Going to Yunnan had long been my dream, but after the early spring's SARS outbreak in the country this dream had been delayed. So you can imagine the look on my face when I was told that in a few days we were going to see the legendary Ah Shima, which is what local Yi ethnic girls in Yunnan are called.
The moment my feet stepped onto Kunming airport, I could feel my body boil with excitement; with all the moistures in the air, I was already wet. I could have carried a lighter luggage I said to myself as I caught one or two mosquitoes flying around.
Having already visited places such as Sydney and New York City, I was now enchanted by the distinctive lifestyles of smaller cities. After living in the capital, Beijing, most of my life, I craved an escape from the busy metropolitan centre. So here I was, ready to see a quieter country life in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan where the 1999 world expo was held.
The first night spent in Kunming was quite an experience. After settling down in a hotel uptown, a small group of us decided to take an adventure and sample the nightlife of the city. A taxi brought us to a night market called Kundu, where we had our first fancy tour in Yunnan. The atmosphere reminded me of the hustle and bustle of the Sanlitun bar street in Beijing, only here it was even busier with live bands playing open-air and yummy barbecues sizzling right in our faces. I guess the city of Kunming really knows how to impress its starving guests.
The daylight in Kunming is very strong, which explains why local people often wear a tan. But the day we come to the stone forest the sun is way too generous to content our cameras.
Lies some 120 kilometers southeast of Kunming, Shilin or stone forest is a region of typical karst landscape. I was amazed to find out this rather maze-like rock mass was a shallow sea some 270 million years ago. Extensive deposits of sandstone overlain by limestone accumulated in this basin during the Permian period of geologic time. I must say nature is the greatest craftsman ever, and surrounded by its rock masterpieces I feel so small.
It was still dawn when we arrived at Dali. Everyone's face showed weary signs from not enough sleep on the overnight train. A sweet girl dressed in local Bai ethnic costume greeted us at the train station and we immediately recognized her as our guide of the day. It was an hilarious trip in Dali. We took the Austrian-made chair-lift to the mountain-top, leaving our screams and exclamations all the way in the valley. We had used up all the vocabularies one could ever find. At last, Cangshan, the renowned white mountain, echoed with one voice: what a great view!
Leaving Dali, we are on the road to Lijiang, a legendary city northwest of Yunnan. The people of Naxi, a local ethnic group, has been developing their land of snow-clad mountains and turbulent rivers since ancient times.
After hours of zigzagging mountain driving, we arrived at a flatter highland area called Baishui terrace where the whole bus of sleepy tourists could rest our feet before we went further on in our journey. The Baishui terrace is so named due to the color of the water. Through my half-awakened eyes I saw heaven. The word, pollution, seemed never included in local people's vocabulary. I couldn't help putting my hands into the water, so clear it reflected my tiring and weary face. At a distance, all the brooks, big and small, were falling down through layers of rocks, where the yaks dressed in festive costumes stood still, and posed for pictures. The air in this xanadu wonderland refreshed my heavy mind. We were instantly connected.
While our bus continued driving on the bumpy road, a white crouching dragon gradually emerged from the heavy fog. The best month to visit Yulong Snow Mountain as we were told is December, March and May. So, I guess I will just save the holy mountain view for next time if I still get the chance to come back.
Here we arrived in the ancient town of Lijiang, a dreamland where so many poets and musicians were inspired. It was a very invigorating journey that day; our spirits kept rocketing just like the Shenzhou V space aircraft which took the first Chinese astronaut into space. My interest in the older part of the town was not affected by the occasional showers, which are very common in the area. Walking upstream in the ancient town, we were told, was the best way not to get lost.
Strolling the cozy bar houses by the street sides I felt time freeze in the frame of an old picture of Lijiang, which can only be seen on beautifully printed travel books. I immediately fell in love with this old part of the town, which was kept intact after a severe earthquake in 1996. Our lady guide, a local Naxi ethnic girl, told us it should take at least three days to have a complete view of the area. Hmmm no good, we were busy tourists after all. So as a result I bought a bunch of colorful bracelets with Dongba pictographs on it.
On the way back to Dali we saw a spectacular rainbow traversing the hundreds of miles with the snow mountain in the far background. The whole bus cheered, and the click of the cameras could be heard immediately. Again what a great view! Yes, indeed it was the most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen.
When the road became smooth, I knew we were in the city as Dali's night sky greeted us with more than the twinkle of the stars. I still cannot convince myself it wasn't pure luck. But that night as we drove through the city of Dali, fireworks were flowering in the night sky, and the whole bus cheered even louder. I was told later, they were to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the city. Well, again what a great view!
Even though I want to tell you more about the trip, which later was secretly referred to as the "what a great view" trip, our strict itinerary didn't allow me to see the complete picture of Yunnan. But through our local lady guide, the mouthwatering barbecues of the night market, and many other often-indescribable great views all woven into this short impression of Yunnan why don't you come and have a look yourself?
Source: http://www.china.org.cn/travel/travelogue/2009-02/12/content_17265905_2.htm
