If Life Were But a First Meeting – Enchanted in Lijiang
A Few Words About This Trip
Lijiang, a city bursting with color.
Lijiang, a city full of stories.
Lijiang, a city that understands your heart.
Lijiang, a city that invites you to pause and savor its beauty.
I had long yearned for a chance to idle away the days in Lijiang—a city remembered by countless travelers—just zoning out, basking in the sun, and enjoying carefree, pressure-free moments. Countless times I dreamed of lounging in a rattan chair, tilting my head back, and soaking up the warmth of the sun. But real-life pressures always held me back, and I watched my zest for life slowly erode. I wondered when this muddled existence would end. Nearly a month after quitting my job, my drifting heart finally found its true course. By quietly taking in the small details of daily life, I realized that living could be so simple.
In my view, 'youth' is meant to be spent on endless roads. I love the feeling of being on the road, following my heartbeat, and touching every emotion deep inside. The moment I clicked to pay for the flight from Xi'an to Kunming, my heart had already embarked on the journey. Perhaps I was too excited—I even planned my itinerary in my dreams.
Before coming to Lijiang, I browsed countless travel guides online. By chance I stumbled upon a guide titled 'Yunnan Travel Guide: Lijiang, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La, Meili Snow Mountain, Yubeng, Dali.' It was detailed and vivid, and helped me a lot with my soulful journey to the south of the clouds. I also found a group in that guide and want to recommend it to you. This is a travel consulting group run by Xiaoruo from Lijiang Dianxing Outdoor. You can find travel buddies, ask travel questions there—Xiaoruo and the group members are all very warm-hearted. Many backpackers who just returned from Lijiang also share their travel tips. Group number: 385236047. Thanks to Xiaoruo for arranging this itinerary for me. I had a wonderful time.
From here on out, it was a packed mix of eating, chatting, drinking tea, sunbathing, lounging, romantic encounters, bar-hopping, and more.
First, we met Han Ye, a fellow traveler from the Mafengwo community. Introduced by the landlady, we had lunch together at 'Laodaofang.' We ordered their signature dishes: Naxi grilled fish, 'wind-dried liver,' and 'water-nymph flowers.' Not sure if it was the taste or just our appetites, but we only picked at them and left almost everything uneaten.
After lunch we strolled through the old town, following Snack Street to the Palace Gate, then drifting with the crowd until we found ourselves at 'Mufu.' Student IDs got half-price tickets (30 yuan/person); military IDs were free. Passing through the main gate of Mufu, the first thing we saw was a palace hall. In front of the hall was a bustling crowd—a film crew was shooting. I peered curiously but didn't spot any celebrities. Many actors in period costumes waited for their cues, and we took a photo with a friendly 'eunuch.' He played along perfectly, a true professional. Haha.
From the viewing platform, we could see the entire old town—densely packed, distinctive ancient buildings. Row after row of wooden houses stood like an eternal emblem of the town's historical vicissitudes.
At teatime, we sat in a café on the upper floor of Sifang Street, watching the crowds below as if we were an audience enjoying a brilliant show. The old town of Lijiang is forever lively, with people streaming by in an endless flow. We wandered aimlessly down Wuyi Street until we got tired and stumbled upon a hot pot place. We ordered Lijiang's specialty 'cured spare ribs.' I had expected dark, smoked meat, but it looked much like ordinary ribs. The taste was acceptable, though a bit salty.
Lijiang is worlds apart from Dali—there's no such thing as quiet here. Everyone seems to love nighttime activities; the night feels no different from the day. The snack street buzzes even more, where you can hear loud hawking from a distance—'grilled erkuai,' 'Lijiang baba,' and other local treats. I wasn't particularly keen on them; I tasted a few but they weren't as amazing as I'd imagined. In the evening, I met two friends who work locally at a bar, and we had a great time chatting about everything under the sun.
Day 2: Lijiang → Lashihai → Stable → Tea Horse Road → Horseback riding → Lunch → Boating → Lijiang
We booked the Lashihai trip through Lijiang's local Dianxing Outdoor Travel Club, 166 yuan per person. Highly recommended. You can also join their exchange group: 3852536047. On the second day, the club picked us up and we set off. About 30 minutes' drive brought us to Lashihai. Everyone chose a horse and got ready to hit the road—traversing the ancient Tea Horse Road on horseback, taking in the scenery.
Every day was bathed in golden sunshine. Sunlight filtered warmly through the trees, casting our silhouettes clearly on the ground. My horse was named 'Xiao Li,' and I felt that horses are perceptive animals—it was as if she could understand me; we got along wonderfully. During a break at the riding ground, we fed the horses. I placed beans in my palm and offered them to her mouth, and she ate happily. In that little riding ring, the groom led us on a gallop. Though we didn't go very fast, it was still thrilling. After that came tea time; Naxi tea isn't much different from Bai tea and tasted similar. Back at the starting point, Zhang Minwan still hadn't had his fill. He found another horse and kept riding, but unexpectedly fell off. It seemed a pretty bad fall, so he rested onshore while the rest of us went boating. Lashihai at this time of year doesn't have splashy colors. The calm lake surface was occasionally broken by wild ducks frolicking past. With few visitors around, a scattering of wooden boats floated on the lake, but it was windy and cold out there. After a short paddle, we wrapped up the day.
Day 3: Lijiang → 18 Bends Mountain Road → Ninglang → Lugu Lake → Daluoshui → Xiaoluoshui (home visit) → Gemu Goddess Mountain → Lige (207 km drive) – Overnight in Lige
Day 4: Lige → Boating on the lake → Nisai Lovers’ Trees → Dazui Village → Caohai (Walking Marriage Bridge) → Langfang → Lijiang (230 km drive) – Overnight in Lijiang
This route was booked through Dianxing Outdoor, 766 yuan per person. We set off at 7:40 am. Everyone rose early and left luggage at the inn. It wasn't fully light yet when the hostess led us to the meeting point. This time we were six in total—three guys and three girls. The drive to Lugu Lake is quite long, about six hours. There were stops for meals and rest along the way. Part of the road was rough, extremely bumpy and dusty, so we had to wear masks. As the saying goes, the mountain road twists through 18 bends; in the swaying van, it was hard to sleep soundly—you could be thrown out at any moment. After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached the entrance to Lugu Lake. Our first stop was the Lugu Lake viewing platform. After that long ride, my head was spinning, but the stunning view instantly cleared my mind. We perfectly captured our bright smiles there.
Arriving at the inn, everyone was beat. We washed some clothes, sipped tea, and the day slipped away. Then we split up—the others went off in search of romantic encounters. After dinner we regrouped, now eight in total with newcomers Xiao He, Brother Wang, and Lulu.
That night we planned to party our hearts out. The old rule applied: 'Three Bowls Can't Get You Over the Hill'—dice games and endless toasts. Lijiang is just that magical: you can make good friends anytime, anywhere. Though we hailed from all corners of the country, we were fated to meet, get to know each other, and become friends. Perhaps I was too happy—I lost track of how much I drank. With my low tolerance, I started feeling dizzy. I knew my mind was still clear, but I couldn't fully control my body. Soon I collapsed, just wanting to sleep. Vaguely I remember them still drinking; I felt like I'd already napped. After midnight the bar gradually emptied, and Jianpeng walked me back to the inn. I stumbled along in a daze; the cold night air sobered me up a bit. Back at the inn, I crashed and slept like a log. Thanks to the alcohol, that sleep was deep, so deep.
Day 5: Wandering the old town
If you were in Lijiang right now, what would you do? Stroll, zone out, ponder, seek a fling… So many people come here from far and wide, setting time alight, watching it turn to smoke and drift away.
Day 6: Lijiang Old Town – Black Dragon Pool – Hitting the bars
Waking up naturally in the morning was a long-lost feeling that warmed me all the way to my heart. After breakfast, I sat in a rattan chair, tea in hand, basking in the sun. Life could be this leisurely. Bathing in sunshine, a few good friends gathered, chit-chatting freely about food, drink, and fun. Following the guide's recommendation, we decided to try the legendary salmon. We took a taxi outside the old town and found a decent-looking restaurant (I forgot the name). We ordered salmon, rice-stuffed sausage, yak meat, and highland barley cakes. Apart from the sausage, which wasn't very popular, everything else was pretty good.
Back at the Big Waterwheel, Han Ye and I wanted to try a 'ethnic fashion' look, so we got ourselves some Bai ethnic costumes and thoroughly enjoyed feeling gorgeous. Our friend Wang Xi played photographer; under the sun, two beauties struck pose after pose, wanting to freeze this idyllic moment forever.
It's said that Lijiang is the 'Capital of Romantic Encounters,' and it truly lives up to its name. Soon everyone had new companions—WeChat, Momo, and buzzing phones all played a part. Wang Xi got to know Yaoyao, Han Ye met Feifei, and I met Jianpeng. Our group kept growing, making things more and more interesting. In the afternoon, Jianpeng, Han Ye, and I went to Black Dragon Pool. At the gate, we just showed our Old Town Maintenance Fee tickets and entered. The sun was about to set, and big tour groups were finishing their visits. Black Dragon Pool isn't large, and the water had dried up somewhat, so the scenery was a bit compromised, but it was still beautiful. Here you can see Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The white snowcap atop the peak stood out with pristine clarity against the blue sky.
For dinner we found a restaurant in the new town—six of us, our biggest group meal yet. The atmosphere was great and appetites followed suit. We could order many dishes and share them all.
After dinner, a bar singer introduced us to 'Shuiboliangshan.' The bar was packed that night, almost every seat taken. We ordered a jug of 'Three Bowls Can't Get You Over the Hill'—green plum wine, renowned for its potency. It tasted sweet and sour at first, but it goes to your head fast if you drink too much. We split into groups: some chatting, some listening to music, some zoning out, and some doing drinking contests. I played dice with two friends, with the loser drinking plain water. For a water buffalo like me, that was less a punishment and more a reward. Haha~ We partied until the wee hours, then the place began to clear out. With plans for the next day, we all headed to bed early. Tomorrow Han Ye would be heading back. She really wanted to stay a few more days with us, but all good things must come to an end. We'll meet again if fate allows. May these joyful moments we shared become your beautiful memories!
