You don’t have to just sit there and do nothing in Lijiang; hiking is just as exciting!

Number of days：3 days
Time: June
Average cost: 3000 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2024.06.23

Day 1: Tea Horse Inn and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

To save time and money, I booked an early flight to Lijiang at 8:30 AM. Cycling to catch the first Line 2 bus to Shanghai, I saw a stunning sunrise over the Suzhou River—a perfect reward for getting up at 5 AM. After a drowsy two hours of sleep on the plane, I finished reading the National Geographic Discovery Yunnan 100 Years special and felt a rare moment of boredom. I thought the final voyage would be different, and I'd definitely return with many stories to tell. And that was exactly what happened. After landing, I received a notification that my shared carpool needed to depart within half an hour. Having just left the city, I couldn't help but feel anxious, worried about being late and dragging down the entire carload. I also felt wronged. I hadn't planned this tight schedule myself, so why should I bear this guilt? In the shared carpool from the airport to the city, the driver kept chatting in the local dialect with three other passengers. Only when I arrived did I realize they were old friends. I was starving, so I bought a fried dough stick for 3 yuan at a roadside stall for lunch and then, carrying my 40-liter bag, ran to the van—this was my first meal in Yunnan.

On the bus, my seatmate was a very talkative man. He talked about his revised travel plans, sharing many beautiful sights, and how the bus had met passengers who wanted to visit Siguniang Mountain and Hemu but had failed. As we chatted, I, who hadn't been feeling sleepy at all, fell asleep again. When I woke up, the van was just turning a corner. Looking out the window, I saw Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Since this was my first time hiking alone, I asked friends who had done it before what I should pack: a quick-drying vest, a warm base layer, and a jacket. Time was tight, and I forgot I had the right shoes. After checking the guide, I decided to skip the tiring and uphill first half of the Naxi Yage section and instead share a car to Chama. The tea-horse owner said that if we walked in the opposite direction of the hiking route, we could see panoramic views of the Jinsha River and Liangjiaren Village. It was already three o'clock when I left the inn. Sunsets are late in the southwest, but I'm not used to navigation, and I still got lost in the scorching sun. Although it was awkward to enter a private residence, I didn't forget to play with the cats along the roadside. I mustered up the courage to ask the weeding lady how to get to the blue house. She responded enthusiastically in her Northeastern accent.

Back at Chama, I waited on the large terrace with my roommates for the sunrise over Jinshan. The boss lady's children were playing and chasing each other, and I couldn't help but snap a picture with my DSLR. The older woman with the mushroom-haired hairstyle stopped and asked why I was taking a picture of her. A little embarrassed, I put my camera away. Unexpectedly, she pulled her younger brother over and asked if I could take a photo of them together. The younger brother, unfazed by the stranger, simply lay down on the ground. The setting sun shone down on the mountain, a little bit of it falling on the children on the ground.

Day 2: Tiger Leaping Gorge Hike

Early in the morning, I had a 15-yuan breakfast set at the restaurant. I was surprised that I could understand the French version of "Lonely Planet." I put on my headphones and continued on my way. When I checked out, I simply said goodbye to the landlady. We might not see each other again. It was truly a wonderful experience, a chance encounter.

The Tiger Leaping Gorge hiking trails are well-established, with prominent red signs at easy-to-get-out-of-track intersections. The early morning dirt roads, mingling with the scent of animal manure and ripe corn, offer a breath of nature I've never experienced in the city. The first group of people I met on the trail were two dark-skinned young men. At first, I silently competed with them, not wanting to fall behind. At a certain intersection, a man asked me if I was afraid of a woman hiking. My anger flared up again, and I asked what was there to be afraid of, lumping them in with the "men." Then, at another corner, I saw them taking photos. I assumed it was a Jinsha River camera spot only experts could spot, so I approached them for a conversation. I realized they were just waiting for a friend who was calling. They were retired soldiers from Yunnan, and they hiked on their weekends. They asked if I wanted some fresh bananas. I was about to refuse, feeling sorry for my previous stereotypes. But when they offered me the bananas, the fruity fragrance wafted through my lips, and I couldn't resist. This was the first group of kind people I met on the trail.

We set off from the Midway Inn at 10:30. Just as the mobile katydid cage on the terrace of Halfway had me marveling at the speed of technological advancement, I saw an Apple Watch dropped on the road. We all wanted to find the owner, but unfortunately, no one around us could tell it was theirs. After walking a little further, we met the two foreign women we'd seen that morning. They asked for directions in English, and I was the only one who could answer. We realized they weren't Korean, but Thai, and they were going back to look for something. Uncle Hai asked if the watch was theirs, but by the time we realized what was happening, the two girls had already walked away.

So I spent two hours playing Xiaoyin, chatting with the uncle and aunt about what I studied in college and why I came here alone. In the mountains of Yunnan, we talked about how Taiwan's education system is so crammed, and how this generation of children never gets to know what they want. But in my eyes, they live transparently and freely. They went on a ten-day mountain hike in Yunnan with a friend they've known since childhood, visiting the northern slopes of Meili and Haba Snow Mountain. Once I've climbed a little more, I'm going to sign up for the Dengtuzi (Dengtuzi) tour, to climb even more treacherous but beautiful mountains.

💃 Day 2.5 Ten Years of Backpacking

I have never stayed in such a good youth hostel! Actually, looking back, the only time I truly had the freedom to stay in a youth hostel was during my time in Europe. I definitely couldn't live out on my own before I became an adult. The rest of the time in college was either due to pandemics or with friends. It was only in Europe that I felt free to be a backpacker, traveling whenever I wanted, staying overnight on trains, in hostels, in luxury hotels, and in budget hotels.

After dinner, we went to Sifang Tingyin for some dancing. Xiaoyu said that this place is mostly populated by outsiders these days, but locals still stay to teach dance. I love dancing in a group to music; even if my limbs aren't coordinated, I still have a lot of fun. Later, the stranger next door couldn't stand it anymore and taught me the movements. After I learned them, I realized how freely my limbs moved in this kind of dance.

Day 3 Shuhe Ancient Town and Zhongyi Market

When I woke up in the morning, the friends I recommended to Tiger Leaping Gorge had already left. I greeted the woman in the bed across from me and realized she was one of the girls from the next table yesterday. Following Xiaoyu's recommendation, we went to eat at Xianhua Guoqiao Rice Noodles. The local grandmother warmly welcomed us, even though we hadn't had breakfast until 10 a.m. I continued to follow her fan page and learned her name was Honghong, a former doctor. Having lived in both Shanghai and Guangzhou, she truly needed some breathing room. The large group of friends at yesterday's table were all new acquaintances I'd just met during this trip. They only slept four hours a night, yet they felt much more energetic than when they worked in the city. As I listened, my eyes welled up with hers, but where did my confusion and anxiety lie? Was it that I was permanently trapped in Lhasa in April, or was it still in the future that I couldn't escape?

Continue walking forward and passed the Lover's Bridge. I thought it was just a Lover's Bridge, like any other tourist attraction with lots of love locks. But after reading the introduction, I learned that this is the only way for Mosuo men and women to socialize after their thirteenth-year-old coming-of-age ceremony. During the bonfire party, Naxi girls can meet their ideal men and begin dating and marriage. Just then, a Mosuo man carrying a baby passed by. The fusion of past and present made me feel incredibly close to Mosuo culture. I walked to a quiet place covered with shade trees, looked up at the trees and at myself. The squirrels here are much more fearful of people than those near West Lake in Hangzhou, which is how squirrels should behave. Entering Sansheng Temple, it looks like a former tourist attraction, but no one else is going in except me. The colorful pond in front of the gate makes me think it's like Jiuzhaigou, and the passersby behind me echo the same sentiment.

I had already planted my eye on this restaurant when I checked in at Shuhe Ancient Town a few days ago. Today I was fortunate to be in Shuhe Ancient Town for the second time, so I decided to check in here. As expected, I was not disappointed. After entering the gate, there was another scenery, a very beautiful atrium. We were seated on the second floor and then ordered his special dishes. Each one was very delicious. The waiters were also very enthusiastic. I can't wait to go there again!

The restaurant's unique decor and cozy atmosphere make it perfect for dates and family gatherings. The beautiful environment, authentic flavors, elegant surroundings, and friendly service are all worth a try. The price-performance ratio is excellent, the flavors are authentic, and the aftertaste is endless. I highly recommend it. The waiters are friendly and the ingredients are fresh, making it a safe choice.

After leaving Shuhe, I planned to rent an electric scooter to go to Zhongyi Market in Dayan to watch the sunset over Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. After searching for a long time and failing to find one, I decided to look for a hydrogen-powered scooter. By chance, I caught the evening rush hour in Lijiang, leaving get off work with the locals and experiencing the unique charm of this tourist city, nestled among its attractions. Arriving at Zhongyi Market just as the night market was about to begin, the various stalls were jammed with electric vehicles. I headed deeper into the ancient city and found the perfect vantage point for capturing the snow-capped mountains on the slopes of the market. Standing there, lost in thought, I watched the sunset unfold as it normally would. Afterwards, I caught a taxi to Kunming Airport. Even though it turned out, I still had time to wait for the airport bus. During my three days in Lijiang, I met many wonderful people and heard many wonderful stories. The convergence of cultures from all corners of the world is a unique charm of Lijiang. In the second half of the journey, we will get closer to Yunnan.