Just a Lijiang and Shangri-La Away from Paradise
Shuhe Ancient Town, Shuhe Ancient Town – if you explore it right, it’s the most beautiful ancient town; if you get it wrong, it’s just a Yiwu commodity market! 📍 The birthplace of Shuhe Xiaohe – Shuhe Ancient Town, about a 15-minute drive from the city center, is a very small town. Shuhe is the origin of the Mu chieftains and has a history of over 800 years, even older than Lijiang Ancient Town. Moreover, its houses are all built with wooden structures, exuding an antique charm. (Actually, this type of building is extremely comfortable and perfectly suited to Lijiang’s climate – warm in winter and cool in summer.) 1. Didi is the most convenient! From the ancient town, it’s about 15–20 yuan to Shuhe Ancient Town. A taxi is probably about the same price. 2. Public buses: No. 11 (get off at Shuhe Road intersection, then walk about 1 km); No. 6 (can go directly to Shuhe’s north gate, but you need to transfer from another bus to the starting point at Xiangshan Market). If you’re coming from the train station, you can take a direct shuttle bus to Shuhe Ancient Town from the bus stop – 5 yuan per person! Must-visit spots: Jiuding Dragon Pool (see picture 2). After entering through the north gate, ask for directions to Jiuding Dragon Pool. It’s a pool of crystal-clear water and the water source of Shuhe Ancient Town – the scenery is breathtaking when flowers bloom in spring. Inside the Dragon Pool area, there’s a small temple with beautiful views; you can quietly go into the courtyard and stroll around. Follow the water downstream from Jiuding Dragon Pool to reach Qinglong Bridge – this bridge in Shuhe is over 200 years old. It has been repaired many times, but the stone slabs haven’t been replaced, so they’re very smooth. Be careful on rainy days! After crossing Qinglong Bridge, you’ll arrive at the center of the ancient town – Sifang Street (every ancient town has a Sifang Street, which used to be a market square). Head downstream toward Feihua Chushui, and you’ll walk right into a bar street with lots of restaurants and bars. After exploring the bar street, if you have time, continue downward after dinner, ask someone how to get to the "Sifang Tingyin" square, and join the bonfire party there at 7 p.m. (Note: this activity is not held in the off-season or on rainy days!) Locals highly recommend this bonfire party – it has a fantastic atmosphere! Someone will teach you the traditional circle dance, and you’re guaranteed to learn it! If you still have some spare time on your way to Sifang Tingyin square, you can browse the small shops and buy some specialty goods as souvenirs. There are many shops inside, and the prices are much cheaper than in Lijiang Ancient Town – don’t forget to bargain! No matter where you wander, just follow the direction of the water flow, and you’ll eventually return to Shuhe’s entrance and catch a ride back to Lijiang!
Location: Inside Shuhe Ancient Town, Lijiang
Environment: Beautiful surroundings with flowers, a stream, music, and a scenic balcony. Indoors is clean, tidy, comfortable, and relaxing.
Service: Warm, friendly, and attentive.
The restaurant is right by the small river near the center of the ancient town – easy to find. There’s also a terrace on the second floor, but unfortunately, it was fully occupied when we arrived. We ordered several dishes, and they tasted great. Two of us ate until we were stuffed and still had leftovers – quite embarrassing, really. The restaurant environment is lovely, the staff is enthusiastic, and the waiter helped us unwrap the dishes and even washed our chopsticks. He introduced each dish as it came out. Highly recommended~
Shangri-La has been endowed with too many beautiful things and indeed carries a great deal of beauty. Today, tourism in Shangri-La is becoming more and more developed, and the contradiction between preservation and development grows increasingly prominent. As a result, opinions about its "beauty" are varied and divided. During my two days in Shangri-La, what I saw and heard was merely the tip of the iceberg, and my experience of its natural scenery and local customs was barely a glimpse. I certainly can’t cover everything. If I had to give an evaluation, the only four words I have now are: The trip was worthwhile. For me, this journey to Shangri-La is just a beginning...
How majestic are the great gorges!
The blue skies are always mesmerizing. The devotion of Dukezong assimilated me and moved the stingy June, allowing those who had traveled thousands of miles to embrace the sunshine of summer under a blue sky.
Pudacuo National Forest Park is a dreamlike world far from pollution, with harmonious and tranquil scenery and pure, fresh air. There are clear highland lakes, lush meadows, vibrant flowers, and primeval forests where birds and animals frequently appear. The favorable natural conditions nurture dense vegetation and rare wildlife, forming a natural botanical and zoological garden. In addition, the forest streams seen everywhere and deep, intersecting gorges are typical features of Shangri-La. So this is a sacred place for cultivating one’s mind and spirit, and also a paradise for photography enthusiasts. Shudu Lake and Bita Lake, two beautiful bodies of water, are like Pudacuo’s two eyes – enchanting and full of spirit.
Shudu Lake is surrounded by rolling green mountains and dense forest; the towering, sun-blocking primeval woods are lush and luxuriant. Countless azaleas bloom in the mountain woods and meadows. The pure lake surface is veiled in clouds and mist, just like a fairyland. Water birds can be spotted from time to time on the lakeside wetlands. In summer, the lakeside pastures are emerald and abundant, with herds of cattle, sheep, and horses roaming the meadows. In the distance, cooking smoke rises from the herdsmen’s sheds, and the melodious sound of a pastoral flute lingers in the air – together they form a carefree, beautiful highland scene.
Whether you’re crossing mountains and wading through waters or simply sightseeing, the ultimate purpose is to let your heart rest, broaden your horizons, and set your dreams free. There’s no dusty haze or choking pollution here; the weather is mild as spring, and the earth seems newborn.
There is a Shangri-La, the only remaining sacred land, unique under heaven.
No matter how I yearn for it, when will I be free to drink alone again in the meadow?
Yet you are a land of peach blossoms.
If there is still a place of pure beauty in this world,
Hidden from the worldly dust, yet untouched by it.
The heart is at ease, footsteps are light. Here, there seems to be no direction, yet none is needed, because what lies before you is the direction.
On this pure sacred land, you unwittingly forget everyday joys and sorrows. A reclusive life seems just within reach, but when the dream ends, you still have to go home...
Gentle breezes, whispering pines, rippling lake water, glistening waves.
Bita Lake exudes a very tranquil beauty. It was only upon arriving here that I felt this journey was not in vain. The tree beards hanging from the branches along the way are magical. Strolling on the forest boardwalk, the air is exceptionally fresh. The affectionate floating clouds in the blue sky adorn the shyness of the lake. Yaks and sheep graze, sleep, and rest on the grassland, and mischievous little squirrels dart back and forth in the trees – everything looks so pristine and natural. Soaring spruce trees, crystal-clear water, and scattered wild mushrooms under the trees: everywhere here can make people gasp in amazement and forget they’re still living in a troubled world.
If you have enough passion for life,
You will be involuntarily struck with admiration.
She is so beautiful,
Yet she is far more than just beautiful.
The mystery and tranquility of Bita Lake
Is precisely the origin of another world.
Perhaps, for each person who stops here,
It is a pursuit of another life,
Another dream.
The meaning of life is not about length.
Wind, frost, rain, snow, joy, anger, sorrow, happiness –
They are merely cyclical melodies.
Only calmness, perseverance, and moving forward.
Those things that have passed, even if reduced to ashes,
Are still a beautiful memory and tribute.
Each accumulation of merit
Carries a transcendent spirituality.
This is a dialogue between man and nature, man and the divine,
Also a connection point, an intersection between man and heaven and earth.
Meeting, getting to know each other, traveling together, sharing joy –
In this vast sea of people,
You and I are merely passers-by in each other’s lives,
Yet we’ve left a bold and indelible mark on each other’s journey.
Along the way, I’m grateful to have had you...
The scent of coniferous forests and alpine meadows, occasionally mixed with the smell of cow dung, only adds to the feeling of purity and naturalness.
Quietly, I gaze at her for a long time
Without a single word.
Time seems to stand still at this moment,
Solidifying that profound sense of tranquility.
Here, she belongs to me, and I –
Whether near or far,
Only wish for it to be forever, forever.
The journey, as dazzling and wonderful as fireworks, was also fleeting. When I finally had to say goodbye, I realized that the scenes I could never tire of and the feelings too deep to express had long been growing wildly in my lingering thoughts. The longing surges and overflows in the instant I turn back...
I am not a returnee, just a passer-by.
