Lijiang, Yunnan, is like a distant poem, a young dream. This place was once a utopia for the hearts of many people.
This is not the first time I have come to Lijiang. From the backpacker with young dreams, to the old driver who took my parents on a sightseeing tour after work, to the honeymoon trip with Mr. Xue after marriage, Lijiang is a witness to the trajectory of my life. It seems that at every point in my life, I want to bring my beloved people to Lijiang to have a visit.

Occasionally, I sigh at Lijiang, which was once gone forever, but I still have some obsession with this place, either because of the wanderer's ballad that has been lingering in my mind for a long time, or because of the ancient green bricks. The mark of youth, or, craving for the touch of Lijiang blue and the gentle time of falling here.

So, when planning where to take my baby to play on National Day, Lao Xue and I reached an agreement to go to Lijiang for a vacation. We avoided the peak travel period on National Day and fled when the large crowd returned to the city.
When traveling with my baby, it is not recommended to arrange a long journey. For me, a real vacation will be more comfortable than a trip I have to travel every day. Only by slowing down can I truly feel a place.

Strolling, eating, and experiencing local characteristics so that children can integrate into the atmosphere of Lijiang. This is our demand this time. Therefore, after searching for many hotel information, Intercontinental Resort Lijiang Hefu became our favorite choice. It is Naxi, quiet and comfortable, overlooking the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is a step away from the ancient town, but it is outside the ancient city and convenient for parking. The key is to get points from Youyue Club. His family's points have always been very useful and can be redeemed for free housing or air miles. It is perfect for us who like vacations.

A condensed version of Naxi village

When the plane landed, it was already night in Lijiang. Intercontinental Hefu Resort Hotel is located at the southern end of Dayan Ancient Town in Lijiang. It takes about 30 minutes to get there by taxi from the airport. As soon as the taxi stopped, a concierge came over to help open the door and carry luggage. When traveling with children, it is always big and small bags of luggage.

Walking into the lobby, you will feel the joy of starting a vacation. Lijiang elements can be seen everywhere, tall triangular roofs, dark wooden structure designs, soft lines, and warm lights, just like the gentle night in Lijiang.
The front desk is like three small islands, and the hanging fish pattern hanging behind the reception desk is like fish shuttling through the island. It has the same effect as the hanging fish boards hanging on the houses of the Naxi people in Lijiang, implying that the house is safe.

The lobby resting area facing the reception desk is like a fire pond in Lijiang's residential homes. In Lijiang, every holiday, everyone gathers around the fire pond, sits down on knees, and shares the joy of family reunion.

Between the reception desk and the lobby sitting area is the Double Pisces Tai Chi Diagram, which symbolizes abundant food and clothing, and has more than enough food every year. In the local area, because they are all wooden houses, it also symbolizes the meaning of using water to prevent fire and protect the safety of the house.

After checking in, we took the hotel shuttle bus and checked into our room.
We booked a basic room type. His superior room has a space of 45 square meters that is not large, but it is already rare to be located next to the ancient town of Dayan, where every inch of land is precious. The whole room divides a large space into three functional areas., bedroom, small living room, and washing area. The designer also integrated all the necessary elements of the room into it, not even leaving the bathtub down. This is perfect for babies who love to soak in the bath.

The room is still full of the essence of Naxi residential buildings. It is simple in Chinese style, wooden yet modern in fashion and simplicity. The room is equipped with a two-meter bed. A family of three sleeps together and will not feel crowded.
A disinfected notice sign is placed on the bed, a peace of mind bag is placed on the bedside, and protective equipment such as alcohol, masks and disinfectant wipes are prepared for customers. In such a special period, such details can always make people feel more at ease.

The pillow menu placed next to the bed is very user-friendly. You can choose the pillow that suits you according to your preferences

In the independent washing area, special toothbrushes, body wash, small slippers, pajamas, etc. have been prepared for the baby. Although Lijiang Intercontinental and Prefecture does not focus on parent-child routes, it makes people feel more considerate when dealing with customers 'needs.

The room is also equipped with a capsule coffee machine, and what Mr. Xue likes most is the tea set in the room and the matching Pu 'er tea. In Lijiang, a place rich in Pu' er, being able to calm down and enjoy a cup of Pu 'er tea is another kind of beautiful

In the morning, I was awakened by the warm sunshine of Lijiang and took my baby to the hotel to enjoy buffet breakfast. The breakfast was located in the Seven-color Chinese Restaurant. On the first floor of the hotel, we lived close to the hotel lobby and could directly reach the main building within walking distance. It was very convenient.

The design in the Seven-color Restaurant is full of Lijiang's unique culture and customs, from commonly used bobbins, fish baskets for fishing, hanging fish, hand-woven bamboo chairs and square tables, to wooden chairs and round tables used by the Naxi people, etc., can all be found here.

The hotel's buffet breakfast is very diverse. In addition to some basic items, the key is to be able to taste the local characteristics of Lijiang. From various snacks in Lijiang, such as Baba, rice enema, Naxi barbecue to a bowl of steaming Yunnan rice noodles, you can taste the local specialties without going to the ancient town

The restaurant has an outdoor terrace area. If you are not afraid of being too cold, it is recommended to sit here and enjoy breakfast. It is facing the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. I heard that in November, you can see Rizhao Jinshan almost every day. While enjoying breakfast, you can enjoy the magnificent scenery., this viewing platform must add points!

After dinner, I walked around the hotel with my baby. When I arrived last night, I didn't realize that the place we lived in was like a condensed version of the ancient city of Lijiang. The entire Hefu Intercontinental is composed of the main building and a cluster of villas. The main building is mainly a functional area, from the front desk, restaurant to the fitness area, to the banquet hall, conference room, etc., gathering various facilities. The rooms cover different room types, from ordinary superior rooms, to executive rooms with courtyards, to family courtyard suites that meet the needs of a large family.

Walking around the Intercontinental Resort is like traveling through the ancient villages of the Naxi people. Small Naxi characteristic buildings are scattered among them. The buildings here are all based on the local characteristics of Yunnan,"three squares and one light wall" and "four in five patios"."Designed to incorporate elements of Naxi culture everywhere.

What my baby is holding in his hand is the little yak, the mascot of Lijiang Intercontinental. It is located in the corner of the living room of the lobby. As long as you make a charity donation, you can get one. My baby loves him so much that there is no arrangement for this trip to take him to see yaks. This is a way to make up for a small wish.

Lijiang's iconic waterwheel symbolizes the pool of Black Dragon Pool. The creek flows past in front of each family's courtyard. There are also three representative wells, each with a different way of use. This is still found in the ancient city of Lijiang.

Basking in the genial autumn sunshine, listening to the gurgling water, fish swimming in the water, children enjoying themselves in the autumn scenery of the garden, and time passed quietly.

Delicious food on the tip of your tongue in autumn

Letting the passage of time, may be the right way to open Lijiang. Everything can be slow, slowly appreciate the courtyard scenery, slowly taste Naxi culture, and slowly enjoy local cuisine.

When we started the slow-door mode and visited the entire resort, it was lunchtime again. This season was the harvest season for soft-seed pomegranate and a good time to taste the local Lijiang snow peaches. We really couldn't get this bite in the ancient town, so we decided to taste the seasonal dishes it was launching at the Seven-color Restaurant in the hotel.

Every time I take my baby out for dinner, I always worry about taste and food safety. The advantage of dining in a five-star hotel is that you never have to worry about stepping on thunder.

We ordered some local specialties and seasonal dishes, and the improved Yunnan cuisine is indeed more suitable for the tastes of us tourists.

Pomegranate vegetable salad-When the small pomegranates fall into the plate, decorate the green vegetable salad with new ones. Serve with refreshing vegetables and sweet and sour pomegranates to awaken the sleeping taste buds.

Sanchuan ham stir-fried pomegranate flowers-this is the first time to see pomegranate flowers, and this is the first time to hear of them being used in vegetables. They are crisp and refreshing. Coupled with the famous Sanchuan ham in Yongsheng, Lijiang, it is fat and lean, and it is delicious and cooked on high fire., aroma is fragrant;

Snow peaches are a plateau variety unique to Lijiang. According to the waiter, it is different from ordinary snow peaches. The snow peaches he uses at home come from Jibeike. It is a small village in the Lijiang Mountains, like a paradise outside the world. However, it is precisely because of this that every time transportation into the village is subject to great restrictions. Snow peaches are not resistant to being put, so it is not easy to eat a batch of fresh peaches. The batch we ate was already late peaches. If we were more than a week later, we might not taste this taste.

Shrimp balls with snow peach juice-This is my baby's favorite. The traditional way to eat shrimp balls with full meat is warm and slightly fried. The practice of this dish is more playful. Add the full and smooth snow peach pulp and stir-fry. It is delicious and full of peach aroma;

Pu 'er braised pork-The signature dish Pu' er tea braised pork melts immediately in the mouth and also has a unique fragrance.

Yunnan Rice Noodles-How can you miss a bowl of Yunnan rice noodles when you go to Yunnan? The rice noodles at Intercontinental Hotel are supplied in limited quantities, so if you want to eat them, you'd better make an appointment. The limited quantity is limited because it is limited to this soup base. After all, the essence of the delicious Yunnan Bridge Rice Noodles is all in the bottom of this soup, so making the soup base is a technical job. Various bones are boiled for dozens of hours. When stacks of auxiliary vegetables are added to the soup, they are perfectly integrated.

Sitting in the open air, tasting local specialties, blowing in the slight wind, making it feel comfortable.

Visiting Pu 'er Culture

Hefu Intercontinental, as a luxury hotel brand, naturally I don't have to worry about its hardware facilities. I am more concerned about what kind of local characteristics can be experienced in this hotel with a footprint all over the world. Upgrade our travel experience.

Among their local experiences, one thing that attracted Mr. Xue and I was the experience of making Pu 'er tea, which was also part of the Intercontinental Harmony Package.

The place to experience Pu 'er tea is in the ancient town. There is an independent passage on the intercontinental continent that can directly enter the ancient town. It is very convenient. Outside the wall, there is a bustling flow of people and everyone is walking on each other, and inside the wall is a place to relax and feel at ease.

Walking through alleys and walking down green stone roads, it takes about 10 minutes to reach the place where Pu 'er tea is made.
Walking into the garden, the yard is full of lush flowers. Two peacocks are hiding in the corner next to them, admiring themselves. The plaque on the door says Nali·Shangpin, the name of his family.

Here, you can experience the craftsmanship of making Pu 'er tea. From tea recognition, weighing, steaming, and pressing tea, all are made by hand.

The tea cake is finished, cooled, packed, and taken away. That's right, this tea cake, which is suitable for personal use, can still be taken back. It is also the first tea cake made by hand. It is very interesting.

Lijiang's gourmet feast

When leaving, Kaikai also woke up and happily took the tea cake and walked back to the hotel. Mr. Xue said that he wanted to eat Lijiang specialties at night, so we went to the Indigo Hotel to eat his Yunnan chicken pot.

Indigo Hotel and Intercontinental are both under the IHG brand, and the distance between them is only a road.

If Hefu Intercontinental highlights a high-end and luxurious vacation style, then Indigal is a fashionable and vibrant neighborhood style. After entering the lobby, the vibrant colors and exquisite details make people's eyes shine.

The horse bell at the door was jingling. It was a relic left by the old tea-horse ancient road. My baby mischievously tried it, but I wonder if he could hear the sound of hooves in the past.

Entering the lobby, it is like entering a caravan station. Saddle, horse head door lock, horse, all kinds of caravan elements can be found. The pink creative lighting on the head symbolizes alpine rhododendrons and paints the finishing touch for the entire lobby.

The floor-to-ceiling glass windows in the lobby open when the weather is good, allowing the sun to shine in, and the reflections in the water, the trees, the houses, and the flowers all come into view.

On the left side is the restaurant where we have dinner in the evening, which serves authentic horseband cuisine and Southeast Asian style Tea Horse Restaurant.
The restaurant is still filled with various horse gang elements, and the leaping horses. Although it is autumn, it is still lush and lush, and the garden is full of spring.

We ordered their Yueshi hot pot set meal. There are four types in total: tom yum hot pot, tomato yak pot, Yunnan local chicken pot, and Sichuan-Chongqing spicy hot pot. Since we are in Lijiang, we must eat the special Naxi preserved ribs and local chicken here, which is also very suitable for children.
The stove for cooking hot pot must be made of copper hot pot to have this atmosphere. After dozens of hours of boiling stock, the soup base is made, and the pot is full of vegetables, which gives you the taste of Lijiang.

Like all hot pots, you can choose freely from the hot pot base at the self-selection desk, but the seasonings here are a little more novel. It is a first time to see many Thai seasonings.

I thought that at the price of 238/2 people, I wouldn't be enough to eat, but I didn't expect that there would be sumptuous dishes one after another. Boneless chicken leg meat, beef pork slices, preserved ribs, all of which are local specialties, as well as various meatballs platters, vegetable platters, comprehensive mushroom plates, etc., poured into the local chicken pot and wrapped in fresh soup, which was extremely delicious. Mr. Xue called out that this cost performance was too high!

So much so that in the next few days, we ate all this restaurant. In addition to the hot pot set meal, his family's simple meals are also very delicious. The 198-yuan set meal contains staple foods, snacks, desserts and drinks. I recommend his family's table braised pork rice and beef rice. They are not spicy because they are sufficient and are very suitable for sharing with children.

A glimpse of the ancient city

The hotel is close to the ancient city, making it easy to get in and out.
We walked along Qingshiban Road to Sifang Street, familiar but unfamiliar roads, the Qingshiban we had walked on, and the shop owners who had been replaced.

Passing through the Sanjing Spring, the most characteristic of life in the ancient city, the melted ice water from the Yulong Snow Mountain has nourished generations of Naxi people. After passing through the Black Dragon Pool, water has been poured into the entire ancient city. After years of living deposition, the Naxi people have developed a habit of saving water for multiple uses: the first well from top to bottom is drinking spring water, and the second well is used to wash vegetables. The third well is used to wash clothes.

The baby said happily that he had seen it in the morning. Yes, there is a similar Sanjing Spring in the Intercontinental Hotel, so he called it a condensed version of Xiao Lijiang.

Lijiang is a very magical place. Or because of the abundant sunshine on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the continuous flow of melted ice and snow from the Yulong Snow Mountain, and the unique courtyard in the ancient city, people who have lost their way in the city come here and want to find life here. The answer to life breeds a happy and yearning life here.

Some people left, some came, some liked her tranquility, some liked her style, and some liked her laziness.

Taking your children to visit Lijiang seems to have nothing to do with these adjectives. Stroll around casually, bask in the sun, see the blooming flowers, and experience the unique lifestyle of the Naxi people.

Compared with Sifang Street, I prefer to shuttle through alleys far away from people, walking in a maze of countless intricate alleys. The crisp sound of tambourines at the corner climbs out of the green plants in the courtyard and hides in the flowers. swing.

steal a half-day leisure

I made an appointment at the Intercontinental Hotel's SPA in advance. Since I had a child, it has been a long time since I had time for myself. Mr. Xue granted me a two-hour leave and said that since I was here for a vacation, I must reward myself well and take care of the child.

The spa is located next to Riyue Square. It is like a Naxi courtyard. After entering it simply, you feel relieved of all the pressure.

There are many kinds of packages in the spa, which can be selected according to your preferences. The staff will carefully explain the different effects of each SPA. Some are suitable for relaxing the shoulders, neck and back, some are suitable for legs, etc. I finally chose Thai oil massage to relieve the shoulder and neck pain caused by holding the baby for the past few days.

Following the staff to the next level, they discovered a unique paradise. The entire spa has been turned into a sunken garden, ensuring a certain degree of privacy. The design sense of ancient style and ancient charm cleverly combined with the aura of nature, allowing the entire space to create a secluded and leisurely atmosphere.

The lighting in the spa room is soft, quiet and elegant. Two massage beds are placed in the center. On the left is a large soaking pool with a garden view outside. On the right is a dressing area, equipped with bathing areas, dressing areas, and resting areas.

Change into a bathrobe, drink a cup of Roselle tea first, and bathe your feet in the foot bath. A few rose petals and a few drops of essential oil. The faint spicy fragrance gradually quieted people down.

Lijiang's plateau climate causes the skin to become very dry. The essential oils in the spa room, accompanied by the gentle techniques of a professional masseur, moisturizes the skin and easily relieves the fatigue.

At this time, Mr. Xue was playing in a children's playground with his children. The children's playground center is also one of the free facilities of the Intercontinental Hotel. When the children arrive here, they are like mice falling into a rice jar, sliding on a slide, drawing books, building blocks, as well as various ball games and rocking horses. They don't want to leave when they play.

Next to the children's playground center is the hotel's fitness center and swimming pool, both located on the first floor of the hotel. The Intercontinental swimming pool is the only heated swimming pool in Lijiang. The water temperature of the swimming pool is maintained at around 26 degrees all year round, and all hotel guests can enjoy it for free.

The time for an autumn picnic

The breeze is right and the sun is not dry. At this time, what is more suitable than an afternoon tea? After finishing the SPA, I invited Mr. Xue and the baby to enjoy afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea on Intercontinental is very special. As long as the weather is good enough, in addition to enjoying afternoon tea at the Time Bar, you can also ask the staff to prepare a complete set of picnic equipment for you.

When the baby saw the afternoon tea served, he couldn't sit still immediately. Looking at the delicious snacks, he wanted to taste each one

There are a wide variety of afternoon teas, from cakes to pizza, from nuts to fruits, which are salty and sweet. His afternoon tea is really my favorite. Because of the appropriate benefits of sugar control, the cake is fragrant and sweet but not greasy.

Babies sometimes hide in their own small tents, sometimes run out to taste delicious food, and when they have fun, they also walk around on the lawn. This is their free childhood.

I didn't forget to invite other children over to visit and share my delicious food.

This is the vacation life I aspire to. Lawn, picnic mats, tents, delicious food, sunshine. I seem to have found another reason to fall in love with Lijiang.

Dream back to the Ancient Tea Horse Road

On the last night, we moved to the Indigo Hotel in Lijiang Ancient City opposite, wanting to experience the different hotel style.

Indigo follows an exquisite route, and its overall floor area is not as large as Intercontinental. Compared with the 273 rooms on Intercontinental, there are much fewer public areas and rooms here. Fortunately, both Intercontinental and Indigo's public areas are public, that is, Intercontinental swimming pools, children's playgrounds, gyms, etc., which guests living in Indigo can come and enjoy.

One more attractive thing about Indigo is that these small buildings in Nasi-style style have a small courtyard of their dreams. Just like Lijiang people, who love nature by nature, we must have a small yard, eat and drink, and spend the rest of our lives.

If Intercontinental wants to give its guests the atmosphere of Naxi culture, then Indigal demonstrates the characteristics of horse gang culture everywhere, and the cultural elements of the ancient tea-horse road run through the entire hotel.

We stayed in a villa with an area of 128 square meters. It was a two-story single house with a separate courtyard. It was very quiet. When we saw the courtyard, the child was very happy and immediately pulled me to sit in a rocking chair. Play together.

The house is still equipped with traditional Naxi wooden beam ceilings, sofa cushions and pillows are all made of horse hair, and the first floor mainly serves as a living room and garden, so leisure and play are a good choice.

Walking up the escalator, the bedroom area on the second floor is warm and stylish, with carpet with terraced outlines in front of the bed and retro luggage decoration.

The sanitary napkin is very large, separated from dry and wet, and is also equipped with a Dyson hair dryer and Ferragamo toiletries. The details determine the quality.

Here, you can take your children to hunt for treasure, looking for various treasures belonging to the ancient tea-horse road, saddle-shaped pendants on the wall, leather hand-painted maps of the ancient city, horseshoe-shaped clothes hangers, and everything in the guest rooms are all inspired by the ancient tea-horse road horse gang culture.

In Indigre, there are some very niche places hidden, such as the private space located on the first underground floor. It is actually a leisure and entertainment space, but it is shaped like a cave.

In the cave, independent reception areas and communication areas are divided into private spaces.

Of course, you can also follow the footsteps of the caravan to find the sound of camel bells on the old tea-horse ancient road, taste Naxi culture and experience life on horseback.

Naxi culture and the ancient tea-horse road are the soul of Lijiang. Only by slowly understanding the culture inside may we understand this ancient city better.

On the morning we left the hotel, we were lucky enough to see the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain after the clouds dissipated while we were on the intercontinental bar. Although it was just a flash in the pan, it also made a perfect impression on our trip to Lijiang.