Posts from an Australian lost in the Middle Kingdom
Stories and guides from travels in the Yunnan Province of China.
Yunnan Province is located in China’s southwest with Kunming serving as the capital of the province. It is adjacent to Guizhou and Guangxi in the east, Sichuan in the north, Tibet in the northwest. It has an international border with Myanmar in the west and Laos and Vietnam in the south.
The Three Parallel Rivers originate in the Tibetan Plateau flowing from north to south for 170 kms to Yunnan Province crossing several mountains along the way. It consists of the Salween River (怒江 Nujiang River), the Mekong River (澜沧江 Lancang River) and the Yangtze (金沙江 Jinsha River) and its mountain ranges. It is a UNESCO World Heritage protected area.
The Chengjiang Fossil Site is located in the mountainous area of Yunnan Province and covers an area of 512 hectares. It is the most preserved early Cambrian marine fossils in the early Cambrian period, showing a wide range of invertebrate and spinal life hard tissues and soft tissues.
The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces are the ancient system of rice-growing terraces developed by the Hani ethnic people some 1,200 years ago. Located in Yuanyang, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
One of the main reasons for cvoming to this region is to go to Tibet, in particular Lhasa. Where I’m currently staying, at the Traffic Hotel Chengdu, has a couple of tour agencies located within it’s walls, there is one right out the front of the building and also one inside next to the reception.
I only managed to see so many wonderful things in LiJiang thanks to two really beautiful people who spared their time and kindness……..and in temple, in the middle of the Black Dragon Pool Park, a Monk declared that my wonderful guides must be my student and my daughter!
Shuhe Ancient Town (or city) is located in the city of Lijiang and less than 10 minutes by taxi from the ‘Old Town of Lijiang’ which is at the center of the city. It’s a place where you can easily find yourself forgetting what year you are in, as you walk along the original cobblestone streets and admire the old architecture while quite often running into locals still dressed in traditional clothing.
The Jade Water Village is located where a water spring exists at the base of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and this spring is scared to the local Naxi people. It is also the place where a famous American explorer, author, and botanist, Joseph Rock, lived for many years.
The Black Dragon Pool is one of the must-visit places in Lijiang. The pool (or pond) is located in the Jade Spring Park in Lijiang, which is often referred to as Heilongtan Park, which is located at the foot of Elephant Hill.
The Sleepy Inn is located in Shuhe Ancient Town which is a short taxi ride away from the more famous part of Lijiang being the ‘Old Town’. Don’t let this put you off though, as Shuhe Ancient Town feels much more authentic than the Old Town and it’s much more relaxed.
An intro to Lijiang including a map, and the five things that you must not miss.