My Travelog

GETTING THERE FROM BEIJING:

Beijing - Kunming: 3.5 hours flight

Kunming - Dali: 0.5 hours flight, driving possible but duration not known

Dali - Lijiang: 3.5hrs if driving direct via the new highway or 6-7 hours if diverting to Shaxi and then needing to take the old roads

Lijiang - Shangrila (Zhongdian): 2 hours drive from Tiger Leaping Gorge

Shangrila - Beijing: Shangrila - Kunming - Beijing (7 hours total including transit)

OUR TRIP:

Day 1: Arrive Kunming, Jiu Xiang caves

There is no direct flight from Beijing to Dali, so need to stop by Kunming and spend the night as there was no connecting flight either the same day. There are many places to visit, so we picked Jiu Xiang which is about 2.5 hours drive one-way from Kunming, road conditions are bumpy in some parts.

Jiu Xiang consists of caves, through which underground streams flow, quite fast moving in some parts. Upon entering the national park, you need to walk through it to reach the chair lift at the end to get out - will need 2.5 to 3 hours. Part of the caves lost their roof in earthquakes many years back. You get to go in a rowing boat through a little gorge and then walk through the cave systems, highlights include twin waterfalls, cave structures resembling the rice terraces Yunnan is famous for and seeing some prehistoric tools and animal teeth which were found, suggesting life in the caves many years back.

Day 2: Dali, Cangshan, Dali Old Town

Early flight to Dali which is ~1800m above sea level.

Cangshan: a short drive from Dali old town, we went up by taking the chair lift to ~2400m to see the Zhong He temple. We saw the old temple kitchen and met the old lady who cooks for the monks etc - cooking is still done using wood fires (burning twigs) although water and electricity are available. We then walked upwards to ~2600m to the Highland Inn for lunch and wonderful chocolate cake. First experience of altitude hit us when we started getting breathless climbing the steps to the inn. There was a nice resting area next to the kitchen and we relaxed there while lunch was prepared. We had chocolate cake (with hot fudge) and mango lassi too and Gavin played with the resident cat.

Erhai Lake: we took a boat ride to an island and went to see Bai village houses. Many of the people on that island fish for a living.

Dali Old Town: Spent the rest of the day wandering and shopping for trinkets etc and had dinner at Kaiyi's Restaurant on Yangrenjie (Foreigner Street). Kaiyi has western, Chinese and Thai / Vietnamese dishes, the Vietnamese dishes being very well done. It's a good family restaurant and we had fun eating outdoors and watching people on the street. Went to Bakery 88 for nice apple pie after that.

Day 3: Dali, Xizhou, Shaxi, Lijiang

Xizhou: visited old Bai villages and in particular, the Generals House, a Bai house that was lived in by a general in the past. The house is now lived in by 4-5 families. An old lady was selling some souvenirs so we bought some and she gave Gavin candy and sunflower seeds. Unlike our homes, the kitchen is outside of the living quarters (but within the courtyard) and shared by a few families living near each other. The well is also within the courtyard and shared.

Shaxi (沙溪): Shaxi was an important trading town in Jianchuan County 剑川 located between Dali and Lijiang. If you drive to Shaxi, you will take the 'old road' to Lijiang and the whole journey from Dali to Shaxi to Lijiang will take about 6 hours (vs. 3.5hrs if going Dali to Lijiang direct on the highway) - but we felt it was worth it.

Shaxi's market square was added to the World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in 2001 - it was a horse caravan trading point for tea (from Yunnan) and horses (from Tibet) during the Tang dynasty and played a significant role until the Ming dynasty. The market square if off the main road (where the local people live). Paying only 20Y to get in, the place is very quiet safe for a few guest houses and a few bars / coffee shops where you could while away a lazy afternoon. We saw old houses, some occupied and others not - look for telltale signs like electrical meters hanging off the old wooden beams or metal plates from the TV company tacked to the walls. We walked down a cobbled street and the new addition to it was a bright red fire hydrant which definitely did not come from the Ming dynasty. The main minorities living here are Bai and Yi. There was a temple (did not go in) and opposite the temple is a 2 story structure with an elaborate roof - enter this building to see the little museum of Shaxi. In the simple wooden building, you will see pottery, bronze knives and salt rock from more than 1500 years ago.

Allen's Bar: it was raining when we arrived at 2pm with no lunch, we went into this bar and asked the owner (Allen) if he could make us some lunch. Unfortunately his fridge had broken down so he had to fresh ingredients, so we settled for hot chocolate and tea. To the kids delight, they saw his St Bernard under the table and he was a friendly dog and willing to play with them. Allen came back and offered to make us pancakes as that was all he could cook at this point, so we were blessed with lunch of pancake with peanut butter and home made peach jam, hot chocolate and tea. By the time we finished, the rain had abated and we could walk around Shaxi. Allen is originally from Beijing and has lived in Chengdu and Amsterdam before setting up his bar in Shaxi. Thank God for his provision!

As we were returning to the car, we saw many people carrying fish - and saw a man selling fish off the back of his truck (no ice, no refrigeration) and people prodding the fish, checking the gills to pick their choice. We learnt that fresh market produce comes only on Fridays (it was Tues) and due to the rains, the river water level had risen and hence the good catch and supply of fish - so we imagine many families had fish for dinner that night as fridges are not that common in these small towns! Start feeling grateful for our supermarkets, restaurants and ability to eat what we want and when we want to!

Lijiang: Lijiang is at an elevation of ~2200m, higher than Dali and Kunming. We arrived in the evening and were met by our local guide, Peter, who advised us to rest up early as we were heading for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (JDSM) 玉龙雪山 going to height of 4500-4600m above sea level. It was raining and we were tired, so headed across the road for hotpot. We walked around the shops and the sight of all the trinklets got our energy levels back up again and we ended up going to the shops twice and did not get back to the room till 10:30. There are fruit sellers selling fruit in push carts everywhere so you can stock up on fresh fruit easily. The coconuts are dark red in color and for 10Y, the fruit seller will punch holes in it from which you can drink the juice with a straw. (see tips regarding hotel choice in Lijiang Old Town).

Day 4: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 玉龙雪山, Baisha Murals, Mu's Palace

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: We were advised to rest well before heading to the mountain and it's a 45min or so drive from Lijiang Old Town. After your car is parked, you must used their eco-friendly shuttle buses and not allowed to self drive. Our guide helped with the ticket purchase and scheduled us to go up around noon when it would be less crowded. We went up by cable car to around 4560m and then walked till we reached the 4680m mark. A continuous wooden platform with steps has been built for walking up except it was damaged towards the upper parts - so you walk on the mountain itself and the final ascent to reach the Chinese flag is via a flight of steps until you get on the platform. There you can take pictures with the Chinese flag, some Dongba statues and buy yourself a medallion (with your name and date engraved) to commemorate the occasion. We can only say - take it easy on the walk, inhale some oxygen (but not too much) when you feel your heart beating or out of breath and you'll make it up and down in one piece. Eat something for energy e.g. chocolate before you go up and if you did not bring your own chocolate, an enterprising man sells them at 15Y (vs. 7Y normal price) a bar at the cable car queue together with a very entertaining value selling pitch why you should buy and eat it now and not when you feel weak and sick halfway up. There is a lake around 3300m where you see very blue waters (water flows from the mountain and turns blue due to limestone deposits) and it's a nice photo spot. There are yaks standing in the water and you can take pictures on top of them for 20Y. If you want your yak to stand somewhere in the middle of the water for a nicer picture, it'll cost 50Y and if he walks around the water, that goes up to 100Y or so.

Baisha Murals: The Naxi people came to Lijiang from the north, crossing the Jinsha River and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Baisha at the foot of the mountain was where they first settled. Naxi religion was a mix of Dongba religion, Taoism, Tibetan Buddhism and Confucianism making them unique to this region. The murals are of a religious nature and show a mix of Naxi and Han cultures and much it it hails from the Ming and Qing periods. Some of it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Some murals survived because they were protected - people covered them with layers of newspaper and the painted revolution slogans e.g. Long Live Chairman Mao etc on top, so no one detected there were murals beneath. No photography of the murals is allowed.The architecture here dates back to Ming dynasty and worth spending some time if you like architecture.

Mu Palace: The governor of the Lijiang, a Naxi, submitted to the authority of the Ming Dynasty and was conferred the surname of Mu and appointed to administer Lijiang and the Mus continue to rule Lijiang for several hundred years. Mu was a shrewd man who kept good relations with the central government which resulted in his being conferred more titles etc and he used his good standing with the government to expand his sphere of influence in Lijiang and surrounding areas - it is estimated at the height of their rule, 3/4 of Yunnan province was under the Mu control. The Ming Emperor gave him the title Zhong Yi (loyal and righteous) and it is seen on the stone memorial archway in front of his palace. Mu established good relations with the Dalai Lama in Tibet so that all trade on the Tea Horse Caravan Route would progress smoothly. He learnt the culture and knowledge of the Hans but kept the Naxi culture intact. He encouraged education and would invite Han scholars to come and teach the younger generations. His palace is like a mini Forbidden City with halls for administration, education, judgement and religious activities. In front of the administration building is a big parade ground with drum towers, this is where the army would be inspected. The residences flanked the sides of these big halls and the architecture is a mix of Naxi, Bai, Tibetan and Han influences. We saw the living quarters of him and his wife and some of his children.

Unlike other old towns, Lijiang does not have a wall built around it - Mu's surname in Chinese character 木, if surrounded by a box 口, would become the Chinese word 困 (kun), meaning hardship. So Mu did not build a city wall around Lijiang. We would have liked to spend more time at this place but it was getting late in the day and everyone was tired from the full day's activities. Would visit again if I came to Lijiang. Our guide explained that many inscriptions on his palace had double meanings - pretty much if you read it literally, it was politically correct to the Han court and the hidden meaning revealed his true ambitions. But my Chinese is not good enough to remember all of it :(

Day 5: Horse riding outside Lijiang, Shuhe Village

This is a free day on the original travel plan so after checking with our guide, we headed out 30mins from Lijiang to do horse riding. The 1.5hr trip takes us through some Naxi villages and through forests and places that (supposedly) were part of the 茶马古道 (tea horse caravan route), cost per person is around 380Y. Each of us had a horse and 2 guides who led the kids horses for part of the journey. It was quite scary as most of the trip is not on paved roads by going through forest trails and it had rained the previous day. But the horses managed the little slopes well and occassionally had to be re-directed to follow the path. On the return trip, on some of the flat stretches, the guide would make the horse trot faster (gallop would be an overkill). We ended the trip with a tea demostration and tasting and bought some local tea.

Shuhe Village: Shuhe was one of the early settlements of the Naxi people and was a key location along the 茶马古道. Many streams run through Shuhe village and it was a nice walk thro the part of the village where the people lived i.e. no shops & bars. A man invited us to his house - he turned out to be a famous person in the field of herbal medicines. He showed us his medicines, herbs, the book he contributed to and also his home. We saw where his livestock lived (chickens, pigs, horse, cows), his bow and arrows (when hunting was still allowed), his kitchen (cook by fire but now has electricity) and he even told us about the silver bowls his family had for generations that they sold of for 5Y each. He had only one left and someone damaged is by putting it over the electric stove :(. We really appreciated his time and friendliness and this was still one of the most memorable parts of our trip.

We saw Naxi women working the fields and washing in the streams. in the Bai and Naxi culture, the women do all the hard work including farming. The mens' life consist of the following - drink, eat, smoke, play mahjong, fish, train horses, train birds.

As you walk towards the civilized part of Shuhe, you start to see small inns, bars, shops - basically the whole Lijiang commercialism but on a smaller scale. Vendors took advantage of the cold water flowing from the mountains by putting their frut and cold drinks in the streams / canals using it as a natural refrigerator. The stuff is put in baskets and chained to the side. We also had the best cheesecake - was not cheap at 18Y a slice but it was good quality and since it was lunch time, we ate 4 slices on the move. After some light shopping, we went back to Lijiang.

Day 6: First Bend of the Yangtze, Stone Drum, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Zhongdian (Shangrila)

First bend of the Yangtze : This is where the Jinsha Jiang bends and travels in a west to east direction (instead of north to south) and hence remains in China unlike the two rivers that run parallel to it (Nu Jiang and Lancang Jiang) that run north-south and eventually flow to Indo China. Photo-spot. Jinsha is the name of the upper reaches of what we know as the Yangtze River.

Stone Drum: near the first bend, its a memorial to commemorate some generals who sailed across the Yangtze thus shortening the time to travel to Zhongdian, we could see the big drum from a distance. Not a big deal, IMHO.

Tiger Leaping Gorge: It is the deepest, narrowest and longest gorge in the world and lies between the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba mountain range. At it's narrowest part, the width is only 30 meters. Depending on which road you choose, you could be on the side of either the Jade Dragon or Haba mountain ranges. If on Haba, like us, you walk down ~500 steps to see the gorge (and walk back up ~500 steps). If on the other side, it's a long (flat) walk from the car park to the gorge. On the Haba side, there are men offering sedan chair rides if you don't / can't get up the steps, no idea how much it would cost. Legend has it that a tiger, while chased by a hunter, leapt across the gorge to safety with the help of a stone in the middle of the gorge (not visible now). Its very dramatic to see the river waters gushing turbulently as they near the narrowest part and then calm down further down as the gorge widens. The viewing platform allows you to take pictures though only a video can convey the powerful turbulence of the waters.

Zhongdian (Shangrila): We drove 120km from the gorge to Zhongdian, passing by a valley lived in by the Yi minority. The view is beautiful as you see the farm houses in the valley surrounded by green terraced fields. As we approached Zhongdian, the farm houses changed to Tibetan style. We learnt about Tibetan housing design, food / crops and burial customs enroute there as our guide is Tibetan. The Songzhanlin Monastery is famous and located on a hill outside the Old City but we did not visit.

We felt fine on arrival despite the altitude already climbing up to 3000+ meters. We went to the Old Town and saw a group of people dancing in the town square - some of them were old ladies dressed in traditional dress. They danced in circles and we squeezed into the middle of the square and got a good video of them dancing. Dinner was a well cooked western meal at the Compass Cafe where we discovered the manager running it was from Singapore! We walked round the shops but after seeing too many in Dali and Lijiang, we lost interest in shopping.

Day 7:
I vomitted through the night and could hardly sleep, so Day 7 was scaled back considerably. The kids and Jeff visited a Tibetan family (friends of our guide) and got to experience Tibetan foods like yak butter tea, buckwheat pancakes and some alcoholic drinks. Nothing much to write since we stayed in the hotel mostly.

SHOPPING (Jul 09):

1. Accessories: lots of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, bangles and prices fluctuate as widely too. For earrings you can get 3-5 pairs for 10Y and bracelets, necklaces go for 5-10Y each. Everything you see and did not buy in Dali can be found in Lijiang and because there are much more shops, prices are cheaper. Many shops sell scarfs and wraps with tie-dye patterns, some as cheap as 15Y.

2. Dongba paper products: Dongba paper is made by the Naxi people from alpine plants, it looks like parchment and can only be found in Lijiang. We bought books showing Dongba script and their meanings or history of Lijiang and the shop owner autographed it and wrote messages in Dongba script.

3. Tie dye fabrics of the Bai people: true handmade tie dye can be identified by the needle marks and irregularity in the fabric as the parts that are not dyed by indigo are stitched by hand to form the patterns. If the patterns are very regular and no needle holes present, then the cloth is machine printed. We bought our fabric from a village outside of Dali and saw the ladies making the fabric as well.

4. Mushrooms: Yunnan is famous for its many types of mushrooms and you can find dried mushrooms sold by street vendors. Our guide said that some may be poisonous, so we bought ours from the supermarket. Since I am writing this wiki, the ones i bought and ate must be A-OK

TIPS (Jul 09):

1. Lijiang Old Town: Our hotel was in the Lijiang Old Town and the minivan could only park in the car park outside the south gate - fortunately the hotel sent its little electric car to come pick up the luggage so we could walk the 5mins to the hotel without dragging our stuff along the cobbled streets. Later that night, while having dinner, we saw people dragging their baggage through the old town to get to their inns. Point being - check with your hotel / inn how far it is from the carpark, if there is pick up service for your luggage so you don't end up with a rude shock - arriving on a rainy night, cold and tired and then dragging your big luggage for 10mins or so to some small inn in the middle of the old town. We saw some travellers helping to push carts laden with baggage thro the busy shopping streets upon checkout because the bus / car was in the carpark, a good 10-15mins away and twice as long if trying to get out when the streets are full of tourists. Or travel light.

2. Food / Snacks: Bring snacks like chocolate, cereal bars as foreign foods are hard to come by in the Old Towns and prices marked up. Some chocolate before the journey up to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain helps to keep your energy levels up and you can avoid paying double price to the chocolate seller there. Helpful when lunches / dinners get delayed or you have a terrible hotel breakfast!

3. Small gifts: For when you visit local families that invite you to their home, some don't mind getting money and there are others who don't want to accept. Being unprepared, we gave our Naxi medicine man some local tea which we just bought in Lijiang - would have been nicer if we had something from Beijing!

4. Shopping: Try to support the local minority tribes by buying from them. During our trip, we found them to be more easy going and friendly so that bargaining does not become a blood sport.

5. Raincoats & good walking shoes: it rains alot in Yunnan and the temperature will fluctuate somewhat between day and night especially if it's been raining in the afternoon. Good walking shoes are needed for the hikes and also to walk the cobbled streets of the Old Townes in Dali, Lijiang, Zhongdian - the cobbled streets are slippery after the rains. A pair of Timberlands hiking books saw me through the whole trip.

HOTELS:

Kunming: Golden Dragon Hotel, we checked in at 7pm checked out at 5am so nothing much to comment, rooms are fine and we had ok meal in the hotel restaurant. They were nice enough to pack our breakfast for take away as we were catching the early flight to Dali.

Dali: Lanlinge Hotel - it's centrally located in the middle of the old town, 3 mins from Yangren Jie where the shops and restaurants are. Rooms are ok except the water pressure in the bathroom was so low and water temperature fluctuating, so it was fraustrating (if not dangerous for the kids) showering. We will think twice about staying here if visiting again.

Lijiang: Wangfu Hotel - it's got all the hardware elements of a 4-star hotel with 10Y/hr PC for internet access (god send to the kids as we traveled without PCs) and a nice 24hr massage place where we did 1.5hr foot and body massage for 108Y. It's near the south end of Lijiang, with restaurants and shops nearby but it's a 10-15min walk to the Sifang Jie and Bar Street area which are very rowdy.

Zhongdian: Guan Guang Hotel - rooms were decent but breakfast was terrible. Location is good, near to the Old Town.