2023 Spring Trip to Yunnan

1. Planning the Trip

In the blink of an eye, I had been retired for over half a year. The three-year pandemic had finally ended, but the weather in February was still a bit cold. So my spouse and I set our first travel goal to Yunnan, where it's warmer. We chose Xishuangbanna, Dali, Lijiang, and Kunming from the map of Yunnan. If you’re visiting more than one area, it’s worth taking a look at the Yunnan map.

2. Xishuangbanna

On February 20, we flew to our first stop, “Xishuangbanna,” and stayed at “Chufan·Jiangsu Resort Hotel (Xishuangbanna Jinghong Gaozhuang Xishuangjing Starlight Night Market branch).” There was no direct flight, so we transferred in Chengdu. Clouds seen from the plane. The room at Chufan had a beautiful river view, and the infinity pool was a highlight. The service was a bit lacking, and there were some minor issues with the facilities. In the evening, we strolled through the night market, which was very lively.

On February 21, as planned, we visited the “Tropic of Cancer.” After doing some research, we took a Didi to the train station, then a train to Mojiang, followed by a bus to the “Tropic of Cancer Marker Park.” The one-way trip took over two hours. The entrance fee was 40 yuan per person.

On February 22, we opted for the Primeval Forest Park. I won’t go into detail about the huge tropical plants. My accommodation was less than 10 km from the park, and the hotel guide quoted 300 yuan for a chartered car, but actually using Didi cost less than 40 yuan round trip. The peacock show is worth watching—just be sure to check the performance times. At Aini Village, don’t miss the Hani ethnic performances. And there are adorable monkeys.

On February 23, we chose Manting Park. Mainly “circling Erhai Lake” and hiking. Erhai is quite large; circling the entire lake takes a full day, and hiring a private car is more convenient. The hotel quoted 450 yuan, which I found reasonable. The driver was responsible, and we had a pleasant time. The service at this hotel was excellent, and they even upgraded our room for free. Erhai is not a sea; it’s a lake. It’s 116 km around.

A bookstore in Xizhou Bai Ancient Town, with some history. The Corner Tower in Xizhou Bai Ancient Town.

Butterfly Spring was a must-see for us, due to our attachment to the movie “Five Golden Flowers.” One of the lakeside scenic spots. A spot for moon-viewing at Erhai Lake.

On the second day in Dali, we climbed Cangshan Mountain. We hiked from the Gantong entrance, then walked the Jade Belt Cloud Path (5 km) at the Gantong Cableway exit. After more than five hours, we decided not to continue to the summit and took the cableway down. On the descent, we visited the filming location for “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.” The filming base for Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

Mr. Duan’s Condor Heroes Restaurant—decent food, a bit pricey. Next to the hotel was the Instagrammable Cang’er Avenue, a street full of halal cuisine. One end faces Cangshan, the other Erhai, and the sunrise is beautiful.

We stayed at “Huazhu·Lijiang Ancient Town Zangyuan Snow Mountain View Hotel,” opposite Heilongtan Park. The service was also quite good. The view from the window.

On the first day in Lijiang, we visited Lugu Lake. Considering the distance, we joined a small group of six, which included a full circle of the lake, a ride on a pig-trough boat, and lunch. Lugu Lake is the most beautiful among the three lakes (including Dianchi in Kunming and Erhai in Dali). This is the Jinsha River we photographed on the return trip—Lijiang’s river is the Jinsha.

On the second day in Lijiang, we visited Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, also with a six-person group, but the experience was poor. First, the guide coaxed us into buying oxygen canisters, saying one wasn’t enough—we barely used them at the highest point (4,680 m). Second, the so-called “snow mountain worship” was mainly to sell flags; we didn’t buy any but wasted a lot of time. Third, lunch was arranged far away, with lots of sales pitches. Fourth, people watching the show and not watching were in the same group; after descending, we didn’t want to wait and had to take a taxi back on our own. Fifth, they asked for a five-star review; I didn’t give one, but it was awkward. I recommend not joining a tour group, but be ready to grab tickets at 7 a.m.

These two photos are of Blue Moon Valley, a bundled ticket attraction. On the cableway up the mountain. There’s a landmark at 4,508 m altitude. The highest point visitors can reach is 4,680 m; the main peak at 5,596 m can only be seen—there’s no path, and climbing is not allowed.

Lijiang Ancient Town is much larger than Dali Ancient Town; with limited time, we couldn’t explore thoroughly, so we just wandered around. At night, we cycled around Shuhe Ancient Town on shared bikes and were fortunate to catch an open-air movie, a rare treat.

In Kunming, we stayed at Deting Garden Hotel (Kunming Hi-Tech West City Times branch). The service was great, and I especially liked that bottled water was free for the taking. Originally planned for seven nights, but after arriving, my spouse disliked Kunming’s traffic—too many e-bikes—so we cut it to two nights. Changing the flight cost us 840 yuan; ticket changes should be made carefully. We mainly visited Dounan Wetland Park, Yunnan Ethnic Village, Xishan Scenic Road, Cuihu Lake, and Dianchi Lake. Dounan Wetland Park is very distinctive. Cuihu Park is open-style. The legendary datura flower. On March 4, we returned to Tianjin. To have more time in Kunming, we chose the 5:40–8:55 p.m. flight.