Three into the south of the colorful clouds

2020 is a magical year, but it has not stopped us from traveling. When the epidemic improved slightly, we drove to Guangxi and Guizhou. As the summer eased a little, we embarked on a journey to Yunnan again.

[South of Colorful Clouds]

For me, I always feel that there is a rather mysterious color and aura

Perhaps this mystery comes from its own important position in the southwest border

Perhaps this mystery comes from some books I have read, such as "The Ghost Blows the Lamp in Yunnan Insect Valley" that I just reviewed before setting off

[Three times in Yunnan]

This is my third trip to Yunnan

At the same time, this time I took my parents, and the three of us traveled to Yunnan together

In 2014, my friends and I went to Yunnan for free travel. That time, we checked in Lijiang and Dali, and Kunming, as my last transfer point to Chengdu, only made a short stop. At that time, I had never thought about writing it down.

In 2018, the company organized a tour to Yunnan. At that time, we checked in Lijiang and Shangri-La. We used Lijiang as a transit point for a round-trip flight. That time was more of a group building event

This time, we drove from Changsha, and Kunming still served as a transit point on our way. After a short stop in Kunming, we immediately headed for the most important destination, Dali and Lugu Lake at the junction of Sichuan and Yunnan.

In early July, my mother fractured her right foot, so the most special part of this trip was that my mother insisted on traveling "with injuries"~ In addition to our daily luggage in the trunk, the most important thing was that we also brought a wheelchair and a pair of crutches. This is also the reason why we weighed again and again and chose to drive from Changsha to Yunnan

route planning

Changsha-Kunming-Dali-Lugu Lake-Changsha

pre-departure preparation

[Self-driving vehicle condition inspection] The most important tool for self-driving is of course the car. We like self-driving tour very much. We must carefully check the condition of the car before setting out. For example, in addition to luggage and food and drink on the road, we will definitely check the vehicle before setting out. Tire pressure, brakes, oil, water tanks, etc., and we will also check the triangle warning signs and carry car fire extinguishers

[Sun protection cannot be ignored] Must bring sun protection clothing, sun protection skin care products, care masks, etc.! Yunnan belongs to a plateau area with high sunshine intensity. Even on cloudy days, it is very poisonous, so preventive measures must be taken. I remember that when I first went to Yunnan in 2014, I had poor protection, and as a result, I exposed my obvious panda hands.

[Bring thick clothes appropriately] Although we went in August, it was so hot that many places were alarming. For example, Changsha issued a high temperature warning every day at that time, and the temperature was around 36 degrees. It was normal for the actual outdoor body temperature to exceed 40 degrees. But when we arrive in Yunnan, it is a summer resort, and the temperature difference between day and night is large. During the days we were in Yunnan, the lowest temperature we encountered was 11 degrees in Lugu Lake, and the highest temperature was 26 degrees in Kunming. Especially at night, we had to sleep under a quilt. We even turned on electric blankets in Lugu Lake

[Adequate preparation for shoes] Yunnan's rainy season is generally from June to August. During the summer vacation, Yunnan is rich in rainfall as a whole. Sometimes it is showers and sometimes it rains every day. For example, before we went this time, Dali and Lugu Lake, it rained for almost half a month. However, we were very lucky. During the few days in Yunnan, we only encountered showers in Shuanglang Ancient Town (we also saw rainbows after the showers), and we encountered half a day of rainy days in Lugu Lake. The rest of the time is sunny. Just because it is the rainy season to travel to Yunnan during this period, it is recommended to prepare sufficient shoes.

[Bring your own toiletries] You can choose to use hotels/inns, but we usually bring our own. First, it is more sanitary, and secondly, it prevents waste of resources.

["Spring City" Kunming-Second transfer point]

In 2014, I went to Yunnan for free travel with my friends. Kunming served as a transfer point for me to fly to Chengdu. I didn't go anywhere and only stopped for one night. This round of self-driving tour in Kunming was actually not part of our main itinerary. Because my cousin happened to spend the summer in Kunming during those two months, we used Kunming as a halfway place to visit relatives and friends. We stayed in Kunming for one night and didn't go more places. We only visited the Yunnan Province Museum opposite the community and Dianchi Lake Haigeng Park not far away.

Dianchi Lake-Pretending to feed seagulls and discovering herons

Dianchi Lake, also known as Kunming Lake, has an altitude of 1886 meters. It is the largest freshwater lake in Yunnan Province and is known as the "Pearl of the Plateau." Because Dianchi Haigeng Park is close to Niaogu's home, we went to Haigeng Park.

Address: No. 1318, Dianchi Road, Xishan District, Kunming

Time: 8:00-21:00

Tickets: Free

When we entered the park, we parked our car in the parking lot, and we quickly walked to the pedestrian trail.

The thousands of willows in the park are witnesses of Haige's 30-year vicissitudes

An extremely quiet heron stood there for a long time. Of course, I also observed it for a long time

Seagulls can only be seen in winter (November to March every year). For example, now is a very good time to watch seagulls. In August, you can't see seagulls when you go to Dianchi Lake. Although there are no seagulls, there are pigeons ~~ As long as there is food, it will attract a flock of pigeons. This flock of pigeons has been fed to their relatives and no longer has any fear of humans.

They all came in droves to grab food

Before my parents came to Yunnan, they always wanted to feed the seagulls, but in the end, the seagulls couldn't be fed, so it was a pleasure to feed the pigeons

Coming out of Haigeng Park, we drove to the Haihong Wetland next to it just to see the style of the "Sleeping Beauty".

The "Sleeping Beauty" we are talking about is actually the West Mountain, which consists of peaks such as Huating Mountain, Taihua Mountain, Luohan Mountain, and Guabang Mountain. Looking across the peaks of the West Mountain, you are like a young girl lying on the bank of Dianchi Lake with her hair scattered. Unfortunately, it was cloudy in Kunming that morning. Although the Sleeping Beauty was not particularly clear, you could still identify the "head, chest, abdomen, and legs" if you look carefully ~

Yunnan Province Museum-Cultural Center radiating from South Asia and Southeast Asia

I like to visit museums everywhere I go. It is an excellent place to learn about local history. After reading the "National Treasures" column, I especially wanted to visit the Yunnan Province Museum. The new museum of Yunnan Province is located in Guandu District, Kunming City. It is connected to Guangfu Road in the north and Baoxiang River in the west. Because of the special exterior color of the building, this building can be seen from afar

The new museum of Yunnan Province has become a landmark building in Kunming City. The main building of the new museum has a zigzag shape in the plane, which is based on Yunnan's "One Seal"-style traditional residential buildings. The exterior color is red copper, which is intended to reflect Yunnan's reputation as a "non-ferrous metal kingdom". The long and narrow seam shapes run through multiple layers, implying "stone forest."

Address: No. 6393, Guangfu Road, Kunming City, Yunnan Province

Time: 09:00 - 17:00 every Tuesday to Sunday (Admission stops at 16:30, closed on Mondays)

Tickets: Free. Individual visitors can enter for free without requiring a ticket and passing through security

In front of the museum, there is a float from Yunnan Province during the 2019 National Day military parade. It has elements such as green peacocks, elephants, seven-color wreaths, mountains and rivers and auspicious clouds. It looks very beautiful

To the east of the new Yunnan Province Museum, which is directly opposite the entrance of the museum, is the Yunnan Province Grand Theater. The entire building is like a woven hat "Crown of Yunnan" and is also one of Kunming's landmarks

You cannot bring your mobile phone pan/tilt, tripod, etc. into the museum. You can go to the storage area at the entrance to store it for free, and then you can go through security check and visit it. When I went there, I made an appointment for the exhibition on the public account of the Yunnan Province Museum in advance, but I didn't check my ID card and appointment when I entered.

There is a map overview of the entire museum at the entrance. The Yunnan Province Museum has a total of three floors. The first floor has the Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Exhibition Hall Nos. 1 and 2 (the adjacent exhibition hall is the Mosuo Special Exhibition, ending on February 28, 2021). The second floor is the exhibition of Yunnan's historical civilization-three exhibition halls: "Ancient Yunnan","Light of Civilization" and "South and Central Dominance". The third floor is the exhibition hall of Yunnan's historical civilization-three exhibition halls: "Miaoxiang Buddha Kingdom","Opening Xinjiang and Guarding the Border" and" Centenary Storm". When I went there, the third-floor "Centenary Storm" exhibition hall was being upgraded, so the exhibits were not complete.

Take the elevator upstairs to visit, first on the second floor, then on the third floor, and finally on the first floor

Entering the horizon of ancient Yunnan--

This area should be the area that children are most interested in. At the beginning, it talked about the evolutionary history of marine life, dinosaurs, mammals, etc., and then it came to the discovery of Yuanmou people. I remember that the first chapter of the primary school history book introduced the discovery of Yuanmou people. History and historical significance

Yunnan, which passed through ancient Yunnan and entered the Bronze Age

If you have seen "National Treasure", you will be impressed by this exhibit. The story of actor Li Guangjie's passionate protection of the ancient Dian Kingdom in the program revolves around this exhibit. It is the "Gilded Knight Shell Storage Device"

The aristocrats of the ancient Dian State used it to store currency seashells. It was an important object to demonstrate the status of powerful people, sacrifice sacrifices to ancestors, and record social events. There are tiger-shaped ears on both sides, and four oxen are cast on the cover. The gilded knight in the entire artifact represents the image of the aristocratic warrior of the ancient Dian State at that time and is particularly eye-catching. This knight is like a "golden-armored god", powerful and inviolable.

This "Niu Hu Bronze Case" also attracted me to stop and read it for a long time. Although this collection is not on the "National Treasures" program, it is also a treasure of the Bozhen Museum in Yunnan Province. The saying that "in the north, there is a horse riding on a swallow, and in the south, there is a bronze case of a cow and tiger" is enough to demonstrate its status. This collection is a sacrificial vessel from the ancient Dian Kingdom. Its main body is a standing cow with long horns rising, its back naturally falling to form a table. At the tail, there is a scaled climbing tiger with its mouth open and biting the cow's tail. The cow's belly is hollow, and there is a calf standing horizontally. The big cow and the little tiger are formed at one time, while the calf is cast separately and welded under the belly of the big cow. It is actually a masterpiece of Chinese bronze art and a rare treasure of ancient Chinese culture.

Although this [Hanging Man Bronze Spear (Western Han Dynasty)] was not placed in a conspicuous position, it still attracted my attention. This is a kind of ceremonial weapon used by a generation of Dian kings to show off their martial arts. The most distinctive feature is that there are naked little people hanging near the handle of the sword. Although they are little people, they are very exquisitely made. The hair is drooping and the body is also curved., and the hands are tied behind their backs. Historians have inferred that these figures should represent the captured Kunming people.

From the Bronze Age to the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Early Tang Dynasty

My favorite part in the entire exhibition hall is this part because the collections are extremely exquisite

Even the very small exhibits are extremely exquisite in their demeanor and posture

If you have seen "National Treasure", you will also have an impression of this exhibit. In the program, actor Tong Dawei transformed into Dali Emperor Duan Yu and guarded the treasure of the town and museum on the right side of the picture below-[Dali State Silver Gilded Gold Winged Bird with Beads]. The "Golden-Winged Bird" flies high and becomes an unchanging totem in the hearts of the Dali nation. There is an enlarged version of this totem at the entrance of Boda in Yunnan Province. If you go to Dali Chongsheng Temple Three Pagoda Scenic Area to check in, you can also find an enlarged version of the totem on the square in front of the scenic area.

Eating in Kunming-There are a wide variety of specialty Dai dishes

The ones that impressed me the most were this fried grasshoppers and fried bamboo insects. Personally, I think the fried bamboo insects are more fragrant and delicious.

After a special Dai dish, I felt like I tasted a variety of dishes, all of which were usually very bad. It was a very good experience.

[Dali-Don't forget it, there will be repercussions]

Since I traveled freely to Dali with friends in 2014, I have always been obsessed with the local customs and customs of Dali. That time, we had limited time and lived in the ancient city of Dali, climbed Cangshan Mountain to Tianlong Babu City, visited the Three Towers of Chongsheng Temple and Tianjing Pavilion, and went to the Erhai Lake to Nanzhao Style Island. But the weather was bad when we were in Dali that time, so we didn't see the most beautiful Dali. Since I decided to travel to Yunnan by myself this time, the first place I decided on was Dali.

The ancient city of Dali-an inescapable commercial atmosphere

Dali was once the economic, political, military and cultural center of Yunnan. It is a well-known literary state. The place where you will definitely check in when visiting Dali is the ancient city of Dali.

Address: No. 42, Yita Road, Dali City

Tickets: Free

Parking: There are several parking lots in the scenic area, and the charge is capped at 50 yuan/day

What impressed me most about the ancient city of Dali is the tower of the Southeast Gate of Dali. When I first came to Dali in 2014, I lived in the ancient city, very close to the Southeast Gate. When I visited Dali this time, I chose to live in an inn near the Guoziyuan parking lot on the relatively clean east side. However, it does not prevent me from crossing the Gucheng Pedestrian Street to check in at the Southeast Gate.

When I arrived that day, the tower was not yet lit up. I waited in front of the tower for a while. When it was close to 8 o'clock, the tower turned on, and it instantly returned to the state I saw in 2014.

Next to the Southeast Gate is Longquan Square. Longquan Square was built based on the Shanggong Square of Dali State at that time. It belongs to the "Hui"-shaped architectural pattern. The residential characteristics of blue tiles and white walls make Longquan Lane full of flavor. Passing through the archway of Longquanfang, you can see dragon spring water gushing out, echoing Longquan Peak on Cangshan Mountain.

Go through the Southeast Gate and go straight along the main road to get to Wuhua Building.

Wuhua Tower was first built in the Tang Dynasty. It has a total of four floors, namely a pedestal + a three-story building. It was the place where Nanzhao hosted distinguished guests at that time. Wuhua Building was burned and rebuilt many times during the thousands of vicissitudes. The last thing left was the Wuhua Building in the early Ming Dynasty, but it was also demolished during the period. The Wuhua Building we see now was built in 1998.

Foreign Street is a place where Dali's ancient charm is combined with Western culture. I also photographed this archway when I was in the ancient city in 2014. I couldn't help but take another one this time. Because the ancient city is much more commercialized than in 2014, I didn't go inside this time.

Dali Confucian Temple is an ancient temple of ancient Dali that has dual status as a prefecture and county. It is a landmark building in the ancient city of Dali

Dali Chenghuang City should have been newly built in recent years. It is actually a gathering place for special catering specialties. The ancient city has become more and more lively, and there are more and more bars of various types. If you like to be lively, it is very suitable for living in the ancient city to stroll around slowly.

My mother's night tour of the ancient city took a photo with crutches

The most common flower cake shops in the ancient city are the three most lively and common brands: Changyangji, Pan Xiangji and Jiahua. All three provide full free express delivery services, but different brands require different quotas. When I was in Shuhe Ancient Town, Lijiang, in 2018, I bought Pan Xiangji's flower cakes, so this time I specially bought two other brands of flower cakes to try it. Even though it's almost 10 o'clock in the evening, these brands 'flower shops are still queuing to pay the bill ~

In addition to flower cakes, there are also some other specialty cakes to choose from, which are all good choices to buy as souvenirs.

Although these brands all have online stores, the advantage of buying in physical stores is that there are sample cakes, and the purchase date can be seen. Some brands also provide "cooked on the same day" flower cakes, of course, the shelf life is shorter and only 15 days.

Three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple-one large, two small and three pavilions

The Santa Scenic Area is one of the scenic spots that is very close to the ancient city of Dali except Cangshan and Tianlong Babu City. When I arrived in Dali in 2014, I visited the three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple and Tianjing Pavilion with my friends, but we did not visit it again this time. If you haven't been there, it's still worth buying a ticket to get in and find out.

Address: Sanwenbi Village, North Gate of Dali Ancient City, 10 minutes 'walk north from the North Gate of Dali Ancient City

Time: 8:00-19:00

Tickets: 75 yuan

At that time, we passed by the Dapeng Golden-Winged Bird Square at the entrance of the scenic area. We parked the car in the parking lot and walked to the square to take pictures of the three towers and the Dali National Silver Gilded Golden Bird inlaid with Beaded.

Behind the [Dali National Silver Gilded Gold Winged Bird with Beads] are the Three Pagoda Scenic Area and Cangshan Yingle Peak

Compared with the entrance fee for Santa Park, this square is free. In addition to the 6.9-meter-high double-sided statue of the roc, there are also exquisite Buddhist stone carvings. Standing on the square, you can see the three towers and the Erhai Lake.

The exquisite Buddhist scriptures and stone buildings under the blue sky and white clouds look very majestic

Haizue Park-inaccessible during renovation

Haishue Park and Xizhou Ancient Town are located next to each other, making it suitable to check in together. We drove from Dali Ancient City in the morning and first passed through Xizhou Ancient Town to Haishue Park. The entrance of Haitang Park is under renovation, and cars can only drive near the entrance. During this period, villagers come to collect parking fees. It is possible to take photos of the wetlands around Haiyue Park, but we need to walk about 200 meters or take a carriage to get in. Considering that my mother was inconvenient to walk, we chose to take a carriage to get in.

After getting off the carriage, everyone took a picture with the horse

In the cloudy to sunny weather, clouds are reflected on the water surface layer upon layer

The little turtles playing in the wetlands of Haizue Park found at least 5 swimming upstream of the water, making some sounds from time to time

Because Haijiao Park is closed for repairs, I basically don't stay here for a long time. It takes about half an hour.

Xizhou Ancient Town-the First Town of the Bai Nationality

After strolling out from Haitang Park, on the way to Xizhou Ancient Town, we found a rice field that was very suitable for taking photos when we drove to Rural Road 033. We also saw many car rental riders standing on the concave roof of the car. This place was also on a hot search during the National Day. The beautiful rice field was trampled by tourists checking in.

Just as the weather was beautiful, the layers of clouds gradually dispersed, allowing the sun to reveal its original appearance

Compared with the hustle and bustle of the ancient city of Dali, Xizhou Ancient Town is more quiet. Xizhou Ancient Town is an important town inhabited by the Bai people. It has the most and best preserved Bai residential buildings. From the layout point of view, it is a typical Bai courtyard pattern with "three squares and one light wall" and "four in five courtyards".

Address: 18 kilometers north of Dali Ancient City

Tickets: Free

Parking: There are several parking lots in the ancient town. The charge is basically 10 yuan/car for the first hour and 2 yuan for every hour thereafter

Sifang Street in the center of Xizhou Ancient Town is actually a small square surrounded by shops. It is not large but lively

Pass through this Hanlin archway and you will reach Sifang Street

There is a stone workshop on the square. This is the "Title Workshop". It was built during the Ming Dynasty after several Jinshi students appeared in the town. Xizhou was once a military town in Nanzhao with relatively developed culture.

The other side of the stone workshop of the "Title Workshop" nominated the four characters "Light before and after". There has always been a saying in the ancient town of Xizhou ~ There were eighty second-class scholars, and countless tributes. It can be seen that there were many scholars and talents in Xizhou Town at that time.

In Xizhou Ancient Town, there are four major families,"Yan, Dong, Yin, and Yang". From the late to the Republic of China, their businesses were exported overseas through the ancient tea-horse road, and their economic strength was almost the highest in Dali. Among the four major families, the strongest is the Yan family. The Yan family's mansion is next to Sifang Street. It is also the largest and most completely preserved Bai building in Xizhou Ancient Town. Admission is 18 yuan for an entrance visit.

Sifang Street is mainly surrounded by specialty shops, selling Yunnan specialty jewelry and food

Compared with the modernization and commercialization of the ancient city of Dali, Xizhou Ancient Town is more suitable for tourists to stroll quietly. Recommended accommodation that likes a quiet vacation is placed in Xizhou Ancient Town

The corridor of an inn in the ancient town

Of course, Xizhou Ancient Town is not short of handicraft workshops, and the fragrance of roses at the entrance of this store is overflowing with fragrance.

Here, roses are not sent to lovers, but are used to make handmade flower cakes! Give it to your lover after you are done

Crystal clear freshly baked handmade flower cakes

There are also many cultural creations in Xizhou Ancient Town. The cute cat decorations attract me, who loves cats, to stop.

This shop makes handmade prints, as well as coffee desserts and surrounding cultural and creative products. It is also very pleasant to hold a cup of coffee upstairs and stare blankly at the streets of the ancient town.

The most must-miss thing in Xizhou Ancient Town is tie-dyeing cultural creation. There are many shops selling tie-dyeing crafts in the ancient town. If you are particularly interested in tie-dyeing skills, you can find the [Puzhen Tie-Dyeing Museum]. In Zhoucheng Village, Xizhou Ancient Town, it is the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Bai Tie-Dyeing Protective Production Demonstration Base and the first Bai Tie-Dyeing Museum in China, covering tie-dyeing learning experiences.

After talking about Xizhou Ancient Town, let's talk about another ancient town on the Erhai Lake-[Shuanglang Ancient Town]

Shuanglang Ancient Town-Double rainbows hang high on sunny days after rain

Speaking of the ancient towns along the Erhai Lake, since we have arrived in Xizhou, we have to mention Shuanglang. I arranged the two ancient towns of Xizhou and Shuanglang for two days, so that I could visit an ancient town every day without hesitation and suitable for wandering around.

Shuanglang Ancient Town is located at the northeastern end of Dali City, on the northeastern bank of the Erhai Lake, almost across the Erhai Lake from Xizhou Ancient Town. It is called the "No. 1 Town of Cang 'er Scenery." In Shuanglang Ancient Town, you can visit Nanzhao Style Island.

Address: 50 meters west of Dali 078 Rural Road, you can overlook Cangshan Mountain beside the Erhai Lake

Tickets: Free, extra for the shuttle bus in the scenic area

Parking: There are several parking lots in the scenic area. The charge is basically 10 yuan/car for the first hour and 2 yuan for every hour thereafter

We specially chose to depart from the inn to Shuanglang Ancient Town in the afternoon when the sun was less hot. We parked our car in the parking lot near the south gate and walked in. There is a long downhill slope inside, which is obviously different from the gentle roads in Dali Ancient City and Xizhou Ancient Town. The deeper you go, the more prosperous you become.

The sun was still very strong at first. I didn't expect that there would be a shower soon, and I didn't know if it was caused by the floating cloud in the sky.

Some tourists took up umbrellas immediately, but we got off the bus without umbrellas. Seeing the rain getting heavier and heavier, we could only take shelter from the rain at the entrance of a nearby shop

Fortunately, it rained not long ago, and the sun came out immediately. The streets and stone roads that had been rained were already wet.

There are very few tourists on the road of Shuanglang Ancient Town near evening. The road of Shuanglang Ancient Town is much wider than that of Xizhou Ancient Town. It looks even more empty after the rain. I like this quiet and comfortable rhythm very much

Found a young artist seriously painting on the roadside

When passing by Yujilou Restaurant, I was attracted by the building itself and stopped. Not to mention, at first glance, the architectural style of the Bai people is quite similar to that of the Hui style. After all, white is the main color. However, the "powder mural wall" is one of the decorative features of the Bai people's houses, and the Bai people have more architectural decorations. It is usually in the shape of a palace, and the cornices and corners look more domineering.

Follow the main road to Kuixing Pavilion. The Kuixing Pavilion in Shuanglang Ancient Town has three floors, and the second floor of the attic is decorated with the Kui God. There is a saying that the Kui God points his pen. Therefore, local residents often go to pray for their children and grandchildren to achieve academic success.

The third floor is wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, making it particularly stable and majestic

There is a lush yellow kudzu tree directly in front of Kuixing Pavilion

The luxuriant branches and leaves look very atmospheric

We walked to the Shuanglang Love Coast after dinner in the ancient town. There is a row of shops and restaurants on the shore. Before sunset, this is the place where we encounter more tourists.

We encountered a rainbow hanging high after the rain on the Love Coast of Shuanglang Ancient Town. At that time, I could only see that it was a rainbow. If I hadn't looked back and carefully at the photos I took, I would never have thought that we had encountered a double rainbow.

A double rainbow is a special phenomenon formed after two reflections in a water drop. A concentric rainbow with a slightly larger diameter and inverted color appears on the periphery of the original rainbow. The inner rainbow is called the main rainbow, and the outer side is red and the inner side is blue. The color will be relatively bright, while the outer rainbow is called the secondary rainbow, with blue on the outer side and red on the inner side, so the color will be relatively dark. Do you see?

When the sun was almost setting, we came out of Shuanglang Ancient Town to pick up a car and returned to the inn by the Erhai Lake. We also encountered a different scenery of the Erhai Lake than when the sun was shining during the day.

Erhai Lake-Self-driving around the Erhai Lake is beautiful no matter how you look at it

Dali has four unique features: the wind, flowers, and snow and moon: the wind at Xiaguan, the flowers at Shangguan, the snow at Cangshan, and the moon at Erhai Lake.

In fact, the Erhai Lake is not just looking at the moon. The Erhai Lake under the blue sky and white clouds and the Erhai Lake after the rain and the sky are really beautiful. That morning, we drove out of Dali Ancient City by car and drove along Erhai Road to Wase Town opposite Dali Ancient City. Since passing through the middle village, the cars have always walked close to the water. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the Erhai Lake can be seen very clearly, and the scenery is really beautiful. I have seen the Erhai Lake with blue skies and white clouds, and then look at the Erhai Lake after the rain and the sky cleared. The sun shines through the clouds and shines on the water surface of the Erhai Lake, which appears to be extremely penetrating.

Standing on the shore, watching the stones constantly being washed by the water of the Erhai Lake

The afterglow left on the horizon before the sun sets is also reflected in the Erhai Lake. The increase in clouds in the sky seems to tell us that there will be a rain wash at night, but it unexpectedly brings another surprise.

At night, a crescent moon hangs in the sky of Dali, and many stars can be seen, but the rain waited until we fell asleep before sneaking in.

When we got up the next morning, we met another surprise. Did you notice the surprise this time? Yes, the rainbow appears again in the sky of Dali

Eat in Dali-Steamed pot chicken, wild mushroom, sour and spicy fish

There are many delicious food in Yunnan, so what should we eat when we arrive in Yunnan? You can eat a lot in August ~~

[Fried Wild Fungus with Tea Oil] The time we arrived was just a good time to eat wild fungi, so almost every restaurant has wild mushroom dishes. This dish was eaten at Jiulong Restaurant in Zhoucheng Village, Xizhou. It has crispy wild mushrooms and fresh tea oil. It tastes very good.

[Stir fried wild arugula] Simple green vegetables, fragrant after frying

[Hot and sour carp] Dali's hot and sour fish is one of the traditional delicacies. Acid can promote the production of saliva and relieve summer heat, while spicy food can eliminate dampness and appetizing appetite. The whole dish is delicious, delicious, sour, spicy and delicious. Those who like to eat Guizhou Kaili sour soup fish will definitely find this dish great!

PS: Remember the above-mentioned "Puzhen Tie-Dyeing Museum" located in Zhoucheng Village, Xizhou Ancient Town? It takes only a 5-minute walk from Jiulong Restaurant to the Tie-Dyeing Museum.

[Yunnan Red Sandicao] One of Yunnan's famous dishes, tomatoes, red pork, and red peppers are named after the three red dishes. The taste is sour and fragrant, and it is a good dish for cooking.

[Fired rawhide] Bai ethnic specialties. In Dali, Bai people kill pigs every day and then use straw to burn the rawhide. Eating it with dipping ingredients reminds me of Sichuan's garlic mashed white meat. The cooked pig skin is very chewy. It is worth a try

[Yunnan Steam Pot Chicken] The chicken soup is original and delicious

[Cold Bark Tree and Flowers] This dish is quite special, but I'm not particularly used to it. Maybe you can like it

[Bai nationality specialty stone roast] The most popular restaurant chain seen in the ancient city of Dali is stone roast, and there are all brands. The stone barbecue tastes quite good

[Flavoured Shrimp] Although I arrived in Dali, I couldn't resist my stomach that wanted to eat flavored shrimps. Although the crayfish are not as big as the ones I ate in Changsha, they are quite delicious and have a spicy taste.

[Fenghua Xueyue] When you arrive in Dali, don't forget to drink a few bottles of "Fenghua Xueyue"

I have romantic scenery, do you have a story?

Live in Dali-Choose from the ancient town of Erhai

During my three-day stay in Dali, considering that it was my parents 'first visit to Dali, I chose to stay in the ancient city of Dali for two nights, and then stayed at an inn on the Erhai Lake in Qase Town for one night. The off-season is approaching the end of the summer vacation, so accommodation in the ancient city and town is not expensive, and the location is very good, and the overall value for money is still very high.

The inn room in Wose Town is next to the Erhai Lake and has a balcony that is very suitable for viewing the sea view of the Erhai Lake.

Standing on the balcony of my room, I took a telephoto lens and successfully photographed Xiao Putuo not far from the inn, as well as the three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple that vaguely appeared opposite. The water of the Erhai Lake was also rippling with blue waves.

Of course, the balcony in the room is not only good for viewing the beautiful scenery of Erhai Lake... Easy ~ tea party... Although it is simple, the food is still abundant ~~

After staying in Dali for three days, we set off for the next stop, Lugu Lake.

[Dali-Lugu Lake]

Driving from Dali to Lugu Lake, our route is: Dali Expressway-Lining Highway-Ninglu Highway. The journey is 350 kilometers and takes about 6 hours. Among them, the Lining Highway and the Ninglu Highway are both winding mountains. The scenery along the way is beautiful in good weather, but it is particularly easy to collapse on rainy days, so if you drive by car, you must pay attention to safety.

Eighteen Bends of Lining-The winding mountain road around the Jinsha River is an excellent scenery

If you take the Lining Highway to get to Lugu Lake, you will not miss this scene. It is also the filming location of Zhang Yimou's film "A Thousand Miles of Riding Alone".

Driving along the Lining Highway in the direction of Lugu Lake, you will pass several eighteen bend observation platforms along the way. If you want to take photos, you can find a place to park near the observation platform. Next to the road is the Jinsha River.

Group photo taken on one of the observation platforms

On the way to Lugu Lake, we passed a service area. Many people may have driven straight away. In fact, there is "Sky Land" in the service area. This Internet celebrity attraction provides paid photos. Of course, if you take photos yourself, you don't need to pay.

[Lugu Lake-Tears Dropped by the Goddess Mosuo]

When I went to Yunnan for free travel in 2014, my friends and I had the idea of going to Lugu Lake, but we had no time to give up. This time we placed the second stop of the main itinerary on the beautiful Lugu Lake. Lugu Lake is a plateau fault dissolved and collapsed lake. It is the highest lake in Yunnan Province and the third largest deep-water lake in China.

Address: The junction of Yanyuan County, Sichuan Province and Ninglang County, Yunnan Province, under the joint jurisdiction of Sichuan and Yunnan. To the east of the lake is Lugu Lake Town, Yanyuan County, Sichuan Province, and to the west of the lake is Yongning Township, Ninglang County, Yunnan Province

Tickets: We entered from the entrance in the direction of Lijiang. The original price is 70 yuan/person. Before December 31, 2020, it is half price, i.e. 35 yuan/person. We went there in August and just enjoyed half price. It is very cost-effective.

Others: The lake surface is 2685 meters above sea level and the maximum water depth is more than 90 meters

The day we arrived at Lugu Lake was still a sunny day. After arriving at Lugu Lake and successfully checking the tickets at the gate, we drove into the scenic spot. There was a parking lot near the entrance and exit, marking the key points!! Don't miss the Lugu Lake Observation Deck near the entrance and exit. Standing on the Lugu Lake Observation Deck, you can basically see the panoramic view of Lugu Lake.

Pig trough boat-the only means of transportation in the lake, pure manpower and no pollution

The pig trough boat is called "Rigu" in Mosuo, but it is actually a canoe. Hollowed out by a thick log. It is sharpened at both ends. It gets its name because it looks like a long pig trough. Lugu Lake is isolated from the world. The only means of transportation in the lake is the unique "pig trough boat" of the Mosuo people. The pig trough boat is rowed purely by 2-3 people (1 in front and 1 in front or 2 in front and 1 in front and 1 in front), which greatly reduces pollution to the lake.

Going to Lugu Lake pig trough boat is a must-experience. Of course, taking a pig trough boat and wandering around the surface of Lugu Lake must be the best experience. We went to Lugu Lake with blue skies and white clouds. The lake was also very calm and even reflected the beautiful scenery of the sky. After taking a short rest after loading our luggage in our room, we went to the dock to take the pig trough boat that I was longing for.

There are several docks in Lugu Lake. The main ones in Yunnan are Sanjiacun Wharf, Dashushui Wharf, and Ligge Wharf. Each dock has pig trough boats to ride on. The inn we stayed in was between Daluoshui Village and Sanjia Village. It was very close to the Sanjia Village Pier. It took less than 5 minutes to drive there. There is a place suitable for taking photos at the pier, and many tourists take photos here

Each pig trough boat at Sanjiacun Wharf takes 8-12 people to sail. We have few people and have to pool boats with others, so we waited at the dock for almost half an hour before we had enough people to set off.

Price: 50 yuan/person by ride to Rivubi Island, 80 yuan/person for round-the-island tour

Time: It takes 1.5 hours to 2 hours to and from Rivupi Island, and a round-island tour takes longer

Sitting on a pig trough boat and overlooking the lake

The local boatman was chatting with us all the way

On the way back, the clouds dispersed, making the sky bluer, and the sun shines on the surrounding mountains more beautiful

Liwubi Island-Lugu Lake One of the Three Penglai Islands

Liwubi Island, Sheva Island and Rigg Island are also known as the Three Islands of Lugu Lake and Penglai.

Follow the uphill trail and see the pig troughs and boats on the other bank and in the lake through the mountains and trees on the island

The island is not large in size. After getting off the boat, you can walk through a winding path to the island, which can directly lead to the top of the island. At the end of the island is the Tibetan Buddhist Liwubi Temple. Before arriving at the temple, you will see three white towers.

The end of the island ~ Tibetan Buddhist temple-Liwubi Temple

Surrounding Liwubi Temple is a prayer drum. Turn the prayer drum clockwise to pray for blessings

After getting off the island, we took the same pig trough boat back to Sanjiacun Wharf.

Around Lugu Lake-Self-driving and chartering is the best way

The second day after we arrived at Lugu Lake, we started a self-driving tour around the lake ~

The weather in Lugu Lake was not very good that day, especially when the sky was pattering and raining in the morning. It was the real rainy weather we encountered during this trip. Due to the continuous large-scale rainfall in Sichuan and Yunnan some time ago, many roads have collapsed, so we were very, very careful while driving.

The mileage of self-driving around Lugu Lake is about 70 kilometers. The whole journey is mountain roads. On the way, you will pass through villages and towns around Lugu Lake. Our general route is as follows:

[Sanjia Village]-[Daluoshui Village]-[Luoshui Lovers Beach]-[Ligg Observation Deck]-[Ligg Island]-[The Junction of Sichuan and Yunnan]-[Dabei Conch Sutra Hall]-[Luyuan Cliff]-[Libai Lovers Beach]-[Sacrifice Platform]-[Good People Snacks]-[Goddess Bay]-[Zaoluo Wharf]-[Caohai]-[Zouwedding Bridge]-[Langfang]-[Sanjia Village]

After reading the route, you will find that we did not go to the highest peak of Lugu Lake-Gomu Goddess Mountain (also called Lion Mountain) at an altitude of 3770 meters. That was because my mother had a broken foot and had to use crutches or a wheelchair. It was really inconvenient to go up the mountain. In addition, the weather was bad that day, so we gave up the plan to go to Gomu Goddess Mountain ~ Although we didn't climb to the top to view the lake, it was a good experience to view the lake from other observation platforms! Leave the Gum Goddess Mountain for climbing next time ~

Every year from May to October, there will be a beautiful scenery of water poplar flowers on the water surface of Lugu Lake. Of course, I have also photographed this beautiful scenery.

The newly opened landslide road near Langfang Village. You can encounter several sections of this road when driving around Lugu Lake, so if the weather is bad, you must pay attention to safety when driving.

Luoshui Lovers Beach-One of the Lovers Beach in Lugu Lake

When it comes to Lovers Beach in Lugu Lake, your first reaction may be Libai Lovers Beach in the Sichuan section. In fact, there are two lover beaches in Lugu Lake. One is Libai lover beach in the Sichuan section, and the other is Luoshui lover beach in the Yunnan section. Both are water-friendly stone beaches. If you have enough time, don't miss either lover beach. Yo ~

The first thing we passed by when we came out of the inn was Luoshui Lovers Beach. We parked our car in the open space opposite Lovers Beach. Parking was free. At that time, the sky was drizzling, and there were still many tourists on the water beach. There were stone carvings engraved with the words "Lovers Beach" on the beach for photos ~

Standing on the stone beach facing the empty surface of Lugu Lake, I feel like I am empty.

After leaving Luoshui Lovers Beach, the car continued to move forward and reached the Ligg Observation Deck.

Riga Island-Beautiful seawall connecting the island

Rigg Island, Liwubi Island and Sheva Island are also known as the Three Islands of Lugu Lake and Penglai. This is the place where you must check in to take photos around Lugu Lake. There is a Rigg Observation Deck near Rigg Island. There are a small number of parking spaces in front of the observation deck, so you can park your car and take photos. Standing on the observation deck and looking down, you seem to see a "丨".

There is also a path to walk down on the right hand side of the observation deck. At the end is a white tower, surrounded by many stones.

The White Pagoda is a stupa and spiritual tower built in a Buddhist belief area, with a special Buddhist meaning. The white pagoda imagines the four realms of "earth, fire, water and air" in Buddhism: the lowest layer is a solid square base, the middle is followed by water balls, fire cones and air supports. The top layer symbolizes aura and spirit, symbolizes endless reincarnation.

Great Compassion Conch Sutra Hall-the largest temple in Lugu Lake

The belief of the local Mosuo people is influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, and the "Xiaoluoshui Great Sadness Conch Sutra Hall" is the largest temple in the Lugu Lake Scenic Area. Go through the gate all the way up and follow the mountain road covered with prayer flags to reach the Jingtang

Because the top of the mountain is adjacent to the lake, it is also a very good place to view the lake and take photos

Photography is not allowed in the temple, and you need to take off your shoes to enter. The prayer turning tube outside the prayer hall has excellent photo taking effect

There is the Yang Erche Namu Museum next to the Peak Sutra Hall. She is a singer who walked out of Lugu Lake and needs to buy tickets to visit it.

The junction of Sichuan and Yunnan-Vivid statues and a brief introduction to Lugu Lake

Continuing around the lake, you will reach the junction of Sichuan and Yunnan. This is also a more distinctive scene of Lugu Lake. After passing through here, you officially enter Sichuan.

Introduction to Lugu Lake Scenic Area in Sichuan Section

Luyuan Cliff-the source of Lugu Lake water

Luyuanya is the outlet of groundwater in Lugu Lake. This is the deepest place in Lugu Lake, with the deepest point reaching more than 90 meters. There is a huge Mani pile on the cliff, and countless prayer flags are also wrapped around the cliff.

Luyuan Cliff is 2722 meters above sea level. The observation platform overlooks the beautiful scenery of Lugu Lake, and is surrounded by fluttering prayer flags, a special scenery.

Libai Lovers Beach-Lugu Lake Lovers Beach 2

After coming down from the Luyuan Cliff Observation Deck, you can reach Libai Lovers Beach after passing through Dazu Wharf. Libai Lovers 'Beach is the main place where Mosuo people turn mountains and seas every year. It is a good place for young men and women to talk about love. Libai Lovers Beach is larger in area than Luoshui Lovers Beach, and of course there are more tourists.

Water poplar flowers are scattered on the water surface in front of Lovers Beach. There is a pig trough boat shape in front of the stone beach for photos. There is a pontoon bridge on the water to walk on.

God Sacrifice Platform-The only way to go to Goddess Bay

When you go to Lugu Lake, you will definitely visit Goddess Bay, and if you go to Goddess Bay, you will definitely pass by the God Sacrifice Platform. This is the altar of the Mosuo people. During the annual "Shihai Festival" and "Shishan Festival", the Mosuo people will come here with their families to worship Lugu Lake in the mother sea and Mount Gemu Goddess.

The God Sacrifice Platform is 2780 meters above sea level and offers a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery from a commanding position.

Zaolo Wharf-a good place to visit Caohai by pig trough boat

Before heading for the wedding bridge, we drove to the Zaolo Pier

The dock also has a very obvious shape of a pig trough boat. You can also take a pig trough boat here, mainly to visit Caohai.

When we arrived, there was a little light rain in the sky, and the dark clouds on the plateau looked like clusters.

There were very few tourists at the dock at that time, and we also sat on the pig trough boat docked on the shore and took some photos.

You can walk back from the dock to the wedding bridge

Caohai Wedding Bridge-a place where Mosuo people meet

Zouhun Bridge is the only bridge located in the Caohai area of Lugu Lake. Due to years of sediment deposition under the bridge, the water depth becomes shallower and there are dense reeds. It looks like a sea of grass from afar, so the locals call it "Caohai". The Walking Marriage Bridge is a place where men and women meet in Mosuo. The Mosuo people on the shores of Lugu Lake follow the "walking marriage" custom of "men do not marry, women do not marry". This scenery is also a very famous place on Lugu Lake. Don't miss it when you visit Lugu Lake.

Zouzhuang Bridge is not far from Lugu Lake Town. It takes about half an hour on foot, and you can reach it in a few minutes by driving yourself.

Traditionally, adult Mosuo men and women express their feelings to their loved ones by dancing and singing during the day. If a man is attracted to a woman, he will make an appointment with the woman during the day and go to the woman's "flower building"(referring to the room of an adult woman in Mosuo) in the middle of the night. Here, men call their female lovers "Axia", and women call their male lovers "Azhu". As night fell, the "Ah Zhu" came and went on the wedding bridge to keep an appointment.

Eating in Lugu Lake-The same Internet celebrity snacks as "Dear Inn"

Speaking of the delicacies of Lugu Lake, what impressed me the most is this specialty shop that is very inconspicuous but attracts many travelers to check in-Good People Snacks. If you watched the first season of "Dear Inn", then I must have an impression on it. In the 8th episode of that season, Liu Tao and Wang Ke checked in to this store--

Good People Snack is located near Goddess Bay of Lugu Lake in Yanyuan County, Liangshan County, Sichuan Province. At that time, when we drove there, we passed several collapse points. The safety notices on the roadside all said,"Please turn around if the road collapses." We still managed to find his home successfully. Everyone used to pay special attention to safety. The door of good people's snacks is extremely simple, but fortunately, the few words are still very eye-catching. The car can be parked directly at the door. There weren't many customers when we went that day, so parking was very convenient.

The first thing you see when you enter is a full of flags for various travelers and riders.

Good people don't need to order their own snacks. At 40 yuan/person (previously it was 30 yuan/person), each person has 4 dishes, one with sugar mixed tomatoes, one with stir-fried vegetables, one with pine matsutake stewed chicken, and one with pine matsutake stewed lake fish. You can add more if you don't have enough dishes and they are all cooked freshly.

The boss's name is Zhao Fahao. He is a person who speaks and does things in a hurry. Of course, some people also comment on his character as very strange. He has several very domineering quotes:

1. Smell this chili noodle. I have added matsutake in it. I must dip it in this chicken and eat it. I don't decide whether it is a local chicken. It only depends if you eat it delicious (at this time, he also showed us what matsutake is and let us smell it)

2. Don't ask me for rice, I will tell you when to eat rice. You don't have to worry. I have been doing it for so many years and I have a method to ensure that you eat well.

3. Eat slowly. Later, there will be fish you have never eaten in your life. Make sure you want to eat it again. Actor Liu Tao ate here for a week.

4. I will bring a new bowl to serve this fish soup for you. You can drink the fish soup first and taste what is delicious. I didn't add any chicken essence, monosodium glutamate or onions and garlic to this fish soup. You can look inside. If you can find it, I promise to compensate you 100,000 yuan. My fish soup is made with water used to soak matsutake, so it is very delicious without any seasoning. There was once a boss in Zhejiang who paid 200,000 yuan for the secret recipe of my dish, but I didn't sell it. After drinking this bowl of fish soup, you can go there and serve your own rice. Being here is like being at your own home. If there is not enough food, you can add it.

Putting aside these classic quotes from the boss, his matsutake chicken and matsutake fish do taste very good. After eating them, you won't feel dry, but your lips and teeth will feel fresh. It is not far from the restaurant to the beautiful Goddess Bay. So if you visit Lugu Lake, don't forget to try this popular online snack when you have the opportunity.

Live in Lugu Lake-a quiet inn with gardens and cute dogs and excellent services

If you are traveling to Lugu Lake for the first time, I personally recommend staying near Daluoshui Village, because Daluoshui Village is the most prosperous place in Lugu Lake. There are many choices of hotels and inns, relatively convenient transportation, and many places to eat. You can also find it in pharmacies during special times, and there are China Rural Credit Cooperatives in the village to facilitate withdrawals.

Although this is my third trip to Yunnan, Lugu Lake is my first visit. At that time, when choosing accommodation in Lugu Lake before departure, I considered that driving from Dali to Lugu Lake would be tiring because people would be tired from driving on Panshan Road for a long time, so I chose to live near Daluoshui Village. After driving into the scenic spot entrance of Lugu Lake near Lijiang, it only took 10 minutes to get to the inn, and it was very convenient for us to return from Lugu Lake. This inn is located adjacent to Sanjia Village and Daluoshui Village. It is called "Lugu Lake Year Inn".

The car is parked directly at the entrance of the inn, and when you push the door into it is a secret small courtyard. As long as you check in are friends with each other, you can sit and drink tea and chat, talk about your hometown, talk about the local customs and customs you have seen on the road, and you can also talk about future travel plans.

The inn provides paid meals to a la carte, as well as hand-brewed coffee, and has an independent small restaurant facing Lugu Lake, which is very comfortable overall.

The boss has two cute dogs in Alaska who are close to each other. One is a bitch named JoJo and the other is a male dog named Pipi. Don't get me wrong that they are a couple. In fact, it may be a brotherly friendship-they just don't like each other ~~~ The boss just took Pipi to Lijiang a few days when we arrived. It's a pity that we didn't see Pipi, and only JoJo was left to rub us casually in the inn. JoJo is very obedient and does not break into the room. She usually sleeps on her stomach, but as long as you have food, JoJo can quickly follow her.

The inn has 3 floors, and the courtyard and check-in are on the second floor. There are not many rooms in the overall area. Considering that my mother's feet were not convenient for climbing stairs, I specially booked a flat-floor room. The room we stayed in was relatively large. I communicated with the boss in advance and asked him to put away the small tent in the parent-child area and lay it flat. Two open suitcases and my camera bag were more than enough.

The room has a large balcony facing Lugu Lake. Although the inn is not directly adjacent to the lake, the view of the lake is still very good, which effectively avoids excessive humidity and noise. The service of the inn housekeeper is very good. As soon as we arrived at the room, he introduced us to the full view of Lugu Lake and suggested sightseeing routes. He also provided shuttle services to Daluoshui Village and Sanjiacun Wharf. I couldn't help but admire it!

On the day we arrived, we took the pig trough boat back to the inn. While the sun had not set, I took this photo of the Lugu Lake with a tripod on the balcony of my room (the original picture is 170M, upload is limited, and the clarity is compressed)

On the first night in Lugu Lake, I took advantage of the good weather and took pictures of the stars in Lugu Lake ~~

Time is limited, and the beautiful scenery cannot be taken away and can only be left in my memories. Looking forward to meeting you again in the next round!!

Egg-National Geographical Indication Mango in Huaping County

Written at the end of this self-driving tour, it can be regarded as an egg ~

On the way back from Lugu Lake to Changsha, it takes almost 5 hours to go downhill on the winding mountain road, with the highest altitude exceeding 3200 meters. On the way back, we also passed through the "sea of clouds", as if walking above the clouds.

On the way down the mountain, we passed through Huaping County, the largest mango-producing county in Yunnan Province. Huaping mangoes are also products of China's national geographical indication. In the mango gardens all over the mountain, many fruit farmers set up simple sheds to sell mangoes. The price is not expensive, basically 2-3 yuan per catty. If you buy more, you will have discounts.

If it weren't for a self-driving tour, we would definitely not have passed by here, nor would we have the opportunity to sit in the shed of local fruit farmers, chat with them for more than half an hour, and we would not have tasted the high-quality Sacred Heart mangoes originating in Huaping County. Sitting in the shed, the fruit farmers enthusiastically cut several Sacred Heart mangoes for us to taste. The meat was thick, juicy and delicious. When we finally left, we also bought some mangoes from the orchard to take away. As a super mango fan, I feel that my biggest regret is that I can't take this big orchard with me.~~

END

This self-driving tour took 8.5 days and the mileage exceeded 4100 kilometers. The highest altitude we passed through is the winding mountain road down from Lugu Lake, which exceeds 3200 meters above sea level. Self-driving is relatively slow and easy for the body to adapt to, so you don't have to worry about high reactions. Of course, everyone's physical condition will vary. If you have a history of motion sickness, you should be careful. After all, the mountain road to Lugu Lake is really, really winding ~

If you are also planning to travel to Yunnan, I hope this article can help you ~