Qingdao–Kunming–Dali–Lijiang: A Thousand-Mile Solo Ride, My Yunnan Journey Alone
It's been two weeks since I got back from Yunnan, and the travel guide I promised to write has been sitting untouched because I've been too lazy to start. After returning from Yunnan, I felt a bit down. Maybe if I write about my travels and relive those days in Yunnan, I’ll cheer up a little. So I’m finally putting pen to paper, recalling the seven short days I spent there—some feelings, some awe, some joy, some admiration. In short, a jumble of impressions. I’m not very eloquent, and my writing skills are limited, so I’ll just share photos and a day-by-day account.
Because I started working early, I’m barely in my early 30s but already have 13 years of “work seniority.” According to national policy, I’m entitled to 10 days of paid leave. Company rules allow me to split those 10 days into two chunks. With 5 days each time, plus the weekends at both ends, I end up with two 9-day vacations a year. So how to “spend” each 9-day holiday and make it meaningful without too much hassle, expense, or time—that’s a headache. And being a miserable single guy with no girlfriend, lover, wife, or 'Gahuo' (Qingdao slang for a fling), that’s another headache. At first I had many possible destinations: Saipan, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Yunnan, Chongqing... I struggled to choose. Eventually I had to find reasons to rule each one out. Saipan and Japan felt too expensive, and going alone would be boring. For Taiwan, there wasn’t enough time to get the travel permit. Thailand—I didn’t want a package tour, but I was afraid language barriers would make independent travel tough. Just then, Ning Hao’s movie “心花怒放” (Breakup Buddies) was released. So I bought a ticket to see it first. I don’t know when I picked up the “bad habit” of going to the movies alone, and normally I absolutely avoid domestic films. But the iron triangle of Ning Hao, Huang Bo, and Xu Zheng is the only reason I’ll watch Chinese cinema. As it turned out, Huang Bo’s loser character going on a romantic adventure trip in Dali perfectly matched my mood—it felt like a hint from above. So with Huang Bo’s song “去大理” (Go to Dali) playing in my head, I booked my flight to Yunnan.
Since this was an independent trip without a travel agency arranging anything, I had to figure out flights, trains, buses, hotels, and where to go and what to skip—all on my own. Yunnan has so many places to visit: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Tengchong, Xishuangbanna, Shangri-La, the Stone Forest... Yunnan practically exists for tourism, and its nickname “Colorful Yunnan” is well deserved. Even though I had 9 days off, I didn’t want to tire myself out because I’d be back at work the day after returning. So I shortened the trip to 7 days. That meant some places were impossible: Shangri-La, Lugu Lake, and so on. But Dali was a must—it was the main purpose of this journey. And then there was Lijiang... a “hotspot for romantic encounters.”
The importance of weather forecasts~~
From Qingdao to Yunnan, more than two or three thousand kilometers apart, how different would the temperature and weather be from Qingdao? Better find out. There were many ways to check, but I blindly trusted my phone’s (iPhone 4s) weather forecast! Before I left, the forecast looked like this: You could see from the images that the temperature difference between Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang was over 10°C, and Kunming was showing rain every day. Thanks to this miserable forecast, I packed both winter and summer clothes. Later, this proved to be a terrible decision—the clothes were all dead weight and totally useless. Because in reality, the temperature across Yunnan is about the same and the sun blazes overhead.
What to bring~
1. Clothes: Kunming is a city of eternal spring, and Yunnan is a province where it’s always spring-like. Yunnan’s temperature stays around 20-something degrees Celsius all year (except places like Xishuangbanna), with only a slight chill in the mornings and evenings. In short, whatever “spring” means to you, pack clothes accordingly.
2. Umbrella, sunscreen: Although Yunnan is spring-like all year, it has distinct rainy and dry seasons. If you hit the rainy season, bring rain gear. I went in November, which is the dry season, and locals said it hadn’t rained in a month. For women, sunscreen is a must, because the UV radiation on the plateau is especially strong. I only fully appreciated this after I arrived; before that, I figured a thick-skinned guy like me didn’t need it. Result? My face was sunburned and stinging.
3. Medicine: Diarrhea medicine, cold medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, motion sickness pills, altitude sickness remedies—all worth having a few on hand.
4. Mosquito repellent/incense: Some hotels provide it, some don’t. If they don’t and you didn’t bring your own, you’re out of luck.
5. Toiletries: If you’ll be taking overnight trains or staying at youth hostels, it’s best to bring your own towel, toothbrush, soap, etc.
6. Electronics: Camera—preferably a DSLR, because once you’re there, you’ll realize a point-and-shoot or phone can’t truly capture Yunnan’s beauty. Phone—definitely a smartphone, and install these apps or ones with similar functions: Baidu Maps (navigation, finding hotels and sights, public transit routes), WeChat (chatting, sharing or showing off photos, sharing your location), Didi Chuxing (hardly useful in Dali or Lijiang), Dianping (finding fun things and good food, plus discounts), travel booking apps (booking hotels, flights, train tickets, group deals).
D1, Qingdao 7:20 flight – Kunming. Daytime: Yunnan University, Cuihu Park. Evening: Nanping Commercial Street. 10pm train to Dali, overnight on the train. (Saves one night’s accommodation.)
D2, Arrive in Dali in the morning, explore Dali Ancient Town. At 10am, share a car to loop around Erhai Lake. Visit Chongsheng Temple’s Three Pagodas, Xizhou folk village, boat ride with cormorant fishing show, then to Shuanglang. Overnight in Shuanglang.
D3, Morning sunrise viewing. Morning explore Shuanglang Ancient Town, Nanzhao Fengqing Island, Yuji Peninsula. Afternoon rent an electric scooter to ride around Erhai from Shuanglang to Wase Town and Little Putuo Island. Return to Shuanglang, overnight in Shuanglang.
D4, Morning wait for friends at the hotel, sunbathe, read a bit. Afternoon share a car to Lijiang. Evening wander Lijiang Old Town: Big Waterwheel, Bar Street. Overnight in Lijiang Old Town.
D5, Morning visit Shuhe Ancient Town. After lunch back to Lijiang Old Town, continue exploring: Wuyi Middle Road, Lion Hill. Overnight in Lijiang Old Town.
D6, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Blue Moon Valley. After dinner take overnight train back to Kunming. Overnight on the train. (Saves another night’s accommodation, but pretty tiring.)
D7, Kunming: visit Dianchi Lake, sunbathe, read, feed the black-headed gulls. 5:30pm flight back to Qingdao, home by 10pm.
D8/D9, Continue enjoying the weekend...
Reminder: Yunnan still doesn’t have high-speed or bullet trains yet (insiders say not until 2017). Right now there are only old-fashioned “green trains” (actually they’re red). These clunkers are slow and noisy, really unpleasant. However, there is a tourist train from Kunming, departing daily at 12:10pm through Dali to Lijiang. This special train has double-decker sleeper cars (no hard seats), much more modern and faster than those “green trains,” and the sleeper fare is the same. If your schedule allows, definitely pick this one. I only learned about this afterward from other travelers and was very envious.
Because I bought tickets a month in advance, they were cheaper—about 40% off, Qingdao–Kunming round trip for RMB 1,650. The downside: a 7:20am flight meant waking up early. From Badaxia, a taxi takes about an hour. To avoid missing the flight again, I left home at 5am. Worried I might not get a cab, I used Didi Chuxing for the first time to reserve one, paying in cash (still not trusting mobile payment). The driver was very punctual, right at 5am downstairs—thumbs up!
No morning traffic, so I reached the airport in under an hour, fare 77 RMB. The sky was still dark when I arrived... Terminal 3 domestic departures: the “romantic journey” began...
Note: Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La all have airports, but from Qingdao, direct flights only go to Kunming. If you’re departing from a city with direct flights, you could return from Lijiang or Shangri-La to save travel time.
D1 Kunming~~
In Kunming I discovered just how unreliable the phone weather forecast was, and the weight on my heart finally lifted. I had thought the holiday would be rain-soaked, but luckily the heavens smiled and gave me a big sunny day. The sky in Kunming is so blue! Yet even this couldn’t compare with Dali’s sky later... (Photo taken through the airport bus window with my phone)
Though Kunming is known as a “city of eternal spring,” arriving in mid-November, my first impression was no different from any northern provincial capital: shabby urban-rural fringes, signs plastered everywhere. But as you spend more time here, you’ll discover the city’s beauty—especially the sky.
My personal travel habit: no package tours, because I hate forced shopping. Also, I prefer budget travel; in every city, I like to try the local buses and feel how locals get around. I avoid cabs if possible. So my Baidu Maps came in very handy—showing exactly which bus to take from A to B, and where to transfer. Another habit is visiting the local university and commercial street (even if I don’t buy anything, I like to walk around). These places have no entrance fee, often boast nice scenery, and offer local character.
I took the airport bus along the train station route and got off at the second-to-last stop (I forget the name, something hotel). Kunming’s airport buses feature attendants who happily introduce local sightseeing options—very thoughtful, truly a tourism city, kudos! I caught the No. 1 bus (fare 2 RMB) straight to Yunnan University and Cuihu Park (the two are just across a street from each other).
Cuihu Park used to be part of Dianchi Lake before being separated. When I visited, it was off-season, so the lotus ponds felt bleak. But it was exactly the season when black-headed gulls migrate from the north to winter here. The lake was full of them. (I’ve seen them in Qingdao, nothing special.)
Since my train wasn’t until evening, I had plenty of time to kill. I sat on a park bench, sunbathed, gazed at the sky, and blissfully zoned out.
Yunnan University, a century-old institution, covers a surprisingly small area, but it’s a must-visit for photography lovers.
Campus classes start and end without bells—they rely on this clock tower, which is 70–80 years old. (I visited on a Saturday, so I didn’t hear it.)
An old teaching building... no longer in use.
Coming out of Yunnan University, it was already 4:30pm. I’d only had a McDonald’s for lunch, so I was starving... Food hunt time! They say the local snack street is on Nanping Walking Street. Let’s go try Yunnanese rice noodles.
It was the first time I’d seen koi fish raised on a walking street. Do these fish end up in the nearby Sichuan restaurant at night? (There are lots of Sichuan migrants in Yunnan.)
Nanping Walking Street isn’t much different from pedestrian streets in other Chinese cities; only the remaining old archways from demolition gave it a distinctive feel.
Of course, Yunnan means “Yunnan Baiyao,” a local specialty. Should I bring some home?
I ate rice noodles at a place called “Qiao Xiang Yuan” on the walking street. Honestly, as a first-timer, I made a fool of myself. The shop was an old, bustling place and the waitstaff could barely keep up. I sat down and ordered a local special, something like “Number One Scholar’s Three-Fresh Rice Noodles.” The server brought a plate of ingredients (sliced meat, greens, a quail egg, etc.) and a bowl of dried rice noodles, then left. Wait, isn’t noodle soup supposed to come with rice noodles? Or is this the “specialty”? Seeing the server had no intention of helping me, and being famished, I just dug in—eating the rice noodles like zhajiangmian (noodles with soy bean paste). Halfway through, the server finally brought the hot broth. When she saw how I’d been eating, she looked utterly embarrassed and froze for a full five seconds. First time in the big city, sorry for being clueless! Feeling apologetic, she brought me another free bowl of noodles. She showed me to pour the fixings and noodles into the broth—only then did I taste the real flavor of rice noodles.
Stuffed, I strolled the walking street a bit more, then headed to the train station early to wait for my train. At the end of the walking street was a bus hub with many buses to the station (if you don’t take the bus, it’s nearly impossible to get a cab, leaving only illegal motorcycle taxis). But it was crowded, and just then security checks were underway (looking for fugitives, I think), so it took a full hour just to board the bus. Remembering the scene of police checking the bus, and then the knife attack at Kunming train station earlier that year, I felt a sudden wave of anxiety. This was the Kunming Railway Station! The place of heroic deeds, or of being attacked! Once at the station, I realized my fears were unfounded: there were armed police every few steps, standing guard. Never in my life had I felt so safe seeing police officers. Getting into the station was no longer easy; the whole square was cordoned off. You had to pass a security check just to enter the square, then another to enter the terminal—more cumbersome than flying. Well, for safety’s sake, I accepted it!
After passing two checkpoints, I finally boarded. Off we go—Dali, here I come, buddy!
After a bumpy night, I finally arrived at the “Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture” (the official name). A distance of just over 300 kilometers took almost 8 hours. The train wasn’t actually slow, but it made countless stops, not even at stations—just waiting in the middle of nowhere. Why?! I don’t get it! Can any expert explain? Luckily it was overnight; otherwise I would have gone crazy!
Exiting the station just past 6:30am, I looked up at the stars—stunning! Before coming, I’d read that bus No. 8 goes to Dali Ancient Town. I worried the bus stop would be hard to find, but those fears were needless. Right outside the station was the No. 8 bus stop. Though crowded, it cost only 2 RMB to get to the ancient town, both affordable and reassuring! Private cars were asking 5 RMB, but few travelers took them—it just didn’t feel safe.
When I reached Dali Ancient Town, the sky was barely light. First thing entering the town was finding somewhere to have breakfast. The very first restaurant was too crowded, so I moved on and chose an open-air breakfast stall (the food was great and they offered both northern and southern options—it’s the first open-air stall on the left after entering the East Gate). That choice completely changed my itinerary... There I had my first “romantic encounter.”
The first group of “buddies” on this trip—three other independent travelers from three different places. I originally planned to do Yunnan completely solo, but my first day in Kunming taught me that being alone is truly lonely. Eating, taking transport—all awkward—and there’s no one to take your photo. So I changed my mind and decided to team up. The four of us hit it off immediately!
From left to right: me (from Qingdao, Shandong), Xiao Hai (from Beijing, originally Fujian), Da Hai (from Chongqing), Lao Zhong (from Tianjin, originally Hunan). Four solo wanderers from different places, with very different personalities, yet we miraculously joined forces. The rest of the journey was spent together—sharing rides, splitting meals, coordinating itineraries. Later, Xiao Yan and “Fatty” Meng joined.
Xiao Hai: works in internet (for Qunar), reliable, mature beyond his years... His trustworthy aura made him our group organizer.
Da Hai: works in beer sales, bubbly, outgoing, a chatterbox. His personality brought us laughter and lively conversation.
Lao Zhong: occupation unknown, experienced and capable, photography enthusiast... Like me, not much of a talker.
Note: Most travelers in Yunnan follow a similar route: Kunming – Dali – Lijiang – Shangri-La or Lugu Lake, so it’s easy to find travel buddies. But do it early; Dali is a great place to find companions, because later on, groups are already set and no longer looking to add people.
The goofy Da Hai!
This “encounter” also solved my transport problem to Shuanglang. All four of us had roughly the same plan, so we shared a car to loop Erhai Lake, with the final stop being Shuanglang. Four people sharing a car cost 160 RMB, so 40 RMB each! (Chartered car waits at sights, pay at the end.) The arranged car was leaving at 10:30am, so my tour of Dali Ancient Town had to be a quick skim.
Wuhua Tower! I didn’t even see the South Gate of Dali Ancient Town (where Yuan Quan poses with “Zhu Bajie” in Breakup Buddies)—a regret!
Distant view of Cangshan Mountain.
Foreigner Street—but no foreigners.
My original solo plan was: Dali Ancient Town, Chongsheng Temple’s Three Pagodas, Butterfly Spring (where the film “Five Golden Flowers” was shot), and if time permitted, the Tianlong Babu Film City. But according to our driver, the film city was dull, the Three Pagodas ticket cost 120 RMB, and Butterfly Spring was 60 RMB—just a spring and a big tree, with no butterflies! So all four of us changed plans. In hindsight, maybe the driver said that because those places offered him no commission. Still, the itinerary he suggested wasn’t bad: a distant view of the Three Pagodas, Xizhou Ancient Town, cormorant show...
The Three Pagodas of Dali are a famous sight; I’d seen them on old wall calendars since childhood, so not to be missed. But 120 RMB per ticket was steep—just seeing them from afar was enough for me.
Xizhou Ancient Town, ticket 50 RMB. We didn’t think it was worth it and didn’t enter. But there we ran into “Liu Danao” (from the TV show “Country Love Story”).
Finally saw Liu Danao in person! But his head wasn’t that big after all. Northeastern stars aren’t very well-known in the south; none of my southern travel buddies recognized him. Oh well...
A cormorant that caught a fish is hoisted on a pole by its master as a reward.
I thought the cormorant show wouldn’t be interesting. But after actually experiencing it, the 100 RMB ticket was totally worth it. A Bai granny rowed the boat, a Bai “Jinhua” (local term for young woman; men are called “Apeng”) gave commentary, and there was a performance by Bai girls—quite nice. Best of all was the scenery along the way: boating out into Erhai Lake, the beauty was simply indescribable.
You can row to an islet in Erhai. The fish caught by the cormorants are sold on the spot—50 RMB for a fish (wild, two to three jin). On the islet, for a 15 RMB processing fee, they’ll cook it for you, plus other food available. That was a real bargain. I say that compared to the lunch spot the driver recommended later, which felt a bit “shady” (charter cars are cheap, but drivers earn big commissions). A fish there cost over 200 RMB. For four people, three dishes cost 300 RMB total. But the setting, portions, and taste were decent.
This “osmanthus” fish weighed 3 jin 8 liang, chosen live, killed, and cooked into a huge bowl—over 230 RMB.
Stomachs full, we lounged in the sun for a bit, then headed to today’s final destination—Shuanglang!
From Xizhou to Shuanglang you pass through Shangguan. Dali’s famous phrase “Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon” sums up its four great sights: Shangguan’s wind, Xiaguan’s flower, Cangshan’s snow, and Erhai’s moon. I didn’t feel Shangguan’s wind, but the scenery was top-notch. Just at sunset, we witnessed an incomparable “Jesus rays” cloud display...
After two days and one night of travel, I finally arrived at my booked hotel—the “Purple Mist Manor” inn in Dajianpang Village. Not far from the legendary “Seaside Life” and “Peninsula 63” inns. The guesthouse is covered in bougainvillea, very distinctive. And from upstairs you can see Erhai Lake—unexpectedly wonderful, well worth its 155 RMB per night. Incredible value.
Xiao Hai and the other two planned to return to Dali Ancient Town that day and come to Shuanglang the next, so I rested alone for now.
Shuanglang is actually an old fishing village nestled right by Erhai Lake! The first time I heard the name, I thought it was just a lakeside spot—the name sounds like a long corridor. The town’s commercial development came late, probably only in the last 20 years, so it’s far less polished than Dali Ancient Town or Lijiang Old Town. Just as I’d read in others’ travelogues, there’s construction everywhere, the whole place is a building site. Roads aren’t smooth—some are still gravel.
Shuanglang has only one main street running north to south, few entertainment options, and its shopping street and bar street are nowhere near as bustling as Dali’s or Lijiang’s. To outsiders, it seems like an ordinary town... But... Shuanglang’s natural scenery is incomparable. It’s the closest spot to Erhai (around Dali Ancient Town and Xizhou, the lakeshore has farmland), and some famous inns are built right by the water, like “Seaside Life,” “Peninsula 63,” “Peninsula Tuolan”—all with 270-degree lake-view rooms. So Shuanglang is a perfect place to sunbathe, space out, watch sunrise and sunset, listen to the water, and go cycling.
Nanzhao Fengqing Island.
Yuji Peninsula.
I went to bed early the first night, so I woke up early (well, not that early) and could see the sunrise.
Yunnan is in the southwest, so sunrise comes late. Plus Shuanglang is backed by mountains, so the sun doesn’t appear until around 8am.
Before sunrise, I visited the legendary “Seaside Life” inn and its famous lakeside wooden platform.
The owner of Seaside Life deliberately placed a wine glass there—very atmospheric, right?
The sun came out... dazzling. To watch the sunrise, I ran a long way and found a tiny nook to snap a few photos. (You can also hire a boat to watch the sunrise, 30 RMB per person.) Only when I got back to the hotel did I realize my own inn was a perfect sunrise spot. Truly, “I searched for it everywhere, not knowing it was right there.”
Bougainvillea, remember? “Purple Mist Manor’s” specialty— bougainvillea everywhere.
This place, folks said, is “one you’ll regret if you don’t visit, and regret for a lifetime if you do.” But Xiao Hai and Lao Zhong wouldn’t arrive until afternoon, and we’d planned an afternoon Erhai bike ride. With nothing to do in the morning and no desire to shop, I decided to check it out. Turned out to be a pleasant surprise, well worth the ticket price.
Ticket 50 RMB, includes the ferry. Before coming, I heard there were no ticket checks, but policies had changed: now you pass through subway-style turnstiles to board.
It was worth the price because it’s a perfect place to sunbathe and space out—quiet and peaceful. Just watch out for this thing—the automatic sprinkler system. You might get drenched.
As I mentioned, WeChat isn’t just for sharing photos, but also for sharing your location and making group chats. While I was on the island sunbathing, the group chat told me that Xiao Hai had a real “romantic encounter” in Dali—with two girls at once! So our team grew to six. Because we had to wait for the two girls, our afternoon ride was delayed. Truly, “friends vanish when romance appears.”
Let me introduce two more travel buddies...
Yanzi: a Hunan girl from Shenzhen. Personality—calm and genteel, a proper lady.
“Fatty” Meng: an Anhui girl from Hangzhou. Nicknamed this because of her WeChat handle. Personality: childlike. Just look at the photos below.
This is “Fatty” Meng, now calling herself “Little Flying Swordsman.” This photo can ward off evil spirits!
Because Xiao Hai and Lao Zhong had to wait for the two girls (Da Hai had already left for Lijiang alone in search of romance), our planned 1pm ride was postponed until 3pm. Fine by me—I took a nap.
Cycling around Erhai is a major leisure activity in Shuanglang and one of my main reasons for going. Bike rental shops are everywhere. Options include mountain bikes, electric scooters, tandem bikes for two or four, and motorcycles. Renting is easy—no deposit, just leave your ID card. Prices: bicycle 15–30 RMB/day, electric scooter 40–50 RMB/day, motorcycle 200 RMB/day (add your own fuel).
Xiao Hai wanted to watch the sunset with the girls, so the bike ride became just Lao Zhong and me. We chose two brand-new, large electric scooters—one charge could go 70 km. Smaller scooters only do about 40 km. Listed price 60 RMB, bargained down to 50 RMB. Off we went.
From Shuanglang to Wase Town, we hugged the lakeshore the whole way—scenery was superb.
I envy this lifestyle.
Candid shot of beauties.
After 20 km we reached “Little Putuo,” islet in Erhai. Rumor has it Wu Sangui once hid Chen Yuanyuan here.
Now you see why it’s called “Little Putuo”—heavenly.
Dusk fell. Though reluctant, we had to head back. Returned the same route non-stop, quickly back to Shuanglang—round trip 50 km. Be sure to calculate your battery range, or you’ll end up pushing the bike home. On the way back I realized how wise it was to rent an electric scooter; many cyclists were utterly exhausted, while we breezed along coolly. But definitely remember to wear more clothes when cycling, otherwise the afternoon return will freeze you to death. Absolutely remember this.
When we reached Shuanglang, the sun had already set. The weather didn’t cooperate, so no sunset. Xiao Hai and the two girls waited all afternoon in vain. Still, waiting for a sunset with girls must be romantic. My low emotional intelligence, no wonder I’m single—sigh.
Excluding “Da Hai,” who’d dashed off to Lijiang alone, the remaining five of us had dinner together. With “Xiao Hai” the internet expert, finding good food was no problem. He used Dianping to find a highly-rated local restaurant—hard to find. 35 RMB per person, that’s the benefit of sharing meals! But honestly, the food was average, mainly because portions were tiny and we didn’t get enough.
After dinner, we strolled along the lake and Bar Street... bought some postcards.
The local post office—very unique!
Bar Street, right along the shore between Yuji Island and Nanzhao Island. Huh? Where did Xiao Hai and Fatty Meng sneak off to? Those two quietly slipped away from the group and went off on their own. Jealous, envious... I guess that’s a romantic encounter.
A fulfilling day ended, very happy. Walking back to the inn, the childlike Fatty Meng kept shouting “So happy, so happy...”
D4 Shuanglang – Lijiang
Day four in Yunnan, today we planned to go to Lijiang. Lao Zhong would stay one more day in Shuanglang, then return to Kunming and drive himself to “Puzhehei” (supposedly a newly developed untouched spot). In the morning, Xiao Hai was taking the two girls on the ride we missed yesterday. So I had plenty of time that morning to just enjoy the hotel, living the “homebody” life—sunbathing, reading, and even washing and drying my clothes.
The rooftop of “Purple Mist Manor”—a perfect sunbathing spot.
The inn even provided a clothes-drying area—so thoughtful! In the blazing sun, clothes were dry by noon.
“Purple Mist Manor’s” motto...
Finally, the cycling trio returned. At noon we found a nearby restaurant (forgot its name), close to the inn. Not many customers, but the taste and portions were good. Paying via Dianping got us 20% off. 30 RMB per person for four.
Silver fish omelette, a local specialty!
At 2pm we shared a car to Lijiang.
Before arriving, I thought Shuanglang’s remote location would make transport difficult. Turned out I was wrong again. Tourism is Shuanglang’s main economic pillar now. Though it lacks official long-distance buses, private car sharing is extremely well-developed. Advertisements for shared rides are everywhere.
Guesthouses usually offer ride-sharing services. Tell the owner you want to share a car—how many people, preferred departure time, destination—and they’ll post a request. If they can’t fill the car, no problem: they’ll take you to Shuanglang’s unofficial station, where local “ride-sharing agents” will arrange a vehicle. It’s essentially like local minibuses; if a driver’s car isn’t full, you might be “sold” to another driver. If you don’t want to share, there are also large coaches to Kunming, Lijiang, Shangri-La... From Shuanglang to Lijiang, shared car (the most time- and cost-efficient way) costs 90 RMB per person; a coach is 80 RMB. Shared cars usually take 6–8 passengers per vehicle, with the advantage that you can stop midway for photos.
We got lucky: 8 of us shared a Mercedes-Benz van (2 guys, 6 girls)—way more comfortable than a typical minibus.
Leaving Dali, my heart was reluctant. I silently pledged, “Dali, I will definitely come back.”
Shuanglang sits right by the highway. Driving non-stop to Lijiang should take just over an hour, but our trip took more than two. Our driver, a Naxi local from Lijiang, was very warm. Along the way he told us about fun things to do, good food, and Naxi customs.
Because arranging the shared car in Shuanglang took some time, and the journey dragged on, we reached Lijiang after dark. First, find the hotel I’d booked and get settled. Among the four of us, only I had a reservation; the others were more spontaneous, just choosing wherever looked good. Earlier we’d shared rides and meals but stayed separately. Now in Lijiang our plans aligned, so we just all stayed at the same inn—and saved on accommodation.
Lijiang Unique Memory Hotel—I’d booked a special-price standard room a week in advance for 98 RMB. Before the trip, some suggested switching guesthouses every day to experience different styles, but that was too much hassle, so I booked two nights straight. Location was good, at the border between Dayan Old Town and the new town, convenient for transport. Right at the foot of Lion Hill; climb over the hill and you’re at Sifang Street in the old town.
Each room in this hotel has a theme. By the time we arrived, the standard room was gone, so the two girls had to squeeze into a double bed room. But this king room was fantastic—a honeymoon suite. All red, with a glass ceiling so you can watch the stars from bed. 135 RMB a night.
After dropping our bags, we called “Da Hai,” who’d arrived earlier, and the five of us went to try the local specialty “cured spare ribs hot pot.” Lijiang has many such restaurants, but the authentic ones are in Xiangshan Market in the new town. “Xiao Hai,” our internet guru, found one via Dianping and reserved a table. Good thing; otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten in—the place was packed.
We arrived a few minutes late and our reserved table was taken. Because the booking was through Dianping, the owner worried we’d leave a bad review, so he was exceptionally attentive, apologizing profusely and quickly finding us another table. They even gave us rice noodles as compensation.
The “Lijiang Youyiguo” cured ribs hot pot restaurant in Xiangshan Market—authentic taste... Taxi from the inn: 10 RMB.
One stove with dual functions: both boiling and grilling. The grilled pork belly was superb.
Dipping sauce—good!
Five of us ordered a large pot, total 300 RMB after discounts. That meal was the most satisfying of my entire Yunnan trip, so satisfying. Stuffed and happy, we set out to explore Lijiang Old Town.
Lijiang’s iconic landmark—the Big Waterwheel.
“One Meter Sunshine”—a holy ground for romantic encounters.
Good night, Lijiang!!
