Lijiang is not a romantic encounter, but a paradise

Number of days：8 days
Time: April
Average cost: 4,000 yuan
With whom: couple
Updated: 2021.10.01

I've seen countless beautiful pictures of Yunnan, and so many of my imaginations have been swirling around me. April is actually off-season for Lijiang, and the flowers and plants around the ancient town haven't yet sprouted. They're at their peak beauty in late May or early June. But since this was my first trip and I feared it might be my last, my doctor and I didn't want to miss the snow-capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, so I thought late spring or early summer might be a good option.

DAY 1: Experiencing Kunming in a torrential downpour. My flight arrived at Kunming Airport around 2:00 PM, and my train to Lijiang around 8:00 PM. As a child, the textbook description of Kunming as a city characterized by perpetual springtime was undeniable. As a child from the Jiangnan region, seeing this phrase automatically conjured up images of the tranquil and gentle water towns of the Jiangnan region, filled with lush greenery and chirping birds. From the airport shuttle, I observed the reality of Kunming along the way. The city itself felt somewhat cluttered and shabby, leaving me feeling a bit melancholic. With limited time for shopping and dining, and unfortunately, a rare downpour, we enjoyed some rice noodles at a noodle shop. After the rain stopped, we bought some flower cakes and headed to the train station. The flower cake shops here are very considerate, offering to ship flower cakes to your home as gifts for friends and family! Over the next few days, I discovered that almost all flower cake shops in Kunming and Lijiang offer home delivery!

DAY 2: Strolling through Dayan Ancient Town in Lijiang. Since we arrived in Lijiang early, we booked a train pick-up service, which brought us to our inn. The service was very friendly. At around 6:00, Dayan Ancient Town was still dark. When we arrived at the first inn, dragging our luggage, the door was ajar. When we walked in, there was no one there; not even the innkeeper or the housekeeper were awake. . .

Lijiang Ancient Town

After finally waiting for the innkeeper to wake up, we decided to go for a walk while the crowds were still low. There were few people on the road, and we ran into Xiao Huang, who jogged after us all morning.

Lijiang Ancient Town

"May time fly by, and when I look back, my hair is white, but I'm still the same," engraved by a doctor. The words are so small you can't make them out without looking closely. Two lovers once visited Lijiang together, encountering an unexpected romance, hoping for a long-lasting relationship. After dinner, we went to the observation deck to take photos. The sky wasn't kind; it was another rainy day. Even in Lijiang in April, even when it rains, it's still very cold. For those of you who love beauty, bring or buy a large blanket; it comes in handy in a pinch!

Lijiang Ancient Town

It's free to take photos on the observation deck, but you can't sit down. If you want to take your time and take good photos, and the weather is bad, you can order a drink or tea, which is a bit expensive.

DAY 3: The Lashi Lake Tea Horse Trail day trip was very reliable. We confirmed the pick-up time and location by phone the day before. The whole day was very relaxing, with horseback riding and boating. The horseback riding experience was quite good, but my butt was sore!

Ancient Tea Horse Road & Lashi Lake boating. It's called a sea, but it's actually just a small pond, not very deep or large, but it's truly beautiful! Taken with my phone, then edited with Snapseed. It's picturesque!

I won't spoil the details of the performances at the 4:00 PM Lijiang Eternal Love show, but I highly recommend it! Everyone who watches it will know!

When I returned to the inn at night, I found that the lighting effect was even more beautiful than during the day! I met a few friends during my trip to Lashi Lake, and we went out for Black Mountain lamb hotpot that night. Not far from the ancient town is a street dedicated to Black Mountain lamb.

The ancient town at night is half dark and half lit, and the party starts at night! From afar, you can hear the clamor of DJs and singing from the bar...

Lijiang Ancient Town

That night, we moved to another inn. It was the round bed we'd been dreaming of! We dragged our luggage along the cobblestone streets of the ancient town for more than ten minutes. We were exhausted and depressed, but that feeling always feels so romantic when we recall it! DAY 4: Stroll through Shuhe Ancient Town. I slept in naturally and had local chicken and rice noodles for breakfast. There are so many good restaurants right outside the inn, but I didn't plan to stay in Lijiang for a few more days, which is a bit disappointing.

After eating in Lijiang Old Town, we called a Texi to take us to Shuhe Ancient Town. Whether it was a large or small car, it was a flat fare of around 20 to 30 yuan, no meter required. The inns in Shuhe are really surprising. For a similar price, the room size and public space are obviously more than doubled! We really don't travel by hotel, we just want to experience more by changing so many inns!

Shuhe Ancient Town

Shuhe is really a paradise for dogs. In the next few days, I met all kinds of cute or lazy dogs, big and small, who were open to petting without barking!

Lijiang Restaurant Exploration | Recommended Restaurants in Shuhe, Lijiang

This restaurant has a great environment, very clean and tidy. The food is not only beautiful in appearance, but more importantly, it tastes great, with both color and flavor. There is also a wide selection of dishes, and the prices are not high. The location is also very good, and you can enjoy the view by the window, which is really nice. The color is good, and the prices are affordable. The service is thoughtful and good, and it is a good review! Highly recommended~

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Shuhe Ancient Town is not small either, with its own Sifang Street, with four separate roads branching out from it. Here are a few photos of the ancient town at night. It's not as noisy as Lijiang, and I love the quietness here.

DAY 5

The day before the photoshoot, I scouted the locations for the day's photos. I kept it simple, but I didn't bring my wedding dress because I was worried about the weight. There are so many small photo studios in the old town, and you can see people taking photos and wedding photos everywhere! If you have more time, you can plan a day to book a photo session and wear the beautiful local costumes. It's definitely worth it!

Shuhe Ancient Town Meet two cute dogs again! Shuhe Ancient Town The red suit is for wedding toasts. The venue is the inn where we stayed that night. The public area is said to cover an area of 2 mu (approximately 1.6 acres).

The dish that impressed me the most that day in Shuhe Ancient Town was this beef rice crust! The waiter really made it with rice crust that was drying on the balcony!

DAY 6: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Another day trip, including Blue Moon Bay and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The tour guide confirmed the time and meeting point the night before. For Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, oxygen tanks and cold weather clothing are generally included in the itinerary. As for how high you can climb, do it according to your ability; altitude sickness can be really painful!

Blue Moon Valley: There are many tourists queuing up to go snowboarding in the off-season, but I personally think it's worth a visit no matter how many people there are! The tour guide said, maybe this is the peak moment of your life! I am so glad that I overcame all kinds of physical discomfort and finally reached the 4680-meter mark!

Yulong Snow Mountain

I wanted to buy a medal, but it's too expensive! I couldn't bear it.

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Yulong Snow Mountain

We were feeling pretty good during the climb, but the hardest part was coming down. We both started getting headaches on the bus back, and we had nothing but headaches the whole night. It was truly excruciating! Sure enough, the peak of life only happens once!

DAY

The good times on the return trip are always fleeting, and we're so rushed on weekdays. Although I've been to Lijiang before, Yunnan will still be on my list. Dali, Erhai Lake, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La—everywhere is filled with mysterious allure! Occasionally, I'll take a slow-paced trip, holding hands, letting my footsteps bear witness to love, and capturing my youth with my camera. Looking forward to my next trip.