Dali has a very high reputation in the minds of Chinese people. It is simply a dream paradise. People live a peaceful and tranquil life without competing with the world. Here you can find the fantasy fairy tale world. Let me share with you my journey all the way south to Dali.
On March 22, 2017, I made an appointment for this travelogue. When I made the appointment, I wrote: I have read this passage before: "When you are memorizing words, the cod in Alaska are jumping out of the water. When you are doing math, the seagulls on the Pacific coast are flapping their wings over the city. When you are studying in the evening, the night sky in the polar map is scattered with colorful colors." At that time, I was wearing headphones, listening to the soothing melody with a quiet heart, watching the rustling sound of my classmates' pens and the dimness of the night falling outside the window. When I was in high school, I never thought that I could go to so many places alone. Traveling will become a part of my life. I hope to find such a pleasure in my busy work and study. I hope to enjoy the greatest degree of freedom. This time I will go to Yunnan from Lugu Lake, passing through Lijiang, Dali (Shuanglang) and Kunming. Yunnan, here I come.
Wake up and look at the sea of grass
Overlooking Rigg Island
Nice artistic sign
Lama Temple
Lijiang Old Town
On February 17, the results of the postgraduate entrance examination came out. Well, the score was higher than the one I applied for last year, but the embarrassing thing is that it was only 2 points higher, so I have been hesitant about whether to prepare for the re-examination. After all, I still want to go to Tibet before March and enter Nepal from Tibet. Just thinking about it makes me feel that it is very good. The idea of going to Tibet can be traced back to when I was in junior high school, when I saw the photography pictures in the "National Geographic of China" magazine. Don't be too shocked. There are also some big names, I remember Wang Shi, who climbed Mount Everest, awesome.
But I was a procrastinator and kept hesitating. I wanted to buy a train ticket to transfer from Xining, but I couldn't get a ticket. So I kept procrastinating until the end of March. Just then, a "surprise" phone call came in. My cousin asked me if I wanted to go to Yunnan for a self-driving tour to relax. The surprise that fell from the sky fell on my head. Thinking that I could save the travel expenses and accommodation expenses, how could I not go (Oh my God, I despise you in my heart, ten thousand times)
【Pre-trip planning】
Because April 2nd to April 4th is the Qingming Festival holiday, there are many tourists on holidays. Later, the country exempted highway tolls on national statutory holidays. Haha, isn’t it the purpose of going to tourist attractions on holidays to see the grand scene of "huge crowds of people"? Therefore, it is necessary to avoid the peak period. My cousin went to work on April 5th, so the schedule was also very tight. Finally, it was decided to travel by car from March 31st to April 4th, and travel alone from April 4th to April 6th.
Route: Chengdu - Lugu Lake - Lijiang - Dali - Kunming.
The basic route was like this. At first, I wanted to stay in Lugu Lake. If I didn't have time to go to Dali or Lijiang, I would just stay in Lugu Lake for three days to have a good rest. But when we arrived at Lugu Lake, we found that none of us were interested!!! This lake is exactly the same as the lake in my hometown (Shengzhong Lake)!!! Both have turquoise water, blue sky, and small pig trough boats. Was it because I imagined it too beautifully??? Anyway, I stayed there for one day and then went to Lijiang
Chengdu to Lugu Lake
First we took the G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway and then the 307 Provincial Highway. We went directly to the Lugu Lake Scenic Area without passing through Xichang. Nowadays, people usually use navigation, so we followed the navigation all the way. As for the road conditions, the expressway is easy to drive, but the 307 Provincial Highway is very winding and narrow, which is not easy to drive. We got on the expressway at 10 am and arrived near Xichang at 5 pm. Because we had a child over 3 years old, we would stop at any service station, so the delay was relatively long. Later, it was getting dark after 6 o'clock. In fact, it was quite dangerous to drive on the mountain road, but my cousin was careful and brave, so she continued to drive until nearly 10 o'clock in the evening before arriving at the Lugu Lake Scenic Area.
Along the way, there was a child and an aunt who got carsick. It was hard to take care of the two. So I am an experienced person who has taken the car all the way, and I have some small suggestions.
1: It is best for children to download cartoons in advance when they are in the car. Playing videos on mobile phones or in the car can attract children's attention.
Second: Buy fruits, snacks, and biscuits. You can’t always find a restaurant when you’re hungry on the road. For example, we brought our own homemade pickled chicken feet to satisfy our hunger.
Self-service pickled chicken feet
Three: People who are prone to motion sickness must be well prepared in advance when taking a long-distance bus. Prepare motion sickness medicine, motion sickness patches, whatever works best. Do not eat greasy food in advance, and eat less on the road! Finally, remember to bring oranges. It is especially useful to put orange peels on your nose to improve the air quality.
Four: The air quality in the car will definitely be bad if you stay in it for a long time. Car owners should remember to open the window every half an hour to change the air.
Five: Weather forecast + common medicines
A magical combination^_^ Check the weather to prevent colds or heat stroke, and bring medicine to treat colds and heat stroke.
Monthly average temperature of Lugu Lake
6. Bring a hot water cup with you. After all, there is hot water available at the service station. Drinking hot water is always necessary.
Seven: It rains a lot during the Qingming Festival. It is true that the weather is sunny and rainy at times. In the mountains, the temperature is also quite low. It is cold. Since you should bring both summer and winter clothes for self-driving tours (≧∇≦), you need beautiful summer clothes (skirts, sandals) and warm winter clothes (sweaters, down jackets).
You carried the load and I led the horse. We were exhausted and dusty all the way. We arrived at Lugu Lake Scenic Area at 10 o'clock in the evening. The ticket was 100 yuan per ticket, and the student ticket was half price. After buying the ticket, you can enter the scenic area through the gate. It is said that the ticket gate is more than 10 kilometers away from the scenic spot. So we drove along the way to find a hotel.
At this time, just two minutes after entering the scenic area, we saw the lights on at @涘锦客栈, as if waiting for us night walkers.
Unexpectedly, it's good, 100 yuan
Very cozy
If you have some altitude sickness, it is best not to take a shower
corridor
Fun for kids
After packing up, I went to bed early. How could I still have the energy to enjoy the beautiful scenery the next day? I think you need to relax when traveling, but this relaxation is based on going to bed early and getting up early. Sightseeing is a physical activity. If you don't pay attention to your work and rest time, won't you be even more tired?
Open the window and enjoy the view
Green mountains, green waters, small bridges and houses
The air after the rain directly penetrates the heart and spleen, making you feel happy and joyful.
Sea of Grass
After that, we drove to Lugu Lake Town for breakfast, and then prepared to walk around Lugu Lake in a clockwise direction. We stopped and walked, and visited scenic spots. Maybe we were lucky. It was a bit foggy in the morning, but with the arrival of the sun, the clouds and fog cleared up.
Map of Lugu Lake
Driving route: Caohai - Walking Marriage Bridge - Huguhu Town - Lover's Beach - Xiaoluoshui - Nisai - Lige Island - Luoshui - Observation Deck (to Lijiang)
Walking Marriage Bridge
The Walking Marriage Bridge is the only bridge on Lugu Lake. It is the place where Mosuo men and women date. During the day, adult Mosuo men and women express their feelings to their loved ones through dancing and singing at the party. If a man is attracted to a woman, he will make an appointment with the woman during the day and go to the Walking Marriage Bridge to keep the appointment at night. Here, men call their female lovers "Axia" and women call their male lovers "Azhu". When night falls, the Walking Marriage Bridge is filled with "Azhu" who are going to meet for an appointment. This is a great place for a date.
Walking Marriage Bridge
Popularize the marriage customs of the Mosuo people:
The Mosuo people, a nation known as the "Daughter Country", still retains the matriarchal social system. Everything in the Mosuo people is dominated by women. The Mosuo people have a unique way of marriage - walking marriage. Walking marriage is called "Se Se" in the Mosuo language, which means "walking around". It vividly shows that walking marriage is a marriage relationship that is made at night and separated in the morning. The man and woman are not in a marriage relationship. Only at night will the man live in the woman's house, and they still live and work in their own homes during the day. At night, the man will knock on the woman's door with a unique code. For men and women who walk in marriage, the element to maintain the relationship is emotion. Once the emotion fades or the personality is incompatible, the relationship can be cut off at any time. Therefore, the degree of emotional freedom is relatively high. In terms of sex, the woman also occupies a dominant position. Once the woman no longer opens the door for the man, the walking marriage relationship is declared over. Well, the Mosuo people still retain this custom today. No wonder I see women selling clothes, honey and other items. Mosuo women have a higher status than men~
Lama Temple
On the way to Lover's Beach, I came across a Lama Temple and thought about going to take a look, but this little guy was crying and clamoring for toys. This pitiful little guy
Crying is also cute
This is a place of Tibetan Buddhism. The Mosuo people of Lugu Lake believe in their original religion, Dabaism, and also Lamaism. After Lamaism was introduced into the Lugu Lake area, temples of the Black and Yellow sects were successively built in the area. It is also a place where Buddhism is believed.
I think this temple is really beautiful. Just from the color point of view, it is colorful and bright. I don't believe in Buddhism, but I believe in some concepts such as "cause and effect" and "good karma". I am more pious to prayer flags, and all of this, the prayer flags, the temple, and the children complement each other to form a beautiful picture.
The next stop is Lover's Beach, where there are many Mosuo women buying clothes they made themselves. They are cheap and look good.
Lover's Beach
Lover's Beach
Lover's Beach
Local women like red, purple and blue, and use colorful stripes to trim the edges. So you can see shawls or tops are mainly in these three colors, bright and light.
spring
spring
Spring is here
Blessings have arrived
My little nephew has a lot of fun playing with sand. When he is disobedient and refuses to eat, I really want to beat him. But usually he is a little clown, a naughty boy, and very cute.
There is a sad and beautiful love story in Lover's Beach (next to Lover's Beach are Gemu Goddess Mountain and Houlong Mountain). Legend has it that Gemu Goddess and Houlong were once a pair of lovers, but after being transformed into Gemu Goddess Mountain and Houlong Mountain by the gods, they could only look at each other across the sea. The gods only allowed them to meet once a year on July 15th. On this day, they would meet at Lover's Beach, lean on each other, and tell their sorrows. "Lover's Beach" came from this. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the story is also very touching.
Next stop @Xiaoluoshui
I encountered a funny thing here in Xiaoluoshui. My aunt wanted to go to the bathroom, so she went to the hotel in Xiaoluoshui to ask where the bathroom was. The hotel clerk said: "It's in the dining hall in front, 200 yuan per time." My aunt was shocked and said: "I only paid 100 yuan for a night, but it costs 200 yuan to go to the bathroom. Is your toilet made of gold?" Later, after much persuasion, she "discounted" it to 20 yuan per time =_=
This incident was just a joke and we laughed it off in the car. As it got to noon, the sun got brighter and brighter, and my mood got better and better. Then we arrived at Rig Island, where the scenery was picturesque, the blue waves were like mirrors, the white clouds in the sky and the surrounding mountains blended into a crystal-clear whole.
Rigg Island
Rigg Island
Rigg Island
Rigg Island
Pig Trough Boat
Did you see the pig trough boat?
The pig trough boat is a canoe, called "Rigu" in Mosuo language. It is made of a thick log with two sharp ends. It is named because it looks like a long pig trough. Lugu Lake is isolated from the world, and the only means of transportation in the lake is the trough boat.
The license plate on the tank boat is 10 yuan per time, and the boat ride is another price.
️️️Prices for boat trips to various attractions (reference):
Lige - Lige Bay: 10 yuan/person; Lige - Bird Island: 30 yuan/person; Lige - Lake Island (Xiwa'e Island): 35 yuan/person; Lige - Xiaoluoshui: 40 yuan/person; Lige - Daluoshui: 45 yuan/person; Xiaoluoshui - Liwubi Island: 40 yuan/person; Xiaoluoshui - Wangfei Island - Liwubi Island: 45 yuan/person
Lugu Lake is beautiful, but it doesn’t have much appeal to us, as we have to head south.
Speaking of reaching Lijiang from Lugu Lake, it goes without saying that the road is bumpy, and the Lining Highway has been fully opened to traffic, with two lanes. The entire highway has beautiful scenery, but the mountains are high and the bends are sharp, and there are many hairpin bends. It is more troublesome to cross the mountains and ridges and cross the Jinsha River along the way. There are guardrails on the road, but they are not high. Anyway, just pay attention and arrive in about four hours. It is worth mentioning that this section of the road is from one high mountain to another. At the top of the mountain, the strong wind pushed the white clouds. My aunt said: "I used to think that the clouds and mists in Journey to the West were fake, but now I see that they are real." It's so beautiful~ I finally arrived in Lijiang after swaying and swaying, and went directly to Lijiang Ancient Town, ready to see the night view of Lijiang Ancient Town, hahahahahaha, isn't Lijiang the capital of love encounters, but there are old people and children, it is impossible to go to the bar. I haven't been to the bar yet. Although there is no love encounter, I have encountered the beauty of Lijiang.
The Qinyuan Inn where we stayed is in Zhongyi Lane. It is next to the ancient city and has a quaint courtyard. It is quite quiet. The standard room is 140 yuan a night - no entrance fee to the ancient city. In fact, the entrance fee to Lijiang Ancient City is free, but you need to pay an ancient city maintenance fee of 80 yuan, which is usually collected by the inn, hotel, etc., and can also be purchased at the gate of the ancient city and the ticket offices of various attractions (when visiting Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area, Mu Mansion, Black Dragon Pool Park and other attractions, you will generally be asked to show the receipt for the ancient city maintenance fee). There are also free parking spaces, which are connected to the ancient city. You can go directly to the ancient city by walking out of the main entrance of the inn.
There are flowers and plants planted everywhere in the yard. It is said that it would be a waste if you don’t stay in Lijiang Ancient Town when you come to Lijiang. The inns in Lijiang Ancient Town are literary and exquisite, and reveal a touch of friendship everywhere.
The picture is from Jianshu App
The picture is from Jianshu App
The picture is from Jianshu App
Lijiang Ancient Town includes Shuhe Ancient Town, Dayan Ancient Town, and Baisha Ancient Town. Baisha Town is almost a village and few people go there. Friends who have been to Shuhe Ancient Town say it is similar to Dayan Ancient Town, but it is not as commercialized and has a more village atmosphere. Dayan Ancient Town is commercialized, but it still feels good. There are exquisite clothing stores, jewelry stores, inns, bars, and Sifang Street is very lively at night.
Apart from the Muwang Palace, Lijiang Ancient Town is the only ancient town without a wall. The reason is that toast is in the element of wood, and if a wall is built around it, it will become trapped, which is not a good meaning, so there is no wall.
Many people wander to Yunnan and Lijiang, and stay in this ancient city. They open an inn, hold a guitar, and sing the song of their own life.
I looked at the top three recommended restaurants on Mafengwo, and one of them was Erkuai Shiguang. The store is quite small but very quaint and exquisite. The clerk was also very enthusiastic and introduced the special food here. I ordered Erkuai and French fries, which were delicious.
Bait Fast Times
Bait
The next restaurant we navigated to was Heshu Restaurant. I found that the dishes here really like to use mint leaves. Naxi grilled meat and Naxi grilled fish are all padded with mint leaves. The grilled meat here is all bacon. As I am from Sichuan, I think the grilled fish is just average. After all, Sichuan grilled fish is also delicious. Naxi grilled fish and water lily are the specialties here. Water lily is a kind of wild grass that grows in water. It is very delicious and highly recommended!Since we have children, we ordered pineapple rice, sour plum juice, and plum wine. They are all okay.
Heshu Restaurant
Naxi Grilled Fish
Fickle
After eating and drinking, we continued to visit the ancient city and returned to the inn. We had planned to go to Xuelong Snow Mountain the next day, but the temperature was too low and the air was thin at high altitude, so we were afraid that the children could not stand it, so we did not go to Yulong Snow Mountain.
We are not going to Shangri-La, but we want to go to Tiger Leaping Gorge, so we navigate to Tiger Leaping Gorge first. Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into two sections, Lijiang section and Shangri-La section. We recommend going to Shangri-La section. This is the same road as the highway to Lijiang. After that, there are two forks. Take the G214 National Highway. The road condition of National Highway G214 is good. Although there are many winding bends, the road surface is wide. The climate in the mountains is changeable. Pay attention to the weather. Do you see the snow-capped mountains in front? The main peak of Yulong Snow Mountain on the south bank is 5,596 meters above sea level, and Zhonghaba Snow Mountain on the north bank is 5,396 meters above sea level. Tiger Leaping Gorge is on both sides of the road. The scenery along the way is very beautiful.
Take the G214 National Highway, turn into the fork road near Tiger Leaping Gorge Town, and then follow the river to reach Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge. Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into three sections: upper, middle, and lower. Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge is fully developed and is the only place you can go to by self-driving. Because Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge are hiking routes, one of the world's top ten classic hiking routes, cars are not allowed to enter.
The ticket office of the scenic spot is at the fork in the road. You can pick up the ticket after booking online. The 50 yuan ticket only saves 5 yuan. The student ticket is half price. The advantage is that you don’t have to queue when there are many people. After leaving the national highway, the road becomes steep. Although it is also paved and the road surface is flat, there are cliffs on one side and deep valleys on the other side. The road is not wide and there are many bends. After driving about ten kilometers, you will arrive at Shanghutiao. Standing on the cliff road and overlooking the Jinsha River is spectacular.
See the snow-capped mountains along the way
After arriving at the scenic spot, we need to go down the mountain to see the flowing water in Tiger Leaping Gorge. We have to climb a lot of stairs, which takes about an hour to go back and forth. The little guy was timid at first and didn’t dare to go. Later, I challenged him to compete with me to see who could climb faster. This little figure climbed the whole way without being carried. It was awesome
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge
The water flows forward with great force, history disappears, dynasties change, the only thing that remains unchanged is that the water flows to the sea and never returns. Everything is changing, but I hope that my original intention will not change and my youth will remain the same.
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Visiting Tiger Leaping Gorge Around 1pm, we drove forward to "Shuanglang". We passed Butterfly Spring but didn't go there. Shuanglang is undergoing renovation. Now the inn cannot be booked. Vehicles are also restricted. Vehicles can only pass after 6pm. We stayed in Shuanglang. There are many small vendors selling fried fish and shrimps on the roadside. You must try them. They are crispy. The boss said they were just caught from Erhai Lake. Delicious! We all wore sweaters at the beginning of Tiger Leaping Gorge. When we arrived in Shuanglang, the temperature rose to more than 20 degrees. We immediately changed into a long skirt^_^
Blue sky and white clouds
I took a few photos in the car, and they were all blue sky and white clouds. The clouds in Chengdu are too thick, and it is difficult to see the sun. As soon as the sun comes out, Sichuan people all run to the park to bask in the sun, fly kites, and play mahjong. The leisure lifestyle may also be related to the climate. I heard from the locals that the temperature in Dali is 15 to 20 degrees all year round, either hot or cold, and the climate is pleasant.
Shuanglang
A large wave of selfies is coming
Erhai Lake
Erhai Lake
Erhai Lake
The circumference of Erhai Lake is 117 kilometers. It takes two or three hours to drive around it. I think the most beautiful scenery is from Shuanglang to Wase. There are no villages blocking the way. The sea and sky are one color along the route, and Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake are in full view. Our route is Shuanglang-Wase-Xiao Putuo-Dali (Dali Ancient Town, Chongsheng Temple, Cangshan Mountain). There are many inns in Wase~Wase Town. Please read the recommended reviews to make reservations.
The battery car rental market in Dali is very developed, especially on the east coast of Erhai Lake. From Shuanglang to Wase, colorful battery cars can be seen everywhere, and even become a beautiful landscape. Blowing the wind around Erhai Lake makes you feel relaxed^_^
Shuanglang Town
Erhai Lake
Erhai Lake
In fact, Erhai Lake and Lugu Lake are similar, both are lakes!!! For self-driving tours, it is recommended to stay in the local area for two days, rent an electric car, book a sea view room, live a slow life, visit shops in Wase Town, and eat delicious food. The town here is also commercialized, but the local residents live here, and it also has the flavor of an ancient city.
To be honest, Erhai Lake and Lugu Lake will be very beautiful if the weather is good. If it is cloudy and rainy, there is nothing to see, it is just a lake. The pleasure of visiting here depends on your mood.
Yunnan is a dreamlike place. I will have a little regret this time, but the whiteness of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the color of the red soil of Dongchuan, and the super-high bars in the ancient city of Lijiang are all worth my return. The clear and sunny smell in the air belongs to Yunnan and also to my memory.
Dali Three Pagodas
Dali Three Pagodas
stone forest
stone forest
Goodbye, Yunnan.
