Travel with Phoebe: A 4-Day Dream Journey of Shangri-La and Lijiang

Yunnan, known as the South of Colorful Clouds, has beautiful natural scenery and rich minority culture. Traveling to Yunnan is a dream for many travelers, also including me. In August 2018, I finally came to this dream land when I had the opportunity of being a volunteer teacher in here. After nearly 20 days of volunteer teaching, my friends and I embark on the journey to Shangri-La and Lijiang, where we spent an unforgettable happy time together. Now, I’d like to share this precious life experience with you.

5 Days Lijiang & Shangri-La Best Highlights Tour

Itinerary: Lijiang / Shangri-La
Highlights: Lijiang Ancient Town, First Bend of the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo National Park, Tibetan Family Visit

Day 1 Food and Culture Experience in Shangri-La

“When the sun shines upon the land the earliest, it is a place called Gyelthang. The most stunning area on earth is Shangri-La located by the lake of Naizi River.” Shangri-La, once people hear its name the first time, will arouse your inner desire to this destination. In Shangri-La, you will not only feast your eyes with breathtaking paradise-like scenery, but also feel diverse Tibetan cultures and its profound Buddhism...

The unique charm of Shangri-La has always attracted us, so it became our first destination. August is usually hot in most parts of China, but the weather in Shangri-La is still cool and even need to wear a coat. After placing our luggage at the hotel, we came to a local restaurant and tasted Shangri-La's specialty - Yak Meat hot pot. It is so delicious and we felt warm all over our bodies in an instant.

Delicious Yak Meat hot pot

After a good meal, we came to Dukezong Old Town, which is the largest and best-preserved town kept Tibetan-style dwellings with a 1300-year-old history. Here you could see authentic Tibetan dwellings, majestic prayer halls and pagodas, prayer flags and Buddhist sutras... We walked into a Thangka shop and were amazed by many beautiful Thangka paintings and embroidery artworks here.

Visiting Dukezong Old Town

Beautiful Thangka Artworks

Then, we climbed up the Guishan Hill and also participated in turning the largest prayer wheel to gain inner peace and strength. After going down the mountain, there were local residents dancing (锅庄舞) in the square. We were so excited to dance together and enjoy it, and this scene is still vividly remembered.

3 Days Best Shangri-La Tour with Nature & Culture Experience

Itinerary: Shangri-La
Highlights: Songzanlin Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village, Pudacuo National Park, Local Tibetant Family Visiting, Dukezong Old Town

Day 2 Exploring Minority Culture in Shangri-La and Lijiang

This morning, we set off on our way to Songzanlin Monastery. Built at the foot of Foping Mountain with a magnificent facade, Songzanlin Monastery is a faithful imitation of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Hence, it is reputed as the “Little Potala Palace”. We marveled at the majestic and exquisite architecture here and saw many monks of all ages and local residents who came to pray. Being a collection of Tibetan culture, Songzanlin Monastery is also reputed as “Tibetan Art Museum” and we were fascinated by all of these beautiful artworks.

Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La

After visiting Songzanlin Monastery, we were about to leave Shangri-La for Lijiang, which about 200 km from here and we took a bus. One of the benefits of taking the bus is that you won't miss the beautiful scenery along the way. I was so fascinated by the natural idyllic scenery along the way that I couldn't help taking pictures all the way.

Beautiful Scenery from Shangri-La to Lijiang

After a long drive, we finally arrived at Lijiang. As soon as we put down our luggage, we rushed to our first destination - Lijiang Old Town, which is a must-visit place in Lijiang and listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It is also one of the four best-preserved ancient towns in China and well-preserved the culture of Naxi ethnic group. While walking on the stone paved road, we admired the old bridges and buildings with hundred years’ history and enjoyed ourselves in the leisure and romantic atmosphere here. We also visited various specialty shops here to pick up souvenirs for this unforgettable Lijiang trip.

Enjoying Happy Time in Lijiang Old Town

Naxi People Dancing in Lijiang Old Town

3 Days Romantic Lijiang Tour with Visits to Naxi Kingdom

Itinerary: Lijiang
Highlights: Lijiang Old Town, Shuhe Ancient Town, Yuhu Village, Baisha Murals, Tiger Leaping Gorge

Day 3 Historical and Natural Discovery in Lijiang

This was the second day in Lijiang, and we were about to head to the Tea Horse Road and Lashi Lake. Tea Horse Road earned its name from the large-scale commerce in tea and horse between tea-growing regions of China to places with plenty of horses, which has a history of thousands of years. Today there are still many people come to the Tea and Horse Caravan Road, not for business or trade, but for the culture and spectacular old buildings of the region.

Tea Horse Road

Then we came to the beautiful Lashi Lake, which is a natural wonderland to trace the Ancient Tea and Horse Road with exciting horse riding experience. Here I tried horseback riding for the first time, and it was a great experience for me.

Beautiful Scenery in Lashi Lake

3 Days Lijiang Tour with Lashi Lake Horse Riding Experience

Itinerary: Lijiang
Highlights: Lashi Lake, Lijiang Old Town, Black Dragon Pool, Tiger Leaping Gorge

Day 4 Lijiang - Kunming - Return

Happy times are always short-lived, and today we were leaving Lijiang and returning via Kunming. Kunming, known as "Spring City", is the capital city of Yunnan Province and is also the important transportation hubs in Yunnan, which is connected to most cities in China by plane or high-speed rail. We had to take the train to return and end this unforgettable 4-day trip in Shangri-La and Lijiang. We all believe that although this is our first time in Yunnan, it will never be the last time.

Are you interested in traveling to Yunnan with me? Browse our best Yunnan Tour Packages, or just share your travel preferences, and I'll use my experience and knowledge to provide you with an unforgettable customized Yunnan trip.

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