Last Morning in Lijiang Old Town One of the beautiful daily sights in the old town is how locals and visitors will gather up in the square and folk dance to region folk music. Everyone is welcome to join, and there are plenty of seats for spectators. It’s really fun to watch. Read more
A beautiful morning in Lijiang old town. This is the view from the hotel. Looking down on the courtyard of the hotel. This is where the owners play cards all night and keep me awake. The street in front of the hotel. Heading into old town This canal comes from theRead more
Leaping Tiger Gorge Tour – Part 2 Finally we make it into the gorge, with the driver refusing to slow down. Don’t worry though, the occasional 6cm tall cement block will prevent us from a deadly plummet. The guide points out the “old” trail on the other side. This was used up through theRead more
Leaping Tiger Gorge Tour – Part 1 A hastily-purchased tour pass in the Old Town led to an early morning pork bun breakfast around the corner while waiting for a group bus. My expectations were a casual stroll up the paved path of this renowned gorge. Video: waiting for early morning pickup. TheRead more
Starting the day with a wonderful breakfast at the hotel. Local noodle dish and some eggs. The hotel is located near the old town in on the Southwest shore of Lake Erhai, in a revitalized area. A lot of indie businesses, art shops, bars, restaurants, and boutique hotels. This map outlines what attractions andRead more
Took a flight into Dali, Yunnan. It was a silk road stop. I don’t really need to get into the importance and history of the Silk Road here. It’s pretty isolated up in the mountains, with a single Noth/South valley leading to other communities along the range. Dali Wood Carving and Marble are what theRead more
My remaining hours in Old Lijiang were spent hopping from shop to shop, snacking and buying some last-minute gifts. I can see why, through all the Chinese people I have met over the years, why Lijiang Old Town is often mentioned as a favorite travel spot. Its endless maze of unique and character-rich shops, streetsRead more
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 玉龙雪山 The dominant feature of the Lijiang Valley, is actually a massif (range) of which the highest peak reaches 18,360 ft. Although easily seen from all corners of the city of Lijiang, I had no idea how massive it really was until we hired a driver to take us to it.Read more
Every cab driver we spoke to suggested we head to some lake… one of the few that still had water in it during the dry season. “it’s so beautiful.” “You must see the lake.” “Have you been on the lake?” So we decided to go. It turns out… there are several lakes in the valley.Read more
Another full day in Lijiang broguht me the realization that I could spend weeks photographing here. Every twist and turn uncovered a mix of multiple cultures, their art, their lifestyles, languages, and their welcoming to this village. I could have snapped megapixels of everything I saw while I was there, everything that astounded me, butRead more
Along with fresh produce and homemade goods, the market also features meats: preserved, fresh, and living. Smoked and preserved meat like this were being sold outside of the shed along the alley. The butcher shed, a pavilion of about 60 vendors selling fresh meats. Not a freezer or pair of rubber gloves in sight, thisRead more
I don’t recall what this is… It’s the design above the doorway of a restaurant, I think. My first experience with the “Open Air Market” (Ancient City Zhongyi Market) in Lijiang was frustrating. I couldn’t find my hotel, and I wandered into the opening of an alley from which market vendors expanded out fromRead more
I had originally flew into Lijiang, but immediately took a bus to Shangri-La and I didn’t get much of a chance to see Lijiang until the evening I returned. Surrounded by granite mountains, deep gorges, and red clay hills, Lijiang lies within a 8,000 ft high level plain crossroads of established trade routes and minority cultures. The developedRead more
The next morning we wake up early to visit the temple and then eat before our flight back to Lijiang. It seems as though in the Tibetan plateau, things get off to a late start. 9 am and many things are closed. People are just starting their day. Before entering, we circle clockwise 3 times. TheyRead more
After the Monastery we returned back to Shangri-La old town and I set out on my own to explore the temple before the sun went down. Music is playing and people are dancing in the square. Turns out there is a huge temple on a hill right around the corner from myRead more
Down from the mountain, we head back to Shangrila Old Town and then to the north to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (松赞林寺) in the late afternoon. Built in 1679 by the 5th Dalai Lama, and the size of a small village, this is the largest monastery in Yunnan and one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in China.Read more
The mountain’s highest peak is 14,598 feet (4,449.5 meters) above the sea level, named for the red dear the range represents, it is regarded a s holy mountain for the local Tibetans. Geologically ,the mountains is known for having diverse microclimates along its range. From the grasslands we visited earlier through wooded hills, plateaus harboring ranches,Read more
Shangrila breakfastat the hotel: pork noodles, pickles, milk, rice porridge, stuffed buns and an egg. The valley west of the city is sparsely populated and pretty flat. Primarily grassland, it is used primarily for agriculture. In spring crops of flowering plant light up the valley with color. At this time it was pretty barren.Read more
Chengdu I fly west to Chengdu, one of the hubs for heading up the Himalayas. I meet up with Jing and we grab some Chengdu food. One of my favorites: Corn-fried Corn. It’s sweet corn, coated in a mix of a salted duck egg and corn starch, and then fried in oil. Crunchy, salty,Read more