Dali

My partner and I came to the beautiful land of Yunnan. Although I have read her beautiful scenery countless times on the Internet, I was still deeply moved when I set foot on this land.'

Since I travel frequently, I usually choose early flights with a high punctuality rate. Although it was hard to get up early, especially in such a cold season, in order not to waste time on flight delays, my partner and I resolutely chose the China Eastern Airlines flight departing from Shanghai Hongqiao at 07:40. Unexpectedly, the small probability of early flight delays still occurred. It was said that there was air traffic control near Hongqiao Airport that day, and all flights were delayed. Looking at the empty sky above Hongqiao Airport and the unknown boarding time, the beautiful woman and I could only helplessly sit in the chair, read books and play with mobile phones.

At 11:00, we finally boarded the plane to Kunming. After three and a half hours of flight, we arrived at the Spring City of Kunming. The first feeling when we got off the plane was that it was much warmer than Shanghai. The first stop of the travel plan was Dali. After we got off the plane, we directly took the pre-booked car and headed straight to Xiaguan Town, Dali.

I was slightly surprised and disappointed by the car passing through the city of Kunming. Spring City is so beautiful in my mind, but now what I see is cement forests with small distances, excavation construction sites everywhere, and turbid air. The uncle told us that because an industrial area was built at the upper entrance of Kunming, many pollutants were blown into the urban area of Kunming with the strong wind, which had a great impact on air quality. He said that after a mountain, the color of the sky would change immediately. Sure enough, after passing the mountain whose name I had forgotten, the sky turned blue.

On the way from Kunming to Dali, we watched the sunset and the stars rising. It was already 19:30 when we arrived at our residence. The hungry and tired two people randomly ordered a few dishes at a Muslim restaurant next to their residence, two bowls of rice, and filled themselves in just a few bites. When we returned to our residence, we realized that our guest room was on the fourth floor. We had just arrived at an altitude of nearly 2000 meters, and we were really panting when we walked up to the fourth floor. The room in my residence is very spacious, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows on both large walls. Although I couldn't see clearly the appearance of Erhai Lake at that time, I believe that when I wake up tomorrow, I will be able to see the most beautiful scenery.

Several methods from Kunming Changshui Airport to Xiaguan Town, Dali:

1. Train: Take Airport Line 2 or No. 919C bus directly to Kunming Railway Station, and then take the train to Dali. The journey takes about 7 hours. If you find that there is no suitable train to Dali after arriving at the railway station, take the C72 bus (direct, ticket price is 5 yuan) or the 80 bus (regular bus, ticket price is 1.5 yuan) to the Western Passenger Station, and then take the long-distance bus to Dali.

2. Bus: Take the No. 919B bus directly to Kunming Western Passenger Station, and you can take the long-distance bus to Dali. The bus runs every about 15 minutes and takes about 4-5 hours. Depending on the model and grade, the fare is 105.00-160.00.

3. Self-driving: The self-driving distance from Kunming Airport to Xiaguan Town in Dali is about 344 kilometers. It is basically a full-length highway. The driving time is about 5 hours. It is quite congested when leaving Kunming. After getting on the highway, the road is smooth.

At this time, I was alone outside, and the Erhai Lake seemed quiet, with only stars and lights accompanying me.

The sky was not yet bright, but the morning light had dyed the clouds red, and it was very beautiful reflected on the lake.

The rising sun poured on the stones in the wetland lake and painted them with a piece of gold. The clouds in the sky were running happily towards the sun.

The scenery on the other side, the light of the sunrise turns the sky into golden red, the row of windmills on the ridge is particularly conspicuous, and the people in the buildings at the foot of the mountain are still sleeping.

Hard-working fishermen are the best decoration on the lake.

Here, I finally understood why Yunnan was called the "South of Colorful Clouds".

In the early morning of the last day of Dali, I saw the sky full of golden light. The rosy clouds that day were extremely magnificent. Such a scenery was rare to see even on the sea.

Erhai Lake

Friends who like to watch the sunrise, if they go to Yunnan in winter, they can go out around 06:30-07:00, first look at the starry sky in the morning light, and then watch the sun rise little by little from behind the mountains. The shapes and colors of the clouds in the sky are also the most varied during this time period.

However, not all places along the Erhai Lake are suitable for watching the sunrise. Let me first take a panoramic view of the Erhai Lake:

The place marked in red is my accommodation area. The sun in December rises in the direction of Dali Airport (orange dot). The Erhai Lake is almost surrounded by mountains on all sides, so people living on the west bank of the Erhai Lake can see a clear sunrise on the ground, while friends on the east bank may need to find commanding heights to see the sunrise.

Part 2: Beauty lies in Dali-a paradise under the blue sky and white clouds

Dali, Yunnan,

A sacred place for travelers and photographers.

This is the first time I set foot on this land,

I marvel at the blue sky and white clouds here.

Clear air, colorful pictures,

A relaxed rhythm, a happy mood,

It's like arriving in a paradise...

Erhai Lake was once called Ye Yuze, Kunmi River, Xier River, etc. in ancient documents. It is located on the outskirts of Dali, Yunnan. It is the second largest freshwater lake in Yunnan Province. The Erhai Lake starts from Eryuan in the north and is about 42.58 kilometers long. The largest width from east to west is 9.0 kilometers. The lake surface area is 256.5 square kilometers. The average lake depth is 10 meters, and the largest lake depth is 20 meters. The length of the lake shoreline of the Erhai Lake is 130 kilometers and the altitude is 1972 meters. On the first day in Dali, we took a ride around the Erhai Lake to experience its beauty up close.

Shuanglang Town on the Erhai Lake is relatively famous. Every year, there is an endless stream of tourists here. Many people choose to live here, and white tables and chairs are places where everyone must go to take photos. When I stepped into Shuanglang Town, to be honest, I was disappointed. The huge tourist flow caused new residences to be built everywhere in Shuanglang Town. Before we even approached the water's edge, we could already smell a bad smell. Locals say that the water quality of Shuanglang has been severely damaged due to the increase in domestic sewage. Hearing these words, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them, and even the desire to shoot disappeared. These three photos are of Shuanglang Town overlooking the Sea Highway. Let's just take it as a souvenir.

Passing through the famous Little Putuo, this is the place with the largest number of seagulls in the entire Erhai Lake. We didn't boating, just glanced at the small temple on the shore, and the people on the boat were happily teasing the red-billed gulls.

The ancient city of Dali is referred to as Ye Yu, also known as Zicheng. The ancient city was built in the 15th year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1382). It has a radius of twelve miles, with a city wall of two feet and five feet high and two feet thick. There is a gate in the east, west, north and south, with towers and corner towers at the four corners. At the beginning of liberation, the city walls were demolished. In 1982, the South Gate was rebuilt. The word "Dali" at the head of the gate was composed of Guo Moruo's calligraphy.

Dali ancient city

Xiaguan Town, Dali-Ancient City of Dali: About 16 kilometers, the driving time is about 25 minutes.

There are many specialty shops in the ancient city of Dali, which can definitely satisfy the mouths of foodies.

At the gate of the ancient city of Dali, evening saurries are in full bloom.

The scenery in the ancient city is actually similar to many old streets in Shanghai. Only this Wuhua Building, which has been destroyed and rebuilt several times in more than 1200 years, still makes people feel that they are in the ancient city of Dali at this time. It takes 2.00 to climb the tower and overlook the ancient city scenery.

I went to Dali College to see the remaining autumn colors and the newly blooming evening sakura. It was the darkest morning in several days. There were thick clouds and light rain from time to time. However, you can still see some late autumn scenery here.

Xizhou Town is located in the north of Dali City, bordering Cangshan Mountain in the west and Erhai Lake in the east. It was called "Dali City" during the Sui and Tang Dynasties and was one of the "Ten Peaks" during the Nanzhao period. It is also the hometown of the movie "Five Golden Flowers". It is also a famous historical and cultural town and one of the key overseas Chinese towns in Yunnan Province. It is a famous historical and cultural town of the Bai people with a history of more than a thousand years.

Entering Xizhou Town from the Huanhai Highway, you will first pass through the old streets of Xizhou Town where fees are collected. The commercial flavor is very strong and the houses are very new. Like many ancient towns in China, they have lost their original flavor. Under the leadership of the beautiful boss, we walked to another Xizhou Old Street, which was full of local living atmosphere

The old man told us that there were four families living in the yard, but now she is the only one guarding the empty yard. Everyone else has gone out to work to make money, including her son, who does not go home during the holidays. She led me to her son's bedroom and I found that the calendar on the wall was still for the Year of the Rabbit.

Before leaving, I spent 30 yuan to buy a purse made by the old man's hand. Looking at the dilapidated and empty house with no TV or radio, the old man had nothing else to do but sleep at night, and I felt a little sour.

Zhoucheng is known as the "Hometown of the Bai people's tie-dyeing". It is located 23 kilometers north of the ancient city of Dali and 38 kilometers away from Xiaguan next to the Dian-Tibet Highway. It is the largest natural village in Yunnan Province, with an area of 4.7 square kilometers and a population of 8868, almost all of whom are Bai people. There are more than 1500 Bai households living in the village. It is the largest Bai village in Dali and a Bai folk tourist village open to the public.

Dali West Lake is located at the first peak of Cangshan Mountain and is a freshwater lake with flat dams in high mountains. The West Lake has a surface of 5.3 square kilometers and is a plateau fault lake with an average water depth of 1.8 meters and a maximum depth of 12 meters. It is one of the important water sources of the Erhai Lake. There are six villages (Zhangjiadeng, Qingshuitang, Dongdeng, Zhongdeng, Nandeng, Haitang) and seven islands in the lake, which constitute a lake in the village and a natural village lake painting scene in the lake.

The beautiful boss took us out of Xiaguan Town, along the winding mountain road, and came to a farmhouse. It is said that their local chicken soup is very good.

Dali has a lot of delicious food, including frozen fish, spicy fried snails, spicy pot silver carp,... If you can find local people to lead the way, you can eat authentic and cheap local Yunnan cuisine.

Shangri-La

Chapter 3 Shangri-La-Flying snow all over the sky, wandering in the vast world

I have limited time to travel in Yunnan,

You can only choose between Shangri-La and Lugu Lake,

Although the Mosuo culture of Lugu Lake has always attracted me deeply,

But the road from Lijiang to Lugu Lake is still under construction,

So he abandoned Lugu Lake, which required nearly 7 hours of turbulence on the road.

Choose to go to the mysterious Shangri-La.

From entering Shangri-La to leaving,

In just 24 hours,

And during these 24 hours,

We have been blessed by heaven,

From the sun to the snow,

Let us see the unique beauty of Shangri-La in winter.

During my nine days in Yunnan, climate change really follows the wishes of God. The blue sky and white clouds in Dali came to an end in the early morning on the day we left, and it rained heavily in the sky. The SUV was driving on the Dali Expressway for some time, and the weather began to clear up under my constant prayers. When we climbed onto the Yangtze River First Bay Observation Deck, the sun broke through the clouds vigorously. On this road we took, even if we spent 5 yuan to climb to the highest point of the observation deck, we could only see the side of the First Bay. See that building with the spires? That is the observation deck on the opposite road. Maybe you can see it better from there, but the staff said that if you want to see the real panoramic view, you can only rent a helicopter for aerial photography.

After crossing the Tiger Leaping Gorge (the danger factor of the Tiger Leaping Gorge increased in winter, so the idea of visiting was given up early), the sky became cloudy, and the gloomy light made this village known as the "Most Beautiful Yi Village in China" more colorful.

Napahai Nature Reserve is located northwest of Shangri-La County, 8 kilometers away from the county seat. The total area is 31.25 square kilometers, the altitude is 3266 meters, and the lake water area is 660 square kilometers. The terrain here is flat and surrounded by mountains on three sides. More than ten rivers, including the Naqu River, flow through the grassland and into the Napa Sea. The Napa Sea is a seasonal lake on the plateau. In late summer and early autumn, rain falls frequently and the lake surface increases; from late autumn to early summer of the following year, the lake water falls.

When we entered the Diqing area, there was fine snow in the sky. The national highway was built against the mountains. In addition, the road was slippery. We saw several cars tipping over on the national highway along the way, so our speed remained below 60 yards. It was already 2:30 in the afternoon when we reached Napahai, and the three people were so hungry that they were dizzy, so we first went to the small inn next to the Napahai ticket office to set up a queue. The boss's original property was destroyed by the Dukezong Fire on January 11, 2014. He enthusiastically told us that the Napa Sea was very deserted in winter. If you don't want to ride horses, you can enter the Napa Sea. Just follow the Napa Sea. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery by walking along the lake road, with a total length of more than 40 kilometers.

In this winter, I came here and walked between the vast heaven and earth. I was deeply honored because I saw the beauty on the other side.

Shangri-La County-Napahai:

1. Self-driving: About 9 kilometers, the driving time is about 20 minutes.

2. Bus: Take the shuttle bus at the Shangri-La Ancient City Parking Lot. The fare is 6 yuan, every hour and leaves on the hour.

It was already evening in the ancient city of Dukezong. After jumping in the Napa Sea for several hours, we were already hungry. Dinner was local specialties: yak hot pot, noodle soup, yak meat buns, fried highland barley flour.

After waking up the beautiful woman at seven o'clock, we headed straight for Moonlight Square. As soon as the snow stopped, the weak sunlight shone through the clouds on Guishan Park and the prayer wheel. It was a very peaceful feeling. At the same time, I was also stunned by the huge size of the prayer wheel. It is said that after three weeks of rotation, I can eliminate disasters and pray for blessings.

The ancient city of Dukezong is the best-preserved and largest Tibetan dwelling group in China, and is the hub of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Zhongdian built Tang. It is said that together with Litang and Batang in Sichuan, it was the fief of the three sons of the Tibetan king. A fire on January 11, 2014 burned two-thirds of the ancient city's buildings, which made the world feel heartbroken.

The ancient city, which was not swallowed by the fire, still retains its original appearance. The sky became gloomy again, as if it wanted to tell us something.

The white tower in the center of the ancient city has a circle of prayer turning cylinders around its base. It must be turned clockwise an odd number of times to be effective.

The sky suddenly turned into blue sky and white clouds again, and the weather on the plateau was really unpredictable. And this ray of warm sunshine seems to tell us that the Dukezong people who have lived here for generations will cherish and love their homeland more

Gadan Songzanlin Temple is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province. It is also one of the famous large monasteries in Kang District. It is also the center of Yellow Religion in Sichuan and Yunnan. It plays a pivotal 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 integrates Tibetan plastic art and is also known as the "Tibetan Art Museum". The temple, also known as Guihua Temple, is 5 kilometers away from Zhongdian County. It is an ancient castle complex building the size of an ancient town. It was built in 1679 AD (the 11th Tibetan Calendar, the Year of the Yin Tuyang) and completed in 1681 AD (the Year of the Yin Iron Rooster). The fifth Dalai Lama personally gave the name "Gadan Songzanlin".

The Tsongkhapa Hall is dedicated to the sitting statue of Master Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which is the Yellow Religion. It was lunchtime when I met two masters at Songzanlin Temple.

Standing at the highest point of the temple, looking far away, relaxed and happy. Opposite Songzanlin Temple is "Ramyangcuo Lake", which means "the Soul Lake of the Virgin Mary" in Tibetan. It is the soul lake of the goddess Baidenlam. Although the lake surface is not large, it is very famous in the divine world. Therefore, it is also a divine lake in the hearts of Tibetans.

After staying in Shangri-La for 24 hours, we embarked on a journey to Lijiang. The Tibetan houses and fences on the road exude a unique charm in the snow.

Shuhe ancient town

Shangri-La County-Shuhe Ancient Town:

1. Self-driving: About 176 kilometers, the driving time is about 3 hours.

2. Buses: There are many buses to Lijiang at Shangri-La Bus Terminal every day, with a fare of more than 60 yuan.

This stream that runs through Shuhe Ancient Town originates from Jiuding Longtan. It is crystal clear and warm in winter and cool in summer.

When we arrived in Shuhe Ancient Town, we, like many netizens, chose a very good coffee hall. It was very bourgeois, but very distinctive, and we liked it very much. The environment was amazing.

The decoration inside the store is very good, super nice, very quiet, the things in the store are equally affordable, and the young handsome guys who serve are also very good. It's amazing. When you go to Shuhe Ancient Town, you must have such a small shop and enjoy it well. It's great to have a life like this. There is no pressure and let yourself go. It's great!

In the early morning, most shops are not yet open, and the dogs locked in the house can only look at me, a stranger, through the glass window.

Dayan Ancient Town is also very peaceful at this time, and many people may have just fallen asleep. There are also streams flowing between them, but the water quality is very different.

Back in Shuhe Ancient Town, the sun quietly fell on the quaint houses. There was no one on the road, only a puppy guarding the owner's vegetables on the roadside.

Shuhe people pay great attention to keeping the stream clean. Before dawn, these workers began to salvage garbage in the stream.

Shuhe Ancient Town, the busiest place, is very quiet in the early morning. The lower temperature has caused a thin layer of fog to rise on the water surface, which will quickly dissipate when the sun rises high. However, such a scene is not visible every day in winter.

In the empty Sifang Street Square, the old man basked in the sun and looked at the recruitment notices of the merchants. Could it be that...

Turn your attention to Dayan Ancient Town again, where there is also an Yi woman smoking a cigarette and basking in the sun.

The three old ladies sat together basking in the sun and chatted about daily life, and happiness filled with them.

You can walk around and experience the exquisiteness and taste displayed to everyone by those literary and artistic shopkeepers in Lijiang.

These tile cats, who can eat all demons and ghosts and use them to town houses, no longer have to stay on the roof all the time. They are used by the owner as art decorations and placed in every corner of the store.

The sun room makes people feel comfortable.

Beautiful companions are the best people who surf the circle of friends.

The food in Shuhe Ancient Town is also very good. We have eaten in many restaurants, but it is the most popular restaurant in Shuhe Ancient Town. I like it better. It is worthy of being a popular gourmet restaurant. It has been recommended by many people and the one that has the most celebrities patronized it.

The food is delicious, sufficient in size, not expensive, very cost-effective, super nice, here is the place to really eat Yunnan's specialty food, authentic, and very good!

The environment is also very good, with flowers planted at the door and a stream flowing through it. This environment is what I want and is more in line with my beautiful temperament, hahaha! Like it, don't miss it

Lijiang ancient city

We can also go around Sifang Street. There are really many snacks and drinks. Yunnan's carrots are thin and long, dark red, and they taste very refreshing.

The ancient town welcomes many tourists every day. Even during the off-season, such scenes can often be seen.

You can also find a place with mountains and water to stay in the afternoon. I believe everyone is familiar with this mountain-the famous Yulong Snow Mountain. Coincidentally, the moment I raised the camera, a winter swimmer entered my lens.

After staying in Lijiang for three days, although the commercial atmosphere here is very strong, the leisurely stay in it makes people feel relaxed and happy physically and mentally. And my trip to Yunnan is coming to an end.

The last few things I have to say are for your reference only

About altitude:

Kunming: 1895 meters

Xiaguan Town, Dali: 1976 meters

Napa Sea: 3266 meters

Dukezong Ancient City: 3200 meters

Songzanlin Temple: 3300 meters

Ancient City of Lijiang: 2416 meters

Doctors suggest: Patients with colds, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and lung diseases should not easily travel to high-altitude areas.