Live Your Best Lives
I've wanted to visit Lijiang for a long time. I bought two tickets in 2022, but both were canceled for well-known reasons. In 2023, I finally made my trip to Lijiang. This time, it was an eight-day trip, and in addition to Lijiang, I also planned a trip to Dali.
1. What you need: Sunscreen is key. Even in spring, Yunnan's ultraviolet rays are still very strong, so sunscreen is essential. We didn't wear sunscreen on the first day, and our noses turned red. Then, I quickly went to the store and bought some sunscreen. It took the next few days for my skin to finally be protected.
2. Car rental. We drove the entire trip. After all, neither Lijiang nor Dali has a large concentration of attractions, not to mention we were traveling across different cities. ehi Car Rental offers a free return service for intercity returns, so we decided to rent a car in Lijiang and return it in Dali. Since we were driving ourselves, we were able to visit a few more attractions and weren't as tired.
3. Hotels. We all stayed in inns. Staying in inns here is actually quite nice. Their biggest feature is their distinct style, making them perfect for taking photos. It's springtime in Yunnan now, and the courtyards of every inn are a scene of spring.
4. Expenses. Our biggest expense was transportation. We bought our plane tickets relatively late, so they were a bit expensive, costing over 3,000 yuan per person. Car rental wasn't expensive, only about 400 yuan per person. Accommodation was more expensive, around 1,500 yuan per person. For us, this trip was quite expensive. We spent around 6,000 yuan per person.
After landing in Lijiang, we went to pick up our car. We were pleasantly surprised to find it was equipped with ETC, which was incredibly convenient. After picking up the car, we headed straight to Lijiang's Eternal Love. There were a lot of people there. The show was truly spectacular, with a dedicated cast and crew, and the lighting and sound effects were fantastic. After seeing Lijiang's Eternal Love, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the city and learn about its many legends. Afterwards, we went to the area around Lijiang Old Town. There were so many people in this area. This shows that everything is really back to normal now. Actually, traveling can feel like a trance, as if those three years didn't exist.
This night market has so many snacks; we bought grilled squid, fried skewers, and more. The food is pretty much the same in every snack street, but the locations are different, the people who come and go are different, and more importantly, the mindset of traveling is different.
The next morning, we headed to Baisha Ancient Town. By the way, we'd always wanted to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and climb the cable car, but tickets were hard to come by. So, in the end, we chose Baisha Ancient Town.
Baisha Ancient Town is quite close to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. While driving, you could even see Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance. The mountaintops were still covered in thick snow. I noticed many tourists come here specifically to see Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Baisha Ancient Town is a town with a distinctly ethnic feel. The wooden buildings here tell of a thousand years of history, and the snow-capped mountains in the distance protect the ancient town. We had breakfast in Baisha Ancient Town, eating two large steamed buns. They're said to be famous, and they tasted pretty good, like a large loaf of bread. Baisha Ancient Town is worth a full day of exploring. In the evening, we decided to check out the night market. There are several night markets here. Some people like the Lion Rock Night Market, while others prefer the Zhongyi Market. There were so many delicious foods here that we looked at each other and said, "Why don't we lose weight after we get back from our trip?" After all, losing weight while traveling is just too painful.
Finally, we could check in at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. However, we still couldn't get tickets, so we had no choice but to buy them ourselves. After all, we were already here, and if we didn't go to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain once, we would really regret it.
There's oxygen tanks for sale on the mountain for 60 yuan. Buying an oxygen tank from the ancient town is only 20 yuan. Actually, I didn't use any oxygen tanks the whole time. The snow-capped mountains are truly beautiful. We didn't regret coming to such a beautiful place at all. We saw some very interesting sights along the way. Everyone was having fun and taking a deep breath of oxygen. Be careful not to walk too fast here, or you'll easily run out of steam. We walked all the way to the boundary marker, and I felt like this was worth it.
Afterwards, we went to Blue Moon Valley. Blue Moon Valley is also a very famous attraction, and you'll be truly astounded by its scenery once you get there. The lake here is so green, like emerald. The sunlight shines through, creating a star-like glow—it's incredibly beautiful. There are also yaks here, and you can ride them and take photos. I couldn't bear to let them go, as they must be so tired. After that, we left Lijiang and drove to Dali. After arriving in Dali, our first stop was Xizhou Ancient Town. I absolutely love Dali. I've been in love with it since I was a kid watching TV shows. This time, I came here to check it out, and it was even more beautiful than I imagined.
Because we arrived late in the ancient town, and the drive took over two hours, we didn't spend much time exploring. On day four, we really started our walking tour.
Day four started in Shuanglang Ancient Town. This ancient town is very famous, and its most iconic feature is probably the rice paddies.
I think the most beautiful place is the edge of Erhai Lake. Mainly because there are so many seagulls here. We bought bread in advance just for the seagulls. They are not afraid of people, but they don't take food from people. We put it on the rocks nearby, and the seagulls will fly over to eat these small pieces of bread.
Later, when I was feeding the seagulls, I found that some of them were very brave and would directly take the dried fish from people's hands. They are so brave.
Then we saw Xiao Putuo. This Putuo Temple corresponds to the Putuo Temple in Sanya, so it is called Xiao Putuo. The temple is right on Erhai Lake. In order to be able to see Erhai Lake more comfortably, we booked a hotel here. When night fell, we saw the beautiful Erhai Lake, so quiet. Therefore, when you come to Dali, I still recommend that you choose to stay by the Erhai Lake.
Let’s take a look at Dali at night. It’s also beautiful. The inn here is really beautiful. Although we only stayed in two guesthouses, we visited various guesthouses while strolling along Erhai Lake at night to experience their diverse beauty. Their lighting, flower arrangements, and courtyard decorations were all beautiful, each with its own unique style.
In Lijiang and Dali, we also visited several restaurants, which I'll share with you later.
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