Lijiang-Dali-Kunming
Yunnan Mystic - Ethnic Luxe Odyssey
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Days 1-2
Lijiang - A Secret Journey between the sacred mountains and Holy Waters
Accompanied by the tour guide, I stepped into the morning mist of the Black Dragon Pool Park. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is initially bathed in golden light. The lake surface reflects the legend of the Three deities. On the bluestone slabs, one prostrates their head long to listen to the whispers of the Dongba Sutra. Turning to Xiangshan Market, the aroma of ham and the sweet fragrance of rose brown sugar cakes interweave, and the Naxi love songs in the silversmith's shop flow with the tinkle of the silver ornaments. In the afternoon, I hid in the Dongba Paper Workshop in Shuhe Ancient Town. An 80-year-old craftsman fished Wolf poison grass pulp and made paper notes with the "auspicious" Dongba script by hand. Then, listening to the song "White Sand Fine Music", I seemed to see the copper bells of the horse caravans shattering the moonlight on the snow-capped mountains.
The next day, we took the cable car directly to Yulong Snow Mountain. Water droplets from the glacier fell like divine tears. Tour guide tied the wishing wind chime in her palm, allowing the prayer flags to hear her heart's voice. The Tiffany Blue Lake water of Blue Moon Valley tints the fingertips, and Mani piles up stones to silently recite her wishes. In the evening, I dived into the Old town of Lijiang. By the Three-eyed Well, lanterns drifted along the river. The sparks from the coppersmith illuminated the screen wall of the Tusi Mansion. At the time of parting, the snow-capped mountains and horse hoof prints on the Dongba handwritten notes told of the beauty of this city's fall.
Days 3-4
Dali - A Poetic Abode Amidst wind, flowers, snow and the moon
The tour guide led the way. The horse cherry blossoms in Cangshan National Forest Park were burning like flames. By the eighteen Streams, people were picking herbs to identify the "Seven Treasures of Cangshan". In the dyeing workshop of Xizhou Ancient Town, a 90-year-old craftsman tied cotton cloth with the "three tights and three loosens" method, and the Butterfly spring pattern he dyed by hand coincided with the shadow of the clouds. Under the metasequoia forest at Longkan Wharf, Siberian seagulls peck at breadcrumbs in the palm of their hands. The moonlight of Dali Ancient Town flows over the bluestone slabs. The burnt aroma of milk fans blends with rose wine. With a drunken eye, one gazes at the carved door lintels of Qing Dynasty residences.
Take a ferry to visit Xiaoputuo. The statue of a fisherman's girl on the rock reef is bathed in the glow of the sunset. A century-old bronze incense burner tells the legend of "Erhai Lake Goddess". Deep in the flower alleys of Shuanglong Ancient Town, tie-dyed cloth is immersed in Erhai Lake, and the reflection of Cangshan Mountain flows among the patterns, taking away a tea setting that reveals the patterns of rhododendrons with the light, thus keeping the poetic charm of Erhai Lake alive forever.
Days 5-9
Kunming - A Thousand-year poem by the Dianchi Lake
The silver ornaments of the Yi girl swirl through the mist of the stone forest, and the moss on the Ashima Stone Peak conceals a thousand-year-old legend. Drilling through the "One-line Sky" fissure reveals the Light waterfall. On the summit of Jianchi Peak, the Viewing Pavilion hangs over the sea of clouds. The stone forest looks like a jade chessboard overturned by immortals. In the afternoon, I moved to Dianchi Lake. The copper pot potatoes and roasted milk fans in the old street of Kunming conquered my taste buds. The rose rain in Dounan Flower Market poured down. The bouquet nourished by "Dianchi Morning Dew" that I bought for 20 yuan filled the room with the fragrance of spring City. The reflection of the Jingang Pagoda in Guandu Ancient Town shatters into gold foil. As Hanfu people move around, it feels as if they have traveled through time.
It takes only one hour by high-speed rail to reach the lotus fairyland of Puzhehei. The Green Dragon Ridge looks like a giant dragon entering the water. The boatwoman cuts through the mirror surface with her pole. The lotus leaf porridge is refreshing and sweet. By the fireplace of cauliflower Jing, an old Yi woman taught to identify the soul of tea, and in the embers of the Torch Festival, she drew a blessing charm on the charcoal. In the Jianshui purple pottery workshop, the artisans' hands dance as they shape the clay, and they personally try to make tea sets splashed with mud spots. The eaves of the Chaoyang Tower are adorned with crescent moons, and in the courtyard of the Zhu Family Garden, a hundred-year-old star shines through. The grass sprout rice noodles at Lin 'an Restaurant are served with Ximen Well Water Tofu. The needle holes and air holes absorb the soup. Amid the sound of the wooden clappers, the old man who sells tofu chases after him, singing the "Tofu Ballad" in his local accent.
