2016 8-Day Group Tour to Colorful Yunnan (Kunming + Dali + Lijiang + Shangri-La + Xishuangbanna)
About the 5-flight, 8-day group tour to Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan
1. Tour fee: 3,080 CNY per person, itinerary includes shopping stops and optional paid activities.
2. Itinerary (copied from the travel agency’s trip sheet):
Day 1: Beijing → Kunming
Day 2: Kunming → Chuxiong
Day 3: Chuxiong → Dali → Heqing
Day 4: Heqing → Lijiang
Day 5: Lijiang → Shangri-La
Day 6: Shangri-La → Kunming → Xishuangbanna
Day 7: Xishuangbanna → Kunming
Day 8: Kunming → Beijing
3. Shopping stops:
Kunming: Yunruilong Tourism Cultural Creative Park (Pu'er tea, essential oils)
Dali: Jade Shopping Mall + Yinde Tianxia (jade, silverware)
Lijiang: Spirulina Distribution Center (spirulina)
Lijiang: Huanglong Jade Museum (Yellow Dragon Jade, Nanhong agate, jade)
Shangri-La: Shambhala Kalachakra Mandala
Xishuangbanna: Dai Village (medicinal silver, silverware)
Kunming: Xianghuagang (fresh flowers, dried flowers, jade, Yellow Dragon Jade, essential oils, Pu'er tea, silverware, floral cakes, coffee, Yunnan specialties)
4. Optional paid activities:
Lijiang: The Romance of Songcheng or Lishui Jinsha show (280 CNY/person)
Shangri-La: Land Feast (Tibetan barley wine, performance, 300 CNY/person)
Xishuangbanna: Bonfire party (280 CNY/person)
Cost breakdown:
1. Tour fee: 3,080 CNY/person → 3,080 × 3 + 55 (insurance) = 9,175 CNY
2. Local transportation: 315.5 CNY
- Home to airport: 140 CNY
- Kunming: Zhongyuan Hotel to Yunnan Folk Village 36 CNY, return 42 CNY
- Capital Airport to home: 97 CNY
3. Meals: 502.5 CNY
4. Shopping: 6,477 CNY
5. Optional activities: 1,046 CNY
Details:
- Yunnan Folk Village tickets: 90 + 90 + 45 = 225 CNY
- Stone Forest battery car: 25 × 3 = 75 CNY
- Dali Ancient Town maintenance fee: 30 × 3 = 90 CNY
- Dali battery car: 35 × 3 = 105 CNY
- Jade Dragon Snow Mountain & Pudacuo National Park: oxygen canisters 236 CNY (large can 100/can, small can 68/can; down jacket rental 45/piece)
- Pudacuo National Park boat ride: 50/person/ride × 3 = 150 CNY
- Xishuangbanna: Manfeilong White Pagoda scenic area battery car, 40 CNY/person × 3 = 120 CNY
Total: 9,175 + 315.5 + 502.5 + 6,477 + 1,046 = 17,496 CNY; average per person: 5,832 CNY
We flew to Kunming on July 23 and returned to Beijing on July 30. The weather was wonderful — not a single rainy day, the heavens really smiled on us.
Kunming’s temperature hovered around 20°C, cooler at night. For a group tour, it’s wise to bring plenty of cash; a bank card is a must. Most shopping stops accept cards, but battery cars and cable cars require cash. For Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Pudacuo National Park, just a light jacket for spring or autumn is enough in July and August; you practically won’t need to rent a down coat. Honestly, I felt the oxygen canister was pretty useless. Altitude sickness was barely an issue, nothing like the guide dramatized. Having an oxygen canister was just for peace of mind — and a little extra income for the guide. Hotel rooms don’t have many power outlets, so bring a multi-socket extension cord.
I’d never been on a low-cost group tour before, and this trip let me experience it firsthand. We joined a Beijing-formed group with an accompanying group guide. The local Yunnan guide was quite skilled — whether describing scenery and culture or nudging shopping, you’ve got to give them credit. On such a cheap tour, you don’t need the guide to keep reminding you; we all knew the price barely covered the flights. So if you just want to take a quick look, cruise along, have a strong mind, or came specifically for shopping, then it’s fine. But if you genuinely want to travel — to eat well, play well, and rest well — I wouldn’t recommend this kind of group tour. Otherwise you’re asking for a hard time and can’t blame anyone else. With this sort of low-cost tour, be mentally prepared for multiple shopping stops, and also be ready to satisfy every guide (over the trip we had five different guides, each relying on this one group for their wage and performance targets; unless every guest gives it their all, it’s tough to pull off). Opinions differ, of course. Personally, I’ll never go on a group tour again. Spending money didn’t even feel good; it was as if I was taking advantage of a huge bargain.
Day 1: Beijing – Kunming
July 23, 2016
Woke up at 3:00 a.m., set off at 3:40 for Capital Airport. The taxi I’d booked the day before was waiting downstairs. Boarded on time at 6:10, bound for Kunming.
[Beijing – Kunming]
[Beijing – Kunming]
[Beijing – Kunming]
[Beijing – Kunming]
[Beijing – Kunming]
Bird’s-eye view of Kunming city
Bird’s-eye view of Kunming city
Kunming Changshui Airport
We landed ahead of schedule at 10:40 a.m. after just over three hours in the air. After the local guide finished the paperwork, we were sent straight to Zhongyuan Hotel. The cars taking guests to the hotel were mostly small minibuses, 6 or 7 people squeezed in with all the luggage. No proper tour coach picks you up at the airport.
Checked into: Jinma Zhongyuan Hotel
After check-in, since the first day had no tour arrangements, the afternoon was free. After a short rest, we headed out at 12:30 for Yunnan Folk Village.
Yunnan Folk Village is situated 6 km south of Kunming, covering 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares). Inside, villages representing Yunnan’s 26 ethnic groups are planned, complemented by a National Unity Square, a song-and-dance performance hall, an ethnic museum, and an ethnic wax museum. It’s a microcosm of Yunnan’s ethnic diversity.
The main entrance is a magnificent steel-frame structure. Above the gate hangs a plaque with "Yunnan Folk Village" in bold, vigorous gold characters. In the center is the emblem of a golden peacock spreading its wings, symbolizing auspicious happiness and a prosperous future.
The first area you enter isn’t a village gate but a shopping square, giving off a Lijiang Old Town vibe, though much less crowded. The scenery is lovely — even a snack shop is built around a cultural pagoda, quite magical.
Symbolizing the Ancient Tea Horse Road.
Yunnan Folk Village ticket: adult 90 CNY/person; children half price 45 CNY/person.
Achang Village centers on a courtyard-style building, echoing with the village gate and handicraft workshops. Green-tiled brick walls and stone pillar bases give it distinctive charm. The Achang people are known for their hospitality and respect for elders.
Jingpo mountain chief’s house
"Guanfang" (chief’s house) – in old times, this was the highest ruler of the Jingpo people. The house blends stilt-style and inverted T-shaped architectural features, using bamboo, wood, and thatch. It’s two-storey: the lower floor for storage or livestock, the upper for living. A cattle skull hangs on the central pillar; the pillar’s thickness symbolizes wealth and power. Bamboo rings under the eaves represent the number of people ruled by the chief, and ivory objects are a sign of his wealth.
Jingpo ethnic costume
De’ang ethnic group, unique to Yunnan, with a population of nearly 20,000, mainly in Dehong Prefecture and Lushi, Lianghe, Ruili, Longchuan, Longyang in Baoshan. The De’ang generally practice Theravada Buddhism, and their folk activities are closely tied to Buddhist events. Like the Dai, they celebrate the Water-Splashing Festival (also called Flower-Sprinkling Festival), the Door-Opening and Door-Closing festivals as major occasions.
De’ang dwellings are mostly stilted bamboo-and-wood structures with grass-thatched roofs. Here you see large houses accommodating dozens of people, felt-hat-shaped small houses, and romantic "big public houses" and "little public houses."
Jingpo tea culture has its own unique flavor.
The Aini people are a branch of the Hani ethnic group, population about 190,000. Most Hani in Yunnan live in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture; those in Xishuangbanna who call themselves Aini. An Aini man is called "Ali," a woman "Abu." Aini people worship black – "black is beautiful" – and avoid white and even numbers.
July 27, 2016, the 24th day of the sixth lunar month. The Torch Festival is an ancient and important festival for the Yi, Bai, Naxi, Jino, Lahu and other ethnic groups, packed with folk cultural meaning. Known at home and abroad, it’s called "Oriental Carnival."
The Bai are China’s 15th largest ethnic minority, distributed mainly in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hunan, with the largest population in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. They also live in Sichuan and Chongqing. The Bai have a high degree of communal living, with three main branches: Minjia, Lemo, and Nama, deeply influenced by Han culture.
Bai Village occupies 62.5 mu. It features traditional Bai dwellings with upturned eaves, carved beams, and painted rafters. The layout – "three lanes and one screen wall," "four courtyards and five sky wells," along with tie-dye workshops, woodcarving rooms, a garden tea house, a stage, a Benzhu temple, and a miniature of Dali’s Three Pagodas – makes the village orderly and spacious.
A miniature of the Three Pagodas, clearly showing six pagodas reflecting each other, as picturesque as a painting.
A "Dali Street" lined with exquisite crafts runs north-south, dotted with a folk museum and a butterfly exhibition hall.
The Zhuang are the most populous ethnic minority in China, mostly in Guangxi, centered on Liuzhou, Laibin, Hechi, Nanning, Baise, and Chongzuo. In Yunnan, over one million Zhuang live mainly in Wenshan Prefecture, with some in Honghe and Qujing.
Bronze drums are the most representative Zhuang folk instrument. The Zhuang are also known as the bronze drum people, with a history of casting and using bronze drums for over 2,000 years. To this day, ancient drums from different periods have been unearthed across most Zhuang counties. Drums vary in type and size, with round, flat faces and hollow bodies, decorated with various patterns. Historically, they served as musical instruments and symbols of power and wealth, used in rituals, weddings, funerals, and entertainment.
Most Zhuang houses are similar to the local Han style. In some areas, people still live in "ganlan" (stilt houses), with the upper floor for living and the lower for livestock and storage. In recent decades this pattern has changed, and now humans and animals live separately. Zhuang stilt dwellings and ancient buildings embodying their architectural style are a brilliant flower in China’s architectural garden. Calling themselves the people of rice and water, the Zhuang build villages by mountains and houses by streams, reflecting both the geographical setting and the richness of their traditional folk culture.
A wind-and-rain bridge in Zhuang Village
By the "Lugu Lake" shore stand the Mosuo people’s "wooden log houses" – an entire courtyard named "Mosuo Home" built entirely with logs. The Mosuo, numbering around 80,000, inhabit the Lugu Lake area of Ninglang in the northwest Yunnan highlands. They still retain matrilineal clan and family customs. This unique practice fascinates anthropologists worldwide, endowing the Mosuo with an air of mystery. Here, hospitable Mosuo girls sing and dance, serve butter tea, paddle "pig-trough" boats, and sing the deeply affectionate "Madimi," leaving unforgettable impressions.
The Jino Village is linked by a bridge to the Wa and Bulang villages across the water. Stepping inside, green trees and flowers interspersed with craggy rocks surround clusters of thatched Jino huts, as if you’ve entered the rolling Jino mountains. The village has Jino people’s big public houses, residential buildings, granaries, and Sun Square.
Sun Square reflects the Jino solar calendar and sun worship. At its center, a stone globe represents the earth, engraved with Jino ancestors; surrounding stone pillars mark the four cardinal directions. The Jino calendar has twelve months and thirty days per month, with month names similar to the Han system – Earthly Branches first, Heavenly Stems later, using a sixty-term cycle for years and days.
The Jino are an ancient ethnic minority. "Jino" is their self-name; historically translated as "Youle," meaning "following behind the maternal uncle," extended to "a people who honor the uncle." Recognized in June 1979, they became China’s 56th ethnic group. They mainly live in Jino Township, Jinghong, Xishuangbanna, with the rest scattered in neighboring mountain areas. Engaged in agriculture, they are expert tea growers. They speak Jino, a Tibeto-Burman language.
The Jino Sun Drum – about one meter long and 40–50 cm in diameter, with cowhide on both ends. It is normally forbidden to beat; only during the Temaoke Festival and rituals to the spirit "Tieluo Momo" may the drum be struck and the big drum dance performed.
The Lahu Village is right next to the Jino Village, featuring Lahu thatched houses, a big public house, a church, cowsheds, and a Gourd Square. The central Gourd Square is shaped like a giant gourd in plan view, with a cluster of stone gourd carvings at its heart. Legend says the Lahu ancestors were born from a gourd, so the square embodies their ancestral worship. The Lahu population is around 410,000, mainly along the Lancang River in Simao and Lincang.
In western and southwestern Yunnan, bordering Myanmar, Lincang City is in the southwest, administering one district, four counties, and three autonomous counties, home to Han, Wa, Yi, Dai, Lahu, Bulang, Bai, Lisu and other ethnic groups. It’s a multi-ethnic region. "Sigangli" is an ancient Wa legend: "Sigang" means cave, "li" means to come out – coming out from a rocky cave. It specifically refers to a place called Bagadai near Yue Song Township, Ximeng County, across the border in Myanmar. It is also a Wa creation epic.
The Bulang are one of China’s ethnic minorities, population about 90,000, concentrated in the mountainous belt on both sides of the lower Lancang River in western Yunnan. Bulang Village adjoins the Wa Village, with dwellings, a spirit square, etc. The Spirit Square reflects the Bulang animistic belief that all things have spirits. At its center stands the Bulang totem, and the square is where they worship deities, perform song and dance, and hold traditional events.
Bulang villages usually consist of three to five or several dozen households of the same lineage. Houses are mostly two-storey bamboo structures, with storage and livestock below and living quarters above. A fire pit sits in the middle of the living area, used for cooking, dining, and socializing, with sleeping spaces arranged around it at night. Bulang people have given names but no surnames; men are often called Ai XX, women Yi XX. Matrilineal naming (mother-child linked names) is still practiced, a vestige of matriarchal society.
The Bulang hold a unique reverence for fertility and primal beliefs. The stone carvings in the center of the Spirit Square symbolize male and female reproductive organs, reflecting their worship of life and vitality, and their hopes for offspring, thriving livestock, and prosperity.
The Wa population is about 360,000, mainly in the Awa Mountain area west of the lower Lancang River. Wa Village sits in the southeast corner of "Cuiyi Islet." It features stilt houses with thatched roofs, a Cattle Head Square, a Spirit Square, Sigangli stone carvings, and granaries. The Spirit Square illustrates Wa animistic beliefs and the immortality of the soul. Two stone figures represent the most worshipped spirits "Muyiji" and "Ayie."
The Wa wooden drum dance has distinctive strong rhythms and a bold, unrestrained style. Wa girls swing their long hair in vigorous dances. Scenes of the annual buffalo-sacrifice ritual, the "Tasting New Rice" ceremony, and weaving "Tongpa" cloth are brimming with deep life emotions.
Cattle Head Square – the ancient Wa "buffalo sacrifice" site. The horn-shaped central post is the Wa village marker. The two stone figures before the square represent the male and female ancestors of the Wa.
The Miao population in Yunnan totals over 1.04 million, scattered across the province but concentrated in Guangnan, Jinping, Pingbian, and Maguan.
Covering 27 mu, surrounded on three sides by water and shaded by greenery, rows of "ganlan-style" Dai bamboo houses are linked by winding red sandstone paths leading to the solemn Burmese-style temple. The majestic white pagoda, delicate wind-and-rain bridge, pavilions, well, and bell tower brim with Dai customs, a vivid recreation of real Dai village scenes.
Yunyan Pagoda, adorned with many small Buddha statues and said to have 365 wind chimes, representing 365 days of favorable weather every year.
In Yunnan Folk Village, the auspicious white pagoda of the Dai, the magnificent Three Pagodas of the Bai, the towering Yi totem poles, the time-honored Naxi Dongba culture, the Wa wooden drum, Bulang wedding customs, Jino Sun Drum, Lahu lusheng dance, Tibetan Buddhist temple from the snow plateau, Hani Dragon-Bar Gate, De’ang Dragon-Sun Pagoda, Jingpo Munao Zongge, Zhuang bronze drum culture, the peculiar Mosuo matriarchal legacy, the amusing Asian elephant show, exquisite and unique ethnic snacks, diverse ethnic cultures, and lively folk displays — all intoxicate visitors, making them linger and forget to leave. Exiting Yunnan Folk Village to the right, about a kilometer’s walk brings you to Haigeng Park.
Since it was July, we didn’t see a single seagull at Dianchi Lake, a slight regret. As night fell, we took a taxi back to the hotel.
July 24, 2016 Kunming – Chuxiong
Today the Colorful Cloud tour officially began. Wake-up call at 6:30, breakfast at 7:00, departure at 7:30. First stop: Stone Forest, over 80 km away. The tour bus, a 30-plus seater with about 20 passengers, had barely left when the guide gave us a show of authority — introducing himself, laying down a list of demands, then launching into his brainwashing spiel. I closed my eyes and snoozed; let him talk. After nearly two hours we arrived at Stone Forest.
Stone Forest Scenic Area: a World Natural Heritage site, World Geopark, national AAAAA scenic spot, and national key scenic area. Also known as Yunnan Stone Forest, it lies in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Kunming, covering 350 km². Rich in scenery and ethnic flavor, Stone Forest is the homeland of Ashima. Formed 270 million years ago, it epitomizes the world’s karst landscape — the longest evolutionary history, largest distribution, most complete types, and most unique forms of Paleozoic karst formations, hailed as the "Number One Wonder Under Heaven." The area comprises Stone Forest, Naigu Stone Forest, Flying Dragon Waterfall (Da Dieshui), Long Lake, Gui Mountain, Moon Lake, Magic Wind Cave, etc., known for grand, strange, perilous, elegant, serene, profound, and expansive beauty. Its vast realm displays stone teeth, peak clusters, karst hills, caves, lakes, waterfalls, and underground rivers in a picturesque arrangement.
In April 1955, Premier Zhou Enlai and Marshal Chen Yi visited Stone Forest. Seeing only a little water in the depressions, Premier Zhou said, "With mountains there should be water; water keeps it from being dull." Following his suggestion, people transformed the original karst depression into today’s Stone Forest Lake.
Before us, serene waters mirror soaring stone pinnacles, like a giant natural bonsai.
About 360 million years ago in the Devonian period of the Paleozoic, this area was part of the ancient Dian-Qian Sea. Around 280 million years ago, in the Carboniferous, Stone Forest began taking shape. Limestone on the seabed was constantly eroded by currents, leaving countless fissures and pillars. Then, through eons of uplift, deposition, and finally becoming land, followed by millions more years of sun-scorching, rain-scouring, weathering, and earthquakes, this fairy-tale-like spectacle emerged. From a distance, the rows, clusters, and thickets of huge dark gray stone peaks and pillars thrust into the sky like a vast black forest — hence the name "Stone Forest."
Small Stone Forest (Ashima Scenic Area):
The thick, solid stone walls like folding screens divide Small Stone Forest into several garden-like sections. The most famous spot here is "Ashima." When night falls and colorful lights shine, it becomes even more dazzling and enchanting.
Beside the shimmering Jade Bird Pond stands a spirited, vividly shaped stone peak, just like an elegant Yi girl — this is the famous Ashima Peak. Look: the vivacious young woman, full of youthful charm, with perfect curves and natural grace, stands silently on the summit. A small bamboo basket is slung over her back, her affectionate eyes gazing into the distance, as if lost in thought, waiting. "Peaks like swords, the sky like a mirror, reflecting Ashima’s beautiful attire." Legend says Ashima and Brother Ahei were deeply in love but were cruelly murdered by the landlord Rebubala. She then turned into this stone peak, becoming an eternal echo: "The sun may perish but not I; clouds may scatter but not I." Thus, this image of stunning beauty, diligence, bravery, kindness, and virtue became a beautiful symbol of people’s pursuit of happiness and love. Yes, after centuries of wind and rain, the pure, devoted, otherworldly spirit of Ashima still stands firm in Stone Forest — what a steadfast sentiment!
Small Stone Forest — towering camel
Small Stone Forest — giant turtle carrying a stele
Small Stone Forest — soaring stone pillars
Moon Dance Platform and stone pinnacles
"Mountain and stone crown the world; ethnic charm enchants the people." As we wandered through spots like "Secluded Pool Lovers," "Liu Bei Welcoming Guests," and "Su Wu Herding Sheep," each exquisite scene left a lingering, dreamy nostalgia. Gradually we slowed down, strolling leisurely along the winding path by Lotus Pond. The mirror-smooth water reflected the picturesque hills, glittering under the sun.
Following the shaded path upward from Lotus Pond, we soon reached the center — "Stone Forest Scenic Marvel." Looking around, the massive stone wall inscribed "Stone Forest" was already packed with tourists from all over. Our guide told us the calligraphy was by "Yunnan King" Long Yun, but the original was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Later, when his son returned to pay respects, officials had the characters copied from a calligraphy book and re-engraved, fairly close to the original. Standing before the wall, you see it rise like a blade thrust into the sky, majestic and awe-inspiring. Inscriptions like "Pillar of the South," "Boundless Grandeur," "Nature’s Marvel," "Indomitable Spirit," and "Number One Wonder" perfectly capture its magnificence. "A thousand yards of sheer cliff, free of desire; myriad charms in this southern land." Here people strike all kinds of poses for photos, trying to shrink Stone Forest’s majesty into the bright rainbow in their hearts. I suddenly felt that in this sea of people, I was as tiny as a grain of sand…
Rounding the inscribed wall and following a path through jagged rocks, we stepped into the deep, mysterious heart of Stone Forest. Looking up, under a gray sky, needle-like peaks soared on both sides, with a giant rock wedged between two summits, seemingly about to crash down. On the cliff, the words "Hanging by a Thread" really made our hearts race. It’s said that upright gentlemen can pass safely beneath it, while scheming villains should beware of disaster from above.
The guide joked: "Tread softly and hold your breath when you pass, or the rock might fall!"
Heh, just a joke. This rock has been "living" here for over three million years, surviving countless earthquakes; it’s not going anywhere.
Stone pillars, eroded vertically by rainwater over long periods, display sharp edges and grooves, resembling swords piercing the sky — called sword-like stone pillars. On their lower sections, nearly horizontal erosion surfaces mark where groundwater flowed when the pillars were still buried in soil. Tiny pits on the surface are mainly caused by bio-erosion.
Endless wonders, a heavenly realm; a bewildering maze, mysterious and magical. As noon approached, we reluctantly bid farewell to Stone Forest. In this tolerant, forgiving, and remote wonderland, perhaps we could spread our wings of imagination and fix ourselves as a beautiful part of the scenery, letting life bloom even more brilliantly… Clear and dustless, a tranquil heart. The beauty of Stone Forest is enough for any heart!
After visiting the Stone Forest, we had lunch and then spent over two hours at Yun Duanchenlong Tourism Cultural Creative Park, mainly sampling Pu'er tea and essential oils. After the shopping stop, we drove 200 km and checked into Yubo Hotel in Chuxiong.
Day 3: Chuxiong – Dali – Shuanglang – Heqing
July 25, 2016
For those who haven’t been to Dali, their image of it usually comes from two sources: Jin Yong’s novels, where Emperor Duan’s "One-Finger Divine Skill" evokes the mysterious ancient Nanzhao Kingdom, inspiring reverie; and the 1960s film Five Golden Flowers, whose song "Meeting at Butterfly Spring" spread Dali’s beautiful scenery far and wide. But Dali has far more than that. Dali Ancient Town, also called Yucheng or Purple City, boasts a long history as a "Renowned Land of Literature." Human habitation dates back to the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. When Emperor Wu of the Western Han established prefectures in Yunnan, Dali was incorporated into the Han empire. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the local Nanzhao Kingdom and the Kingdom of Dali appeared under the suzerainty of the central dynasties. Before the Yuan dynasty, Dali was the political, economic, and cultural center of Yunnan. After the establishment of the Yunnan provincial administration in the Yuan dynasty, the center moved to Kunming, but Dali remained the hub of western Yunnan, hosting circuits, prefectures, and administrative commissioner’s offices.
Dali’s long history and brilliant culture have left a wealth of cultural relics. Between the Cang Mountains and Erhai Lake, nature displays breathtaking beauty: Cang Mountain like a screen, Erhai Lake like a mirror, and secluded Butterfly Spring, complemented by the "Four Wonders" – the wind of Xiaguan, the flowers of Shangguan, the snow of Cang Mountain, and the moon of Erhai Lake. Dali is the main home of the Bai people, where simple yet rich ethnic customs are preserved. Here you can learn about Bai life, taste distinctive Bai dishes, buy pleasing Bai handicrafts, and join the traditional March Street festival. Dali’s charm also draws independent foreign travelers, who have created a famous "Foreigner Street" on Huguo Road, enchanted by the Bai’s ancient customs and historic culture — some even settle here long-term.
One of the three mysteriously vanished ancient states of Huaxia. Among the many states that flourished in certain historical periods, creating splendid civilizations but then suddenly disappearing, Dali, along with Yelang and Loulan, is the most famous. All three existed for centuries, created brilliant cultures, and then mysteriously vanished into the mists of history.
Du Wenxiu’s Marshal Mansion
The People’s Heroes Monument
Jiang Gong Ancestral Hall is dedicated to Qing dynasty general Jiang Zonghan, known for his philanthropy in building academies, water conservancy, and transport. In the second year of the Guangxu reign (1876), he privately donated 100,000 taels to build Jinlong Bridge (also called Zilijiang Bridge) on the Jinsha River in Lijiang. The bridge, completed in 1880 after five years, had 18 iron chains, each weighing about a ton with 500 rings. For 70 years thereafter, it remained the only bridge on the upper Jinsha River. In 2006, it was designated a national key cultural relic. The hall, at No. 123 Yu'er Road, Dali Ancient Town, became a cultural relic protection site in 1985 and now serves as the Dali Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, showcasing profound history and colorful heritage.
Jiang Gong Ancestral Hall itself isn’t a famous spot, but as the Dali Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, the guide introduced us to Bai ethnic costumes, tie-dye, silver ornaments, etc. — whistle-stop stuff I’ve mostly forgotten. In one courtyard, there are snack stalls; you buy a ticket at the cashier, then use it to purchase your favorite snacks.
After Dali Ancient Town, we drove to a Bai folk village — Taoyuan Bai Folk Village in Dali (watching cormorant fishing shows, taking in Cang-Er scenery, viewing Bai dwellings and song-and-dance performances).
Panorama of Cang Mountain and Erhai Lake from Butterfly Spring
Taoyuan Pier is in Taoyuan Village, right next to the Dali-Lijiang tourist road and National Highway 214. Taoyuan is the genuine home of the Five Golden Flowers and close to Butterfly Spring. Here, Cang Mountain is like a screen, Erhai Lake like a mirror, the countryside is pristine, greenery abounds, and blue-tiled, white-walled Bai houses dot the lakeshore — a true secluded paradise for hermits.
Panorama of Cang Mountain and Erhai Lake from Butterfly Spring
Cormorants, known locally as "water crows" or "bird ghosts," occur worldwide, but only the Chinese cormorant and sea cormorant can be trained to help people fish. In October 2009, "Dali Bai Cormorant Taming and Fishing Skills" was inscribed on Yunnan’s second batch of intangible cultural heritage. The training technique is unique: the melody-loving Bai people use beautiful, resonant, and special calls and songs to train the birds so they understand commands and cooperate closely with fishermen.
Shuanglang Town lies on the northeast shore of Erhai Lake in northeastern Dali, adjacent to Binchuan’s Jizu Mountain to the east, bordering Wase Town to the south, facing Erhai to the west, and connecting Shangguan Town to the north and Heqing’s Huangping Town to the northeast. Shuanglang has Luoshi Bend to the north and Lianhua Bend to the south, with Jinsuo and Yu’ji Islets embraced between the two bends — hence the name Shuanglang ("Twin Bends"). Erhai boasts three islands, four islets, five lakes, and nine bends. Shuanglang sits at the junction of Luoshi and Lianhua bends on a sandbank, with Nanzhao Customs Island and Yu’ji Island flanking it — hence the "two bends" embracing "two islands."
Shuanglang’s location on Erhai’s northeastern shore and northeast Dali, backed by the famous Buddhist mountain Jizu, facing Erhai, and bordered by Wase and Shangguan-Huangping, offers the essence of Cang-Er scenery: "Dali’s beauty lies in Cang-Er, and Cang-Er’s beauty lies in Shuanglang." As an ancient poem says: "Eyes reach beyond the lake and mountains for a thousand li; you’re in a realm where water and sky merge as one." Is it fairyland or heaven on earth?
After Shuanglang, we drove to Heqing and checked into Heqing Homeland Hotel. Today’s drive was long and tiring — the longest on the entire trip: Kunming–Dali, 200 km, about 2.5 hours; Dali–Heqing, 150 km, over 2 hours.
Day 4: Heqing – Jade Dragon Snow Mountain – Lijiang Old Town
July 25, 2016
After breakfast, we headed to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The guide said it would be cold on the mountain, so we’d go around noon. First, he took us to the Jade Shopping Mall. En route, he constantly lectured us, even mentioning that our shopping records would be registered and linked to our personal credit — speechless. The most outrageous part: he actually demanded that each person spend at least 3,000 CNY on average (his exact words). The itinerary listed Jade Shopping Mall + Yinde Tianxia — first buy jade, then silverware. We spent nearly three hours here. After leaving, the guide summed up a few words on the bus, then said, "Now the driver will take you to lunch, and in the afternoon a Naxi guide will accompany you to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain." With that, he swaggered off. Everyone on the bus felt cheated.
After lunch, we drove straight to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain lies in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan. It’s China’s southernmost snow mountain and the southern section of the Shaluli range of the Hengduan Mountains. Its highest peak is 5,596 m, covering 455 km². The 13 peaks are snow-capped year-round, resembling a vigorous jade dragon sprawled across the ridge, ready to leap into the Jinsha River — hence the name. Its rock is mostly limestone and basalt, stark in black and white, so it’s also called "Black and White Snow Mountain." Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is famed for its perilous, strange, beautiful, and elegant scenery. With the changing weather and seasons, it can be fog-shrouded, with the dragon appearing and disappearing; or under a water-clear sky, peaks sparkling; or girdled by cloud, snowy crests dazzling above while emerald foothills glow below; or tinged by twilight, the snow peaks wrapped in rosy veils. After rain or snow, the fresh white of snow and vivid green of pines create a game of hide-and-seek, an amazing spectacle. The temperature difference from foot to summit is huge, turning desolation into vibrant life — two different worlds. The landscape comprises snowfield glaciers, alpine meadows, virgin forests, and snow-melt waterscapes. Key spots include Jade Pillar Pillaring the Sky, Spruce Meadow, Snow Mountain Cableway, Black Water River, White Water River, Blue Moon Valley, and Baoshan Stone Town.
To the Naxi and other Lijiang ethnic groups, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is sacred. The Naxi protector deity "Sanduo" is the mountain’s incarnation, and a grand "Sanduo Festival" is still celebrated annually. Naxi folklore tells a magical tale: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain were twin brothers, living together and panning gold in the Jinsha River. One day, an evil demon from the north seized the river and forbade gold panning. The brothers furiously fought the demon with their swords; Haba, weaker, was beheaded by the demon, while Jade Dragon battled for three days and nights, breaking thirteen swords before finally driving the demon away. Thereafter, headless Haba became Haba Snow Mountain, and Jade Dragon, to prevent the demon’s return, stood guard holding high the thirteen broken swords — so he turned into thirteen snowy peaks. His sweat became Black Water and White Water. Thus, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain symbolizes the Naxi both externally and internally, the heroic dragon embodying their spirit. Another legend is about love: if Naxi lovers meet family opposition, they will go to the mountain to die for love together, with the whole tribe seeing them off. The place they go after death is said to be a paradise where they ride tigers and wear finest silk and eat delicacies. The largest recorded love-death sacrifice involved twelve couples, who found a spot blanketed with rhododendrons, celebrated for three days and nights, then hung themselves from trees, two by two.
[Three photos of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain – not my own; we only took the small cableway, the pictures are downloaded from the internet, declared as such.]
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain has three cableways: the large one (Glacier Park), the small one (Spruce Meadow), and the medium one (Yak Meadow). Only the large cableway goes to the highest accessible point, where you can feel snow up close depending on the season. The small one is closest to Blue Moon Valley.
Ganhaizi – at 3,100 m, on the eastern foot, originally a glacial erosion lake, later dried up because the snow line rose, hence "Dry Sea." It offers the best panoramic view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Ganhaizi is the tourist hub, offering food, lodging, travel, and shopping. It also has the world’s longest and highest-altitude golf course right at the foot of a snow mountain.
Spruce Meadow small cableway entrance
Looking down from the cable car, the vast forest stretches green and lush.
Stepping off the cable car, we were in a primeval forest. The path through it is built of wooden planks with railings and steps, winding into the depths — called Spruce Plank Road, made of chestnut wood, named after the spruces surrounding it. Strolling on the plank road, the crisp air was refreshing, as if all life’s troubles had vanished. Towering spruces stood row upon row on both sides; autumn sunlight filtering through the gaps gilded the mossy forest floor. Here were verdant trees reaching for the sky, and there were dead branches and fallen, decaying trunks. Moss hanging from branches like beards; fallen logs blanketed in moss, resembling bleak, sorrowful tombs. The weight of ages pervaded and froze here, as if untouched for millennia — a natural, primordial Eden.
Spruce Meadow – altitude 3,240 m. In Naxi, it’s called "Oulu Youcui Ge," meaning "the place for love-suicide." It was a spiritual homeland for Naxi youths seeking perfect love. In the Dongba classic Luban Lurao, Spruce Meadow was depicted as an ideal paradise where white deer plow, red tigers serve as mounts, pheasants crow at dawn, white snow brews fine wine, and trees bear golden fruit, clean and free of flies — the legendary "Third Kingdom of the Jade Dragon." It’s a flower-carpeted alpine meadow surrounded by dense, tall spruce forest, serene and distant. Standing there, you feel far from the mundane world, stepping deep into a lost paradise…
Legend says this is where the first Naxi couple died for love. The founding lovers of Naxi love-suicide were Kaimi and Yulepai, whose blissful love was destroyed by polygamous feudal marriage. Yearning for freedom, they came to Spruce Meadow to die together. So during the Torch Festival in the sixth lunar month, young people from villages near Jade Dragon Mountain fashion paper figures representing Kaimi and Yulepai and come to Spruce Meadow to pay homage to the original love-death pioneers.
Spruce Meadow is considered the entrance to the mythical "Third Kingdom of the Jade Dragon." Here, the magnificent Jade Dragon Snow Mountain seems within reach, its ancient glacier clearly visible. Besides gazing at the mountain and soaking in the virgin forest’s strangeness and tranquility, you can also enjoy ethnic minority song and dance.
After listening to the Naxi guide’s explanation, I was filled with deep respect. Spruce Meadow is holy to the Naxi. Legend says it leads to the "Third Kingdom." According to Dongba scriptures, that kingdom has "endless silks and satins to wear, endless fresh fruits and delicacies to eat, inexhaustible fine wine and sweet milk, boundless gold and silver to use, fiery red tigers to ride, silver-antlered deer to plow, broad-eared foxes as hunting dogs, and flowery-tailed pheasants to herald the dawn." Compared to our "Peach Blossom Spring," the Naxi "Third Kingdom" is even more romantic and splendid. What moved me most was that this very meadow was where Naxi young men and women died for love since ancient times — by jumping off cliffs, hanging, or taking poison. This isn’t legend; it’s real. "Ask the world what love is, that it compels life and death?" Spruce Meadow has witnessed countless earth-shaking love stories! The lovers firmly believed their souls would enter the Third Kingdom and gain eternal happiness.
Here is the holy place of love-death — the Love Vow Stone
White Water River is formed by melted glacier water from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, cascading down the valley in stair-step fashion. The water is crystal-clear and dark green. Its riverbed consists of fragmented white limestone, so from a distance it looks like a white river — hence the name. It’s said the water comes from the mouth of the jade dragon, carrying spiritual energy, making it a love sacred site. White Water River lies beside Spruce Meadow on the eastern foot. This remarkably clear mountain stream, unpolluted and flowing over white marble and limestone gravel, appears white, so it’s called White Water River. Standing on the bridge or dam, facing the rushing white water and frozen white snow and ice forests stirs endless reverie and enchantment. Riding the cable car down from Spruce Meadow, you see a deep valley where snow and ice melt from the summit, plunging into waterfalls, forming creeks over shallows, threading through woods and rocks, cheerfully bounding before you. Looking up, you can see the source — snow, glaciers, ice pagodas all in sight.
White Water River: washing once brings wealth luck, twice brings career luck, three times brings love luck.
Blue Moon Valley, formerly known as "White Water River." On sunny days, the water appears blue, and the valley is crescent-shaped, like a blue moon nestled at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain — thus Blue Moon Valley. The name White Water River stuck because the lakebed mud is white; when it rains, the water turns white.
As the water flows, it is blocked by the mountain, forming four larger pools: "Jade Liquid" Lake, "Mirror Pond" Lake, "Blue Moon" Lake, and "Listening to the Waves" Lake. Lush vegetation surrounds the lakes, with distant snowy peaks reflected. The water is a transparent blue, almost a solidified azure touched with hints of green. Gazing into the lake, white clouds stretch across the sky, resting on the mountain shoulders, mirrored on the surface like a dream — a fairyland, seemingly.
After Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, on the way to Lijiang Old Town, we stopped at the Spirulina Exhibition Center, then reached Lijiang Old Town and checked into Yadingyue Hotel. Once settled, we immediately set out to explore Lijiang Old Town at night.
Lijiang Old Town, also called Dayan Town, sits in the middle of Lijiang basin. Along with Langzhong (Sichuan), Pingyao (Shanxi), and Shexian (Anhui), it’s one of China’s four best-preserved ancient cities. Dayan Old Town has no city wall. Smooth, clean bluestone paths, entirely hand-built timber-and-earth houses, and ubiquitous little bridges over flowing water define it. Streets follow the hills and waterways, paved mostly with red breccia that doesn’t get muddy in the rain or dusty in the dry. Its natural, elegant stone patterns complement the overall setting. The central Sifang Street is the heart, and the big waterwheel at the junction of old and new town is the landmark. By the waterwheel, a large screen plays the town’s most popular songs daily, with "Naxi Pure Land" being one of the best-known.
