Happy Journey to Yunnan (Part 1)

2019. 11. 28

Li junhua

Lijiang

From November 10th to 27th, we spent 17 days visiting Lijiang, Dali, Kunming and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, and returned home in Xi'an yesterday.

This trip was the longest and happiest of all the trips I have had in the three years since my retirement. I have lamented many times: Yunnan not only has blue skies, white clouds and picturesque scenery, but also enjoys comfortable and happy high-quality services during rides, accommodation, and sightseeing, leaving a good impression of Yunnan in my heart.

At around 9 o'clock in the morning on November 10, our plane landed at Lijiang Airport. Blue sky and white clouds replaced the light rain in the weather forecast, making people feel a lot more relaxed. Soon, the hotel's pick-up service car arrived and quickly took us to the "Gudayuan" Inn in the ancient city of Lijiang.

This inn is located in the center of Lijiang Ancient City, only a few minutes 'walk from Sifang Street, Dashuichui, etc. The front desk of the inn serves all handsome young men. They are young people born in the 1990s from Northeast China, Gansu and Shaanxi respectively. However, the care and thoughtful service to customers are no less than that of girls, making people feel more comfortable. The inn is well designed. There are places for entertainment and play on the first floor; the corridor on the second floor is wide, with coffee tables and rattan chairs for guests to drink tea and take a nap. Every space upstairs and downstairs is decorated with flowers, which makes the strangeness of new guests disappear immediately, and a sense of affinity, relaxation, and comfort arise spontaneously.

The ancient city of Lijiang can be described as "winding paths lead to tranquility". The streets and alleys are irregularly distributed, which greatly tests people's sense of direction. However, this is also worry-free. Now mobile phones have a compass function, so it's okay to distinguish it with a little. And this layout always has the unexpected surprise of "the willows are dark, the flowers are bright, and the village is another village". After walking through the same place a few times, it will suddenly shine in front of your eyes and have new scenery due to different perspectives. Discovery, maybe this is the endless charm...

The ancient city of Lijiang looks young and beautiful because it is nourished by the snow water of the Yulong Snow Mountain. Walking through the small streets of the ancient city, you can see gurgling water on the roadside everywhere. It is so quiet and unassuming, but it always reminds tourists that behind the trickle is the majestic snowy mountains!

On the afternoon of the day we arrived in Lijiang, we went to the nearby ancient town of Shuhe; on the second day, we climbed Lion Mountain in the city, then went to Lashihai Wetland Park; on the third day, we went to Yulong Snow Mountain.

Shuhe Ancient Town has begun to take shape, and its layout is elegant and affectionate. Because there are still some unfinished projects under construction and the weather is slightly chilly on this day, there are not many tourists. We also walked roughly a few streets before returning. Climbing Lion Rock is very interesting. The mountain is not high, but the mountain climbing path is winding but not tiring. Because all kinds of shops on the roadside are scattered and exquisite, and you will reach the top of the mountain without realizing it while walking. Overlooking the panoramic view of Lijiang from the Wangu Tower on the top of the mountain, the Yulong Snow Mountain is looming in the distance. On the way down the mountain, we consciously walked down another road, but we accidentally saw the "Gubed's Old Residence" plaque. There was only a faint and vague impression in our memory, so we walked in. It turned out that Gu Bide was a Russian writer who had been active in southwest China for a long time and understood Chinese and multiple languages. During the Anti-Japanese War, he was employed by the international aid organization "China Industrial Cooperative" and actively campaigned for China's Anti-Japanese War. He came to Lijiang in 1941 and lived there for nine years, which shows Lijiang's unique charm in the places he visited. This old home has an ordinary two-story structure, with a living room downstairs and a bedroom upstairs. The interior furnishings are simple. From the photos and objects on display, we can see the Russian writer's activities during China's War of Resistance and his efforts and contributions to China's War of Resistance.

There is a saying that tourism is nothing more than two main contents: beautiful scenery and delicious food. What left a good impression on Lijiang cuisine was that Lijiang Baba! Another special representative is preserved ribs, but I was worried about my teeth and didn't dare to taste it.

After the tour the next day, we asked the front desk clerk of the inn about the Yulong Snow Mountain, and the clerk quickly contacted us about group climbing. That night, a relevant person brought us a travel contract. At around ten o'clock in the evening, the tourist commercial bus driver called and made an appointment to meet at the intersection the next morning.

Speaking of which, Lijiang's fortune can be said to be great: it is only 15 kilometers away from the Yulong Snow Mountain. When the car left the city, you saw the majestic appearance of the Yulong Snow Mountain. As the distance gets closer and closer, the heart becomes more and more excited, and I wish I could step closer to it in one step.

Climbing the Yulong Snow Mountain requires self-awareness, so we chose a small cableway to climb the mountain, that is, we arrived at Yunshanping. However, it is also 3200 meters above sea level! And I feel that looking at the snowy mountains is no less than zero distance, and I can also appreciate the diverse landscapes of the snowy mountains.

Walking down the small cableway, the snowy mountains in the distance are clearly displayed in front of your eyes, crystal clear. The air is so clean and comfortable that people forget to take oxygen. Although it is already November, the grass is still green, the water is still clear, and the blue sky and white clouds seem to be close at hand and within reach.

On the way down the mountain from the small cableway, I saw the Blue Moon Lake at the foot of the mountain from afar. It was truly a sight: the blue lake water was embedded in the valley like a sapphire, and the blue waves were sparkling; the vast pine forest on the hillside complemented the blue sky and white clouds, like a fairyland. When I get by its side, I am really fascinated by the beautiful scenery! I can't bear to leave! Intoxicated by the beautiful scenery and continuous shooting, I suddenly felt that my phone was already hot, so I had to stop...

When I returned, I looked back three times in one step, and no words could be used to describe the feeling of parting!

The three-day trip to Lijiang is coming to an end, and I am really reluctant to part with it.

When we held our luggage and bid farewell to the young men at the front desk, Xiao Zou at the front desk insisted on carrying our luggage and seeing us off. We politely said,"No, it's only a few minutes away from the street. Thank you for your kindness!" However, Xiao Zou still sent us to the alley entrance and waved goodbye.

There are not many words, but sincerity touches people!

Lijiang leaves us beautiful and comfortable.

Dali

Take the train to Dali at 11 a.m. on November 13.

Lijiang to Dali is less than 200 kilometers. When the train approached Dali, there was a section of the road along the Erhai Lake, and the vast water immediately aroused people's interest.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the inn drove us to the "Wuruo Boutique Inn" near the Erhai Gate in the ancient city of Dali. This is also the center of the ancient city. More than a hundred meters away from the inn is the main street (this distance is convenient for customers to shop and blocks the noise on the street). You can see the ancient gate of Erhai Gate, where you can have everything to eat and shop. The waiters in this inn are also mainly young men, and everything is mainly for customers to play and rest, and they are considerate to customers. On the second day of our stay, another group of more than 20 people came to stay. The front desk manager and a young man surnamed Che said to me, Uncle, I will transfer you a place to live, and you will be more satisfied! So we moved to No. 8 Yard, a few dozen meters away. Sure enough, the environment here is better. There is an exquisite terrace a few steps out of the door on the second and third floors. There are coffee tables and armchairs. Customers can soak in the sun while drinking tea. Standing here, you can see the clouds and clouds of the vast Cangshan Mountains, the spires of the three towers of Dali and the golden glazed tiles of the temple.

This inn already has seven chain stores.

The next day we went to the Three Towers to play. Take a taxi from Erhai Gate and you can reach the gate of the Three Towers for 9 yuan.

The Three Towers of Dali are the most famous landmark buildings in Dali.

The three pagodas are backed by the majestic Cangshan Mountain and face the Erhai Lake. They were built in the late Tang Dynasty. They are composed of one big and two small. The big tower is called Chihiro Tower and has a height of 69 meters. This height is five meters higher than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an. Hundreds of meters behind the three towers is Chongsheng Temple. I gave up visiting temples because I had no feelings for Buddhism.

After leaving the Third Pagoda, I asked for directions and learned that Nanzhao Dehua Monument was not far away, so I found a bus and boarded it, and soon arrived at the Taihe City Ruins. According to the introduction, there are still hundreds of meters of Nanzhao State Wall ruins in the ruins area. This is also the biggest motivation for me to come here without stopping and follow the map. Unfortunately, due to the few tourists, the site has been locked for many days. Only the famous Dehua Stele stands in the stele pavilion, accompanied by the sunset, autumn wind and barren grass.

Nanzhao Dehua Stele was erected in 766 AD in the early days of Nanzhao Kingdom and is known as the first stele in Yunnan. The monument is 3.02 meters high, 2.27 meters wide, and 0.58 meters thick. An article written by officials of Nanzhao State described the last resort of Nanzhao and Tang Dynasty's loss of peace and war. At the same time, it also showed that once the time was right, Nanzhao would still be loyal to the Tang Dynasty. However, over the ages, the original inscription of more than 4000 words is now only more than 700 words recognizable.

In this desolate ruins of Taihe City, wandering around the ancient monuments, I feel as if the smoke of war, the cries of killing, envoys shuttling back and forth to bridge the cracks, and finally returning to national integration are echoing in my eyes and minds. I can't help but feel a lot of emotion...

After leaving Dehua Monument, I asked for directions. A villager gave me careful guidance and took a bus to Huadian Spring.

As soon as I saw the three words "Butterfly Spring", the song "Dali has a beautiful scenery in March, and it's easy to dress up next to Butterfly Spring..." seemed to ring in my ears. As soon as I stepped into the park gate, there seemed to be waves of romance in my heart. Love,"Five Golden Flowers" and "Ashima" are closely related to this pool of clear spring.

When I was young, I listened to too much music from "Ashima" and "Five Golden Flowers". I had long deified Butterfly Spring in my heart and felt that it should be a spotless temple of love. Now, when I come to the Huadian Spring, I see the bustling tourists, the cries of vendors, and the constant sound of taking pictures, which actually diluted the excitement in my heart. It turned out that the dusty plot, characters and feeling of becoming immortal in my heart disappeared quietly, leaving only traces of melancholy.

Go to the foreign street at night. It was strange at first: Foreign Street? Then it dawned on him: During the Anti-Japanese War, Yunnan was the big back room. The internationally renowned "Hump Route, Flying Tigers, etc. all operated in the area centered on Kunming, and Dali was certainly not included.

I visited several scenic spots in Dali. My daughter repeatedly recommended us to Shuanglang Ancient Town, saying that it was closer to the Erhai Lake and could get close to the Erhai Lake, and quickly booked us Shuanglang accommodation. So, I asked the front desk manager, the young man surnamed Che, about the transportation directions. The young man asked me: Where do you want to go? I said I wanted to go to Shuanglang. The train manager said happily: It's easy to handle. I'll take you to the station, which is at the Chengbei Passenger Station. It takes seven or eight minutes to get there. There will be buses to Shuanglang there at any time. Take your time and prepare. Give me a shout when you are ready, and we'll set off. I felt at ease all of a sudden. In this way, at 9 a.m. on November 15, the train manager took us to Dali Chengbei Passenger Station. Unexpectedly, I had just left one train and the next one would have to wait a while. So we temporarily stored our luggage at the station ticket office and took the opportunity to visit the nearby south gate of the ancient city. Unexpectedly, the south gate of this ancient city was very grand and majestic. It was a lucky catch.

At 12:30 noon, the long-distance bus bound for Shuanglang Ancient Town left the North Passenger Station and headed north, basically around the Erhai Lake. I was still thinking: The road sign clearly says "South Gate of Ancient City", but on one side of the road is the North Passenger Transport Station? Oh! I see, the ancient city of Dali is located in the north of the Xinshi District, and the passenger station needs to be named after the north of the city and is located just in the south gate of the ancient city. Therefore, there is a seemingly strange location name for the Chengbei Passenger Station at the south gate of the ancient city.

Two hours later, we arrived at Shuanglang Town, 60 kilometers away, a small town on the edge of the Erhai Lake. The "No. 1 Town with Canger Scenery" on the antique gate building is particularly eye-catching.

Walking into the ancient town, the style is indeed different from that of Dali. There are fresh buildings that incorporate different ethnic styles, and the streets are winding. Like Lijiang, it is also full of flowers and green grass. Mulianhua Erhai Resort Hotel is located in the middle of the ancient town. Just after checking in, a waitress had already picked up our boxes and went upstairs. I shouted,"Sorry, it's me again", but the young man who just handled the formalities for us. He had already rushed over, took the box and carried it upstairs.

There is a real feeling of home.

We lived on the fourth floor, but because the front desk was on the second floor, the floor was not significantly high. Moreover, the fifth floor is the rooftop platform, which is extremely convenient both up and down. From then on, I have to go up to the roof several times a day, wait for the sunrise and watch the sunset, enjoy the dusk and watch the morning light, or hold a cup of tea with the moon, and sit quietly there and watch the Erhai Lake. It is a quiet and peaceful enjoyment.

(Part 1)