has in those moments, can bring her a unique kind of inspiration and life experience.

Note: Before we came, I was really looking forward to Yulong Snow Mountain in Lijiang. I found a group online, and the group leader, Goat, arranged our itinerary. We had a great time. We followed their trips to Lashihai and Yulong Snow Mountain. Goat's itinerary was honestly fantastic.

A good group to share of course: 384124971. Friends interested in traveling can join for fun.

First, a beautiful photo of Lashihai:

Now, the detailed itinerary:

DAY1: We spent most of this day on the road. Our flight to Lijiang was at 10:40 a.m., so we left home at 8:00 a.m. The day before departure, our little one suddenly caught a cold – stuffy nose, runny nose... But we hit the road as planned. Xiaoxin was in high spirits the whole way; her discomfort didn't dampen her mood at all. Since we'd already booked a pure-play quality tour online with Lijiang Dianxing Outdoor, the first day in Lijiang was just for wandering the ancient town and checking into our accommodation. It's not suitable to go out sightseeing right after arriving on Day 1. A thoughtful arrangement by Dianxing – thumbs up!

On the plane, she fell asleep. I got careless and forgot to put a diaper on her, so she wet herself. That shopping cart on the right was Grandma's idea to bring – it could hold stuff and occasionally double as Xiaoxin's ride. It turned out to be quite useful later.

As soon as we landed at Lijiang Airport, it felt chilly. Thank goodness our driver was already waiting. It took about 40 minutes from the airport to the ancient town. We finally arrived at our inn close to 11:00 p.m.

Lijiang Ferry Boutique Inn – this is the inn I booked online in advance. The bed was huge, two 1.1-meter mattresses pushed together, Japanese tatami-style. Perfect for our family of three to sleep together. The mattress was super comfortable, and the bathroom facilities were pretty high-end.

Lijiang Ferry Boutique Inn – On the first morning, Xiaoxin met this older sister at the inn. She was two years older and had driven all the way from Beijing with her parents, who had been on the road for over ten days already. Xiaoxin loved playing with her; too bad they were heading home today.

Lijiang Ferry Boutique Inn – Grandma (that one busy in the kitchen at top right) had already made breakfast. Granny was feeding Xiaoxin congee. Look at you, so many people taking care of one little kid – you are truly blessed. It really is a case of 'an elder in the family is a treasure.'

Lijiang Ferry Boutique Inn

Xiaoxin really liked these drums. They're common in the ancient town. I thought of buying one but it was too hard to carry, so we ended up just buying a few CDs of local indie musicians to listen in the car.

After breakfast, it was past 10. We headed out to wander. About 200 meters from the inn, we reached Qiyi Street. It wasn't too crowded yet.

Two senior generals. We'd hoped to bring the elderly folks out for a relaxing trip, but with a little kid tagging along, they still ended up having to lend a hand.

Me and Mom – love you! No matter how old I get or whether I have my own family and child, in Mom's eyes I'm still a child.

The ancient town is basically one big commercial street. Walking with a little kid is no joke – she kept running around, touching whatever caught her eye.

After I repeatedly told her not to run wild or touch things, she got grumpy and refused to walk.

We had no choice but to buy a little toy to appease her. Soon after, she broke it.

At Sifang Street, Xiaoxin saw a local kid and kept chasing him to play. Looks like next time we should invite a few families with kids around the same age for a family trip together.

We reached Sifang Street. The riders' costumes were quite distinctive.

After resting a while at Sifang Street, we continued towards Lion Hill. Xiaoxin got energetic and insisted on pulling her cart herself.

At the top, there was a small spot to sit a while. Everywhere else was fenced off or turned into teahouses.

At the entrance to Wangu Pavilion, we didn't go in, just took a few photos nearby.

Water sprite, very tasty, highly recommended~

On the way down, we passed a small eatery and had lunch. The dish above is the famous water sprite, a vegetable. It really was delicious. But the boiled fish was just so-so – greasy and not fresh enough. The rice noodles were pretty good.

On the descent, the little one started complaining she was tired. It was already 2-3 p.m., so she was probably ready for a nap. Super Dad pulled out his ace: he strapped her on and carried her down the hill.

Down at Sifang Street, we saw many local elderly ladies dancing. The baby carrier seemed totally fitting for the setting, haha.

We planned to take Xiaoxin back to the inn for a nap, but she woke up and happily joined in dancing with the grannies.

So after a rest, we decided to keep strolling, walking from Bar Street towards the big waterwheel at the main entrance.

She'd climb any ladder she saw... You must have been a monkey in your previous life.

The most classic landmark – the big waterwheel. Time for a family photo.

After wandering at the North Gate square for a while, we took a taxi to the South Gate and returned to our inn to rest. Traveling with a child means your daily outing time isn't that long, and the elders can go back and rest too.

In the evening, we woke up around 7:00 and decided to go to Huama Street for salmon. Following a travel guide, we went to Tuojiang Yufu. Since we arrived late, there were no small fish left, so we ordered a rainbow trout over 4 jin – way too much to finish. The bill was a bit over 300 yuan. The flavor was great and not expensive. Highly recommended.

We stepped out at 8:00 p.m. It was so cold! We wore all our thickest clothes.

DAY2: Lashihai day trip. At 8 a.m., the guide came to our inn to pick us up – it was like we were all little kids, just kidding. Mainly because it's easy to get lost in Lijiang Old Town. Thanks to our thoughtful guide, we set off for Lashihai.

It turned out horse riding wasn't as scary as imagined – it was pretty thrilling. Even the 60-plus elderly folks rode without a problem. At first, it's a bit nerve-wracking, but after a stretch of riding it's fine. Just a little uneasy going up and down slopes.

Here's a photo I took on horseback with one hand holding the camera, capturing Xiaoxin and Dad. I took many shots to get just one or two that weren't blurry.

I was worried Xiaoxin would be scared, but she wasn't afraid at all – she absolutely loved riding. That's why we rode again later in Shuhe.

The horse guide said this was the ancient Tea Horse Road. Riding a horse over these bumpy muddy paths, jolting along, was actually quite fun.

The sun was blinding.

The horses here are a bit naughty – whenever they see grass, leaves, or water on the roadside, they try to eat, so you keep pulling the reins.

We rode for over an hour, then returned to the horse ranch for tea and a rest before going boating.

Walking in from the horse ranch, we reached Lashihai.

Lashihai is gorgeous! I loved it here. Photos turn out beautifully, though the sunshine was really harsh.

Out in the middle of the lake, the wind was quite strong. Despite the brilliant sunshine, it was actually a bit chilly.

Our boat passed two trees covered with birds, maybe cormorants? When the boatman shouted a few times, all the birds flew off together in one direction. Quite a spectacle, though my camera wasn't up to the task.

I heard some pricier tours cost around 200-300. Ours was a pure-play trip for 168 yuan per person, including horseback riding around Lashihai – probably 2-3 hours of riding. The scenery was beautiful, but I worried my bottom would ache.

By the time we finished boating, it was nearly 6 p.m. We reluctantly left beautiful Lashihai. Friends visiting Lijiang must come here; I strongly recommend it. For itinerary booking, Lijiang Dianxing Outdoor is top pick.

In the evening, the elders put the child to bed while my husband and I went out to stroll. We sampled some street snacks, but they were pretty average. Then we passed by the much-recommended Dingding Yogurt and went in. I had the mango flavor and two freshly baked bread rolls. And that was the culprit... In the middle of the night, I suddenly woke up vomiting and with diarrhea. It felt like all the acid in my stomach was coming up. Of course, I can't be 100% sure it was the yogurt – my husband ate some too and was fine. But I vomited all night and woke up the next day with a fever...

DAY3: We'd been hesitating about going to Shangri-La since Xiaoxin had a cold, and then after my stomach got wrecked last night, today I had a fever. So we decided to cancel Shangri-La. We switched inns today, also on Qiyi Street – the Longmen Inn. Its courtyard was spacious, so we basically stayed at the inn all day.

I felt weak and achy the whole day, sleeping at the inn. I was worried I'd be bedridden, but with sheer determination and willpower, I took all the cold medicine, stomach medicine, and anti-diarrhea pills I'd brought. By evening, I felt much better. In the following days, everyone except Xiaoxin took turns having stomach issues – but that's a story for later.

DAY4: After a day cooped up in the inn yesterday, waking up this morning felt exceptionally refreshing. All the unexpected events had disrupted our original plans, so we decided to head to Shuhe to unwind.

Entering from the main gate, there's a huge parking lot still some distance from the old town. Outside, many carriages and horses awaited. Xiaoxin got super excited upon seeing them and insisted on riding. So we let her and Dad ride while Granny, Grandma, and I took a carriage. Everything was negotiable; I think the horse ride was 20 and the carriage 30.

This was taken from the carriage.

This horse was so handsome! And very gentle. Xiaoxin had no problem sitting on it for photos.

The horse ride ended at Sifang Street. To tour around the old town, they'd probably charge extra.

I bought a pair of earrings. Xiaoxin grabbed to wear them.

She was very interested in these carrots, but we didn't dare let her eat any.

What was this plant called? I forgot. It had a strange shape but tasted very sweet.

We had lunch in Shuhe. Since we hadn't researched ahead, we just picked a place that looked decent. It turned out to be pricy – a dumpling portion cost 30 yuan! Such a rip-off.

Shuhe Old Town isn't big, and since it wasn't peak season, it was quieter than Lijiang. My husband liked it. We considered moving here tomorrow, but with so much luggage, it'd be a hassle, so we scrapped that idea.

On the ride back, Xiaoxin fell asleep again, so Mom once again had to do the heavy lifting...

DAY5: After sending Xiaoxin back to the inn yesterday, my husband and I talked it over and decided to tackle Yulong Snow Mountain today. Since we couldn't go to Shangri-La, we had to at least visit the snow mountain. So I called Goat and asked him to arrange a trip for today. A few minutes later, Goat called back saying no problem – get ready and a guide would come to the inn to pick us up. I asked if it was the same guide who took us to Lashihai the day before, and he said yes. I was thrilled – dear guide, you rock! (Note: their itinerary includes complimentary oxygen and a cold-weather coat.)

It was quite cold on the mountain, especially when the wind gusted. But there was a rest lounge, so we could take breaks from time to time. Even though the altitude is over 4,500 meters, we didn't stay long. Generally, elderly people and kids can handle it.

There's a boardwalk to climb higher, but none of us went up. Initially we had to look after the elders and child, and besides, I felt a bit exhausted myself, so nobody climbed up.

Unfortunately, Yulong Snow Mountain doesn't have much snow left these days. We came at the wrong season.

So cold, my nose was running...

We kept worrying Xiaoxin couldn't handle it, but she was super high-spirited and thrilled to see snow.

After running a few steps, she got a bit out of breath and tired.

Coming down from Yulong Snow Mountain, we visited Blue Moon Valley. It was gorgeous, somewhat reminiscent of Jiuzhaigou.

Autumn should look just like this. Poor kid, growing up in Guangzhou, had never seen such a sight.

The sunlight on Blue Moon River was breathtaking.

DAY6: Another day of lazing about in the ancient town. We had walked the streets near our inn countless times, yet somehow never passed by the famous Mu's Residence. So today, we made that our destination.

We passed a primary school just as the students were on a break. Lots of kids were playing on the playground. Two older girls came over to play with Xiaoxin. I said, 'Let's take a picture!' At the word, a whole flock of children rushed over, resulting in this precious photo.

Today's weather was warmer than the previous days, so I finally had the chance to wear the coordinating outfits I'd specially prepared for Xiaoxin and me. Her sweater was knitted by Grandma last year, mine was from Taobao. Actually, I rarely dress like this. Putting it on made me feel much younger instantly. But the little stinker was totally uncooperative during our photo together – not one shot had her looking at the camera...

After wandering, it was afternoon again. The elders and child wanted to go rest. My husband and I walked them back, then decided that since we'd fly back to Guangzhou tomorrow, we couldn't waste this beautiful day napping. So we took a taxi to Black Dragon Pool Park.

An attendant checked for the ancient town maintenance fee. Since we'd already bought tickets for Yulong Snow Mountain that included it, there was no problem. But afterward, I noticed several park entrances where nobody checks it.

As a man, your hands are more slender than mine – don't you feel ashamed?

Mainly showing off some newly bought earrings – very pretty and ethnic-style~

Around 4-5 p.m., the light started getting gradually softer. The lighting at this spot was beautiful, so I just ignored the uncle in front...

Back in the ancient town, the sun was about to set... Tonight was our last night in Lijiang. My husband and I went out for some barbecue...

DAY7: Packed up and headed home. Our flight was at 11:00. After breakfast at the inn, we added 80 yuan per person for the Dianxing trip airport transfer. The driver took us to the airport, wished us a safe journey, and said, ‘Welcome back to Lijiang anytime.’ He also said ‘Tashi Delek’ – I never knew the meaning until later I learned it means ‘May you be happy.’ Thanks to Lijiang Dianxing, thanks to the driver. Goodbye, I'll come again.

BYE Lijiang, BYE Yunnan. Since we didn't make it to Shangri-La this time, I'm sure I'll be back one day.