"Facing the vast unknown world outside the window, while you imagine when you can start taking risks, painting alone in the room may be the prelude to your endless journey in your inner world."--Miichi Nara

I like to inspire inspiration and create new paintings on the road of travel, and the process of painting is more like a boundless continuation of travel, allowing thoughts and emotions to drift farther places. Before the Spring Festival, I and my friends decided to leave the north and go south of Yunnan to find new inspiration.

Photography and painting, south of Yunnan

When it comes to the south of Yunnan, they think they use Kunming as the boundary and drive south.

Route: Kunming-Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang, Modou Mountain-Jianshui Ant Workshop-Yuanyang Terrace-Pu 'er Tea Mountain. Friends who have enough travel time can continue to Xishuangbanna. The airport in Xishuangbanna is larger than Pu 'er ~ We returned from Pu' er Airport.

On the first day we arrived in Yunnan, the locals told me that this season comes from driving this southern route. It is really a good choice. The temperature is right and the seagulls are still there.

Feel the "storm" of seagulls from Siberia next to Dianchi Lake in Kunming and watch their groups of white figures streaking under the blue sky. We are all "season-selective creatures" from cold places ~

Drive yourself around Fuxian Lake, under the panoramic skylight, feel the vacation wind on all sides. Looking at the blue-green lake and enjoying the warmth and light in winter, you are so comfortable that you forget yourself.

The starry sky town stands on the cliff, viewing the lake into the sea, and the breeze accompanying the lake and mountains.

Entering the world of art in Jianshui's "Ant Workshop", the pink architectural style lit up my girl's heart. As an art student, I entered the deconstructive world of "point, line, and surface", and my creative inspiration was bursting.

At the sunrise moment when the clouds and clouds are filled with the terraces are looming, giving a feeling of "walking in the clouds."

I met the "God's Palette" on the Yuanyang Terrace, but the scenery photographed on the road was beautiful enough. Because of the changeable weather, we haven't waited for the most beautiful time of sunrise and sunset. With a little regret, we understand the simplest truth. Often the most beautiful moment we can get is the present.

In Chashan in Pu 'er, I feel the pleasure of walking out of the room and seeing the scenery. The cool air in the tea garden washed away the tiredness of the journey. A sunrise on Chashan was also the end of a journey.

However, beyond the scenery, when I recall this trip, I have to feel the luck of being reborn from danger along the way. On the first day of the trip, I left my backpack with all my belongings on the high-pitched dam, stuck in a car on the beach on the second day of the trip, and almost stuck in an unmanned mountain late at night on the third day of the trip... As a pig teammate, I have to rejoice in the final peace... How can I let my fellow colleagues spend every day in anxiety and wait for me to tell you later...

All illustrations, pictures and texts are original.
Shooting equipment: camera Sony A7R3 , drone Mavic 2 pro
Painting equipment: computer tablet, iPad pro

Huan Erhuan-Queenio is an illustrator and writer who likes to travel and create. Self-portraits and self-portraits are on the road, and the book "Borrowing for a Year and Going to new Zealand" has been published.

Kunming-White greetings from Siberia

Our first stop: Dianchi Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in Yunnan, and is more famous for its red-billed seagulls that migrate from distant Siberia every winter.

Watching tens of millions of seagulls flying all over the sky at the Haigeng Dam, leaving white traces in the blue sky, this has become a unique scenery of the "Spring City". These seagulls seem to be used to being fed by tourists. As long as you raise your hand, there will never be a shortage of diners who will eat a heavy meal.

After searching relevant literature, the earliest record is in 1985. On November 12 of that year, thousands of seagulls suddenly landed on the top of the Yunnan Lake. Since then, the number of red-billed seagulls flying in November increased year by year. Spend winter in Kunming in this warm climate. Until mid-March after spring every year, tens of thousands of seagulls will depart from Dianchi Lake and return to Lake Baikal through Yinchuan, Ningxia and other places.

From the world's deepest freshwater lake "Baikal" in Siberia to the more than 3000 kilometers of China's spring city "Kunming", more than 30 days of flying, I think I'm a distant guest.

Seeing this, I probably forgot how to feed the seagulls. When I left, I forgot the bucket bag with all my belongings on the bench at the Haigen Dam. This is a central area with many people and birds. Half an hour after leaving, I suddenly remembered that I seemed to have a bag…

There were our ID cards, wallets, driver's license, etc. in the backpack... I drove all the way back to Haigeng Dam with my friends. I saw a security guard blocking my bag with his motorcycle and sitting alone next door. Waiting on the bench for the owner, and seeing me sweating profusely, the first sentence was, quickly check if there was anything missing in the bag. I am grateful and moved to send a banner. Brother is definitely the loveliest person! Without him, this photo would have become the last memory of me and my backpack...

If you drive south from Haigeng Dam, you will pass Wangguan Wetland Park next to Dianchi Lake. The park is not large, but it is very suitable for watching the sunset. It is so beautiful!!!

There are many wetlands along Kunming Dianchi Lake. Wangguan Wetland is along Huanhu East Road. Because it is relatively far away from the main city of Kunming, there are not many tourists in the wetlands. Sunset is like being in a fairy tale. The road after entering the wetland park is fresh and pastoral, and a wetland on the shores of Dianchi Lake comes into view seven or eight minutes 'walk. Watching the lake into the sea, Japanese, fairy tales, old masters... As long as you like photography, it will be easy to release films no matter what style ~

Practical tips:
Photo taking: The park is young and oriented, and there are many places where you can take photos and check in. It is beach, reeds, lavender, and flower fields. It was early spring when I went, and the flowers had not yet fully blossomed.
Address: Located in the northern section of the east bank of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, enter "Wangguan Wetland Park" on the map to navigate there.
Transportation: It is recommended to take a taxi or drive by yourself. There is a parking lot in the park. You can also take bus K31 from Haigeng Dam to reach it. It is worth noting that it is slightly inconvenient to hail a taxi around after sunset, and friends who take taxis suggest not staying too late.
Tickets: Wangguan Wetland is an open park and is free.

Chengjiang-A fresh time with blue skies and blue seas

One hour's drive from Kunming to Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang River. The water here is much clearer than Dianchi Lake. The crystal clear was called "the vast expanse of glass" by the ancients. As early as the end of the Ming Dynasty, traveler Xu Xiake wrote in his "Xu Xiake's Travels" that "the Yunnan Mountains are rich in soil, so most of them block the flow to form a sea, and the flow is turbid, but Fuxian Lake is the clearest."

The little brother I met along the way was very enthusiastic and told us that it was about 100 kilometers a week to get around the lake. Because his girlfriend had lived here for two years, it took him four days to walk around the lake. Now that his ex-girlfriend has married someone else, he also decided to return to Guangdong.

In winter, the weather here is relatively changeable. It is still rainy and rainy in the morning and bright sunshine in the afternoon. Driving around the lake by car is really a good choice. The road is very close to the lake. There are many wetland scenic spots along the way. You can stop when you see good scenery ~

Speaking of which, I would like to remind everyone that some beaches here can be opened directly to the lake, but don't go!!! Don't drive on the beach!!! Don't ask me why. People who have been stuck in a car and digging sand for half an hour are not qualified to speak. They just blame them for not listening to their friends 'advice and going ahead...

Stayed at Fuxian Lake Hotel for one night, and the next day we decided to go to Xingtian Town and Modou Mountain.
Fuxian Lake·Xingkong Town is located on the bank of Fuxian Hunan Province. It is actually a model house in the real estate center. General tourists are not allowed to enter, only those who come to see the house and those who specialize in taking wedding dresses can. The hotel we stayed at: Longhu Suqing Hotel. Guests can also enter and exit. There will be a special shuttle bus, which takes five minutes from the hotel.

When I came here to take photos, I was surrounded by camera positions and accompanied by gentle poems along the way."Birds in the sky, fish at the bottom of the lake, thank you for your company" is my favorite sentence.

The Cliff Top Park in Star Town is so beautiful that it feels like you are in new Zealand. The blue sky and the blue lake are blue, and the beauty is beautiful. Standing on the cliff, the lake becomes a sea, and the breeze accompanies the view of the lakes and mountains. I heard from the hotel staff that stargazing activities for 7,000 people have been held here, and the meteors visible to the naked eye are extremely beautiful.

Star Sky Town is suitable for coming around 90 a.m.. The sun has just come out. It is very comfortable to bask in the sun on the grass. After sunbathing and charging, we drove to Modou Mountain, which is about an hour away from Star Sky Town.

There are two roads to Modou Mountain, one is a high-speed detour and the other is a relatively nearby rural road. The hotel staff recommended us to take the rural road, which has a better scenery along the way. However, Panshan rural roads will be more difficult to walk. The lanes are very narrow. Some roads can only accommodate one body. Wrong vehicles need to travel slowly or give way.

Arriving at the top of the mountain and catching a sunset, Modou Mountain is a relatively small place, so there are very few tourists. Nearby is the Modou Mountain Wind Power Plant, and large windmills can be seen when you are halfway through the mountain. It should be mentioned that friends who drive here must remember to check the oil gauge of their cars in advance, because the nearest gas station is also dozens of kilometers away from the mountain... After we drove up the mountain, we found that the car was almost out of gas and it was quite embarrassing to find someone to borrow oil from the mountains... Don't ask me if I borrowed it, who would bring a tubing tool when they go out?

Although the car is running out of gas and the pressure is quite high, facing the sunset, let's put our worries behind for the time being and enjoy the present, haha

Drive up Modou Mountain and quietly wait for a long-lost sunset. I have heard people say that the light of the sunrise and sunset is the most realistic color that the human eye can capture.

It got dark very quickly after sunset, and we stuck our luck down the mountain. Fortunately, the mountain road was downhill and the cars were more fuel-efficient. The danger was reborn. After the oil lamp came on, we drove for almost 20 kilometers, probably after using up the last drop of oil. We arrived at the gas station. Because I forgot to cheer, I almost got my teammates trapped in the mountains together. This kind of experience and lesson is enough...

Practical Tips:
👉Fuxian Lake Self-driving Route: A friend once spent 4 days hiking around the lake here. It would be about 100 kilometers per car, but the scenery in the east is better than in the west.
👉Fuxian Lake·Xingkong Town: Located on the bank of Fuxian Lake, it is actually a model house in the real estate center. General tourists are not allowed to enter, only those who come to see the house and those who specialize in taking wedding dresses can. The hotel we stayed at: Longhu Suqing Hotel. Guests can also enter and exit. There will be a special shuttle bus, which is only five minutes from the hotel ~
Zhomodou Mountain: There are two roads from Xingkong Town to Modou Mountain. One is a high-speed detour and the other is a relatively nearby rural road. Locals recommend us to take the rural road, because the scenery along the way is better. However, Panshan rural roads will be more difficult to walk. The lanes are very narrow. Some roads can only accommodate one body. Wrong vehicles need to travel slowly or give way.

Jianshui-pink, blue, ginger

The "Ant Workshop" is located in Xizhuang Town, Jianshui County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It is a building complex built of hollow bricks. The design concept of the ant nest is very interesting. Walking inside, there is a feeling of traveling through time and space, which is very attractive. The photos taken at random are full of bold and avant-garde art.

The design of the building came from Luo Xu, a famous artist from Yunnan. After Kunming's "Indigenous Nest" and Maitreya's "Kaleidoscope", he designed this "Ant Workshop" in Jianshui. It is like being in an art world constructed of points, lines and surfaces. It reminds people of Gaudi, the famous European architect, whose works are full of imagination.

All buildings in the "Ant Workshop" are unfolded in accordance with the context of pottery culture, with a free and bold style. It integrates pottery-themed B & Bs, restaurants, galleries, and pottery experience spaces. In addition to Teacher Luo Xu's pottery works, there is also a special exhibition hall displaying artists 'oil paintings and sculptures.

The aerial view is also very beautiful ~

I also like the yellow-themed building very much. At the end of the tunnel is the Kiln Prison Cafe. As you can see in the photo, the entire coffee bar is in a cage. The atmosphere is interesting and artistic.

There are not many people in the off-season restaurant here, so the locals recommended Jianshui's famous grass sprout crossing the bridge rice noodles. At this time, the grass sprouts are called ivory vegetables. Sometimes they float in the soup of the bridge rice noodles, and sometimes they are fried with the meat slices. The taste is fragrant and crisp.

🌟🌟🌟🌟Recommended activities to play:
👉Pink, yellow and white-themed buildings. I also like the yellow-themed buildings very much. At the end of the tunnel is the Yaoyu Cafe.
Luo Luoxu Works Art Exhibition Hall
Letters can be purchased at the pottery art sales center
Pottery handmade experience making your own work
There are restaurants and B & Bs
Address: Wangchengpo, Lin 'an Town, Jianshui County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province (just search the water ant workshop on the map)
Tickets: 10 yuan/person in off-season. There are B & Bs in the scenic area, and tickets for guests staying are free.

Yuanyang-Colorful under the clouds

Yuanyang Terrace is located in the south of Ailao Mountain in Yuanyang County, Yunnan Province. It is a masterpiece left by the Hani people for generations. "A mountain has four seasons, and ten miles have different days." Local people adapt to local conditions according to the changing geographical climate. The terraces change with the mountain terrain. If the slopes are large, large fields are reclaimed, and if the slopes are small, small fields are reclaimed. The large ones cover an area of several acres, and the small ones are only the size of a dustpan, often thousands of acres on one slope. So there are these irregular terraced lines, big and small like God's palette.

From November to April of the following year, it is the irrigation period for Yuanyang Terrace and the peak travel season for Yuanyang Terrace. The irrigated terraces are like countless mirrors, broken on the earth, reflecting the sky light, truly recording every sunrise and sunset, and every cloud rolling.

It is a pity that on the day of the Yuanyang Terrace, sunset and sunrise encountered cloudy and cloudy days. The cumulus clouds persisted for a long time, resulting in no color under the afterglow of the terraces during this trip. The photos were taken along the way during the day, and the blue-blue water surface reflecting the sky echoed with the red rice fields.

The B & B we stayed in was called "Huawowo Inn", which was run by a couple from Kunming with three cats. The location is very close to the "Duoyishu" observation deck at the sunrise location, and what you see is actually the same terraced field. The B & B to the infinity terrace is very suitable for taking photos. In the early morning of the fog, you have a feeling of overlooking the clouds.

Waiting here for the sunrise early in the morning to tease the cat. It is a great experience.

When leaving, we stopped by the shop owner and stopped by the local market. According to the traditional habits of local ethnic minorities, the day is recorded according to the twelve zodiac signs. It is very interesting to see the animals drawn on the shopkeeper's blackboard to count the day.

The Shengcun Market is only available every Thursday. In a street inside the village, it is mainly composed of daily necessities such as cloth and food.

The baked glutinous rice cake is very fragrant, the Q bullet sticks to the teeth, and it costs 2 yuan a large sheet ~

It should be noted that it is not easy to park when driving to the market, and it is not easy to drive out when driving in. It is recommended to park at the roadside of the village entrance and walk in.

Pu 'er-A Morning in Green Tea Mountain

Ending the trip to Yuanyang and preparing to drive to Pu 'er is the longest part of the trip. The 450-kilometer journey takes 6.5 hours. We set out after breakfast. The last night of staying in Pu 'er was a hotel located on Chashan, Pu' er Yixiangshan Camp and Banshan Hotel. One of the hotel's selling points is that it has thousands of acres of tea mountains and the top of the clouds. When you lie in bed, you can see the sunrise and sea of clouds outside the balcony. The room is the camera position. As a sunrise photography enthusiast, it is definitely a blessing.

The hotel has two room types: wooden houses and tents. It is not very expensive per person during the off-season. Although it is a little further from the city center, it is about 20-30 minutes 'drive, but if you like a relaxing vacation in nature, this place is very suitable.

We lived in a tent house, which was a lot cheaper than a wooden house. We had a view of the sunrise and a fairy stick was placed on the oversized balcony ~

Due to the rush of time, I couldn't stay in Pu 'er for longer. At the last moment of my trip, I chose to spend it leisurely in the hotel and take photos. Friends who like to drink tea can go to the hotel's own tea room to experience it.

The short stay in Pu 'er is probably the biggest regret of the trip. Laozhai, Wengding Village, which I originally planned to visit, broke out in a serious fire shortly after returning. The last primitive village in China has no chance to see its original appearance again. There are some things I always want to wait and then miss them forever.

In the blink of an eye, the trip has ended for three months. I wrote this travel record and memories, hoping to help you who want to go to Yunnan's niche route
Looking forward to goodbye.