Colorful Yunnan: Big Hands, Little Hands – A Family Reunion to Experience China’s Stunning Landscapes: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, and Lugu Lake
Itinerary recommendation: This route is a fairly standard one: Kunming – Lijiang – Shangri-La – Lugu Lake – Dali – Kunming, a total of 9 days. The pace is a bit rushed; if you have more time, I’d suggest a 10-day itinerary.
On this trip to Yunnan, I continued my fearless attitude toward exhaustion, bringing four elderly family members and two little ones. The scenery was endlessly stunning. If possible, I recommend traveling independently; you could rent a car and book some charming local guesthouses. With a big group and no husband with me, handling transport was tricky. This might have been the best arrangement I could manage.
1. At Yulong Snow Mountain, we took the Yak Meadow chairlift (the smaller one). Personally, I think there's no need to buy down jackets or oxygen canisters.
2. For Shangri-La, it's wise to bring some oxygen canisters. If you join a tour, sometimes down jackets are included, but they tend to be oversized. If you have kids, I suggest bringing your own clothes.
3. I found Lashihai National Wetland Park beautiful, though it's a bit controversial. I'd still recommend going.
Day 1: Shenzhen – Kunming – bullet train to Lijiang
Four grandparents brought my child by bullet train to Kunming. A travel agency sent someone to deliver our train tickets. We ate at Fuzhao Lou restaurant inside the train station. The steam pot chicken was excellent, and we also ordered porcini mushrooms and more. (80 RMB per person, good flavor.)
After the meal, we strolled over to Kunming Station to catch the train to Lijiang. It departed at 9 PM and arrived around 5 AM the next morning—hard sleeper, sleeping on the train for a night.
Day 2: Tea Horse Road – Lashihai – Lishui Jinsha Show – Lijiang Old Town
After breakfast, we headed to Yulong Snow Mountain (considering the elderly and children, we took the smaller chairlift). Before setting off, the guide said we needed to buy oxygen canisters (but hotel guests said it wasn't necessary at all), so we didn't (the guide was unhappy and said she wouldn't take responsibility if anything happened).
But it proved that for the small chairlift route, renting a down jacket or buying oxygen canisters is absolutely unnecessary—guides get kickbacks!! Remember! In summer, you can't see the snow-capped mountains from the chairlift anyway.
Yak Meadow Chairlift
The chairlift took us up to around 3,000 meters above sea level.
Near the end of our visit, both big and little babies fell asleep. We had chicken hotpot for lunch.
Third stop: Lashihai National Wetland Park
Lashihai has lush water plants and beautiful lake views. Known as the cradle of life, it's a site under the Nature Conservancy. We first went horseback riding, then took a boat. It was really gorgeous. The weather was hot; I thought about skipping it, but then decided, we came all this way, so let's ride. Grandma and Grandpa watched over the sleeping little dumpling. Grandma, Grandpa, me, and Tangyuan went horseback riding!
In the evening, we watched the 'Lishui Jinsha' grand ethnic song-and-dance performance (worth seeing, very beautiful). The show is produced by a top-ten national cultural enterprise and has won the national cultural performance gold award. In the form of a dance poem, it gathers the ethnic cultural essence born from Lijiang's extraordinary mountains and waters, ancient and magnificent treasures, comprehensively showcasing Lijiang's unique, profound ethnic culture and spirit. It's an evening of minority customs, and even more, a spiritual journey, far from the noisy city, feeling the primal sounds.
After the performance, we had crossing-the-bridge rice noodles nearby. We took a taxi back to the hotel, utterly exhausted, and collapsed straight into bed.
Day 3: Lijiang – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Dukezong Moonlight Ancient City – Tibetan Banquet
We set off around 6:30 AM, heading to Shangri-La by bus. On the bus, the guide convinced us to buy oxygen (but we didn't need so much).
First stop: Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge is perilously steep, with jagged reef rocks, treacherous shoals, and dense waterfalls—one of China's deepest gorges! You have to climb in to see it, and it's tiring! Grandma's leg hurt, so she stopped halfway to rest with little Tuanzi. The rest of us made it to the end.
Rewards for the climb: snacks were a must!
After lunch, we continued our journey.
Second stop: Pudacuo National Park
China's first national park, a national 5A attraction, formed by pastures around a high-altitude tectonic lake. The scenery is gorgeous—snow mountains, wetlands, forests, and lakes create a natural picture scroll, and it's the best location for CCTV outdoor filming: Shudu Lake. In Tibetan, it's called 'Nirentang'.
But… because we all suffered from altitude sickness, we didn't hike. We just posed for a photo at the entrance and left.
Dinner featured a special yak hotpot, and we were treated to a Tibetan family visit [Tusi Banquet]. We went to a Tibetan home for a song-and-dance party, tasting yak meat hotpot, highland barley wine, butter tea, roasted barley flour, and cheese. There was a show. My grandpa even got on stage to perform.
Because of altitude sickness, none of us slept well that night. I didn't have the energy to take my camera out; all photos are from my phone.
Day 4: Shangri-La Kalachakra Mandala – Dukezong Moonlight Ancient City – Lijiang
We got up before dawn again for breakfast.
First stop: Shambhala Kalachakra Mandala
It's said to be the world's largest three-dimensional mandala (even more spectacular and meaningful than Songzanlin Monastery, and well worth a visit). Learn about the 'Shambhala' culture. There's the world's tallest Kalachakra Vajra statue, standing 21 meters. Inside, there are displays and sales of Tibetan Buddhist items like dzi beads and amber.
Second stop: Dukezong Moonlight Ancient City
Dukezong Moonlight Ancient City boasts the world's largest prayer wheel.
After sightseeing, we returned to Lijiang and checked into the hotel. We were so tired we just found food nearby: 'Fish With You' – tomato fish, sour soup fish. The kids had a great time playing with the owner's daughter.
After dinner, we took a taxi to Lijiang Old Town to see the night view. Too exhausted, we didn't stay long and went back early. We'd have time again in two days.
Day 5: Lijiang – Lugu Lake – Pig-Trough Boat Cruise – Walking Marriage Banquet
After a 6:30 breakfast, we set off for Lugu Lake, enjoying the strange, beautiful, and perilous scenery of the Jinsha River Valley, Shudi Bridge, and Xiaoliangshan along the way.
Lunch was at the roadside restaurant 'Chiyou Farmhouse'; it was awful.
About four hours later, we reached Lugu Lake (now 100 RMB entrance fee per person; when I came in 2008, it was free). Lunch was terrible. After lunch, the guide came on the bus to give commentary—a very chatty young man.
First, we stopped at a lake viewpoint, covered with lovely seaweed flowers.
At the viewing platform, we took in the panorama of Lugu Lake.
Then we took a traditional pig-trough boat out on the lake, experiencing the 'Three Wonders of Mosuo' (boats on the lake, the people in the boats, and their songs).
Dinner was abundant (fatty pork, lake fish stew, and all sorts of Mosuo dishes).
In the evening, we joined a bonfire party.
Checked into the hotel (it was freezing; we washed up and went to bed early).
Day 6: Lugu Lake Grass Sea – Mosuo Home Visit – Stroll around Lijiang Old Town
We got up again in the dark for breakfast. After breakfast, we visited the Grass Sea. It was breathtakingly beautiful!
Then we explored an ancient Mosuo village, following a young Mosuo girl to learn about the mysterious Mosuo walking marriage customs (where men do not marry, and women do not wed). We saw their daily life… and then bought quite a bit of silver jewelry. Here we met Sister Xuanxuan from Guangzhou; we bumped into each other many times, as if by fate.
Around 11:00, we drove to Ninglang for lunch. We got stuck in traffic – there had been an accident the day before, and a crane was pulling a car up from below. The road was truly dangerous. When I came in 2009, it was even worse; rocks kept falling.
Today, we returned to Lijiang relatively early. After resting a bit, we strolled in Lijiang Old Town.
For dinner, we had a special cured pork rib hotpot and a little wine – what a delight!
Day 7: Lijiang – Dali Butterfly Spring – Erhai Lake Grand Cruise – Nanzhao Customs Island
After breakfast, we traveled to the romantic city 'wind, flowers, snow, moon' – Dali.
First stop: Butterfly Spring Park
This is a holy place for Bai ethnic love stories, where you can feel the romance from the 'Five Golden Flowers.'
Lunch was a complimentary Bai-style 'Eight-Bowl' meal.
Second stop: Erhai Lake, Nanzhao Customs Island
We boarded a large luxury cruise to explore the 'Pearl of the Plateau,' taking in the famous Cangshan and Erhai scenery. To the west of Erhai, 19 peaks of Cangshan stand like a screen; to the east, Yupan Mountain gently surrounds it. The setting is extraordinarily beautiful – 'endless water mirrors the sky, green mountains encircling like a jade screen.' On the boat, we enjoyed the Bai 'Three-Course Tea' song-and-dance performance, tasting the bitter, sweet, and aftertaste flavors of Bai culture. We landed on Nanzhao Customs Island, taking in the views of both shores and Erhai. Free bicycle rentals were provided too.
Third stop: Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas
The Three Pagodas are a must-see, an icon of Dali's Buddhist kingdom (I'd suggest taking the electric cart).
Day 8: Dali Old Town – Foreigner Street – Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas – High-speed train back to Kunming
First stop: Dali Old Town
Second stop: Cangshan Mountain
We queued a long time for the cable car.
Day 9: Kunming Dianchi Lake – Shenzhen
We got up a bit later this morning. After waking, we went to Dianchi Lake with Xuanxuan’s family. Little Tuantuan is at that learning-to-walk stage, and the two big sisters happily helped her along.
After lunch, we sent Tangyuan and the four grandparents off on the high-speed train, while I flew back with little Tuanzi.
Yuanyuan was very well-behaved on the train. Finally, the journey ended, and we returned safe and sound. Traveling with a whole family, old and young, is not easy. Because my husband had no annual leave and had already been to Yunnan, we opted for a no-shopping tour. But even with a pre-arranged tour, food and sleep weren't great. I recommend independent travel instead.
By a stroke of serendipity, we met Xuanxuan’s family on this trip. I hope we can keep in touch and perhaps go out together again. As I write this travelogue, Xuanxuan’s dad is on the front lines supporting the Wuhan epidemic response. I sincerely wish him a safe and healthy return soon!
