Live Your Best Lives
June 16th: Shanghai - Lijiang Old Town Tour, Overnight.
June 17th: Lijiang Old Town - Tiger Leaping Gorge Tea Horse Inn - Hike to Banshanju Inn, Overnight.
June 18th: Drive from Banshanju Inn to Zhang Laoshi Inn, Park, Hike to Tiger Leaping Gorge - Lunch at Zhang Laoshi Inn, Lugu Lake.
June 19th: Lugu Lake Circumnavigation Tour.
June 20th: Lugu Lake - Shuhe Old Town, Overnight.
June 21st: Yuhu Village - Shuhe Old Town - Overnight near Dali Xiaoputuo Temple.
June 22nd: Shuanglang Ancient Town – Ideal Country – Jizhao Temple – Dali Ancient Town, overnight in Dali Ancient Town.
June 23rd: Panxi S-shaped Bay – Corridor Bridge – Xizhou Ancient Town – Yuanmou, overnight in Yuanmou.
June 24th: Yuanmou’s lush earth forests, dropped my cousin off at Kunming, then returned the car to the airport for drinks and returned to Shanghai.
A rough map of the itinerary.
HO1227：07:05——10:55
After picking up the car at the airport, I met up with my family and friends and drove directly to the B&B. After parking the car and settling into the room, I walked to Yunxueli Restaurant, which the hotel manager had recommended, for lunch.
Lijiang Ancient Town Snow Mountain FishAfter lunch, after applying sunscreen, we headed to the Old Town. It's a short walk from Yunxueli Restaurant.
Afternoon route: Walk along Xinhua Street to the Wenchang Palace Observation Deck, then Sifang Street, Oil-Paper Umbrella Street, Sakura Restaurant, the Mu Mansion, and return to the hotel for rest.
Lijiang Old Town is divided into Dayan Old Town and Shuhe Ancient Town. Traditionally, Dayan is referred to as Lijiang Old Town. Famous attractions within the Old Town include Sifang Street, the Waterwheel, Lion Rock, Wangu Tower, and the Shogunate. For a more lively atmosphere, there's a bar street at night, but visiting the attractions is far from the essence of Lijiang Old Town. The essence of this place lies in wandering aimlessly through the Old Town, finding a café to sit down, sip some coffee, and listen to music when you're tired.
Ancient City Waterwheel Wishing Bell
The bar street has not yet opened for business, and their prosperity is at night. Follow the path up to the Wenchang Palace Observation Deck.
Climb along the path to the Wenchang Palace Observation Deck.
Going down the mountain and returning to Sifang Street, you still need to use navigation in the ancient town to find the shortest way.
Sifang Street Center
Entering from an intersection of Sifang Street is the Oil-Paper Umbrella Street. The colors of the oil-paper umbrellas during the day are lighter and not as stunning as at night.
Walk around Oil Paper Umbrella Street and return to Qiyi Street to find Sakura Restaurant.
After leaving Sakura Restaurant, head towards Mufu Palace.
Mufu Palace (admission 40 yuan/person), officially known as the Mu's Chieftain's Mansion, was originally the government office of the Mu's, the hereditary chieftains of Lijiang. It was "modified in the Yuan Dynasty and flourished in the Ming Dynasty." Construction of the main building began during the Ming Dynasty (1382-1390) during the reign of Mu De. It was rebuilt in 1998, and the Ancient City Museum was established within the palace. The Mu Mansion fully reflects the elegant style and temperament of Ming Dynasty Central Plains architecture, while retaining the lingering charm of the rustic and rugged architecture of the Tang and Song dynasties. The layout of the mansion, with its crisscrossing canals and flowing water, bears witness to the spirit of traditional Naxi culture. The central axis of the Mu Mansion stretches 369 meters, and it faces east, "facing the rising sun and absorbing the energy of wood." To its left lies Qinglong (Yulong Mountain), to its right lies Baihu (Hushan Mountain), with Xuanwu (Shizi Mountain) at its back. To the southeast lies Guishan, with Sheshan facing the pass. Embracing the ancient city, the Mu Mansion features 15 buildings along its central axis, including the Loyalty Archway, Yimen Gate, the Front Meeting Hall, Wanjuan Tower, the Dharma Protector Hall, Guangbi Tower, Yuyin Tower, the Sanqing Hall, side halls, attics, a stage, a street-crossing building, courtyards, corridors, and a palace post station, totaling 162 rooms of various sizes. Eleven plaques bestowed by successive emperors hang in the yamen, inscribed with words such as "loyalty and righteousness," "serving the country with sincerity," and "pacifying the border."
In December 1997, the Old Town of Lijiang, including the Mu Mansion, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
After entering the Mu Mansion, free guided tours are available.
Wanjuan Tower was built in the ninth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1530). The Mu clan chieftains, known for their admiration for Han culture and their "knowledge of poetry and literature, and a love of propriety and righteousness," possessed a rich collection of important classics, histories, philosophy, and anthologies. Buddhist scriptures bestowed by the emperor and purchased from Zhejiang were also fully preserved. Printed plates of some Mu clan poems and essays were also housed there. According to the Guangxu Lijiang Prefecture Chronicle, the Wanjuan Tower, "located to the left of the Mu Palace Office, served as the Mu clan's library." Wanjuan Tower housed the essence of two thousand years of cultural heritage, including a thousand volumes of Dongba scriptures, a hundred volumes of the Tripitaka, poetry collections of the Six Chieftains, and numerous paintings and calligraphy by renowned scholars. Mu Gong's "Selected Snow Mountain Poems" was included in the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasures). In the early years of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Mu clan declined after the reform of the chieftain system, and the Wanjuan Tower collection was dispersed among the people. During the Guangxu reign, "the tower was abandoned, and the books were lost. Occasionally, scattered volumes, bearing the inscription "Wanjuan Tower Records," have been found among the people." The current building was rebuilt in 1999.
Mujiayuan, the living quarters of the chieftain of the Mu clan, consists of three courtyards within one entrance. It is a typical Qing Dynasty building with thick beams and thin pillars, a small and exquisite structure, and varied carvings. It is known as a carving museum. The entire courtyard showcases the chieftain's marriage culture and the family virtues of respecting the elderly and loving the young, as well as the customs of the Naxi people during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Sanqing Hall is the highest point of the Mu Mansion, overlooking the entire palace.
We were exhausted after leaving Mufu, so we went back to the hotel for a short nap before heading out for food at 8 a.m. A large bougainvillea tree, a beautiful sight that came to us without us noticing.
We left the hotel at 8 o'clock and followed the navigation to the Eye of Lijiang. From the Eye of Lijiang, you can see the Lion Rock opposite and the Wenchang Palace which we had just visited in the afternoon. As night fell, the lights were already bright.
We had dinner at Dianxi Prince Restaurant. The floor was greasy, the environment was noisy, the food was average, and the prices were...
At night, the ancient town is bustling with lights and people, and it is extremely lively, which is also its charm.
We then wandered to Oil-Paper Umbrella Street. The oil-paper umbrellas looked even more colorful against the dark night sky.
The open-air restaurant along the lake looks comfortable, near the Dashi Bridge.
Lijiang Old Town is very sunny during the day in June. I recommend leaving the hotel around 4-5 pm, having dinner, and visiting the night view before returning to the hotel.
The hotel breakfast is clean and refreshing. After breakfast, I was chatting with friends in the open-air lobby. It was cloudy today, and the forecast for the next few days was all rain. I wanted to temporarily change my itinerary to go to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain before it started raining. When I saw that tickets were still available online, I immediately called my friends and family to book tickets. The enthusiastic housekeeper came over to join in the fun and said, "Can you still book tickets to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain now? Impossible." Indeed, when I clicked on the time zone options again, all the time zones were dimmed. Well, my heart was broken. I packed my bags and headed for Tiger Leaping Gorge. Take National Highway 214. The Xili Expressway is on the higher ground to your right. As soon as National Highway 214 turns onto the East Ring Road, a staff member stopped the car and demanded that you buy a Tiger Leaping Gorge ticket before continuing on the East Ring Road. Tickets are 45 yuan per person. The first viewing platform after the ticket gate is the Tiger Leaping Gorge Jinsha River Bridge on the Xili Expressway.
The East Loop soon led to the fork in the road leading to the Tea Horse Inn. The road was narrow and winding, making it challenging for beginners. We parked in the courtyard of the Tea Horse Inn and had a simple lunch there. We left the owner's phone number. When we were almost at the Banshanju Inn, we called him and he would come pick us up, saving us the trouble of paying for two separate parking fees.
Our route was to hike from the Tea Horse Inn to the Banshanju Inn near the halfway point. It was a relatively easy hike, with mostly flat terrain. The first section is a cement road.
The first section is a cement road.
The Jinsha River is below.
Walking on the hiking trail.
There were very few hikers I met on the way, no more than 10.
Indicator signs can be found everywhere
The winding mountain road that branches off from the East Ring Road to the small village on the mountain
After checking in, we slept on the bed while the two drivers returned to the Tea Horse Inn to pick up the car. The round trip took about an hour.
We originally booked Banshanju because the standard rooms on the Halfway route were sold out. 😂 Banshanju Inn is a 2-3 minute walk to Halfway. Once we got there, we noticed so many people had suddenly appeared. It was so lively running up and down, and there was even a tour guide leading the group in stretching. The view from the large terrace at the back of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was amazing. It felt so close that you could almost touch it. The terrace is really nice. If the sun isn't shining, you can sit there for half a day. After enjoying a good coffee and taking enough photos, we decided to walk back to Tin's Inn to see the waterfall. We walked along the cement road for 15 minutes, then turned a corner and found that there was no waterfall in sight. We decided to turn back. My friend looked for the waterfall on his phone, and Amap showed it was a 7-minute walk. So, we continued on together. This section of the trail was a bit more difficult than the previous one.
After walking for less than 15 minutes, I saw the big waterfall. It was long and slender. 😂
Actually, it only takes about 15 minutes from the fork in the concrete road and the hiking trail to see the waterfall, and about 20 minutes to walk to the bottom of the waterfall. In other words, from the Halfway Inn, you can see the waterfall in about 30 minutes.
A little bit of sunshine peeked through the clouds.
My uncle had already ordered a table full of dishes. I could just take a shower and come down to eat. I was so lucky! Dinner tonight was so delicious.
I ordered a free-range chicken for lunch. I wanted to have two different dishes with one chicken. I felt the braised chicken was better. The chicken soup was really too oily.
While eating, I remembered I needed to grab tickets for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. With only 10 minutes left, I frantically entered nine people's information into three phones. The facial recognition process was incredibly tedious. It turned out I'd overestimated the ticket-grabbing process and failed to adequately prepare. I watched the tickets dwindle, and I hadn't registered the ticket-collector information in advance. By the time I'd finished entering everything, they were gone.
Everyone at the dinner table shared their experience: 9 personal details should be combined onto two phones to grab tickets, and the ticket-collector information must be entered in advance to ensure a successful ticket grab. Actually, tickets were available at 8:00 PM, as we could see. It was only because we had incomplete information that we missed the chance.
Rules for grabbing tickets for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: Upload your ID in advance. Independent travelers must grab tickets on the "Lijiang Tourism Group" official account at 8 PM the day before. Each phone can only grab five tickets.
Since I didn't get tickets for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain the next day, I decided to go to Lugu Lake first, and then try to get tickets there, so I could visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on the way back.
I woke up at 6:30 in the morning to see the discounted Rizhao Jinshan Mountain. It's okay if I just have that feeling, hahahaha
The majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stands tall and resilient in front of Banshanju Inn.
After breakfast, we drove to the parking lot of Teacher Zhang’s Inn and went down from Teacher Zhang’s Inn to Zhonghutiao.
Originally, I planned to return via Yixiantian, but the sun was too hot, so I decided to cut my losses and return via the 168 Brave Ladder. The Brave Ladder is the closest way back to the parking lot.
Return to Mr. Zhang's Inn for lunch, then set off for Lugu Lake. Crossing the Jinsha River Bridge, we took the Cuiyi and Hongcui lines to Daju Township. The entire route is winding mountain roads, so although it's a bit of a detour, it's safer to take the highway.
We made a last-minute decision to visit Lugu Lake today, so we found a hotel and got a free upgrade to a panoramic room, which was a great value.
In the evening, we tried the steam pot chicken recommended by the hotel, which was okay. The next day, we found a restaurant on our own and it was even better.
Lugu Lake is located in Yongning Township in the north of Ninglang County and on the left side of Yanyuan County in Sichuan Province, between the Wanshan Lugu Lake area. Admission: 70 yuan per person. Lugu Lake is a lake on the border between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Shared by Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, Sichuan accounts for approximately two-thirds of the total area, while Yunnan accounts for one-third. The Yunnan side of the lake has a much longer shoreline than the Sichuan side. Lugu Lake covers an area of over 50 square kilometers and sits at an altitude of 2,690 meters. Its average depth is 45 meters, with a maximum depth of 93 meters. Its waters are crystal clear, boasting a transparency of 11 meters and a maximum visibility of 12 meters. It is the highest lake in Yunnan and one of the deepest freshwater lakes in China. The lake encompasses five islands, three peninsulas, and one island connected by a seawall, all of which are diverse in shape and emerald green.
The government recently took drastic measures to address the environmental issues at Lugu Lake. All the restaurants and hotels along the river were demolished and relocated inland, and plank roads and running tracks were built along the river. The water of Lugu Lake is now crystal clear, and you can see tourists jogging and exercising in the morning and evening, which brings them great physical and mental enjoyment. Our homestay is located in Puluo Village, Luofang.
The hotel is located on a relatively high ground, so the view from the viewing platform is even more beautiful.
Viewing the hotel from a distance, its geographical location is exceptionally advantageous.
The village is full of frame houses for rent, as well as many B&Bs that are being renovated in full swing. The Yunnan section of the village is thriving with B&Bs, and the local government supports it. In contrast, the Sichuan section is peaceful and tranquil, with a focus on tranquility. Today's itinerary is a clockwise tour around Lugu Lake, but if you depart around 9 a.m., we recommend taking a boat tour to see the sea of grass and flowers (the pier address is detailed later in the article). Then, travel counterclockwise from the Walking Marriage Bridge, as you'll be facing the sun all the way. When visiting Lugu Lake, you can choose to stop wherever you like, and there's not much difference between the various stops.
These are all B&Bs that have not been demolished and are now empty.
At noon, I had lunch at a restaurant called "Yuwei" near the intersection of the Yalu Line. The Pu'er tea wine they had was delicious, with almost no alcohol taste. I even bought a pound of it before leaving. Actually, after passing the Yalu Line intersection, there are many small restaurants along the lake. It's very relaxing to enjoy a small dish by the lake while enjoying the breeze.
Because the sun was very strong, everyone decided to go back to the hotel for a nap. In the afternoon, at the enthusiastic recommendation of the hotel waiter, we went to the pier to take a boat. If you are driving, we still recommend this pier. Navigate to Lugu Lake Love Pier. The price is negotiable. A boat can accommodate a maximum of 5-6 people. We took two boats for 9 people.
I must point out here that the sea of flowers in Lugu Lake is definitely the most beautiful in the morning, and the best time is 9 o'clock. What we saw in the afternoon were all wilted and withered flowers. It was so disappointing. It shows that I didn't do my homework carefully enough. I left my phone number when I got off the boat, and planned to go back to the flower sea the next day if it didn't rain.
Take the pig trough boat and walk to the Lover's Bridge. The Lover's Bridge is ordinary, just like a wooden plank road, and it's just a place for sightseeing. For dinner last night, we had originally planned to go to the "Eco-Steamed Stone Pot Fish and Chicken" restaurant we'd found ourselves, but the hotel staff and the beautiful women all enthusiastically recommended Restaurant A, a popular local spot where their hostess often invited them for dinner. Undecided, we decided to have the hotel send us to "Eco-Steamed Stone Pot Fish and Chicken" to try it out. If there were more people, we'd go to Restaurant A. As luck would have it, there was only one table occupied, so we turned around and went back to Restaurant A. Turns out, there was no one else eating there 😂. So, we decided to sit down and eat. It was okay. They make their own dipping sauces, but the soy sauce is in the bucket, the vinegar in the bottle, and the salt in the salt packet—all in their original packaging. At the table, we'd already agreed to go to our chosen restaurant tonight. It was truly excellent. After yesterday's stone pot fish, today we'd order stone pot chicken. It took an hour from the grass to our pot. Sin.
So sometimes the hotel's recommendations may not be good, so you have to make your own decisions.
The clay pot chicken paired with the Pu'er tea wine I bought at noon was delicious.
Tomorrow I will return to Lijiang to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and today I have to grab tickets again. With the experience of the first time, I am confident today. I have completed all the information early and saved the ticket collector information. My uncle is counting down by the side with a stopwatch, 10-9-8-....3-2-1, and so on. My friend’s and I’s phones couldn’t get to the ticket grabbing interface. I teased my uncle that the time was inaccurate. I saw that my phone also showed 8 o’clock. I swiped it again, but still no tickets. No hurry, no hurry. Maybe the ticket release time is a little later today. I swiped it again and again... "No tickets today, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Cableway will be under maintenance tomorrow." A few words floated in the sky. It was a kind reminder from the tourists who were dining at the same time. I guess they felt a little sorry for us fighting for tickets that we would never get. 😂
Later, I noticed that it seems that the 20th of every month is the day when the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Cableway is closed for maintenance. Well, my homework was not done carefully again.
Farewell to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and I have an extra day for no reason. OK, let's go to Shuhe Ancient Town.
The flower sea was drooping yesterday afternoon, so I must come back to see the vibrant flower sea again today. It's spectacular.
We took the Lining Highway to Shuhe Ancient Town. There was a lot of gravel on the road. The left front tire of our Volkswagen Tanrong burst. Fortunately, we were not going fast. After hearing the sound, we immediately slowed down and notified the other car to turn around and come back. I was still debating whether to just ask them to go to the auto repair shop, but I heard my uncle's voice on the intercom, "I'll change it." I have been driving for so many years and have never changed a tire. For our helpless uncle, he was a lifesaver. Before I could finish calling the car rental company, he had already changed the spare tire. 👍
Finally, we used the spare tire to drive to a small town auto repair shop to have it fixed. The punctured tire was actually repairable for 50 yuan, which the car rental company reimbursed. We then moved the repaired tire to the rear wheel and drove to the nearest cooperative auto repair shop near Shuhe Ancient Town to get a new tire. They had already arranged this before we arrived, so we didn't have to pay for it. With the new tire, we were able to hit the road again.
Coming from Lugu Lake, there's a viewing platform a little way off from the Eighteen Bends of Lining where you can stop and see the Jinsha River's twists and turns. However, our car had a minor incident, so we didn't stop and missed it.
Lining Eighteen Bends
For dinner, we went to the Muyu Ruins Restaurant in Shuhe Ancient Town. Looking at the long queue at the door, we knew we had made the right choice.
I stayed at Huayu Waterside Inn in Shuhe Ancient Town last night and was upgraded to a deluxe room for free.
The sun was shining brightly today, so we decided to go to Yuhu Village first, come back and check out at noon, and then have lunch and wander around Shuhe Ancient Town.
When we came out of the Yuhu parking lot, a girl introduced the scenic tour route, mainly recommending riding a horse into the mountains. Our group was not interested in riding a horse, so the girl's attitude was a bit stiff.
The tour route is to take a sightseeing battery car from the parking lot (battery ticket: 30/person) to the place where the girl let go: Yuhu Square Station, cross the pedestrian street to Changshou Pavilion Station, then take the battery car to Yuhu, and then return the same way.
There are pork stalls on the pedestrian street. The white fat meat, the pig must have never tasted the taste of clenbuterol.
The internet celebrity Pushi Coffee Shop is right on the pedestrian street, we will have a closer look at it on our return trip.
The lonely tree beside Yuhu Lake
Yulong Toushuo Snow Mountain Resort Hotel is located at the foot of the snow mountain.
The battery car returns to Changshou Pavilion Station and turns on the wandering mode.
I saw a restaurant recommended online. It has not even opened yet, but the environment already scored high.
The door of such a beautiful house is locked.
Shujia Xuesongyuan, we probably walked through the back door, and the scenery we took through the crack in the door was like being in a wonderland.
I want to go to Yuzhu Qingtian. I heard that it is a summer resort in Mufu. It must be good. Finally, we were almost at the door and met a scenic battery car. I asked the handsome guy that he was going to Changshou Pavilion Station, which happened to be the place we were going to return to later. But now we have come here, do we have to give up? The handsome guy said that we need to buy tickets for Yuzhu Qingtian, and it is very big inside, and it takes 2-3 hours to play. I really want to give up, and I didn’t hesitate to get on the handsome guy’s car and go back.
Pushi Coffee Shop is really suitable for taking pictures. The architecture is unique and the design of walking on the roof is also novel, attracting many tourists.
Walking all the way back to Yuhu Square Station on the pedestrian street, many stores are open for business.
It was already past 1 pm when we returned to Shuhe. After checking out, we casually walked around Shuhe Ancient Town. The route map drawn by the inn boy.
Shuhe Ancient Town is a small town full of simple charm. No entrance fee is required. The ancient town is built on mountains and rivers. The back mountain is the remnant of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The scenery is very charming.
Sifang Street is the center of the ancient town. People in the past would hold torches when visiting the night market here, so it is called the Night Market Fireflies. It has five roads leading to all directions and is surrounded by water. It is one of the oldest markets in Bazi, Lijiang and one of the eight scenic spots in Shuhe.
Qinglong Bridge is an ancient bridge built in the Ming Dynasty. It has a history of more than 400 years. To the west of it is Jubao Mountain. The central axis of Qinglong Bridge is facing Jubao Mountain. This was the design of Mu Tusi and a landmark building in the heyday of Mu Tusi. But be aware that the bridge is very slippery, so be careful when walking
The Naxi people have a unique three-eye well, which is also a unique symbol of the ancient town. It can be seen everywhere in the ancient town. It is actually the embodiment of the local ancient water-saving method. Using the flow of water, three wells are arranged side by side from top to bottom. The leftmost well of the three wells is the source of spring water, which can be used for drinking water. The middle one is used for washing vegetables, and the far right one is used for washing clothes.
Thousand-year-old ancient spring: Jiuding Longtan It lies on Longquan Mountain in the west and Qinglong River in the east. It is a small semi-circular stone pool one above the other. There is a pavilion between the two pools. The spring water is crystal clear and spotlessly clean. There are many fish that are regarded as sacred fish by the locals. Next to it is the Sansheng Palace. The west hall is dedicated to Guanyin, the north tower is dedicated to the Dragon King, and the south tower is dedicated to Sun Bin, the founder of the cobbler.
With the blessing of spring water, Shuhe Ancient Town is more dynamic
I hurriedly browsed through Shuhe Ancient Town and set out for Erhai Lake. Room reservations in Erhai Lake were very popular that day, and several hotels I was looking for had no rooms. In the end, I spent more than an hour staying at Fansu Guanyun Seaview Light Luxury Inn.
I found a restaurant near Xiao Putuo and had dinner while watching the sunset.
Our hotel has all the rooms facing the lake. It was very comfortable to sit on the sofa in the front yard last night.
Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, and the hotel has prepared rice dumplings.
After breakfast, drive to Shuanglang Ancient Town. There are many places to rent cars around Erhai Lake. These brightly colored convertibles are great for taking photos and are very popular among young people.
The scenery of Dali is in Xanthium, and the scenery of Xanthia is in Shuanglang. Shuanglang is the ancient town closest to the seaside in Dali. It has complete facilities. Yang Liping’s Sun Palace and Moon Palace are also here. Shuanglang Ancient Town is not big, but there is a sentence that best summarizes it: "Although a sparrow is small, it has all the five internal organs." It has beautiful scenery and delicious food on the Erhai Lake.
We didn’t do our homework carefully. When we arrived at the entrance of the Sun Palace, we couldn’t enter, so we walked around in a circle and came out. You can reserve tickets in advance, and there are not many free tickets every day.
Enter Shuanglang Ancient Town and stop and play along the seaside.
Luwo Mountain Ruins: With cliffs, broken windows, and broken walls, plus an excellent photographer, it should be very good.
On the side of the road at Yuan Guan ruins is an ordinary car. When the back cover is opened, it turns out to be a mobile coffee shop with a few outdoor chairs next to it. It is extremely casual.
There are too many tourists in Ideal State. Tour groups come in in batches, and the hotels inside have their own checks and will not allow tourists to enter the hotel, so we just walk around the outside and never see the scenery inside.
The last scenic spot today is Jizhao Nunnery, which is famous for its succulents. It is the most artistic nunnery in China and the most beautiful temple in Dali. I went there for its hydrangeas, which are in full bloom in June.
Jizhao'an and Cangshan Geopark are together, so there is no need to buy a ticket. After parking the car, just follow the signs, but the climb is a bit tiring.
Stay in Manxinfu, Dali Ancient City today
Dine in Dali Ancient City in the evening. I visited several ancient towns during my trip to Yunnan, and they are all very similar. I actually prefer Yuhu Village and Shuhe Ancient Town.
The entrance to the bistro is blocked
The sky was dark and a little rainy in the morning, but it was very comfortable to visit S Bay. I should have stayed here last night, but I regretted it
Next stop: Covered Bridge, this is what was introduced online before going: (
After I went there, I really didn’t like the dirty bridge. Maybe I lacked the eyeballs to see beauty.
The bridge openings are very popular. There are only two or three bridge openings where people and trees in the water can be photographed at the same time, so there are quite a lot of people queuing up. I guess if I were a little fatter, I wouldn't be able to get through the bridge hole.
Next stop: Xizhou Ancient Town. Xizhou Ancient Town is the ancient town with the most complete preservation of Bai architecture. If you go to a windy place, take photos here, such as corner buildings and pastoral scenery. The main check-ins are Lanxudye House, Xilinyuan Baocheng Mansion, and Round House
It was raining when we arrived. We didn’t see much of the Bai buildings, but we saw food 😂
Since it was the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, I saw so many people in Ideal State yesterday, and I guessed that there should be a lot of people in Stone Forest, so I moved to Yuanmou Wumao Tulin. Stay at Yuanmou Hotel tonight.
The Tiger Leaping Beach Earth Forest is located on the west side of Luomaole Village, Wumao Township, 32 kilometers northwest of Yuanmou County, Chuxiong Prefecture. It is also known as the "Wumao Earth Forest" and the commonly referred to as the "Yuanmou Earth Forest" attraction.
The Hutiaotan soil forest covers a total area of 6 square kilometers, and its shapes are mainly castle-shaped, screen-shaped, curtain-shaped, and column-shaped. Various forms of soil pillars are scattered vertically and horizontally, up to 42 meters high, in colors such as red, yellow, white, brown, etc. Looking from a distance, the Hutiao Beach is lined with thousands of peaks, criss-crossed ravines, desolate and rough, like an abandoned castle or a group of huge artistic sculptures.
It takes about 30 minutes to drive from Yuanmou County to Tulin, and the ticket is 70/person. Battery ticket is 10/person.
To enter the scenic spot, choose to take a car up to the highest point, Piercing the Sky, then walk up the spiral staircase, then pass through the Ape Man Valley to the small garden service area, and then go to the Shrimp Mingyu and Qingliang Valley back to the visitor center.
Small body with big power
Due to the inconvenient transportation, there are very few people going to Tulin. We walked around slowly and felt very comfortable.
After leaving Tulin, we drove to Kunming. We dropped my cousin off at the hotel and went directly to the airport to return the car.
Round-trip air ticket for 3 people: 7652
Accommodation: 4441
Car rental share: 2153
Group cost share: 3186
Total 17432
Self-driving travel has become the main theme of my travels in the past few years. After returning to Shanghai, I saw a lot of videos on the Internet of Yunnan tour guides forcing consumption and arguing with tourists. I was secretly glad that I had made this aspect of travel clear in the past few years. I made my own decisions about my own itinerary. I ate more, watched more, listened more, and experienced more. With a good attitude, I always gained happiness. Some small accidents turned out to be beautiful fragments in my memory. Although the preliminary work of self-driving travel will be very hard, from air tickets, car rentals, itinerary arrangements, and hotels to everything, happiness and success also come from these trivial matters.
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