Live Your Best Lives
Spring City Kunming | Flowers are splendid, carved beams and paintings, as long as you want to come, it is a good time
There are too many legends about Yunnan, some from word of mouth from friends, rumors on the Internet, some from novels and film and television dramas, in short, too many legends are a little dazzling, and even have stereotypes, before this trip, my impression of Dali Lijiang was still bars and romantic encounters, and Kunming was just a convenient "flower market" to pass by.
When I saw that the air ticket from Shenzhen to Kunming only cost 120, I immediately prepared the itinerary, thinking about visiting this city that I just passed through last time, traveling in extraordinary times, all kinds of health codes must be carefully studied, filled in carefully, and the follow-up will be attached with travel instructions, even if the epidemic has passed, these "troubles" in the journey can be regarded as a special experience.
Kunming, known as the "Spring City", has a really good climate and is very livable. When I booked a homestay, I found that many houses were not air-conditioned! In fact, most cities in Yunnan do not use air conditioners, and the temperature difference between day and night in the plateau area is large, even if you travel with short sleeves during the day, you need to cover yourself with a big quilt at night to sleep. What is enviable is that the four seasons are like spring, almost every day is sunny, and different flowers bloom in each season, as long as you want to come, it is a good time.
I used to think that Kunming was a modern metropolis, leading and managing complex ethnic minority areas, but in fact, Kunming is also an ancient cultural capital with a rich history. As early as 30,000 years ago, humans lived and thrived around Dianchi Lake, and the State of Dian was born in 278 BC, thousands of years ago.
Today's Dianchi Lake has become an urban park on the outskirts of Kunming, and many Kunming citizens bring their families to relax and vacation, feed pigeons and fly kites with their children, lay cloth on the grass, set up a tent and have a picnic with family and friends. In addition to the 1-hour cruise with a ticket price of nearly 100 yuan and the glass trestle for 20 yuan, there are also many interesting entertainment projects in Haigeng Park on the edge of Dianchi Lake~
Most of the red-billed gulls that flew in from Siberia for the winter have gone back, but it is still very pleasant to stand by the turbulent Dianchi Lake and look at the West Mountain. There is a beautiful legend about the formation of Dianchi Lake:
a young hunter came to the East China Sea after a lot of hardships in order to find a water source, and happened to save the third princess of the Dragon King of the East China Sea, and the Dragon King wanted to recruit him as a son-in-law, so he turned him into a little yellow dragon, but the hunter could not let go of his longing for his wife in his hometown, drank enough water from the East China Sea, and quietly flew back to Kunming, but his wife had died because of excessive longing and turned into Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The hunter was so grief-stricken that he vomited the water of the East China Sea and formed Dianchi Lake, and then crashed into the mountain and died. Since then, Kunming, which was originally barren, has become rich and beautiful because the water of Dianchi Lake nourishes all things.
In ancient times, cities and civilizations developed around water sources, with many water systems in Kunming, the winding Panlong River flowing into Dianchi Lake, and the ancient town of Guandu, which is rich in cultural landscapes, is also near Dianchi Lake. Guandu, formerly known as "Nest Cave", was once a fishing village with mountains of screw shells, and later became a treasure place for dignitaries to build palace villas and celebrities to patronize.
Guandu Ancient Town, which began to flourish during the Tang and Song dynasties, is a famous historical and cultural monument in Kunming, and when I first arrived, I felt that there were many temples here, including the Tuzhu Temple of the Tang Dynasty, the statutory temple of the Song Dynasty, the Miaozhan Temple of the Yuan Dynasty, and even the Shaolin Temple! Although there are not many tourists on the main street and bar street, there are already girls dressed in ancient costumes taking pictures in front of the temple and monuments, and many shops are also open.
Many Kunming delicacies will be marked with the LOGO of "Guandu", which shows that Guandu had a far-reaching influence on the entire ancient city of Kunming at that time, under the recommendation of a friend, I tried the Li family's wheat baba, only to know that the original baba is this taste~ In addition, there are many intangible cultural heritage training centers here, such as "Yunnan Go", "Copper Walking Silver", "Guandu Bait Block" and "Yunnan Opera Lantern"...... Such a cultural place is worth visiting slowly, and you can learn a lot.
In addition to Guandu, which is far away from the city center, there are also several "old streets" in Kunming, which are near several emerging centralized commercial streets. Almost every city has at least one old street, but some have been planned, and the buildings have become new and tidy, and some have been reduced to the "ancient town model", with both lively and noisy bars and cafes, and a street of specialties that almost all sell the same thing.
But it feels very good to walk around the old streets of Kunming, there are no new houses here that make people doubt the accumulation of history, the dilapidated mottled feeling is the beauty, and there is no same-fashioned mango barbecue and french fries, perhaps Yunnan's local snacks are attractive enough! I really think that Kunming's literature and art are not pretended, but deeply rooted in their bones.
Nanqiang Pedestrian Street is a relatively well-preserved ancient block in the center of Kunming, the buildings are mainly based on the old houses of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, you can find representative buildings such as "a seal, three squares and one wall, four horse carts, four in one courtyard, four in five courtyards, and six contract springs".
If you don't want to go to Dianchi Lake and just want to take a walk in the city, Cuihu Park is definitely a good choice! There are red-billed gulls of the same style as Dianchi Lake, as well as trees full of flowers and fresh bamboo forests, and there are fewer tourists than Dianchi Lake, and there are not so many commercial entertainment projects.
What surprised me was that although Yunnan is thousands of kilometers away from Beijing, the style of ancient buildings is almost the same. When I was wandering around Cuihu Park, I had the illusion that I had strayed into the royal garden, and the exquisite carved beams and paintings, and the magnificent glazed tiles and red brick walls all highlighted the richness of this southwestern frontier land and the very traditional cultural heritage.
There are many celebrities who have come out of Kunming, including Zheng He, who has traveled to the West seven times and traveled through 39 countries, and Nie Er, a people's musician who composed the national anthem for us...... While attaching importance to education, because of the large number of ethnic minorities and diverse and wonderful folk customs, Yunnan's tolerance of various cultures is indeed unmatched by other provinces, so don't be surprised to see anything here. The architectural styles on the ancient streets are all-encompassing, sometimes traditional, sometimes exotic, the food can be salty or sweet, the taste can be heavy or light, no matter where you come from, you can always find the one you love.
Before leaving Kunming, I revisited the Jinma Biji Fang where I came last time. The uniqueness of Jinma Bijifang, a well-known scenic spot in Kunming, is that at a certain time, there will be a spectacle of "golden and jade". However, the current "Golden Horse" and "Biji" are no longer the glory of the past, surrounded by reinforced concrete forests, and have become city squares where tourists stop to take photos and check in.
The "ideal country" of the unemployed, Jin Yong's "paradise", those stories are happening
Everyone has a dream of "facing the sea and spring flowers blooming"
> how many people went to Dali because they read Jin Yong's novels The landscape scenery of Dali and the past and present life of Nanzhao Kingdom all bloom with a different brilliance under Mr. Jin Yong's pen. I still remember the stories of "East Evil and West Poison, Southern Emperor and Northern Beggar", the world created by martial arts novels is wonderful, and the Dali I saw with my own eyes is not inferior. In fact, Dali has a long history and is one of the earliest cultural birthplaces in Yunnan, since the 4th century AD, the Bai people have thrived here, and the Nanzhao State of the Tang Dynasty has carried forward, and the subsequent Dali Kingdom (that is, Duan Yu's country) has ruled the area for more than 300 years.
As a mysterious border "ideal country", Dali is also a hot spot for fairy tale dramas and games, such as Zhao Ling'er in "The Legend of Sword and Fairy", she is the princess of Nanzhao Kingdom. Now looking back at her clothing design, it really has a bit of an exotic ethnic style.
This southwestern "border city" is actually quite rich Because
Yunnan produces tea, Dali must have become an important stop in the ancient tea horse road, tracing history, Dali ancient city has been very rich for a long time, and unlike those "Internet celebrity ancient towns" that are deliberately preserved to serve tourists, Dali ancient city is indeed the paradise with mountains, rivers and homes in Qiong Yao's drama. In fact, whether you are rich or not, just look at the traditional houses of the Bai people, in addition to the green tiles and white walls, the corners of the gables are decorated with ink patterns, and the walls of the ancestral teachings are written on the walls of the family is more magnificent than the family...... No wonder everyone says that Dali is livable, and the Bai people with such a "love family" mentality continue to manage it carefully, which is naturally fascinating.
Due to the epidemic, the originally lively ancient city has quieted down, but it has made it easier for foreigners from afar to understand the true appearance of the ancient city. Although we can find some "well-known" Internet celebrity brand stores, and many bars and coffee bars can also be found on the commercial street, there are really many local residents living here, hospitals, supermarkets, primary and secondary schools and kindergartens. Many tourists may find the undeveloped areas of the ancient city "a little boring", but I prefer these "rarely visited" corners, after all, this is the real Dali, and I don't want the ancient city to be overdeveloped and become a tourist attraction to continue drinking and having fun in different places.
A paradise that satisfies the fantasy of the "unemployed"
Last time I made a trip to Yunnan, I specifically skipped Dali, because I was afraid that it would be too literary and full of unrealistic fantasies, and that she was really a "utopia" that did not eat the fireworks of the world as depicted in the literary text. But when I really plucked up the courage to go to Dali, I found that I was overworried, Dali was not so "good" or so "bad". Dali is indeed very literary, but also very down-to-earth, whether it is for rebirth or escape, she has received many creative "aspiring young people", most of them from big cities with great pressure in life and work, when they arrived in Dali, they knew what real life was, and since then they have fallen in love with Cangshan Erhai and resolutely resigned to Dali to start a business.
There are many similar stories, and Dali, who is working hard to develop tourism, has given them enough space and opportunities. Under the guidance of Tina, I came to the cultural and creative park transformed from Dali bed sheet factory, and saw an advertisement for X-Tour, as well as the "Dolphin Ade Bookstore" that reminded me of the Tokyo Seagull Bookstore in Japan. The propaganda words on those posters are very catchy, "Life can be cooler, start in a different way" and "Everyone has a dream in their hearts"...... Including the works of those craftsmen, many designs and brands make people feel very "high-end", perhaps the bright sunshine and fresh air of Dali have given these so-called "unemployed" endless life and creative inspiration.
Most of the people who started a business in Dali are not real "businessmen", and they feel arrogant when communicating, and many people invest regardless of the cost, really just to realize a dream. For example, my old friend "Princess", who I have known for a long time, sold her house in Xiamen with her artist husband, quit her stable job, and ran a homestay in Dali for many years, and has now developed an original brand that is both practical and beautiful.
There is also a new friend I just met this time, the owner of Yueshan Yiju Pastoral B&B, she is from Guangdong, because of a gap year trip and her husband became acquainted, in Dali to run this pastoral homestay that combines log style and Bai characteristics, and has a sense of family warmth to live. Their home also has a chic design "starry sky room", which can be opened at night to look at the moon and stargaze. Although the location is still a short distance from the ancient city, it can definitely be regarded as a high-quality homestay that collects Dali's "wind, flowers, snow, and moon"~
ushered in the cultural inclusion of tea and flowers
Dali can have such a huge attraction to foreigners, mainly because of her inclusiveness of "tolerance is great". Many people think that ethnic minority areas will be rejected when other cultures enter, but I was surprised by Dali's sincerity in absorbing the culture of various places.When I was visiting the ancient city, I inexplicably felt that the Bai houses and the waterways of the ancient city were somewhat similar to those of Huizhou, Jiangnan, with the same high-walled courtyards, carved beams and painted buildings, and small bridges and flowing water.
In the "so" coffee shop in the ancient city, I took a sip of "osmanthus wine", only to find that the "combination of Chinese and Western" was so well integrated. Not to mention the mosques and Catholic churches built prominently on the main street, representing the ancient city's long-term acceptance and tolerance of foreign cultures.
It is said that as long as foreign guests come to the door, the enthusiastic Bai people will prepare three courses of tea, and Dali's flowers are not only for ornamentation, many locals will use flowers as ingredients to cook seasonal delicacies.
Dali's food is mostly based on fresh raw materials from the mountains and fields, adding local creativity, making milk into "milk fans", making local unique "sea cauliflower" into "water-based poplar flowers", as well as seasonal wild mushroom fried rice, as well as beef and roast duck, all of which have been adjusted according to the actual situation and the needs of guests, and the taste is fresh, crisp but not greasy. This time, I followed Tina into a private restaurant in the streets and alleys and tasted the unique Dali specialties.
>Happiness is to have something to do, someone to love, and hope is the love and thinking of life
Cangshan Light Hiking | Runaway 20 kilometers, Travel to the top of Cangshan Mountain and enjoy the wind, flowers, snow and moon together
When you arrive in Dali, you must understand the "wind and snow", not the love or encounter that you go thousands of miles to pursue, but the real landscape of Dali, Xiaguan wind, Shangguan flowers, Cangshan snow, and Erhai moon. I always heard people talk about Erhai Lake before, there are all kinds of tones, and the literature and art are not good, but few people mention Cangshan Xing, in fact, visiting Cangshan is not inferior to Erhai Lake!
This time I stayed at the Dali Strength Hilton Hotel at the foot of Cangshan, they are very considerate to provide guests with options for peripheral tours, one of which is the "light hiking" of Cangshan, with quotation marks because for someone like me who has not exercised for a long time, nearly 20 kilometers of climbing + hiking is a bit hard, but people with good physical fitness may think that this is just a small case, and the huge Cangshan Mountain does welcome everyone to challenge ~ It is said that climbing the wild road is more exciting~
We started from the Gantong Temple near the hotel, the temple has a long history and an excellent location, just near the mountain gate, this temple is temporarily closed to the public due to the epidemic, and there are still some pilgrims living there. Flowers are clustered, cooking smoke is lingering, and further up is Jizhao Monastery, and their vegetarian dishes are famous far and wide.In addition to believing in the main lord in the village, most of the local Bai residents are devout believers in Buddhism, and the temples and hermitages are full of incense.
Jin Yong mentioned the "Linglong Chess Game" in "Tianlong Babu", although in order to take care of the visual effect, the Go was changed to chess, but the shape of Qiao Feng, Duan Yu, and Xu Zhu against each other can also fulfill the dreams of martial arts fans. I don't know if it's to make up for the shortcomings, there are many trees planted by Go masters next to the chess game, and now the trees have become forests, and the dreams of Go fans have come true by the way. I was a little confused when I first read it, but it wasn't until I found the exquisite chess game in front of me that I immediately realized that I had read less ...... book
Cangshan has 19 peaks and 18 streams, which means that there must be a stream pouring down between the two peaks, and being able to drink pure and clear Cangshan water is something that Dali people should be proud of~ And among these streams, the top is Qingbi Creek, which is also one of the main attractions on the Cangshan Yudai Road. If you only go to the attractions below Qingbixi without buying tickets, it is estimated that it is to take care of those local pilgrims who just come to worship Buddha, which also confirms the important position of Qingbixi from the side.
When a stream flows through, you can see the suspension bridge, both the unpretentious fairy ferry and the suspension bridge across the Qingbi River full of blessing ribbons and love locks.Perhaps because there are many fewer tourists, the Internet celebrity check-in points with paid signs are no longer attended to, and you can take pictures at will~ So you must seize the opportunity to play~~<
img src="https://dimg04.c-ctrip.com/images/100o1f000001g8pqwB81D_W_1024_0_Q90.jpg?proc=autoorient" />
The hotel has prepared a nutritious lunch for guests who participate in the light hiking experience, so that everyone can replenish their energy in time, which is very intimate! Dali Strength Hilton is indeed the best Hilton I have ever stayed in~ The hotel is backed by Cangshan, facing Erhai Lake, close to the ancient city and Dali University, and has a superior location. The room has many characteristic decorative details, is fully equipped, and the bedding is soft and comfortable! In the morning you can see the wonderful sunrise directly from the balcony ~
Due to its location in a resort, the hotel has a strong leisure attribute, not only providing guests with surrounding tours, but also preparing experience packages for parent-child guests, including cooking classes of Bai specialty snacks and local handicraft making experiences. Even if you don't leave the hotel all day, it's so exciting that you won't be able to stop~ The restaurant has a wide variety of cuisines, and you can taste different "chef's recommendation" dishes every season, guaranteeing a surprise every time you come!
Learn to make "thin bean flour" with the chef, this is the first time I have eaten such a special snack~ I still have to have a local leader to take it to eat!
Dali is sunny for more than 300 days a year, with the nourishment of the bright sun, there are so many flowers and magical animals and plants blooming on Cangshan! When we walked along the Yudai Yunyou, we finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to carefully observe the details around us along the way. The handsome guide Thomas introduced us to many very special looking plants, and the whole mountain was like an active encyclopedia of flora and fauna, and the journey was really much more impressive than reading ten thousand books.
In addition, Cangshan is also an encyclopedia of local geology, and more than 2 billion years of precipitation have made the landforms here diverse and precious, which is worth studying. After all, as everyone knows, the "marble" widely used in decorative and artistic carving does come from Dali. When traveling, you can overlook the panoramic view of Dali's ancient city and the new city, and the scenery at the heights is really beautiful, but I really haven't climbed the mountain so seriously for too long......
In fact, the Cangshan Scenic Area is very reasonably designed, giving the choice of climbing the mountain or not climbing the mountain, a number of cable cars connect the main attractions, and although the open landscape of Yudai Road is a highland at an altitude of 2,600 meters, it is all flat, and it is not easy to get tired when walking. Every other section of the road along the way will have beautiful pavilions for tourists to take a break, which is very well thought out.
The end point of our "light hike" is Zhonghe Temple, which is different from Gantong Temple, which is a Taoist temple dedicated to the Jade Emperor. The Zhonghe ropeway down the mountain from here is very distinctive, there is no pesky glass cover to isolate you from nature, the 360-degree perspective is convenient for taking pictures, but it looks a little thrilling, fortunately, the cable car is not too far from the ground, the actual ride is not so scary, highly recommended! The ticket price is not expensive, and it is a great value experience!
Happiness is there are mountains, there are seas, and there are people
who are with you, and the spring flowers bloom
around Erhai Lake | Put aside those words that moan without illness and get to know Erhai Lake again
Every time I see those sad words that involve emotions and dreams at every turn, I always feel very unreal, people with fragile souls, wherever they escape, the world they see is fragile. In the same place, thousands of people, Dali in my eyes has no ladders, no rainbow bridges, no glass balls, no colorful glass bottles and long tables. The real Dali is rich and interesting enough, and there is no need to add fuel and vinegar.
Dali is a very mature travel destination, the psychology of tourists like to check in and shoot is very accurate, there are arranged Internet celebrity shooting locations everywhere, charging a certain fee for those who come to take pictures, these landscapes are actually everywhere, as long as the background is rivers, lakes and seas, and then encounter good weather, you can take good pictures. It is really a waste to travel all the way to Dali and just use the beautiful Erhai Lake as the background of the photo.
I have always been interested in folklore and religion, and since I have come to Bai Autonomous Prefecture, I must have a good understanding of the unique customs and customs here. Since ancient times, the Bai people have been living around Erhai Lake, among which Xizhou Ancient Town has left many traditional Bai buildings, which has become one of the must-visit attractions around Erhai Lake. We started shopping from the Justice Gate, in fact, if you don't say that this is a Bai village, at first glance, it really looks like a small town in the south of the Yangtze River.
Under Tina's persuasion, I tried Xizhou's grilled bait blocks, the shape is somewhat similar to the milk fan, but one salty and one sweet, the taste is very different, I like the cute appearance of the bait blocks being roasted and bulging, the locals have too many ways to cook rice products such as bait blocks and bait shreds, and they can be eaten for several days without being the same~
There are several courtyards of large families in Xizhou Ancient Town, all of which were built by the leading wealthy businessmen of that year. Among them, the Yanjia Compound, built in 1907, has now become a paid attraction for tourists to visit. There are also many black and white historical photos pasted on the walls around the town center square, which are precious memories of this ancient town from liberation to development.
This former Internet celebrity attraction is particularly quiet after the epidemic, the shops on both sides of the main street are only sporadically open, compared with the ancient city of Dali, the shops here are more unique and personal, you can't find those rotten street souvenirs, but there are many original design shops that have no branches outside the country.
There are only 3 stores in Xizhou, there is no online store, and more advocate experiential management, come here to taste tea, drink coffee, learn how to print prints from teachers, and take those Jia horses hidden in various villages of the Bai nationality into handicrafts and take them home.
Although the rapeseed flowers have already borne fruit, the large fields with the red wall in the distance are still a beautiful picture. Dali Pesoa Pastoral Coffee is facing the vast green fields, with an unobstructed front-line landscape and excellent quality drinks, and has become an Internet celebrity coffee shop that everyone must check in when they come to Xizhou.
Because of the sharp decline in tourists, it is said that there is no one in the Internet celebrity attractions that require a long queue every time to take pictures, and you can take pictures until you are satisfied~ and the flower carriages walking through the streets and alleys seem to be able to operate at a reduced price. Although some houses in the ancient town have been converted into homestays, there are still many local residents living in Xizhou, and seeing the aunts who carry baskets to buy vegetables and sell vegetables go out on the street, the rich atmosphere of life comes to their faces.
Many tourists come to Dali to choose to stay in sea view homestays, the most seen on the online platform is Shuanglang, there are many choices, the photos are beautiful, but when I arrived in Shuanglang Ancient Town, I found that there is really a very big gap between ideal and reality. Just like the "stories" written by some literary youths, when the lies are extremely beautiful, even they believe them. Most of the densely packed houses in the ancient town are homestays, and the activity space is small, except for the peripheral ones, most of the "sea view" of the "sea view homestay" can only stand on the roof to overlook the ......
If you want to live by Erhai Lake, you can actually have more choices, such as the Dali International Hotel located in the city, only 10 minutes' drive from the train station, although in the downtown area, but very hidden and quiet, through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the room can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Erhai Lake 180 degrees, the suite also provides a telescope, the scenery is not inferior to those "sea view inns". The hotel has complete facilities, the overall design is low-key and luxurious, mainly based on the local style of the Bai people, and is suitable for business vacation. Even during the epidemic, the special meals are very rich, and you can feel the strong Dali ethnic customs~
Today's Erhai Lake environmental protection comes first, and many areas are no longer open to tourists, but the few sections we can go to, the scenery is not bad, basically the sea and sky, the water is so blue, children can pick up shells and catch small fish on the shore, and you can see instruments and facilities to purify water quality everywhere.
Listening to Yang Xing talk about March Street, every year from March 15th to March 21st of the lunar calendar is a big day for the Bai people to celebrate! It's a pity that I couldn't participate in this grand festival in person this year, but I have always had a strong curiosity about the beliefs of the local Bai people, and I saw the Bai ladies (aunts) taking small boats to Xiaoputuo to worship the masters in the village, and I also wanted to see the masters in different villages.
Thomas took us past Nancun, a new socialist countryside full of hand-painted graffiti, and the road was full of surprises, and finally we found that their main temple was located in the village committee. Even the courtyard wall next to the temple is covered with legends about the main lord, in fact, the main lord of the Bai people is the protector of the village, and the main temple is very similar to our "ancestral hall", except that in addition to worshiping the ancestors, the temple also enshrines many gods.
Erhai contains many stories, not the same frustrations in career and love, but magical legends about the Great Black God, the Golden Mushroom Lady, and the Prince of the Snow Mountain...... Those good wishes that have been condensed for thousands of years, so that guests from afar appreciate this optimistic nation more, know how to be grateful, learn to be in awe, in order to truly understand what a happy life is.
Happiness is an expectation, a blessing, a love,
and the appearance
of your prayers for me
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