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Travel to Yunnan – A Complete Guide to The South Western Province

August 28, 2019 by Harley Greenberg 17 Comments

travel to yunnan

This article is a travel guide to Yunnan Province, in the South West of China. It was written by Harley Greenberg, who works with a local travel agency (WindhorseTour) in China.

Travel to Yunnan – Index

  1. Yunnan basic travel facts
  2. Possible itineraries
  3. The Stone Forest near Kunming
  4. Dali Ancient Town
  5. Lijiang Ancient Town
  6. Shangri-la
  7. Lugu Lake
  8. Yuanyang Rice Terraces
  9. Frequently asked questions

Yunnan Province is famous for its diverse scenery and for being home of a third of all China’s ethnic minorities. It has lots to offer any traveler!

Yunnan basic travel facts

A trip to Yunnan province realistically takes at least one week. However, if you want to cover all the highlights I encourage you to spend twelve days or longer. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around China Tagged With: Dali, Kunming, Lijiang, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La, Travel in China, Yuan Yang, Yunnan

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Traveling to Dali: The Complete Guide

January 12, 2018 by Rita Andreetti 1 Comment

One of the entrance gates of the Dali city wall – Photo by Matteo Bosi

Located in the heart of Yunnan, Dali (大理) is a picturesque town mainly inhabited by the ethnic Bai, who settled here millenniums ago. Or better, this is the Dali Old Town, the original heart, surrounded by a city wall and characterized by typical Bai homes and architecture.

Dali New Town, which China flaunts today, is a long settlement along the shores of Lake Erhai and has almost swallowed up the small classic center on the western shore. The hotels are all close to one another, the cars battle along the road that runs along the lake going from the airport to the old center, passing by new cement monsters that are increasingly huge and in bad taste, but represent progress.

This is an area that has seen a prosperous kingdom, the Kingdom of Nanzhao, submissive to the Mongols, when the Bai Buddhists invaded and then annexed them to the Heavenly Empire; for a long time Yunnan was nothing more than a stop on the Ancient Tea Road (or the Southern Silk Road).

Today tourism is an important source of its renewal, with all the pros and cons that comes with such speculation: local artisans struggle to resist serial production, homes give in to the temptation to convert into shops, the use of local costumes has become more for the tourists than tradition, at least for new generations.

Actually it’s not just in Dali, but the entire northwestern part of Yunnan, where ethnic minorities battle daily with imminent type-approval. It’s here, you can say, that the situation isn’t yet so compromised as, for example, Lijiang, where the locals have almost completely abandoned the old inhabited center.

This is to clarify my position as a tourist, which varies diametrically between fascination and disgust; and to make clear that in these areas it’s best to go as soon as possible since, when it comes to authenticity, there’s a relentless march that pushes Yunnan to lose something precious every day. The only alternative is to personally promote culturally responsible tourism. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around China Tagged With: Dali, Kunming, Travel in China, Yunnan

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Two Days on the Tiger Leaping Gorge – My Hiking Experience in Yunnan

January 25, 2016 by Kristen Ng 4 Comments

tiger leaping gorge hikingTiger Leaping Gorge – Photos by Kristen Ng

This article will discuss my two day hiking experience on the Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡, Hǔtiào Xiá) during the summer tourist season, setting out from the tourist mecca of Lijiang, staying at a guesthouse on the gorge and returning back to the city.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Lijiang to Qiaotou;
Hike from Qiaotou to Halfway House, stay overnight.

Day 2

Hike from Halfway House to Tina’s Guesthouse;
Tina’s to Lijiang Bus Station;
Lijiang onwards to Dali. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around China Tagged With: Dali, Lijiang, Travel in China, Yunnan

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The Best Hotels in Dali, the City Where You Always Come Back

July 11, 2015 by Sapore di Cina Leave a Comment

The Ancient Town of Dali is one of the most beautiful cities in China and a top tourist destination. In this article you will find a review of some of the best hotels in the city for a wide range of prices. Just choose the right one for you and enjoy your stay!

Check out this article, if you need a more general overview about booking hotels in China.

Reviews of Luxury Hotels (5 Star) in Dali

Dali Fan Ye Cangshan Resort


The Dali Fan Ye Cangshan Resort is comfortable accommodation where businessmen will find meeting room availability. The Hotel is suitable for tourists in addition with easy access to the city’s attractions. Cars are available for hire and staff will arrange shuttle and airport transfer. There is a library and a garden for relaxation. Golfers have the change of a game with a course just 3 km away. Luggage storage can be arranged while smokers have a designated area. There is a shared kitchen, lounge and TV area. Some rooms have desks though for a luxury hotel there are many facilities missing that ought to be standard.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Hotels in Asia Tagged With: Dali, Hotels in China, Yunnan

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10 places to visit in China that you might not know about

February 16, 2015 by Sapore di Cina 6 Comments

10 places to visit in china

When people ask me about China, I always like to make the analogy that it is like a bigger version of Europe. China is a country which is much more culturally diverse than we think in the West.

The majority of international tourists who travel to China do what is called the golden triangle; that’s to say, Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai. There are also some who visit Guilin, which is famous for its landscapes, Datong or Pingyao. Panda-lovers may also visit Chengdu. However, China offers many other places that are equally or more spectacular than these ones.

In this article, I have selected 10 places little-known by international tourists, which are very different from one another and which you might include in your trip. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around China Tagged With: Dali, Dunhuang, Harbin, Huangshan, Jingdezhen, Kashgar, Lugu Lake, Luoyang, Qingdao, Tianjin, Travel in China

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From Lijiang to Lugu Lake: Chronicle of a Hectic Trip

May 10, 2012 by Sapore di Cina 6 Comments

Lijiang, YunnanLijiang: the South door to Tibet.

This story tells how instead of get on the public bus that from Lijiang arrives to Lugu Lake – the homeland of Mosuo people, last matriarchal tribe, – we trusted a crazy driver and reached the lake only after ten hours of vicissitudes.

From Dali to Lijiang

We leave Dali to reach Lijiang in a comfortable minivan packed with German tourists, their flip flips and a some Yunnan campesinos. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Travel around China Tagged With: Dali, Lijiang, Lugu Lake, Travel in China, Yunnan

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