Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake: An Unexpected "Wedding Travel Shoot," A Love Letter to Love

Foreword: From Forgetting to Write to Picking Up the Pen Again

Snow is falling heavily outside my window—a rare moment of poetry in a southern Hunan winter. I'm curled up on the sofa, tapping out these words, and for a moment, I'm transported back ten years, to an age when I was still writing diaries on QQ Space. Back then, I was the English class representative, and my teacher would always read my name aloud during weekly composition and journal review sessions. I even had articles published in Meng Ya magazine and the city's daily newspaper. My classmates were convinced: "You're definitely going to become a writer someday."

What happened next? I studied broadcasting and hosting, got into Zhejiang Communication University, went to Hong Kong for graduate school, and became a teacher. Writing gradually faded into the corners of my life. Picking up a pen takes courage; sitting quietly to write a few thousand words feels like a luxury. Occasionally, I'd want to write something, but it would only end up as scattered fragments on Weibo.

That was until December 2017, when my boyfriend and I took a trip to Dali.

On that trip, we found a jeep driver on Mafengwo to take us around Erhai Lake. The driver had slicked-back hair and a little ponytail, and I thought to myself: With this look, are the photos going to turn out like some kind of cringey QQ Space style? But when the photos came out, I was stunned—he was really good. So good that the whole set felt like a wedding travel shoot. To thank that driver, and to pick up the hobby of writing again, I decided to write this travelogue.

Meet the Characters: A Hunan Girl and a Changsha Guy

Let me introduce the two of us.

Me—Tuotuo (a nickname meaning "little lump"), a 169cm Hunan girl. After finishing my master's in Hong Kong, I stayed to work as a teacher. Personality-wise, I cry and laugh easily. I can be goofy and cute in front of friends, but put on a demure and gentle act in front of elders. My hobbies are wide-ranging: travel (especially islands and hiking), listening to music (a hardcore NetEase Cloud Music user, I love cool jazz, soul, electronic, rap, and light rock), daydreaming (my imagination is so wild I can entertain myself all day), photography (I like beauty with a little imperfection), recitation (not becoming a host in Hangzhou is my only regret), and writing (always teetering between artsy and goofy). My talent is being vaguely good at everything—I can play Wedding in Dream on the piano, and I'll play it eight hundred times every winter and summer break, because I can't remember any other piece without the sheet music.

Him—Jiujiu Ge (a nickname meaning "Uncle Nine"), a 188cm Changsha guy. After finishing university in Hong Kong, he stayed to work in finance and securities. He's a textbook Taurus—his hobby is me, and his specialties are reasoning and arithmetic. On trips, he handles planning, photography, accounting, and navigation.

Erhai Lake: You Gave Us an Unexpected Love Letter

Our vacation was only five days. The first and last days were spent on transportation, leaving just three full days in Dali. We booked two hotels with beautiful rooftop terraces perfect for photos, staying two nights at each. The plan was: Day 1—climb Cangshan Mountain, take photos on the rooftop; Day 2—drive around Erhai Lake; Day 3—visit the Three Pagodas Cultural Area and Dali University, then switch to the other hotel for rooftop photos.

But Erhai Lake was so beautiful, I have to write about it first.

Running and Laughing on the Road

Our jeep driver was from Shandong. He braked stylishly, pointed at a straight stretch of road, and said, "This road is pretty straight—you two should run here!"

So we started running. We ran—then a car came from behind. "Retreat!" the driver shouted. We sat down—another car came. "Retreat!" We hugged—another car came. "Retreat!" We jumped—yet another car came. "Retreat!" We ran back and forth like that, laughing the whole time.

Blue Sky and Green Trees at the Botanical Garden

Not long after leaving the old town, we arrived at a botanical garden. Blue sky, green trees—everywhere you looked was a picture. Quite a few jeep convoys had stopped to take photos, and we were no exception.

The Sky at Shuanglang Like Love Letter

After lunch, we reached Shuanglang. The sky was a beautiful blue—neither too deep nor too pale, just like the sky in the film Love Letter. As someone ruled by Neptune, I have an endless fondness for the sea and the sky. A cleansing of the soul—that's what this shade of blue feels like.

At the time, we didn't realize the driver was photographing us. I only caught a glimpse of him pointing his camera at the sky, but somehow, from that weird angle, the photos turned out pretty good.

The White Table and 20 Yuan of Romance

There are white tables like this all around Erhai Lake. It costs 20 yuan to take a photo on one. Sure, it's a fee, but the results are undeniably lovely.

A Secret, Emotional Confession

There are so many kinds of love in this world, just like Karen Mok sings: "The beginning is always wonderful in every minute, and everyone thinks the passion will never fade." But eventually, it turns into a wine that has lost its fragrance and flavor. Some say the cruelest thing about love is that it peaks at the very beginning, and every day after is a decline. Yukio Mishima once said that it's impossible for a person to maintain the same intensity of love for more than a minute.

But I want to say no to all these theories—because I will only love you more and more, without end.

Folk Songs and Happiness in the Jeep

The jeep kicked up dust as the driver played folk songs and whistled along: "I want to take you to romantic Turkey, then to Tokyo and Paris, and to Dali in Yunnan, keeping the memories, so it all means something." Jiujiu Ge and I sang along. Later, he fell asleep, and I took out my phone to secretly snap a photo of him. As if sensing it, he opened his eyes and smiled at me, still half-asleep. In that moment, my complicated little heart felt a certain number of decibels of happiness.

The song switched to Chen Li's Wonderful Ability Song, and she sang: "I want a better, rounder moon, I want unknown madness, I want the boldness of sound and color, I want you." Word for word—yes, me too.

Thank you, Erhai Lake. You gave us an unexpected love letter.

Cangshan Mountain: A Fun First Taste of Altitude Sickness

Actually, there was no snow on Cangshan in December, but there were two things I loved about it: the cable car and the altitude sickness.

Little Capsules on the Cable Car

Riding the cable car up Cangshan felt amazing! Each car was like a tiny capsule, heading into the mountain's giant stomach. It swallows the stories of every capsule—some happy, some sad—and that's why it feels so profound. I was curious about the other capsules passing by, wondering what the people inside were feeling, suspended between heaven and earth. But I think, at least in that moment, everyone must have been happy.

Pine Trees, Pinecones, and Squirrels

Cangshan has so many pine trees, so many pinecones, and so many squirrels. The pinecones were enormous, and the squirrels were tiny.

The Chessboard Formation and the Little Monkey

The classic Cangshan chessboard formation! Time to transform into a cool girl!

Not far from the chessboard, there was a spot where you could take photos with a little monkey and a peacock for 10 yuan per person. The monkey's name was Huanhuan, and she was incredibly gentle—not rowdy at all. Holding her broke my heart; her little hands were ice cold.

There was also a tree covered in heart-shaped ornaments. I called it the Love Tree.

My First Experience with Altitude Sickness

Jiujiu Ge and I usually love hiking. In Hong Kong, we can handle trails with difficulty ratings of four or five stars that take five or six hours without a problem. But on Cangshan, I started panting after just a little while. I thought something was wrong with me, but when I asked Jiujiu Ge, he said he was the same.

So this is what altitude sickness feels like. I found it interesting—it made me aware of a certain fragility in life, reminding me that our little bodies really do live "on a single breath."

Three Pagodas Cultural Area and Dali University: A Relaxing Finish

It was December 25th—Christmas Day. Before leaving Hong Kong, I'd bought a Santa hat and reindeer antlers. Holidays need atmosphere, and life needs rituals. I'd also deliberately worn a red plaid shirt and a green fuzzy coat—didn't I look like a walking Christmas tree?

We walked from our hotel in the old town to the Three Pagodas Cultural Area around nine in the morning. It wasn't far—just over ten minutes. The UV rays were incredibly strong, but I was stubborn and refused to wear sunglasses.

Dali University was beautiful, full of all kinds of plants. Cherry blossom trees lined both sides of the road, and in the middle was me, a little reindeer.

Two Hotels with Beautiful Rooftop Terraces

Dali Old Town Yinfeng Guiphet Panorama Hotel

Address: No. 41 Yincang Road, Old Town Area

This hotel has two very cute dogs. The gray one is female, with a soft, shiny coat. She had just given birth to puppies and has a gentle temperament. The yellow one is male, also very mild-mannered, and loves to sleep.

The hotel's rooftop terrace has lots of colorful tires that look great in photos. While taking pictures there one evening, I left my bag behind. I didn't realize until the next day. When I asked the owner, he confirmed the details and returned it to me right away—everyone, please keep an eye on your belongings when you travel!

Dali Centimeter Colorful Modern Hotel

Address: Next to the South Gate Ecological Parking Lot

The room has a projector that you can connect to your phone to watch movies. The hotel has a Nordic, minimalist style—perfect for anyone who likes a modern aesthetic.

The sky from the rooftop terrace was a gradient of blue and orange. The round hanging chair looked like a huge fishing lure. The person with the camera was a big fish, the camera was its hungry mouth, and I was the bait—delicious-looking (shameless, I know).

Itinerary and Costs

• Day 1: Airport → Old Town Hotel, taxi about 120 yuan
• Day 2: Old Town Hotel → Cangshan Mountain, round-trip shuttle bus from the old town to the cable car station, tickets need to be purchased from a travel agency, 60 yuan/person
• Day 3: Erhai Lake tour, searched on Mafengwo for "Old Driver Plays Dali.IN Erhai Travel Photography Fun Day Tour," 268 yuan/person
• Day 4: Old Town Hotel → Dali University, take bus No. 2 from outside the old town, 2 yuan/person
• Day 5: Old Town Hotel → Airport, taxi about 120 yuan

Food: One Specialty Dish and One Great Restaurant

Sheng Pi (Raw Pig Skin): Sounds Terrifying, Tastes Amazing

When you mention Yunnan, almost everyone thinks of flower cakes. But this time, I want to talk about a Bai ethnic specialty dish—sheng pi. It sounds terrifying, even a little disgusting. Sheng pi, called "hei ge" in the Bai language, is raw pig skin and pork. During festivals, holidays, or casual gatherings, the Bai people always serve cold sheng pi as their signature dish.

I was completely against it at first. Just thinking about it made me imagine something gamey and greasy. But Jiujiu Ge, being the food-loving Taurus that he is, insisted on trying the local specialty, so I went along with him.

And the result? After Jiujiu Ge took a few bites and swore to me that it wasn't gamey at all—in fact, it was quite sweet and fresh—I finally gathered the courage to pick up a small piece, dip it in the sauce, and put it in my mouth. I chewed once, twice, three times, four times, five times—and yes, it really wasn't gamey. It wasn't greasy either. The texture was excellent—tender but firm, and slightly sweet. Oh my god, I actually liked it! The chili sauce was great too. The side dish of mashed potatoes stir-fried with pickled greens was a real palate-tingler. After being used to Hong Kong prices, coming to Dali was a joy—two people could eat a full meal for about seventy yuan and feel completely satisfied.

Dali Mufu Yinshi Restaurant

This place was recommended by our jeep driver. We had no idea it was quite famous.

We ordered three dishes: 1. Beef stir-fried with cauliflower: Slightly spicy and numbing. People who like strong flavors won't find it too salty; those with lighter tastes might find it just a tad salty. 2. Tree bark scrambled with eggs: My absolute favorite! The name alone is adorable, and the texture of the "tree bark" is fantastic. Everyone should try it! 3. Mixed vegetable hot pot: A pot full of various vegetables—bok choy, carrots, mushrooms, and more. Yunnan's strong sunlight makes the vegetables incredibly sweet. Highly recommended.

Overall, it's a great restaurant.

A Sincere Conclusion

As I said at the very beginning, my reason for writing this travelogue was simple: to pick up a hobby and preserve some memories. Of course, I also hope it serves a small purpose—if reading these words helps you even a little, I'll be more than satisfied.

As a beginner, I want to ask you: What do you most want to see in a travelogue? Stunning photos? Detailed guides? Would you be interested if I wrote about my outfits (where I bought them, how much they cost)? Would you be interested if I put together a playlist of songs that suit a particular city?

If you're willing to answer me sincerely, then you're already pretty amazing.

Finally, I wish you good food, good sleep, and a very good mood.