Walking through the mountains and into the rainforest-a 17-day tour of Mount Emei, Shangri-La, Xishuangbanna and Kunming_Lijiang_Yunnan

Walking through the mountains and into the rainforest-a 17-day tour of Mount Emei, Shangri-La, Xishuangbanna and Kunming

UP ChinaTravel

2024-07-18 00:14:27

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The destination for travel in 2020 is Yunnan. Since I have always been obsessed with Chengdu's food and it is convenient to get to Yunnan from Chengdu, I originally planned to start this year's travel in Chengdu. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in early 2020 has brought great uncertainty to this year's travel, so it has not been possible to decide whether to travel. I have been bored at home for half a year, and I was depressed during the epidemic and wanted to go out for some air. So I booked a train ticket to Qingdao and a hotel in Qingdao, and first went to Qingdao, which is closer to Tianjin, to enjoy the sea breeze. Two days before my trip, I saw that the domestic epidemic was relatively stable and it was possible to travel long distances. I finally decided to go to Qingdao first, and then to Mount Emei and Yunnan in Chengdu.

The total expenses for Emei Mountain and Yunnan (2 people) are 19,723.25 yuan, including:

Transportation is 6,567.42 yuan, accommodation is 3,776.60 yuan, tickets (including scenic sightseeing buses, cableways, etc.) are 2,862.00 yuan, and shopping, meals, city fares and miscellaneous expenses are 6,517.23 yuan.

Due to the delay of the plane, it was nearly 2 p.m. to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. After picking up the checked luggage, it was no longer possible to catch up with the high-speed train from Shuangliu Airport to Emei Mountain at more than 2 p.m.., so I had to wait at the high-speed train station for the 6 o'clock high-speed train. It was already past 7 o'clock when we arrived at the Emeishan High-speed Railway Station. Fortunately, Emeishan City was not large, and the hotel owner who made the reservation came to pick us up on time.

After settling in the hotel, we went out for dinner. Mount Emei is very close to Leshan, and many Leshan delicacies can also be eaten here. Because we were planning to stay on the Jinding of Mount Emei for one night, we first purchased some food we needed to go up the mountain tomorrow. Later, we found that there were many people eating at a restaurant called Niu Mantang Beef, so we decided to start our first meal in Mount Emei here.

We ordered a medium portion of cross-legged beef and served a full basin with beef, beef offal and vegetables. Beef and beef offal are very tender, and the beef soup is also very delicious. It tastes better to soak rice in the soup.

qiaojiao beef
After eating, we will go back to the hotel to rest and prepare for tomorrow's trip to Mount Emei.

Last night, I discovered a shop that sells Emei Mountain tofu pudding. The plaque of "Intangible Cultural Heritage" hangs on the plaque. I came to taste the Emei Mountain tofu pudding this morning and see how it is different from our northern tofu pudding.

The tofu pudding here is filled with crispy meat and a lot of fried food, which is a bit greasy and I'm not used to eating it.

Emeishan bean curd

After breakfast, storing our luggage, we started our journey to Mount Emei.

Mount Emei is the ashram of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and one of China's "Four Famous Buddhist Mountains". It has steep terrain and beautiful scenery, making it known as the "Beautiful World in Emei". Religious culture, especially Buddhist culture, constitutes the main body of Mount Emei's history and culture. All buildings, statues, ritual instruments, etiquette, music, paintings, etc. all show the strong atmosphere of religious culture.

We first took a bus to Fuhu Temple at the foot of the mountain.

Fuhu Temple, also known as Fuhu Temple, Shenlong Hall, and Huxi Jingshe, is adjacent to Baoguo Temple. It was destroyed in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the eighth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty. It was renamed "Huxi Jingshe". Later, due to the nearby tiger disaster, the monks built Zunsheng Building to suppress the situation, and the name was renamed "Fuhu Temple". Emperor Kangxi once wrote the inscription "Ligui Garden" for Fuhu Temple.

Entering the temple gate, you will see green and lush green that blocks the sun. Not many people come here, and the quiet environment gives people a feeling of being out of touch. Walking up the stone steps and passing through the Sijin Forest, the temple with the plaque of "Huxi Jingshe" is in front of you.

Fuhu Temple

In the Huayan Pagoda Pavilion in the back courtyard on the right side of the Daxiong Hall, there is a copper Huayan Pagoda cast in the Ming Dynasty. The tower is 5.8 meters high and has a total of 14 floors. The body of the tower is engraved with more than 4700 small Buddha statues. The full text of the "Huayan Sutra" is engraved. The Huayan Bronze Pagoda ranks among the best copper towers in China for its long history, tall figure and well-cast.

Fuhu Temple-Huayan Pagoda

Fuhu Temple-Huayan Pagoda Pavilion

After coming out of Fuhu Temple, walking slowly along the mountain path, you will arrive at Baoguo Temple in a short time.

Mount Emei Baoguo Temple is the first temple on Mount Emei, the seat of the Mount Emei Buddhist Association, and the center of Buddhist activities in Mount Emei. There is a pair of Ming Dynasty carved stone lions in front of the mountain gate. They are vivid and majestic, like guards on the left and right, guarding this famous mountain and temple. In the forty-second year of Kangxi (1703 AD), Emperor Kangxi took the meaning of "Serving the Country and the Lord's Grace" in the Buddhist scripture "Four Endings and Four Reforms" and inscribed the plaque "Baoguo Temple".

This is a place where you have to check in to come to Mount Emei, so there are many people and it is not as tranquil as Fuhu Temple.

baoguo temple

It was nearly noon when we left Baoguo Temple. We walked all the way to the Baoguo Temple Passenger Transport Center, ready to take a bus to Jinding. We passed a stone carving corridor and the first mountain pavilion on the way.

Emei Mountain-Stone Carving Corridor

Mount Emei--the First Mountain Pavilion

The Emei Mountain sightseeing bus from Baoguo Temple Passenger Transport Center goes directly to Leidongping Parking Lot, which takes a 2-hour drive. From the Leidongping Parking Lot, you can walk to the Jinding Cableway Station located in Jieyin Hall, and take the cableway up the mountain. Those with good physical strength can also walk up the mountain. The mountain road from Jieyin Hall to Jinding is relatively steep and takes about an hour and a half on foot. In order to conserve our strength, we chose to take the cableway up the mountain. The section of the mountain road from Leidongping Parking Lot to Jieyin Hall is easier to walk and the scenery is also good. Walking and stopping along the way, taking pictures of the scenery, and it takes about half an hour to reach the Jinding Cableway Station. The cabin of the Jinding Cableway is very large, similar to the carriage of a bus. It can accommodate about thirty to forty people. It takes more than 10 minutes to reach the Jinding Cableway Station. The Jinding Hotel we booked is located at the exit of the Cableway Station.

It was less than 10 minutes from the hotel to Jinding. We put down our luggage and set out for Jinding.

The Golden Dome of Mount Emei is the place with the most concentrated temples and scenic spots in Mount Emei. It is crowded with scenic spots. It is the essence of Emei and the symbol of Mount Emei. The Golden Roof of Mount Emei, also known as Huazang Temple, was built in the Tang Dynasty. The roof was made of tin tile. It was also called the "Silver Roof" in the Yuan Dynasty. From the Jinding, you can watch the four wonders of Emei-the sunrise, the sea of clouds, the Buddha's light, and the sacred lantern.

At the highest point of the Jinding, there is a rare treasure called the "Jinding Bronze Hall". It was donated by Zen Master Miaofeng at the request of Lu 'an, the vassal king of Western Shu, in the 30th year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty (1602). The hall is 8 meters high, 4.8 meters wide and 4.3 meters deep. It is carved with double eaves and embroidered brown lock windows. The entire body is welded with copper pieces. The roof eaves tiles are full of gold, shining brightly under the sun, so they are named "Golden Top".

We were lucky that it cleared up when we arrived at Jinding. Before reaching the Golden Summit, you can see the dazzling golden statues of Samantablans on all sides in the sun. Climbing the high stone steps, the terrain suddenly becomes clear, and the tall and four-sided golden statues of Samantabhadra and the golden dome shine against the blue sky and white clouds.

Emei Mountain Jinding

Looking around on the Golden Summit, you can have a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, and you can also see the Wanfo Summit in the distance.

Wanfo Ding is the highest peak in Mount Emei, with an altitude of 3099 meters. It has cliffs and protruding flat fields. It stands tall on the top of "Da Ming Mountain". It is the highest scenic spot and natural ecological reserve among China's four famous Buddhist mountains. It is also China's highest altitude world natural and cultural heritage site.

Unfortunately, the road to Wanfoding is now closed, and we can only overlook it from the Golden Summit.

The Golden Summit of Mount Emei-overlooking the Ten Thousand Buddha Summit

At about 5 o'clock, tour groups and tourists living at the foot of the mountain gradually descended the mountain. The bustling crowd disappeared, and only us, who lived on the top of the mountain, were left on the Golden Summit and were preparing to take the sunset. We waited on the golden dome until the sun set before returning to the hotel.

Emei Mountain Jinding

Golden Peak of Mount Emei-Sunset

Emei Mountain Jinding

We came to the Jinding again before dawn in the morning. Many people had gathered here, and everyone was waiting for the sunrise.

When light began to appear on the sky, people began to stir. Gradually, the sky became brighter and brighter, and the edges of the white clouds were dyed golden red by the sunlight. At first, the dark red sun only showed a little at the edge of the clouds, but slowly, most of the sun emerged. After a while, the red sun jumped out of the clouds. At this time, the surrounding mountains and golden domes were plated with a layer of gold by the sun. The ten directions of the Sumantabile statues and the golden domed hall were bathed in golden light.

The golden roof of Mount Emei--the sunrise

The golden roof bathed in the rising sun

The Golden Summit of Mount Emei-overlooking the Ten Thousand Buddha Summit

When the sun fully rose, we returned to the hotel satisfied. After breakfast, we were ready to go down the mountain. On an observation deck near the cableway station, we saw the snowy mountains in the distance. The snow-capped mountain top became brighter under the sun. On the way to Leidongping, I also met monkeys from Mount Emei.

The Golden Peak of Mount Emei--a distant view of the snowy mountains

Emei Mountain-Encounter a Monkey

We took a bus from Leidongping Parking Lot to Wannian Temple Parking Lot, and from here took the cableway to Wannian Temple.

Wannian Temple is one of the eight major temples in Mount Emei. The temple provides the three treasures of Wannian Temple: Buddha's Tooth, Palace-Leaf Sutra and Imperial Seal. There are many steles in the temple, the most famous of which is the "First Mountain Stele" written in calligraphy by Mi Fu, a calligrapher of the Song Dynasty. The brimless brick hall in the temple is the second hall of Wannian Temple, also known as the Samxian Hall. It was built in the Ming Dynasty and is entirely made of bricks. There is no tree, column or tile. It is majestic and magnificent.

wannian temple

Walk down the mountain along the stone steps from Wannian Temple and pass through Bailong Cave on the way. Bailong Cave is also known as Bailong Temple. It was founded by a different Zen master during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. There are two upper and lower Bailong Cave behind the temple. It is said that it is the place of cultivation for the White Lady, hence the name of the temple.

Bailong Cave is not big, so it only takes ten minutes to go in and around. Continue down and soon reach Qingyin Pavilion.

Qingyin Pavilion was named Niuxin Temple in the Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, Zen Master Huitong in Jiangling changed it to Woyun Temple. During the Ming Dynasty, Guangji Zen Master took the word "Qingyin" from "Why silk and bamboo, mountains and rivers have clear sound" in Zuo Si's "Zhaoyin Poetry", a poet of the Jin Dynasty, and changed the name of the temple to "Qingyin Pavilion". There is only one hall in Qingyin Pavilion, which is dedicated to the Three Saints of Huayan and Yan. In the middle is Sakyamuni Buddha, on the left is Manjusri Bodhisattva, and on the right is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. In front of the pavilion, there is a "King Receiving Pavilion". Although Qingyin Pavilion is small, it is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has beautiful scenery. Its overall layout reflects the artistic conception of "natural creation, the unity of man and man" and is a model of Buddhist temple garden architecture in my country. "Shuangqiao Qingyin", one of the ten scenic spots in Mount Emei, is located here.

qingyin Pavilion

This is also a must-see attraction when visiting Mount Emei. There are many people, making what should be a quiet place noisy and noisy. We stopped here for a short time and then took a bus down the mountain to return to the Baoguo Temple Passenger Transport Center.

I went to the foot of the mountain to pick up my luggage and took a bus to the Emei Mountain High-speed Railway Station. It was still early, so I immediately changed my ticket to Chengdu for the latest flight to Chengdu.

It was dinnertime when I settled in the hotel. I found a Yuanji Chuanxiang Hot Pot restaurant on the Internet that was close to the hotel and started a gourmet journey in Chengdu.

Chengdu Chuanchuanxiang Hotpot

Today, I plan to take a day off in Chengdu and stroll around to find Chengdu's delicious snacks.

Early in the morning, I followed the navigation to a shop specializing in Chengdu snacks and asked Xiaomingtang to put on sweet water surface. I ordered Chengdu's Dandan Noodles and several other snacks, and they all tasted very good.

Chengdu snacks

The last time we came to Chengdu to visit Jinli was at night. After breakfast, we decided to visit Jinli during the day. I saw a vendor selling sugar, oil and fruits on the roadside. I bought some and tried it. The taste was okay.

There are still many people in Jinli during the day, but the buildings without lights reveal their simple beauty.

jinli

Passing by the Three Kingdoms Tea Garden, I was just in time for the Sichuan Opera performance. We were tired from shopping, so we could go in and rest. The program is rich in content, including acrobatics, magic, water sleeve performances, etc. The most exciting thing is of course the unique skill of Sichuan Opera-face-changing.

Sichuan opera face-changing is an important part of Sichuan opera's performance art. It is a special trick used to shape characters in Sichuan opera art. It is a romantic technique to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters in the play. It is jointly created and passed down by Sichuan opera artists of past dynasties. An artistic treasure. There are generally three ways to change face: "wiping face","blowing face", and "pulling face". Sichuan Opera brought "face-changing" to the stage and made it a unique art.

We drank tea while enjoying the performance.

Sichuan Opera performance

After watching the performance, we thought about the Jianyang tea sets we saw in Kuanzhai Alley last time, and wanted to buy a set to take back this time, so we came to Kuanzhai Alley again. But after walking around the wide and narrow alleys for a long time, I couldn't find the shop, so I had to give up. I saw on the Internet that there were many snacks on Kuixinglou Street, not far from Kuinarrow Alley, so I decided to go there for dinner.

Kuixinglou Street is a short street. There are restaurants on both sides, but many of them are hot pot restaurants. I bought baked egg cakes from a small stall on the roadside, and the taste was okay. I saw a shop called Bite of China Party Sichuan Snack Market with a lot of people, so I ordered a few snacks here. I thought that a shop specializing in snacks would taste good, but I didn't expect that the snacks I ordered would taste so ordinary.

Take a plane to Lijiang from Shuangliu Airport in the morning and arrive at Lijiang Airport after an hour and a half. I booked a hotel in Shuhe Ancient Town. The hotel has a pick-up service and the driver is already waiting for us at the airport. It is about an hour's drive from the airport to Shuhe Ancient Town, and it is already noon when we arrive at the hotel.

Use half a day in the afternoon to visit Mufu located in the ancient city of Lijiang and visit the ancient city of Lijiang.

Lijiang Ancient City, also known as Dayan Ancient City, is one of two ancient cities in China that have successfully declared the entire ancient city for a World Cultural Heritage. The streets in the ancient city of Lijiang are built around mountains and rivers and paved with red breccia. There are scenic spots such as Sifang Street, Mufu, Wufenglou, and Lijiang Ancient City Dashuichao.

The Mufu in the ancient city was originally the government office of the Mu family, a hereditary Tusi in Lijiang. It is located at the eastern foot of Lion Mountain in the ancient city. It was built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD) and was rebuilt in 1998 and transformed into the Ancient City Museum. Mufu covers an area of 46 acres. There are 162 rooms of different sizes in the mansion. The central axis is 369 meters long. Sanqing Hall, Yuyin Tower, Guangbi Tower, Dharma Hall, Wanjuan Tower, Meeting Hall, and Zhongyi Square are well arranged from west to east. There are eleven plaques awarded by successive emperors hanging inside, reflecting the rise and fall history of the Mu family. The TV series "Mufu Fengyun", which tells the story of the Musi Tusi in Lijiang, was filmed here.

Mufu is very large in scale, and its architectural pattern is similar to the Forbidden City in Beijing.

mufu

After coming out of Mufu, strolling along the streets of the ancient city, I unknowingly came to Sifang Street.

Sifang Street is the center of the ancient city of Lijiang. It is said that it was built by Mu's Tusi in the Ming Dynasty in accordance with the shape of its seal. This is the most important hub station on the ancient tea-horse road. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, merchants from all walks of life have gathered, and the cultures of various ethnic groups have gathered here. It is the center of economic and cultural exchanges in Lijiang.

Turn into an alley next to Sifang Street. Flowers are everywhere on both sides of the street. Walking along the alley, at the end of the alley is the attraction that must be checked in to the ancient city-the big waterwheel.

Lijiang ancient city

The Ancient City of Lijiang-Dashuiche

Lijiang ancient city

After visiting the ancient city, it was dinner time. At a hot pot restaurant called Ama's ribs outside the ancient city, I ordered side dishes such as ribs hot pot and water poplar flowers that must be eaten in Lijiang. A pot full of preserved ribs was served. It tasted very good. After the two people were full, there was still a lot left to finish.

Lijiang ribs hotpot

There is plenty of time today, so I am going to take a bus to Yuzhu Qingtian Scenic Area. Starting from the hotel in the morning, take No. 111 at the entrance of Shuhe Ancient Town, then transfer to No. 17 to Yuhu Village, get off the bus and walk along the road to the scenic spot.

Yuzhu Qingtian Scenic Area is an integral part of Lijiang Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area, more than ten miles away from the ancient city. Together with Yushuizhai, Yufeng Temple, Dongba Valley, Dongba Pantheon Garden, and Dongba Kingdom, they are called the "Three Jade and Three East".

Jade Lake was an artificial lake dug by the Mu family before the Ming Dynasty. The Mu family built a summer palace, a Yulong Academy, and a deer farm on the lake. The earliest residents of Yuhu Village were those who raised deer for King Naxi to protect the palace.

The four characters "Jade Pillar Towering Sky" are engraved on the cliff next to the Jade Lake, which is an inscription by Yang Yan, the first official prefect of Lijiang. This stone carving not only describes the splendor of the Lijiang Snow Mountain, but also becomes a cultural relic directly related to the important historical event of "changing the soil and returning it to the current". The snow and water in the Jade Lake are clear, and the water and grass are swaying. When the weather is clear, the blue sky and white clouds set off the tall Jade Dragon Snow Peak are reflected in the lake. Nature seems to have been precipitated at the bottom of the lake. "Jade Lake Reflection" is the first of the twelve best scenic spots on the Yulong Snow Mountain, which was praised by Naxi poets in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

At present, the Yuzhu Qingtian Scenic Area mainly introduces Dongba culture and traditional Naxi folk customs. There are exhibition halls displaying Dongba characters and Naxi folk customs in the scenic area. There are very few people here. The green trees are dancing in the scenic area, and the static reflection in the jade lake is like a picture of heavily colored ink. Unfortunately, it is cloudy today and we cannot see the reflection of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Yuzhu Qingtian Scenic Area

Yuzhu Qingtian Scenic Area
Coming out of the scenic area, go down the path next to the parking lot and come to a large meadow. The meadow is full of all kinds of wild flowers. At this time, there are only the two of us on the entire meadow, so we can enjoy the beauty of nature. Walking through the big meadow is Yuhu Village. The roads in the village are all paved with stone, and the houses are also built with stone, making them natural with nature. The village is very big. Walking around in the village, I accidentally saw a house with a sign saying "Locke's Former Residence".

Locke was the first foreign scholar to comprehensively introduce Lijiang national culture to the Western world. In 1922, Joseph Locke entered Yunnan, China from the Thai-Myanmar border as an explorer, writer, and photographer for National Geographic Magazine and the Yan Qing Institute of Botany at Harvard University. From then on, he lived under the Yulong Snow Mountain for 27 years.

Yuhu Village-passing through the Great Meadow

Yuhu village

Yuhu Village-Former Residence of Locke

After returning from Yuhu Village, we wanted to visit Shuhe Ancient Town, but it suddenly rained heavily, so we had to go back to the hotel to rest first.

When you come to Lijiang, you must check in at Yulong Snow Mountain. We are going to Yulong Snow Mountain today.

Yulong Snow Mountain is the main peak of the Yunling Mountains of the Hengduan Mountains and belongs to a young limestone fault block folded mountain. The 13 peaks of the whole mountain are arranged longitudinally from south to north. The highest point of the main peak is steeply fan and has an altitude of 5596 meters. It is covered with snow all year round. There are temperate maritime glaciers closest to the Equator on the Eurasian continent. It is the mountain range closest to the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere with snow all year round. The developed tourist attractions (spots) in Yulong Snow Mountain mainly include Glacier Park, Ganhaizi, Lanyue Valley, Yunshanping, Yauruping, etc. There are three cableways up the mountain, namely the large cableway to Glacier Park, the middle cableway to Yauruping and the small cableway to Yunshanping.

Due to the cloudy days and thick clouds, we decided to give up the Glacier Park and go to Yakuping with an altitude of 3700 meters first, and then to Lanyue Valley. Vehicles entering the scenic spot can only drive to the tourist center in Ganhaizi, then take the scenic spot's sightseeing bus to the cableway station, and take the cableway up the mountain.

Mauringping is called "Ge Zhangu" in Naxi. The Ge is an alpine meadow that is displayed like stars. In ancient times, it is a side or a corner, which means an alpine meadow like stars.

The cableway traveled through the mountains, and the fog became heavier and heavier. The moment we stepped out of the cableway, it was surrounded by dense fog, making the visibility very low. As we walked, we patted the flowers and plants with water droplets on the meadow, hoping that the dense fog would disperse later.

Yulong Snow Mountain--Yuraoping

Yulong Snow Mountain--Yamaoping--Snow Temple

After waiting for more than an hour, the dense fog still showed no sign of dissipating, so I had to take a cableway down the mountain. We got off the bus at Blue Moon Valley and started visiting Blue Moon Valley.

The ice and snow of the Yulong Snow Mountain melt into river water and pass through the valley from the eastern foot of the snow mountain. Because the color of the water is blue and the valley is crescent-shaped, from a distance, it looks like a blue moon inlaid at the foot of the Yulong Snow Mountain. Also because the Blue Moon Valley in the British writer Hilton's "The Lost Horizon" is similar to this, it is named "Blue Moon Valley". The river water in Lanyue Valley was blocked by mountains during its flow, forming four large water surfaces, known as Yuye Lake, Jingtan Lake, Lanyue Lake and Tingtao Lake. The lake bank is surrounded by lush vegetation, backed by snowy peaks in the distance.

The lake water in Blue Moon Valley has different shades and shows different blue colors. The lake is connected by a plank road, so that people can get into close contact with the water. Perhaps it is because the weather is bad today and the true appearance of the snowy mountains cannot be seen, people are gathered here, making it full of people everywhere.

Yulong Snow Mountain-Blue Moon Valley

After touring the Blue Moon Valley, today's trip to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain will end. After returning from the Yulong Snow Mountain, we wandered around the ancient town of Shuhe.

Shuhe Ancient Town is one of the earliest settlements of Naxi ancestors in Lijiang Bazi. It is an important market town well preserved on the ancient tea-horse road. It is also a living specimen of the transition of Naxi ancestors from farming civilization to commercial civilization. It is a model of market town construction formed by opening up to the outside world and horse gang activities.

Shuhe ancient town

On the edge of the ancient town, I met a small shop that sells local chicken rice noodles. The local chicken rice noodles cost 12 yuan a bowl. The rice noodles are smooth and the chicken soup tastes mellow.

Lijiang Cuisine-Local Chicken Rice Noodles

There is now only a highway from Lijiang to Shangri-La. In order to visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge on the way, we booked a carpool from Lijiang to Shangri-La online. The car can stay at the Tiger Leaping Gorge for an hour and a half.

The Jinsha River, which originated from the Geladandong Snow Mountain in Qinghai Province, flows here thousands of miles. It suddenly encountered the obstruction of the two snowy mountains, Yulong and Haba. The originally calm and peaceful river water suddenly became furious and crashed into the Haba Snow Mountain and Yulong Snow Mountain. In the huge gap between, a long and narrow deep valley is cut. This is the famous Grand Canyon-Tiger Leaping Gorge. Tiger Leaping Gorge is the largest canyon in the Yangtze River in thousands of miles. It is famous for its extraordinary dangers and majesty. It is one of the deepest canyons in China. It is named after the legend of a tiger leaping over the heart of the river and crossing the river. It includes three stages of the upper tiger jump, the middle tiger jump and the lower tiger jump, as well as the high-road hiking route.

Shanghu Tiao is the narrowest section of the canyon. In the 30-meter-wide river, there stands a huge stone four to five meters high in the center of the river. It lies across the middle stream, like a falling waterfall and a high ridge standing steeply in front of you, dividing the rapids into two. The waves shook the sky. Legend has it that a tiger used the huge rock in the center of the river to jump from the side of the Yulong Snow Mountain to the Haba Snow Mountain, so the stone was named Tiger Leaping Stone.

The car parked next to the road and walked down the stairs. You can see a leaping stone tiger statue by the river. The base is about 3 meters high. This is the iconic stone carving shape entering the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Walking inward from here, you will enter the Grand Canyon. On both sides of the canyon, high mountains stand tall. There are many reefs in the river and teeth are intertwined. The river water rushes forward under the two snowy mountains of Yulong and Haba, like a tiger descending the mountain, rushing at lightning speed, splashing water, and roaring in the valley, giving an extraordinary momentum. The rushing river either roared wildly, the snow waves flew, or the whirlpool rolled, and the fog was empty, forming a rare landscape wonder in the world.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

After the tour, we went on the Tiger Jump and continued to drive. The car stopped for a while in Xiaozhongdian, where there was a sea of flowers. It is September, and the wolfbane flowers are in full bloom. The fiery red wolfbane flowers, green mountains and green grass form a beautiful picture.

Shangri-La-Xiaozhongdian-Stellera japonica Flower

At about 2 o'clock, we arrived at the East Gate Parking Lot of Dukezong Ancient City in Shangri-La.

Dukezong Ancient City is an ancient city with a history of more than 1300 years. It is the best-preserved and largest Tibetan dwelling group in China. The ancient city of Dukezong was once the hub of the ancient tea-horse road, a window for cultural exchanges between Tibetan villages in the snowy region and ethnic groups in the Yunnan region, and a link for economic and trade between the Sichuan-Tibet-Yunnan region. A fire in 2014 destroyed most of the houses in the ancient city, and the current ancient city was later rebuilt.

The hotel we booked was in the north gate of the ancient city. Because we had luggage, we wanted to take a taxi ourselves, but it was difficult to get a taxi here in the east gate parking lot, so we contacted the innkeeper to pick us up.

It got dark late in Shangri-La. After settling in the inn, we took a taxi to Songzanlin Temple, not far from the ancient city.

Gadan Songzanlin Temple, also known as Guihua Temple, is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. It is also one of the famous large temples in Tibetan areas. It is also the center of Yellow Religion in Sichuan and Yunnan. It has a decisive position in the entire Tibetan area and is known as the "Little Potala Palace." The temple is built against a mountain and looks like an ancient castle. It gathers the essence of Tibetan religious culture and the masterpieces of Tibetan plastic arts. The building is resplendent, with colorful gold-plated copper tiles, the temple is decorated with precious horns and animal kisses, and the Zacang Hall is spacious and magnificent. Many Buddha statues are enshrined in the hall. The murals on both sides are exquisitely decorated, and it is also known as the "Tibetan Art Museum".

We first visited the museum opposite the visitor center, which displayed many beautiful Thangka and a three-dimensional four-sided mandala, which was very beautifully built.

Beautiful Thangka

After visiting the museum, take a sightseeing bus from the visitor center to Songzanlin Temple. When looking for strategies, I learned that Ramyancuo Lake in front of the temple can capture the reflection of the entire Songzanlin Temple in the lake. After getting off the bus, we first walked around the artificial trail of Ramyangcuo Lake. The lake is clear and the water and grass are lush. From time to time, ducklings play in the water and forage for food. The moment the sun emerged from the clouds, we photographed the reflection of Songzanlin Temple in the water. The gold-plated copper tiles on the main hall glistened gold in the sun.

Ramyangcuo Lake

Tickets for Songzanlin Temple include explanations. The tour guide will gather individual tourists and bring them into the temple to explain while walking. We finished visiting Ramyangcuo Lake just in time for the tour guide to bring a group of tourists into the temple, so we followed the tour guide into Songzanlin Temple.

Similar to the Tibetan Buddhist architectural style, the two main halls of Songzanlin Temple, Zhacang and Jikang, stand high in the center. Eight major Kangshen, monk's houses and other buildings are surrounded by arches, with high and low scattered heights, progressive layers, and clear three-dimensional outlines., fully setting off the height and majesty of the main building. The main building is Zacang, which means monastery in Tibetan. It is a place where monks study classics and practice teachings.

Gadan Songzanlin Temple

Gadan Songzanlin Temple
Tibetan food and yak meat hot pot are the specialties of Shangri-La. After returning from Songzanlin Temple, I went to the ancient city to find a specialty hot pot restaurant in Shuiyifang that received high reviews on the Internet to eat yak meat hot pot. The shop assistant recommended us a combination of yak meat and black pork, a wild vegetable platter and highland barley cakes. We wanted to order other things, but the shop assistant was afraid that we wouldn't be able to eat it, so he tried to dissuade us. Yak meat and black pork are both very tender, and there are various seasonal wild vegetables in the wild vegetable platter. In the end, we were full before finishing these things.

Shangri-La Yak Meat Hotpot

I booked a through train from Dukezong Ancient City directly to Pudacuo National Park and got on the bus in the parking lot in front of Moonlight Square in the morning. On the road, I met a vendor selling yak milk products and highland barley cakes. I bought yak milk and highland barley cakes, which were delicious.

The hill east of Moonlight Square is the famous Shangri-La Guishan Park. Bright sunshine, pure blue sky and white clouds, as well as the golden prayer wheel make up the most beautiful picture. There is a large pool at the entrance of the park. It is clear and translucent. It is the spring water of an ancient well. The water can be drunk directly. Many people in the city draw their domestic water from here.

Ancient well at the entrance of Guishan Park

On both sides of the square are the Red Army Long March Museum and the Diqing History Museum. There is still some time before getting on the bus. Let's first visit the Red Army Long March Museum and the Diqing History Museum. The Red Army Long March Museum is actually a Tibetan temple. There is a main hall in it, where many local old mothers come to pay homage. Diqing History Museum displays some historical relics.

Red Army Long March Museum

Diqing History Museum

The through train was originally scheduled to leave at 10 o'clock sharp, but it was delayed due to staff mistakes and it was nearly 12 o'clock to arrive at the scenic spot.

Pudacuo National Park is located in the center of the "Three Parallel Rivers" World Natural Heritage in northwest Yunnan, with an altitude of 3500 meters to 4159 meters. It consists of the internationally important wetland Bitahai Nature Reserve and the "Three Parallel Rivers" World Natural Heritage Haba Area. The Duhu Scenic Area consists of two parts, with the main components of the Bitahai, Shuduhu and Militang Sub-alpine Ranch. It has geological landforms, lakes and wetlands, forest meadows, river valleys and streams, rare animals and plants, etc., and its original ecological environment is well preserved. It is one of the main tourist attractions of Shangri-La.

In order to protect a precious fish-"schizothorax", Militang and Bita Sea have now been closed, and only the Yudu Lake Scenic Area is open to the public.

Take the sightseeing bus from the scenic area at the customer service center to the Shudugang River Hiking Experience Area. From here, you need to walk 3 kilometers to the Shudu Lake Scenic Area. Only a few passengers on the bus got off here, and the rest of them took the bus directly to Shudu Lake. Due to the abundant time, we got off the bus here and walked to Shudu Lake.

There is a path winding in the mountains and valleys in the Dugang River Hiking Experience Area. Since there are not many people here, the damage to the surrounding environment is not great. The environment here is relatively original. The virgin forest blocks the sky and the sun, and the crown is thick and green to protect against the wind and rain. Walking through the lush woods, I didn't feel like I was on a plateau at an altitude of more than 3000 meters.

Pudacuo National Park-Shudugang River Hiking Experience Area

At the end of the hiking experience area is the parking lot of Duhu Scenic Area.

The green mountains around the Duhu Lake are lush, and the spruce and fir trees in the mountains are tall and strong, pointing straight to the sky. The grassland is vast and the water and grass are abundant. The lake is home to a large number of wild birds such as wild ducks and yellow ducks.

Follow the plank road and enter the scenic area, and a large lake will come into view, and lush water and grass grow in the shallow water. Perhaps the sky is gloomy, and the scenery here is not as beautiful as imagined.

Pudacuo National Park-Shudu Lake

Return from Pudacuo National Park at four o'clock, get off at the east gate of Dukezong Ancient City 1 hour later, and go to Guishan Park first.

Climb up the steep steps and soon reach the Han Temple. Behind the Han Temple is the world's largest prayer wheel. Looking up, the entire prayer wheel is about 5 stories high and majestic. The body of the cylinder is made of pure copper and gold plated. The upper end of the cylinder wall is engraved with embossed with the four major Bodhisattva Manjusri, Samannah, Avalokitesvara, and Ksitigarbha. The lower end is engraved with the eight treasures of the Buddhist family. There are also 1.24 million Buddhist scriptures, wordless truths, etc. and a variety of Buddhist treasures, with a total weight of about 16 tons. To turn such a huge sutra tube, it would take more than ten people to work together. Rotating the prayer tube clockwise for each turn is equivalent to reciting 1.24 million Buddhist names. After three turns, you can eliminate disasters and pray for blessings, with good luck.

Standing on Guishan Park and overlooking, you can have a panoramic view of Shangri-La City. The smoke from the kitchens in the Urban area is curling and the sparkling water color of the Green Dragon Pool can be fully seen.

Guishan Park

Guishan Park-prayer wheel

In Guishan Park, we will work together with everyone to turn the prayer tube for three times, hoping that everything will go well. After coming out of Guishan Park, I thought about having a Tibetan meal, so I searched in the ancient city and found a small shop called Tibetan Xinqiao Snacks. I ordered highland barley noodles, stir-fried Tibetan pork slices, hand-grabbed tsampa, butter tea, etc. The hand-grabbed tsampa tastes sweet, the butter tea has a strong milk aroma, and the highland barley noodles and fried Tibetan pork slices are also delicious.

ancient city of dukezong

Hand-grabbed Zanba and butter tea

Highland barley noodles and stir-fried Tibetan pork slices

After eating and drinking enough, we continued to stroll around the ancient city and strayed into Shambhala Old Street, an antique street.

Shambala Old Street

I had booked a three-day stay in Shangri-La, but I felt a little unwell, so I decided to go back to the inn to check out and return to Lijiang tomorrow.

D10

Leave Shangri-La by car in the morning and arrive in Lijiang at noon. In the afternoon, I decided to go to Heilongtan Park, not far from the inn.

There are many buses from the ancient city to Heilongtan Park. There is a crystal clear spring pool in Heilongtan Park. The scattered ancient buildings include Temple Dragon God, Deyue Tower, Suocui Bridge, Yuhuang Pavilion and the Jiedanglin Gate Tower of Fuguo Temple in Zhishan in the Ming Dynasty that was later relocated here., Wufeng Tower and other buildings.

When the weather is clear, you can take pictures of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain reflected in the Black Dragon Pool here. The clouds have been very thick in the past few days when we have been here, and we have not been able to see the snowy mountains at all.

heilongtan Park

Coming out of Heilongtan Park and walking about one kilometer along the Jade River is the Ancient City of Lijiang. I have read many strategies that recommend snack bar No. 88, and I also want to try it. Following the navigation here, I ordered 4 snacks, but was told that there were no 3 of them, so I decisively got up and went elsewhere to find food.

An alternative foraging place is Zhongyi Market, which is frequented by many locals. There is a food night market after 6 p.m. every day.

D11

The plane to Xishuangbanna was at night and there was a whole day during the day, so I decided to visit Dongba culture again in Yushui Village.

Take Bus No. 6 from the ancient city and the terminal station is Yushuizhai Scenic Area.

Yushuizhai Scenic Area is located at the foot of the Yulong Snow Mountain. It is the inheritance holy place of Lijiang's Dongba culture, the inheritance base of Baisha Xile music and the inheritance base of Leba dance. The shanzhai is natural and simple, interdependent by mountains and rivers, and beautiful scenery. It is a feng shui treasure place with national cultural characteristics.

When entering the scenic spot, the first thing you see is the Dongba Ancient Books Culture Monument, a World Memory Heritage Site. Up the mountain road, the end point is the Nature God Field, which is the source of Lijiang. There are also Dongba Temple, Folk Court and other display areas that introduce Dongba culture in the scenic area, allowing you to have an in-depth understanding of Dongba culture and Naxi folk customs.

Yushuizhai

Yushui Village-Dongba Character

Yushuizhai

From Yushui Village, you will find Yufeng Temple for about half an hour after walking down the road.

Yufeng Temple is located at the southern foot of the Yulong Snow Mountain, 13 kilometers away from the ancient city of Lijiang. It was built in the 39th year of Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1700). At its largest scale, it had nine courtyards, with existing halls and upper and lower houses. Yufeng Temple Tashi Qupeilin in Tibetan, meaning "Auspicious Hongfa Garden", is listed as the five major Buddhist temples in Lijiang, along with Fuguo Temple, Puji Temple, Wenfeng Temple and Zhiyun Temple.

Yufeng Temple

The "Ten Thousand Camellia" tree in Yufeng Temple is world-renowned. It was personally planted by Kuji Jiong, the Eighth Great Minister of the Kama Kagyu faction leader. It has a history of nearly 500 years. Thousands of camellia trees bloom from the beginning of spring to the end of summer every year. After more than 100 days, more than 20 batches of more than 20,000 gorgeous camellia flowers compete to bloom. They are known as the "King of Camellia in the World" and the "World's First Tree".

Unfortunately, we missed the flowering period and couldn't see the scene of thousands of camellia blooming.

Yufeng Temple-"Ten Thousand Camellia" Tree

Yufeng Temple-"Ten Thousand Camellia" Tree (Photo Introduction)

When I came out of Yufeng Temple, I happened to catch a No. 6 bus back to the ancient city. Go back to the inn to pick up your luggage and head to Lijiang Airport to start your journey to Xishuangbanna.

D12

Xishuangbanna is a place where Dai people gather. Due to the flight delay, I arrived late yesterday at the Gaozhuang West Shuangjing Hotel in Jinghong, the capital of Xishuangbanna. I couldn't see the surrounding environment. Looking out from the balcony of my room this morning, I saw flowers blooming in the garden and streets on both sides of the hotel, and fruits hanging on banana trees and tall coconut trees. Most of the buildings are white, and the style is very different from that of the mainland, with a very Southeast Asian style.

Gaozhuang West Shuangjing is Dai language, which means "Nine Towers and Twelve Villages" in Han. Through the overall plan of "One River, Two Gates, Nine Towers and Twelve Villages", it aims to recreate the ancient scenery of Jinghong and create a prosperous and prosperous "City in Jinghong", facing the international market and welcoming tens of millions of tourists.

gaozhuang xishuangjing

Yesterday, I made an appointment with Master Yuan who picked up the plane and rented his car to go to Wild Elephant Valley today. At 9 o'clock, Master Yuan came to pick us up on time.

To see Asian wild elephants in China, you must go to Xishuangbanna; to see wild elephants in Xishuangbanna, you must go to the Wild Elephant Valley. Xishuangbanna, known as the "Elephant Riding Country" in ancient times, is the only habitat for Asian elephants in China. The Wild Elephant Valley, located at the junction of the east and west areas of Mengyang Nature Reserve, is the central channel for the exchange and gathering of wild Asian elephants living in the two areas. The valley is dotted with ditches and rivers, dense forests, and a tropical rainforest scenery. There are about 50 groups of wild elephants here, about 300-350. Through multiple tourist projects such as high-altitude elephant viewing plank road, rainforest sightseeing cableway, Asian Elephant Museum, Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding Base, Asian Elephant Performance School, etc., Wild Elephant Valley allows tourists to safely observe Asian wild elephants without interfering with the lives of Asian elephants. It has become the only place in China where you can communicate closely with Asian wild elephants, and is known as the "bridge between humans and Asian wild elephants."

Entering the scenic spot just in time for the Asian elephant performance time, Master Yuan took us to the performance first. Elephants are very intelligent animals. After training, their performances are lively and interesting.

Wild Elephant Valley-Elephant Show

After watching the performance, Master Yuan took us to visit the Butterfly Garden, Orchid Garden and other scenic spots. Finally, we came to the high-altitude elephant viewing plank road and told us to wait for us at the exit of the plank road.

The plank road has a total length of more than 1000 meters and an average height of 15 meters from the ground. If you are lucky, you can see wild elephants moving on the ground. We didn't see wild elephants, but the plank road is set up in dense forests. Walking on the plank road, we can get a close look at the rainforest plants growing high, and we can also understand the tropical rainforest plants from another perspective.

wild elephant Valley

After coming out of Wild Elephant Valley, Master Yuan suggested going to Jino Stronghold, but I wanted to go to Manting Park. In the end, I decided to go back to Jinghong City for lunch and then go to Manting Park.

Manting Park is the oldest park in Xishuangbanna. It was originally the Royal Garden of Dai Kings. The Dai people habitually call it "Chunhuan", which means "Garden of Souls". It has a history of more than 1300 years. The scenic spot embodies the three thematic characteristics of "Dai royal culture, Buddhist culture, and Dai folk culture". The park has both hills and rivers, as well as cultural landscapes with strong ethnic characteristics. It is a natural village-style park.

Entering the gate of the park, the first thing that comes into view is a full-body bronze statue commemorating Premier Zhou Enlai. The Prime Minister is dressed in Dai costume, holding a water bowl in his left hand and an olive branch in his right hand. On the left side of the bronze statue are two Bodhi trees planted by the Princess of the Kingdom of Thailand to symbolize China-Thailand friendship.

manting Park

The park has both natural landscapes created by the land, as well as artificially cultivated exotic flowers and garden buildings. The trees are surrounded by vines, the paths are shaded by thick shade, and the lake is covered with green grass. The most distinctive thing is the various buildings in the garden, with a strong Dai style. When you step into the park, you will feel the sense of returning to nature, making people deeply feel the ingenious combination of nature and artificial, which is pleasing to the eye and refreshing.

manting Park

After passing through the Dai King Palace, passing through the wind and rain bridge on Fangsheng Lake, and bypassing the White Pagoda, you will reach the Xishuangbanna General Buddhist Temple, which is famous in Southeast Asia.

The General Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna is called "Wabajie" in Dai language and is the center of pilgrimage for Buddhist believers in Xishuangbanna. It is the holy place where the highest ruler of Xishuangbanna (literally translated as the land owner or the land king) and his chief chieftain worshiped Buddha before liberation. It is also the highest-level Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna.

The exterior walls of the buildings in the temple are decorated with patterns such as Buddha statues, auspicious beasts and lotus flowers, all of which are gilded and look resplendent.

Xishuangbanna General Buddhist Temple

I heard that the lights in Gaozhuang Xingguang Night Market are very beautiful, and I want to go and see it at night. Master Yuan said that the Xingguang Night Market would not be lively until after 8 p.m.. After coming out of Manting Park, he would go back to the hotel to rest for a while, and then go out to the Xingguang Night Market at 8 p.m.

The Xingguang Night Market is located on the bank of the Lancang River behind the Dajinta Temple in Gaozhuang. Standing on the steps of the Dajinta Temple and looking down, you will see the stalls next to each other. The large area is brightly lit and very beautiful.

Gaozhuang Xingguang Night Market

We walked around the night market, which is similar to markets in many tourist attractions, with stalls selling various tourist souvenirs, as well as stalls selling fruits and local specialties.

D13

Wangtianshu Scenic Area and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are both far away from Jinghong City, and one-day tour groups have been registered today and tomorrow. I am going to the Wangtianshu Scenic Area today. I will go to the entrance of the Gaozhuang Tourist Service Center early in the morning and wait for the travel agency's bus according to the tour guide's short message.

Wangtianshu Scenic Area is located in the Bubang National Nature Reserve northeast of Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It covers an area of 864.4 kilometers and is a key tourist area in Xishuangbanna. There is a representative tree species of tropical rainforests here-the Wangtian tree of the Dipterocarpus family. Because it grows straight and straight, seventy to eighty meters high, piercing the blue sky like a sharp sword, it is known as the "Giant in the Forest" and the "Prince of China and the United States in the Forest". In 1974, Cai Xitao went to Bubang Village, Mengla County to conduct field scientific research and sample identification. He discovered Wangtianshu, which confirmed the existence of tropical rainforests in my country and made my country one of the countries with the most complete forest types in the world. In 1986, Prince Philip personally went to Xishuangbanna to conduct research and finally confirmed the existence of the typical tree species of the Dipterocarpus family, Wangtianshu. After returning to China, he actively promoted and wrote a book, confirming to the world that there was indeed a tropical rainforest near the 21st degree north latitude, and also making my country One of the three largest regions in the world with tropical rainforests.

It is nearly noon when we arrive at Wangtianshu Scenic Area. Everyone has a meal and rest first. After lunch, take a boat from Bubang Wharf to visit the beautiful Nanla River.

The Nanla River Tropical Rainforest Sightseeing Belt, known as the Eastern Amazon, is the first stop to explore the Wangtianshu Tropical Rainforest. From the Bubang Rainforest Pier to the Wangtianshu Rainforest Pier, the 4.3-kilometer-long Nanla River Basin is winding and winding, with the dense tropical rainforest and the strange rainforest vegetation growing in the water together form a beautiful picture of beautiful scenery.

Wangtianshu Scenic Area-Nanla River

The boat docked at the Rainforest Pier. After landing, it was today's highlight-the Wangtianshu Air Corridor.

In the 1990s, in order to observe the Wangtianshu tropical rainforest up close and from multiple angles, American botanist Moore cooperated with the local government to unexpectedly build a 36-meter-high sky and 500-meter-long road, connecting between the canopy."Wangtianshu Air Corridor". The corridor is built with thick iron cables connected between tall sky trees, suspended by steel cables, nylon ropes and nets are used as guardrails, and aluminum alloy ladders are used as pedals. Each section is connected to a wooden platform built on the trunk. Today, it is the world's focus for many people who come from afar to observe and experience China's tropical rainforests.

Walking in the air corridor, everyone carefully experienced the shocking and dangerous feeling of walking through the canopy.

Wangtianshu Scenic Area-Air Corridor

After descending from the sky corridor, we are going to take a walk in the tropical rainforest. There are two famous walking trails in the scenic area-Cai Xitao Trail and Philip Trail, which are named in memory of botanist Cai Xitao and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Chairman of the World Wildlife Fund.

Walking through the forest, birds chirping in the trees, and the lianas, epiphytes, ferns in the middle of the forest, especially the cruel strangulation phenomenon, are dizzying.

Wangtianshu Scenic Area-Dabangen

The iconic tree species of tropical rainforest-Wangtianshu

Wangtianshu Scenic Area-strangulation phenomenon

At about 4 o'clock, we started our journey back. I originally planned to go to Tengchong to soak in hot springs after finishing my trip to Xishuangbanna, but on the way back to Jinghong City, I received a text message informing me that the successfully booked flight from Xishuangbanna to Tengchong had been cancelled for some reason, and I suddenly felt depressed. The original plan was disrupted, so there was no choice but to cancel the original Tengchong trip and start planning again. He hurriedly called to cancel the Tengchong hotel and charter car that had been booked, refund tickets and rebook tickets. After a busy day, he was in no mood to shop any more. On the way, he packed a roasted chicken at Manfeilong Roast Chicken and went back to the hotel to rest.

D14

I still got on the bus at the entrance of Gaozhuang Tourist Service Center in the morning. Today, I am going to Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also known as Menglun Botanical Garden, is located in Huludao, Menglun Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. It is the largest botanical garden in China, the richest collection of species, and the largest number of special plant parks. It is also a comprehensive research institution and scenic spot integrating scientific research, species preservation and popular science education. The whole park is divided into two major areas: east and west. The eastern area is a scientific research and experimental site. Except for the tropical rainforest scenic area, no other place is open to the public. The western district is a tourist area and a professional area where various types of plants are displayed.

We first visited the Western District and first came to the Aquatic Botanical Garden. The Wang Lian with huge leaves growing in the pool was particularly eye-catching, and many people took photos here. Then we passed through many special plant parks such as Palm Garden, Strange Flowers Garden, Famous Tree Garden, and National Tree Garden, and finally came to the vine garden. The tour guide introduced various plants while walking, and we watched as we walked. Unfortunately, we came in the wrong season and missed the flowering period of most plants. We couldn't remember the names of several plants while looking all the way.

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Some people in the tour group rested at Fujimoto Garden, while we followed the guide and took a battery car to continue to the Green Stone Forest Scenic Area in the Eastern District.

The tropical rainforest in the eastern area of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden began to be protected and rebuilt in 1974 and now basically has the landscape characteristics of a tropical rainforest.

The Green Stone Forest Scenic Area is full of layers of virgin forests that cannot see the sun, and vines are intertwined everywhere in the forest. The competition for survival in the forest is extremely cruel. After hundreds of millions of years of evolution, plants have developed strange phenomena such as waterfalls, large board roots, and strangulation fig trees.

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Coming out of the Green Stone Forest, the tour guide led us to the tropical rainforest area. Entering the scenic area, hot and humid air blows to your face. Parasitism, strangulation, and large roots of plants can also be seen everywhere in tropical rainforests. The fittest survive, and all living beings are no exception.

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

It is said that fruits in Xishuangbanna are delicious, but fruits bought in Jinghong City feel that the taste is average and not particularly delicious. The tour guide suggested that we taste the fruits at the fruit stall at the entrance of the Botanical Garden, saying that the fruits here grow and mature naturally without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. After our visit to the Botanical Garden, we bought small pineapples, mangoes and bananas at the fruit stall at the door. The taste was really sweet and very different from the fruits bought in Jinghong City.

On the way back to the hotel, I accidentally discovered a restaurant called Yuhan Dai family hand-pilaf. I originally wanted to try Dai family's hand-pilaf, so I decided to have dinner here. I ordered a set meal for two, and the bamboo dustpan covered with banana leaves was filled with various delicacies. The pineapple rice is sweet and sour, and the mixed vegetable soup is refreshing with a hint of sweetness.

Xishuangbanna pilaf

After dinner, I passed by Shwedagon Pagoda Temple on the way back to the hotel. It's not dark yet, and the Shwedagon Pagoda Temple has not yet been lit up by lights, but it shines golden under the sun and is still very beautiful. Looking down from above, there are only dotted stalls making preparations before opening up. There were not many people at this time, so I stayed here for a while before returning to the hotel.

Da Jinta Temple

D15

It takes more than an hour to arrive at Kunming Airport by taking a flight from Xishuangbanna at noon. Take the airport bus to Kunming Railway Station and walk to the hotel. It's time for dinner.

Kunming's famous delicacies are crossing the bridge rice noodles, steaming pot chicken and wild mushroom hot pot. For our first meal in Kunming, we chose wild mushroom hot pot. Take a taxi to Colorful South Yunnan Traditional Wild Mushroom Hotpot Restaurant located in Wanda Plaza. There are too many varieties of fungi here, many of which I have never heard of before. At the waiter's suggestion, we ordered boletus, coral fungus, green fungus and a fungus called water white onion, and asked for the soup base of local chicken. After the soup base boils, the waiter will help put the fungi into the pot. After cooking for 15 minutes, the waiter will sample the mushroom soup in the pot. This is to prevent diners from eating the poisonous fungi by mistake, and then they can taste the delicious fungi.

The delicious local chicken soup and the crispy and tender taste of fungi are difficult for those of us who have lived in northern cities for a long time to eat.

Kunming wild mushroom hotpot

D16

Today's main itinerary is Xishan Forest Park in Kunming. I came out of the hotel in the morning and followed the navigation for a long time before I found the bus stop to Xishan Park.

Kunming Xishan Forest Park is located among the peaks 15 kilometers in the western suburbs of Kunming. It is a forest park with undulating peaks, green trees, white birds contend and beautiful scenery. Overlooking the peaks of the West Mountain, you look like a "sleeping beauty" lying on your back on the bank of Dianchi Lake. Dense forest vegetation is lush all year round. Ancient temples, palaces and pavilions such as Huating Temple, Taihua Temple, and Sanqing Pavilion are hidden deep in the lush forests and bamboo trees.

Take the bus to the Xishan Park Visitor Center, and then take the scenic bus to the Longmen Scenic Area in Xishan Park. At the entrance of the scenic area, take a cableway to Lingxu Pavilion on the top of the mountain, where you can overlook the vast misty Dianchi Lake.

Dianchi Lake, also known as Kunming Lake and Kunming Pool, has beautiful scenery, boundless blue waves, dotted sails, and intoxicating lakes and mountains. Dianchi Lake is the upper source of the Pudu River, a tributary of the Jinsha River. It is the largest freshwater lake in Yunnan Province and is known as the pearl of the plateau.

Standing on the Lingxu Pavilion and looking into the distance, you can see the same color of water and sky, and have a panoramic view of the 500-mile Dianchi Lake, which is refreshing and refreshing.

Xishan Park-overlooking Dianchi Lake

Walking down the stone steps and passing through the archway of Longmen Scenic Area, you will find the essence of Xishan Park-Longmen Grottoes.

The Longmen Grottoes are located at the terminal of Kunming Xishan Forest Park, starting from Sanqing Pavilion in the north and reaching Datian Pavilion in the south. Longmen is a group of buildings built on the cliffs of Luohan Mountain, the main peak of the West Mountain. It has nine floors and eleven pavilions. The Longmen stone carving project includes stone roads, ancient rooms, ancient railings, ancient caves, ancient Buddhas, etc. "Longmen Scenic Spot" is characterized by "strange, unique, dangerous and secluded". It ranks first among the many scenic spots in the West Hills of Kunming. It is the largest and most exquisite Taoist grotto in Yunnan and the essence of the scenic spots of the West Hills.

Xishan Park-Longmen Grottoes

After touring the Longmen Grottoes, we took a sightseeing bus and got off at Taihua Temple.

Taihua Temple, located in the heart of Taihua Mountain in Kunming Xishan Forest Park, is surrounded by mountains and rivers, hidden among green trees and green bamboos. It stands tall and is quite spectacular. The pavilions, pavilions, corridors and ponds in the temple merge into a melody, making it quiet and tranquil. With the Daxiong Hall as the center, there are verandas on both sides, which are connected with the pavilions and towers of the two sides. The architectural art is unique. The simple and elegant architectural style, the vast five-hundred-mile Dianchi Lake and the winding and steep Taihua Peak complement each other, forming a charming scenery that is confusing, tranquil and harmonious.

Due to disrepair, most of the area in the temple is not open to the public.

taihua temple

taihua temple
Follow the Taihua Ancient Road on the left side of the Taihua Temple entrance and you can reach Huating Temple in about half an hour.

Huating Temple, formerly known as Dayuanjue Temple, was founded in the 14th century. In the sixth year of tomorrow shun (1462), temple monk Xiang Sheng presided over the renovation. After renovation and expansion in the 26th year of Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1688), it was named Huating Temple. The temples in the temple are magnificent and are a famous Buddhist holy place in Kunming.

Taihua Ancient Road

huating temple

huating temple
It was already 5 o'clock in the afternoon after visiting Huating Temple. We first took a sightseeing bus back to the foot of the mountain, and then took a bus to Guandu Ancient Town.

I will be returning to Tianjin tomorrow. The Guandu Baba and flower cakes I bought in Guandu Ancient Town last time taste good, and I want to bring some back to Tianjin this time. After arriving in the ancient town, I went straight to Lishihan Baba. Unfortunately, the flower cakes were sold out, so I should buy a few big Baba and take them back first.

At the entrance of the ancient town, there is a chain store of Jiaqiao Xiangyuan Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles, which is just the right place to taste Kunming's Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles. In addition to ordinary cross-bridge rice noodles, the store also offers different specifications such as scholar, scholar, and champion scholar. We ordered the most popular Jinshi Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodle Set. In addition to soup and rice noodles, there were many ingredients such as bacon and fish slices. Put the ingredients into the boiling soup while they are hot, and then pour in the rice noodles. The rice noodles covered with delicious soup are strong, smooth and delicious at the entrance.

Kunming Crossing the Bridge Noodles

D17

Kunming is a famous flower site. It has the largest fresh cut flower trading market in Asia. The flight back to Tianjin is at 6 p.m., so there is plenty of time. I want to go to Kunming's flower market to visit. Check online Shangyi Flower Market is the largest professional flower wholesale market with the most complete categories in Kunming. In the morning, you will take a bus from Kunming Station and go straight to Shangyi Flower Market.

When I arrived there, I found that the market was not large. I had already walked back and forth in the market twice in more than an hour.

Kunming Shangyi Huashi

Where is Asia's largest cut flower trading market? I quickly checked online and found that Asia's largest fresh cut flower trading market was in Kunming Dounan Flower Market, so I took the subway to Dounan Flower Market.

Kunming Dounan Flower Market is known as the "wind vane" of China's flower market and the "barometer" of flower prices. More than 80% of fresh cut flowers in Yunnan Province and flowers from surrounding provinces and neighboring countries enter the market for trade. Fresh cut flowers are sold from here to various provinces, autonomous regions and cities in China and more than 50 countries and regions such as Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. There are 10 fresh cut flowers in the country and 7 flowers produced in Yunnan.

The flower market is very large. The first floor mainly sells dried and fresh cut flowers, and every stall is filled with flowers. Perhaps due to the season, there are not many varieties of flowers. Most of them are commonly seen in the north, but the prices are much cheaper than those in the north. The second floor mainly sells succulent plants, with a wide variety, many of which are difficult to see in the north.