A Trip to Western Yunnan (Kunming, Tengchong, Mangshi, Ruili, Yunnan)

Number of days：6 days
Time: December
Average cost: 5,000 yuan
With whom: and friends
Tour kinds：Free travel
Updated: 2025.01.23

Number of days/itinerary

D1: Hangzhou - Kunming - [Dianchi Lake] - [Old Street]

D2: Kunming - Baoshan - Mangshi - [Mengbanasi Rare Garden] - [Menghuan Golden Pagoda] - [Big Silver Pagoda]

D3: Mangshi - Ruili - [One Village, Two Countries] - [Jiegao Port] - Tengchong - [Dongshan Hot Spring]

D4: [Rehai Scenic Area] - [Simola Wa Village]

D5: [Heshun Ancient Town] - Baoshan - Kunming

D6: Kunming - Hangzhou

D1: Kunming here we come! (Hangzhou 5 degrees, Kunming 25 degrees)

We departed from Xiaoshan Airport for Kunming at 9:00 AM and arrived at Changshui Airport at 1:00 PM. We drove to Dianchi Lake, a 40-kilometer journey that took an hour. We bought some bread along the way to feed the seagulls. From November to March, red-billed gulls from Siberia inhabit this area.

The seagulls were well fed, but we were hungry, so we headed straight to Kunming Old Street to sample pao lu da, bait kuai, pea flour, bean flour dumplings, flower cakes, fried potatoes, papaya juice, rice rolls, lemon-pounded chicken feet, and grilled milk fan. Day 2: Train to Baoshan, a 500km journey of 4 hours. Charter a car to Mangshi, a 150km journey of 2 hours. Journey through rolling mountains and tunnels. Mangshi, the capital of Dehong Prefecture, nestled in the western border of Yunnan, boasts a richly exotic architecture and cuisine, a relaxed and relaxed atmosphere, and affordable prices. Our first stop is the Mengbanasi Rare Garden, home to a vast collection of ancient and renowned trees and rare petrified wood jade. Over the course of long geological history, vast expanses of pristine forest were buried by the might of nature. Under high pressure, low temperature, and an oxygen-free environment, the carbon in the trees was gradually replaced by silica, which then incorporated the mineral elements of the surrounding rock, creating a vibrant, translucent, and vibrant silicified jade. Over 200 to 300 million years, this silicified jade, also known as petrified jade or petrified jade, has been formed.

Mangshi Second Stop: [Menghuan Grand Golden Pagoda] [Menghuan Grand Silver Pagoda]: The Shwedagon Pagoda is the largest golden pagoda in China and the largest hollow pagoda in Asia. It sits atop Leiyarang Mountain, at an altitude of 1,080 meters. Legend has it that Sakyamuni, reincarnated as the Golden Rooster Alan, lived here. The Bodhi tree is a sacred tree in the area. It was here that Sakyamuni meditated and attained enlightenment. The tree was then split from its mother plant and escorted to this spot by a vast procession of monks, all the buildings are dedicated to this tree. The Great Silver Pagoda, with its spire hand-carved from Dai silver and its pagoda painted pure white, stands majestically on the summit of Leiyarang Mountain, on the shores of Peacock Lake.

The Southeast Asian cuisine in Mangshi is not to be missed. The decoration of this restaurant is very ethnic. The pilaf is delicious. Three kinds of three-color rice are paired with a circle of ingredients to create different flavors. The lemongrass grilled fish is rich in spices, the fried pork belly is very crispy, the lemon sprinkle is a pure local specialty, the golden bean powder is golden, the local liquor is very strong, and the sour and spicy taste is the specialty. Each dish is very large and the price-performance ratio is very high.

[InterContinental Mangshi Parklane Hotel]: It is a hot spring hotel equipped with an outdoor swimming pool, a large amusement park, outdoor hot springs, and more than ten pools including the rose pool, gastrodia pool, and blueberry pool. Guests staying in the hotel will receive two hot spring coupons. D3: Mangshi to Ruili, 100 kilometers, 1.5 hours. Our first stop, [One Village, Two Countries], is located near Boundary Marker No. 71 on the China-Myanmar border. A bamboo fence, village roads, ditches, and earthen ridges mark the border, dividing a Dai village into two. Burmese people sell goods across the fence. Inside, the red brick castle features walls painted with Buddhist stories. The Jade Bridge, spanning two countries, is inlaid with 7,777 pieces of jadeite. The village is very large, and there are also a folk village, a peacock garden, a two-country swing, an aerial glass bridge, a sea of flowers, an orchard, a coffee shop, etc.

Second stop: Jiegao Guomen, China's first special border trade zone approved by the State Council and implementing a special "inland border, outside customs" management model. Just across the border is Myanmar. (Photo 2 shows Burmese people returning home from work.) Next door is a duty-free market. Third stop: This Thai restaurant in Ruili is a courtyard-style garden restaurant with a dozen private rooms in the outdoor garden, surrounded by lush trees and blooming flowers, giving the feeling of dining in a tropical rainforest. Some of the waiters were Burmese and spoke basic Chinese. A generous plate of pineapple seafood fried rice, generous squid rolls with cashews and pineapple, each spoonful bursting with flavor. The dendrobium orchid garnish, not just one, but a sprig, was a true Yunnan delight. The lemon juice is highly recommended; it's refreshingly sweet, with a subtle, perfectly balanced savory flavor. The shrimp were large and tender, and the lemon fish was another specialty, a feast for both the eyes and the palate. After dinner, we departed Ruili for Tengchong, a 180-kilometer journey in two hours. The fourth stop, Dongshan Hot Spring, is located in Wenquan Village. It is a natural oxygen bar with forest hot springs as its main feature. It has 16 indoor and 27 outdoor pools with water temperatures ranging from 42-45℃. The natural hot springs are silky and soft. It covers a large area, has a high coverage rate of green plants, and an elegant and quiet environment.

Day 4: [Atami Scenic Area]: Upon entering the scenic area, you'll be greeted by steaming mist, a fusion of volcanic and geothermal heat. The ascent, alternating between steps and mountain paths, takes you past Atami Stone, Toad Mouth, Beauty Pool, Pearl Spring, Sister Spring, Drum Spring, and Pregnant Well. The scenic area boasts over 80 hot spring clusters, more than a dozen of which reach temperatures exceeding 90°C. Finally, you'll reach the Atami Spring King Hot Pot at the summit, a 96°C hot spring pool where water gushes like a column and then cascades down. Free boiled eggs are available nearby, steamed in a geothermal pot for 20 minutes before you return with your ticket. A footbath area is situated beneath a massive Bodhi tree. The water is soft and silky, rich in minerals and trace elements, making it an ideal spot for full-body thermal therapy. A sightseeing bus takes you directly to the summit, saving time and effort, but it's easy to miss smaller hot springs along the way, so it's best for those with less stamina. Second stop: Simora Wa Village. "Simora" means "happy place" in the Wa language. The Wa people consider cattle a symbol of nobility and good fortune. Countless cattle skulls hang from ancient trees, creating a sacred and solemn scene. Nestled against the mountainside, the village offers a glimpse into the village's rich history, showcasing the village's rich culture of terraced fields, Wa dwellings, wooden drum houses, tree spirits, banyan trees, and water-treading windmills.

Third stop: Continue looking for food. The fried rice is really worth the money. There are also braised rice with beef bacillus, roasted chicken with lemongrass, Jianshui tofu, Pu'er tea crispy pork belly, sour papaya stewed beef, and clay pot mud chicken. D5: Heshun Ancient Town. Heshun has a history of more than 600 years and is rich in cultural heritage. It is known as "the first city at the extreme border" by Xu Xiake and "an ancient town that must be visited in a lifetime" by National Geographic. It is a good place to slow down and stroll around and feel the scenery. There are rice fields, streams, homestays, old houses, ancestral halls, ancient trees, alleys, academies, and shops. Along the stone road, there is a grandmother selling handmade cakes. Various small flowers are planted at the door of every household, which is very photogenic. Heshun to Baoshan, 160 kilometers in 2.5 hours. Baoshan to Kunming, 500 kilometers in 4 hours by high-speed rail.

D6: Eat and shop at the fruit market, flower market, and Jiahua Bakery Pedestrian Street. There are sugar apples, rambutans, passion fruit, rose tea, peony tea, flower cakes, ham cakes, passion fruit avocado juice, bean powder, baked rice cakes, pine flower cakes, rice noodles, and various types of rice noodles. I was tired from shopping, so I ordered a cup of dirty food at the MixC Manner. It was delicious.