Lijiang, Shuhe, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lugu Lake: Scenery So Beautiful It Overwhelms Your Heart

Some things, if you don’t do them now, you may never do them later; some places, if you don’t visit now, you may never visit later. This is a saying I’ve always thought very true. Unfortunately, even though I find it true, I haven’t been to many places... I admit I’m not a person of action... Time silently slips away amidst constant daydreaming...

I’m a person who loves mountains and waters, so Yunnan has always been a place I really, really want to visit. And the most captivating of all, it’s you, Lugu Lake. When I was little, I loved reading travel books. For a while, every night before bed, I had to flip through a few pages. The beauty of Lugu Lake was etched into my mind back then. This time, I must fulfill that childhood dream.

Today’s main itinerary is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It takes about an hour from Dayan Ancient Town to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and we need to leave at 7:20, so we got up just after six.

Today is a memorable day for Xiao Hei, because it’s her first time seeing snow. She was super excited from early morning. But... a tragedy is about to happen... more on that later.

We queued up and got on the cable car. There were four other travel buddies with us, and we quickly became friends. I find that people who travel tend to be cheerful and easy to get along with—haha~

As the altitude gradually rose, the vegetation began to change slowly. I can’t help but salute those workers who built this cable car—you’ve worked hard!

The weather is simply perfect—couldn’t be better~

What does this photo want to say? ... Under Sister Xiao Man’s leadership, we expended tremendous effort and climbed to an altitude of 4680 meters. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain’s highest peak is over 5000 meters, but visitors can only go up to 4680. Higher than that, I probably couldn’t make it either... But after all, we successfully reached the highest point accessible, and it’s worth commemorating.

After arriving at Blue Moon Valley, Xiao Hei was clearly feeling much better; her face wasn’t as pale, declaring a full recovery. Showing her face a little—haha~ What do I want to say? ...

For this photo, it was about one in the afternoon. The sun was almost directly overhead, the light too harsh... and you could feel the UV rays intensely. Xiao Hei cried and begged that we don’t call her ‘Big Black’ after going home... Alright... What does this photo want to say? ...

Living here—what would that feel like? Leave yourself some space and imagine slowly.

Around three in the afternoon, we started heading back to the city. The leader said he could take us to the nearby Shuhe Ancient Town, so we decided to stroll around. I had especially wanted to visit Shuhe Ancient Town before coming.

Shuhe Ancient Town and Dayan Ancient Town are like two completely different scenes. The environment here is great, less developed, winding paths leading to secluded spots—I especially love it. Friends coming to Lijiang in the future should consider staying in Shuhe Ancient Town!

Hungry in the afternoon, we happened to pass a popular local restaurant, so we went in to take care of our hunger first. The restaurant’s atmosphere was truly nice; I liked it at first sight. The waitstaff were warm, and this place is an old, famous restaurant locally. The food was indeed good, very tasty, and reasonably priced. The walls were covered with photos of celebrities who had dined there—quite impressive!

What does this photo want to say? Slowly, I walked to the foot of Lion Hill and met this elderly lady. I don’t know if she was shopping or waiting for her family to come home; she just stood at the doorway, gazing into the distance. And what I did was pick up my camera, press the shutter, and capture that moment. What? ...

The reason for going up Lion Hill was that I’d checked a travel guide before, which said you can see the panoramic view of Dayan Ancient Town from here. I didn’t have that much time to stroll through the whole old town; just taking a panorama shot would make me content.

The vehicle was a nine-seat business van that came to pick us up at the door. As we dragged our suitcases downstairs, the young man at the front desk woke up too. After he helped us check out, the van arrived.

The van soon entered a mountainous area, constantly winding along pitch-dark mountain roads: up one slope, then another, followed by a series of hairpin turns downhill—a pattern that kept repeating throughout the nearly eight-hour journey...

After about an hour and a half driving, I could hardly tell north from south anymore. Checking the time, it was eight o’clock, and the sun still hadn’t appeared... Just how high is this place...

Soon, we arrived at the first rest stop. On this road, you really can’t afford to miss any rest stop. First, because you’re stiff and sore from sitting and must get out to stretch. Second, because you have no idea how far the next rest stop is, so you’d better get rid of any excess water and waste—you know what I mean. Third, because the scenery at these rest stops is so beautiful you can’t miss them.

And so, the moment I got out of the van, I was stunned by the sight before me...

Can I call this ‘Sunlit Jade Dragon’? Haha~

Before coming, someone told me that Meili Snow Mountain is the real snow mountain. I was tempted, but Meili was just too far away... so I reluctantly gave up the idea. However, after arriving in Lijiang, I heard that now you can’t go to Meili either because the mountain is closed. Well then, let’s save Meili for the next trip. Ha~

The route to Lugu Lake, you could say the first four hours were basically circling Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It was then I realized that Jade Dragon Snow Mountain really, really, is... massive. I’m at a loss for words to describe it. Many tourists probably only see a small part of it, but if you go farther, you’ll truly discover many different aspects.

What does this photo want to say? Get in the van, keep moving. Sitting and sitting, I was numb. Not just my head numb, but my butt too... Lugu Lake was still an unknown distance ahead. At this moment, I truly had to admire the road builders—you all are amazing... My head blank, I don’t know how much time passed when the driver stopped at a spot, turned to us, and said that looking down from here is the Jinsha River, along with I don’t know how many bends—18 bends or what—my head was dizzy, can’t remember. Everyone could get off and take photos. Before coming, I hadn’t imagined we’d pass by the Jinsha River, so I was instantly thrilled. Getting out and seeing it, I was mesmerized... I feel I couldn’t capture the river’s color; it was like a winding piece of jade inlaid into this three-dimensional land. It was so serene that from a distance you could barely tell if it was flowing. The driver said we’d follow this winding mountain road with countless curves to the opposite mountain across the river... Ahead, there were still countless mountains to cross... What? ...

On the slopes by the river live many local residents. As it was lunchtime, wisps of smoke drifted out from the small houses. Up on the hillside, children were herding sheep. Far from the bustle, everything here felt so peaceful. What does the photo want to say? ...

After a nap, I felt a bit better but still groggy and weak. But time couldn’t be wasted like this, so I decided to go out for a walk. The sun had set, and the temperature had dropped a lot, so I put on my down jacket and set off. The guesthouse was right by the lake; I could reach the lakeshore through the back door—this was my first intimate encounter with it. Haha~ Behind, there was a small flower bed with my favorite, Gesang flowers, so lovely~ What? ...

Early morning sunlight sprinkled on the lake’s surface, sparkling bright. Countless birds lived on the lake, and each time they took off, they’d break the tranquility. As for what kind of birds, I’ll ask my readers to fill in~ According to the original plan, today was a must-shoot day, haha. Facing such beautiful scenery, I truly couldn’t suppress my excitement. Xiao Hei, are you ready?

In the following article, Xiao Hei will appear a lot. She’s my personal model. Not being a professional, her poses and expressions can sometimes be a bit stiff, but under my constant guidance, she’s improved a lot. Actually, we’re improving each other. Haha~ I wonder if there are any friends here who’ve seen photos I’ve taken elsewhere? Haha~ Feel free to share advice and exchange ideas. One more thing: this place is truly a photographer’s paradise. Okay, here come the photos~ What does the photo want to say? ...

This photo: Talk about this tree—it’s really... so present.

There are too many photos, so I won’t show them all; I’m afraid everyone will get impatient. Happy time flies especially fast, and before we knew it, it was almost noon. Photography is physically demanding, and I was hungry... Time to eat~ One of my impressions of Yunnan is that the people here are quite warm and friendly. Whether you’re a customer or not, they treat you with kindness. You can feel their simple honesty here, unlike some places in the heartland. Thumbs up~

A gentle breeze caresses the lake, raising faint ripples—so relaxing~ What does the photo want to say? ...

About twenty minutes later, we arrived at Liwubi Island. It’s actually a very small island; its highest point is a temple. Behind the island... that’s the island. On the island, I saw two older ladies on another boat—haha, took a sneaky shot from afar~ What does the photo want to say? ...

Really a bit envious of the people living here. Perhaps they aren’t wealthy, perhaps their lives lack certain things, but living here, what else do you need? Self-sufficient, peaceful, isn’t that the most natural life?

The azure lake water is like silk, soft and smooth! What does the photo want to say? ...

All the wonderful memories are here. If you like them, leave a little heart, thank you!

Travelogue Directory: 1. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 2. Shuhe Ancient Town 3. Dayan Ancient Town 4. Lugu Lake Travel Information Hotel Index Guide Index Flight Ticket Index Website Navigation Travel Index Cruise Index Corporate Travel Index Join Partnership Distribution Alliance Friendly Links Corporate Gift Cards Purchase Insurance Agent Cooperation Hotel Joining Destination and Scenic Area Cooperation More Join Cooperation About Ctrip About Ctrip Ctrip Hotspot Contact Us Careers User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Safety Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure