Dear friends,
How are you all?
I have spent my one week summer vacation in Yun Nan, travelling several cities, and would like to share with you this pleasant trip.
July 23th, leaving for Kun Ming from Xian.
My friend, Wang Tianwen met me at airport there and arranged my visit tour for this vacation very carefully. Many thanks to him. I took a brief visit to Expo that afternoon. Many beautiful flowers which I cannot tell their names and different style of gardening of western and eastern countries. You can see sharp roof of Thai, Iron Gate of England, Cowboy style of Texas (I coined this style) ... most attractive garden is the Buttlefly Garden, various butterflies dancing before you, with amazing pictures on their wings, some brave ones even within the reach of your hands. It touches me that man can live with other living beings in such a harmonious way.
July 24th, arrived Da Li.
Da Li is the Autonomous Region of Bai Tribe, well-known for the story of 5 Golden Flowers (5 Pretty Girls of Bai Tribe) and the Butterfly Spring. I put on their traditional clothing and took photos with 5 Golden Flowers with a big smile , because I never have such a chance to be surrounded by so many pretty girls!!
At the Ancient City Proper of Da Li, I was attracted by the wooden carving craftsmanship and bought a fortune carving and an ox head carving (which is a holy symbol in the tribe). Our tour group took boat sailing on the Er Hai, enjoying Bai Tribe national dancing performance and their Three Runs Tea Serving on boat. And we learned the striking custom of Bai Tribe of blessing the bride by pinching her, more hard the pinch is more blessing you offer, but never pinch her more than three times, otherwise the bridegroom will be in rage with you!
July 25th, arrived Li Jiang.
Li Jiang got its fame after a terrible earthquake in 1996. Many building were ruined in that earthquake, except the old houses at Da Yan Town of Li Jiang, which is constructed in wood framework. Little stream winds its way through the old town, various handcraft and coffee shops around the river. cooling breeze from snowmountains ... You can live in a Naxi Tribe family at the cheap accomadation fee of RMB30 for one night. If you are lucky enough, you can join the dancing group in the centre street of the town every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening. People circled around, young man played musical instrument in the middle, shouting and dancing, everyone is relaxed to enjoy this moment. I certainly will not miss such a happy time.
The next day, our group went to the Yu Long Snowmountain. I chosed to ride a horse to the mountain, which I had never tried before. A ten year old boy led my horse and he was so lovingly kind to let me ride the horse myself most of the time. When the road is plain, I whipped the horse to speed up. So exciting that sometimes I even frightened to fall from the horseback.
Our tour group was to back Kunming that evening and I decided to stay one more day to visit the Tiger Leap Gorge in Yanzhi River which is the 2nd deepest gorge in the world with the depth of 3,900 meters. However, I didnot find any tour group available that afternoon. Since it is over 100km from Li Jiang, I had to find someone to go there together. Fortunately, a German Lady, Monique Schiderler, also asking for the tour group to visit the Gorge. So we decided to be the tour partners to rent a taxi and the travel agent recommended one for us.
It is marvellous to watch the river roaring towards the sudden narrowed riverbed, rushing fiercely against the huge rock (Tiger Leap Rock) in the middle of the bed. High mountains on the sides of the river, so patient and silent with angery river on its armhold.
It is a very nice journey. Besides the scenic sites, I met so many kind friends in the tour, maybe seldom do we have chance to meet again but this pleasant trip will be kept in our memories.
Hope you all have a nice day.
Best Regards
Zhou Guodong
Author: zhougd
