China: Touring Yunnan – From Xishuangbanna to Shangri-La

DAY 01: ARRIVE KUNMING. EVENING FLIGHT TO JINHONG Accommodation : EMPARK GRAND HOTEL OR DAI GARDEN Meals : Dinner Arriving in Kunming, you will transfer to an evening flight to Jinhong, the capital of Xishuangbanna (Banna) or the Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Here you will be met and transferred to the Dai Garden Hotel. The rest of the day is free to unpack, and rest from the flights. At night, there will be a welcome dinner.  DAY 02: VISIT SUNDAY MARKET AND TOWNS Accommodation : EMPARK GRAND HOTEL OR DAI GARDEN Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Xishuangbanna, or “12,000 Fields”, is home to 13 different kinds of ethnic groups, although the key groups are the Dai and the Aini. The Dais are the ancestors of the Thai people, and it is very possible that one of their chieftains established the Thai city of Chiang Mai. The area was conquered first by the Mongols in the13th century and then later by the Chinese. Despite these conquestsand the onset of progress, the people of the area have retained many of their beliefs and customs. The area is famous for rice, rubber, fruit plantations, and its location that provides easy access to Thailand, Laos and Myanar. This morning, you will leave your hotel early and head out past Menghai to visit the Sunday Market at one of the villages close to the Burma border. On Sundays many of the tribal people, as well as locals, gather to buy and sell their produce, cloth, local crafts and other necessities. You can wander the market and then explore some of the nearby towns and temples. The excursion will take a full day. In the evening, you can walk to the night market on the shores of the Mekong. Here you can try the exotic herbs, vegetables and fish Bar-B-Cue at the night market. DAY 03: VISIT MAN FEI LONG WHITE PAGODA. FLY KUNMING AND EXPLORE AREA Accommodation : GRAND PARK KUNMING HOTEL Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Rising early, you will drive out to the oldest temple in the area – the Man Fei Long White Pagoda (or Ta No – “The Tower of Bamboo), in Damenglong. The ancient pagoda was built in 1204 in honor of a Buddha foot print found in the area, has a tower shaped like a bamboo, and is the highest in the area. Surrounding the pagoda are the five trees that are holy to the Buddha and the six holy flowers. Nearby is the main hall used for festivals, the biggest of which is the April Water Festival. Then, down from the hall are some shrines and a lovely pool. Thearea is very serene and beautiful. From here, you will return to town for lunch and catch the afternoon flight back to Kunming. When you arrive, you can explore the Yuanthong Temple, and island of peace amid the chaos of the city, and the Bird and Flower Market. You will also have time to walk around Cui Hu Lake and visit a teahouse. Dinner will be in town.  DAY 04: FLY MANGSHI. DRIVE RUILI VIA WANDING Accommodation : JINCHENG HOTEL Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Once again you return to the airport and take a flight from Kunming to Mangshi, the prefecture’s link with the outside world. From here, you will drive to Ruili via Wanding. Where Xishuangbanna resembled Thailand in places, this area is very much influenced by neighboring Myanmar. In Mangshi, you will visit the Tree —Entwined Pagoda, more than 200 years old. On top of the pagodagrows a banyan tree, and its thick roots tightly wrap theoutside of the temple. The scenery is quite lovely as you drive down the road toWanding, stopping at the Fengping Dafodian Pagoda enroute. From Wanding, you continue on to Ruili pausing again at the Golden Pagoda in Jeile Village, with a foundation built from golden bricks. Ruili is the only opentrading border town with Burma for China; and in addition to jade, both rubies and logs travel across the boundary, as well as opium. In the evening, you will take a walk to the Burma Street and see all the jade and other stones. You can also get a sense of the life of the Burmese of Indian origin, who lead an interesting nomadic life between the jungles of Burma and China. Time permitting, you will taste the sweet tea and snacks.  DAY 05: DRIVE TENCHONG VIA LIANGHE AND VILLAGES Accommodation : EMPARK GRAND HOTEL OF TENGCHONG Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Heading out on the famed Burma Road, your path takes you first to the town of Lianghe, for a short visit. Continuing on, you will pass Dai and Jingpo villages, arriving finally at the town of Tenchong. The road to Tenchong is varied – the landscape changes from that of Southeast Asia, with sugarcane, papaya, coffee andmango, to that of China with its buckwheat and ever-present corn. Tenchong itself is well known for its geothermal activity and volcanoes – about 20 volcanoes and lots of hot springs. The wooden architecture of the town gives it a certain charm.  DAY 06: VISIT MAZHAN AND RERHAI Accommodation : EMPARK GRAND HOTEL OF TENGCHONG Meals : Breakfast, Lunch It is a day to experience Tenchong’s natural phenomena. You can drive out onto the grassy plains, where there is good bird and crane viewing. You can also visit some of the extinct volcanoes around the village of Mazhan before returning for lunch. In the afternoon, you head southwest to the region of Rerhai (Sea of Hearing), known for its clusters of health giving hot springs. Here there are outdoor warm water swimming pools that you can enjoy and that will relieve the aches and pains of driving. DAY 07: VISIT VILLAGE Accommodation : EMPARK GRAND HOTEL OF TENGCHONG Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Today, you will visit a wonderful old village, not too far from Tenchong, with China’s largest village library, builtby the villagers themselves. The library is housed in a quaint ancient Qing-style building with ornamental gardens and concealed courtyards for quiet reading. Established in 1924, it contains over 70,000 books. The ancient splendor of the village was preserved by many of its residents, who went overseas and sent home funds to maintain the structures. It is an unusual and interesting place, where one can still see noodles and bread being made at home, and wonderful early mansions of noble and rich merchant residents, whose ancestors still live in their old homes. If your trip is close to the Chinese New Year, you may be witness to the preparation of a special bread and see the artistic and ancient fine wood carving in some of the homes. You can also see some of the famous shadow puppets.  DAY 08: DRIVE BAOSHAN Accommodation : LANDU HOTEL Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Leaving Tenchong, your first stop will be the Cemetery of Chinese National Heroes, built in June of 1945. From there, you will drive about five hours to Baoshan, a small city, known for such items as Reclining Buddha Bashing Tea, its delicious coffee, and pepper, as well as silk and leather boots. Here you can wander the park and stop in at the Wembi Ta or Writing Style Pagoda and the Yuhang Ge or Jade Emperor Pavillion. In early times, the area was a stop on the less known “Southern Silk Road” to India and came under Han Chinese dominion in 69 AD. DAY 09: DRIVE DALI Accommodation : GURONG HOTEL DALI Meals : Breakfast, Lunch As you drive to Dali this morning, the landscape and foliage will change, reflecting the change in altitude from the tropical to the middle hills. Dali is nestled in a valley at about 6,200’ between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake. On the Cangshan side, 19 peaks averaging more than 13,000’overlook the valley. The historic old town of gray granite is the historic home of the Bai people. During the 8th and 9th centuries, Dali was the capital of the Nan Zhao Kingdom. At its height, the Nanzhao had conquered much of Burma and parts of Laos, Thailand, and Sichuan Province. Later Kublai Khan and his warriors overran this stone city of pagodas. Today, Dali is the capital of the region and well known for its colorful people, embroidery, rich agricultural lands, famous marble, and excellent breed of horses. When you arrive, you can drop your things at the hotel, and, with your guide begin to explore the old city and market. You might even enjoy a Qi Gong massage at a parlor run by blind people.  DAY 10: EXPLORE XIZHOU, CHOUCHEN, SHAXI, SIDENG MARKET Accommodation : SHAXI LAOMADIAN LODGE Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner This morning, you will drive along the shores of Lake Erhai to the village of Xizhou, known for its magnificently preserved homes of the tea merchants. You will drive on to the tie-dying village of Chouchen. Here the locals will try and convince you to visit their home-factories, offer you tea, and try and get you to buy their products. A bit farther is the village of Shaxi. This small quiet town actually dates back 2400 years. As early as 400 BC, Shaxi was a copper mining region with expertise in smelting bronze. Later, in the Tang and Song Dynasties, it became an important stopover in the ancient tea-trading route. The caravan route from Puer to Dali stretched through Shaxi on to Tibet and Burma. Most impressive is the Sideng Market Square, the heart and soul of Shaxi. The complex consists of a temple, a theater, shops and stables all around a red sandstone paved square with ancient trees and numerous side streets. You can explore the town’s toll gates, quiet side streets, south gate with its custom house, guard posts and ancient bridges. Try and imagine yourself as part of a huge tea-laden caravan, coming into town. DAY 11: DRIVE LIJANG VIA SHEBAOSHAN Accommodation : ZEN GARDEN HOTEL Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Continuing on north, your path will lead to the fascinating site of Shebaoshan. Here, amidst lovely pine forests, you can climb to Nanzhou area grottos and temples, depicting some excellent carvings of local life and the visits of Tibetan and Indian teachers. At various times of year, also, the flowers should be in bloom and the hills will be ablaze with color. Leaving Shebaoshan, you drive to the last stop in Yunnan, Lijang. For hundreds of years, Lijang was at one end of Tibet’s trading route between India and China. At times, a quarter of Lijang’s population was made up of transient Tibetan traders. The old town, where you will wander over stone bridges and along Ming Dynasty cobblestone streets, is known as the Venice of Asia. The town has existed for at least 800 years and has its own Tibeto-Burman language with a unique pictographic script and its own unique music. It is the cultural center for the Naxi people, a small matriarchal tribe with a rich culture. The women run the local market and inherit personal property through the youngest daughter. The men are traditionally child-rearers, gardeners, and musicians. In fact, Lijang has an excellent tradition of music and musical instruments. The town boasts a world-famous orchestra that plays Naxi music and has toured Europe! Sadly, the earthquake of 1995 that hit western China damaged many of the old houses in the town. Since then, there has been much rebuilding. Still, there is much left in the old traditional style and Lijang has been awarded United Nations Heritage Site status. In the evening, you can wander the “Old Town”, with its cobble stone streets, Ming dynasty stone bridges, and mud and tile homes. The area was destroyed about 10 years ago by a severe earthquake, and is newly rebuilt.  DAY 12: EXPLORE LIJIANG AND SURROUNDINGS Accommodation : ZEN GARDEN HOTEL Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Today, you can explore Lijang and its surroundings. North of the city is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 18,363 feet and covered with snow throughout the year. If the weather is good, you can see the mountain as you wander the Old Town, visiting the Black Dragon Pool and other sites. Outside town, although a bit touristy, are the villages of Shue and Baisha. These two villages were among the original settlements of the Naxi, when they migrated to this area from Sichuan and represented two key clans – the Yu and Shu. It is said that the design of Shue was the model for Lijang’s Old Town. Baisha used to be the capital of the Naxi Kingdom, before being conquered by Kublai Khan. Both towns are famous for their frescoes, painted during the 15th and 16th centuries by Tibetan, Naxi, Han and Bai artists. The Baisha frescoes incorporate images from the different religions and arts – Lamaisim, Buddhism, Daoism, and others. You visit Baisha and Yuhu, exploring on foot the village that was the base of the renowned botanist, Joseph Rock. Rock collected around 80,000 species of plants and herbs in this region to be sent to Britain and America for Identification. You visit his old home, now a museum, and spend time in this quiet area before lunch. Next you head to Mt. Wembi, once a Karma Kargyu temple. Today the temple has been restored and has monksand a head Lama from Ganze in the Kham region. YOU can visit the cave temple and retreat center, when many nuns, who are initiates, come to pray. Then you head to the stone stele, that represents the “key” for a further pilgrimage to Jizu Shan (a holy place southeast of Dali). Returning to Lijang, you can enjoy a Naxi Music and Dance concert of Song Dynasty tunes derived from the Taoist scriptures. DAY 13: VISIT LASHE HAI Accommodation : ZEN GARDEN HOTEL Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Assuming the weather is good, for your last day in the area, you will head out Lashe Hai to see a small old Karma Kargyu monastery, surrounded by hills and farmlands. A major component of the Three-Parallel-River watershed, wildlife terrain covers one third of Lijang County or 903 square miles. Few tourists visit this spot, and you should have a lot of space to yourself. At night, you will return to Lijang for dinner and time to wander in the old town. DAY 14: DRIVE ZHONGDIAN VIA SHIGU AND FIRST BEND IN THE RIVER Accommodation : M GALLERY SONGTSAM RETREAT Meals : Breakfast, Lunch After breakfast, you have about a 5-hour drive up to Zhongdian (Gyalthang in Tibetan), Shangrila. Along the way, you will stop at Shigu (Stone Drum Village), where you can see the first bend in the Yangze River. The Yangzi flows south from Tibet into Yunnan, and then turns north again for approximately 60 miles at Shigu. As you drive, you will have great views of the Yulong Shueshan Mountain, before continuing north to Gyalthang,the county capital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous County. The road north passes through rich Naxi farmlands, growing tobacco, corn, beans and sorghum, as well as numerous forested hills . . . finally ending on the high plains and meadows of Gyalthang. You will have time to rest and get used to the altitude of 10,850 feet before a dinner of Tibetan specialties.  DAY 15: VISIT GANDEN SUMTSANLING MONASTERY, RINGHA TEMPLE, DAFO SI TEMPLE Accommodation : M GALLERY SONGTSAM RETREAT Meals : Breakfast, Lunch In the morning, you will take a trip to Ganden Sumtsanling Monastery. Here, about 700 Buddhist monks are engaged in full-time Buddhist studies. Built in the 17thcentury by the 5th Dalai Lama, Sumtsanling Monastery, with its numerous chapels, woodcarvings and murals, is a living museum of Tibetan culture. In addition to the monastery, you can explore the beauties of the countryside. The present reconstruction of parts of the monastery reflects the exciting regeneration of local religious fervor. In the afternoon, you will drive out into the countryside to visit one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots for all the people of Gyalthang – Ringha Temple, perched high on a hill. Here, when life seems too much, local people come to pray and leave their problems behind. Taking a lesson from the Tibetan pilgrims, you can take an easy circumambulatory walk around Ringha Hill.  Note: They have been doing reconstruction on the temple, and it is possible it will be closed. If so, you will spend more time in town and in the countryside. Returning to Gyalthang, if time permits, you can visit the museum and the old town, one of the only remaining old towns in the Tibetan region with many of the old historical homes and trading houses preserved. You can explore the Dafo Si temple and walk up a few steps to turn the largest prayer wheel in the region, and perhaps the world. Gyalthang was at an important crossroads in the tea and old horse caravan-trading route, and it is interesting to wander the streets and imagine the bells of the horses ringing as the caravans arrived from the north and south. You can also watch the local people dancing in the square in the evening, a tradition that survives today. DAY 16: VISIT NISHI AND GONJO Accommodation : M GALLERY SONGTSAM RETREAT Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Today you can visit some of the crafts people of the area. Leaving Gyalthang, you will drive up along the spectacular upper Yangtse Gorge and the Yunnan Tibet Road. Here the waters of Gonjo river meet with the Yangtse and at the confluence if these two great rivers, you can see the difference in color between them. Continuing on, you will come to Nishi, where they make some very interesting black pottery. You can see how the craftspeople work and spend some time in their homes. From Nishi, you will head to Gonjo, where the people make very lovely wooden bowls. Late in the day, you will return to Gyalthang for the night.  DAY 17: FLY KUNMING OR BEIJING. CONNECT WITH ONWARD FLIGHT Accommodation : None Meals : Breakfast You will be transferred to the airport in time to catch a flight from Gyalthang to your onward destination.