Graduation Trip · Lijiang & Shangri-La: A Spontaneous Youth Adventure

Prologue: A Crazy "Just Go" Decision

The words "graduation trip" always sound romantic and ceremonial. But my trip to Yunnan with my best friend Ouyang was a completely last-minute impulse — we only roughly settled on the destination on June 24th, I nervously told my mom about the plan on June 27th, and our flight tickets were booked for June 30th from Guangzhou to Lijiang.

How rushed was it? We bought tickets just two days before departure, and even when we arrived in Shangri-La, we still hadn't booked our accommodation or transport for the next stop, Kunming. But it was precisely this "just go" recklessness that filled the journey with surprises and unexpected joys. Looking back now, those unplanned twists became the most vivid memories.

Pre-Departure "Packing List"

Before hitting the road, we did some simple preparations. For tracking expenses, we used the "Pepsi AA Accounting" app to split costs easily.

Shared Equipment: - Film camera: 128 yuan (27 shots of film) - Fuji X100V camera rental: 321.42 yuan (July 2nd to 7th)

Items I Prepared Personally: - Baseus power bank: 75.01 yuan - Miniso disposable underwear (9 pairs): 57.29 yuan (a bit pricey, but the ones I ordered online hadn't arrived, so I had no choice) - Proya sunscreen sample: 19.9 yuan

June 29th: A "Little Incident" the Night Before

To catch our early morning flight the next day, we stayed near Guangzhou Baiyun Airport the night before. We booked the "Kaiyuan · Mingdu Home" hotel, which offered shuttle service. We took the subway from Guangzhou East Station to Airport North Station, then exited through Gate 42 and waited at Gate 43 for the shuttle — just call the front desk in advance.

The hotel photos looked nice, but the actual experience was mediocre. Ouyang said the first room had dust mites, so we switched to a second one. I still couldn't sleep well at night, even after spraying anti-mite solution. If you have sensitive skin, I'd recommend thinking twice about this place.

Expenses That Night: - Airport hotel: 75.01 yuan (split between two) - Mosquito repellent, disinfectant, anti-mite spray: 32 yuan - Tastien bacon and egg burger: 13 yuan - Taxi to high-speed rail station: 20.3 yuan - High-speed rail to Guangzhou: 141.87 yuan

June 30th: First Glimpse of Lijiang — From Exhaustion to Surprise

Early Morning Airport "Adventure"

We woke up at 4:30 AM to catch the 5:00 AM airport shuttle. The shuttle was a bit smelly, but it got us to the airport in 15 minutes. The airport was packed. We wanted to print boarding passes as souvenirs, but after trying countless self-service machines with no luck, we decided to check our bags first — my luggage weighed 16 kg, Ouyang's 13 kg.

While waiting in line at the check-in counter, we were surrounded by all kinds of perfume scents. Feeling a bit nauseous in the morning, I bought a "Salted Egg Yolk Dudu" bread from Nayuki Tea — warm and comforting, instantly boosting my mood. Even more heartwarming: it was my birthday on the solar calendar that day, and China Southern Airlines gave me a birthday card.

First Impressions of Lijiang

Lijiang Airport is very small, with only two restrooms (east and west), and the women's line was incredibly long. Waiting for checked luggage also took a while.

We stayed in Shuhe Ancient Town. From the airport, we took a bus to Lijiang Ancient Town, then a taxi to our guesthouse. The "Under the Tree · Listening to the Stream Hotel" was a 5-minute walk from Shuhe's North Gate. The courtyard was spacious, filled with flowers and plants, beautiful in the sunlight. The room was also roomy, with a separate wet and dry bathroom. The downside: the entire guesthouse only had one washing machine, and there weren't enough hangers in the drying area.

First Mushroom Hotpot

Without any food guide, we just searched on Dianping (Chinese Yelp) and found a 10-year-old restaurant — "Simple Food Mushroom Hotpot." The mushroom broth was good, but overall it felt average. At over 60 yuan per person, it wasn't cheap.

In the afternoon, we strolled through Shuhe Ancient Town and stumbled into Jiulongtan Park, which was much more interesting than the commercialized main street. Coming from 30°C Guangdong, the coolness here made us exclaim, "This is what summer should feel like!" The water-crisp pastries (水酥饼) that are popular on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) were indeed good — we bought some as souvenirs.

The "Contrast" of Lijiang Ancient Town

I'd been looking forward to Lijiang Ancient Town since elementary school textbooks, but reality was a huge disappointment. But before that, we first ate at another old restaurant — Caodun Luofei Fish Village's "seeing-handle green" mushroom hotpot (见手青火锅, a type of wild mushroom that requires careful preparation). The broth was much richer than lunch, and the portions were large — two people couldn't finish it.

In the evening, we went to Zhongyi Night Market and bought Ji Xiang grilled milk fan (烤乳扇, 10 yuan) and grilled rice cake (烤饵块, 8 yuan). I'd had hard milk fan before in Dali, but this time it changed my impression — eaten hot, it was especially fragrant. The grilled rice cake had a soft, chewy outer layer and perfectly balanced filling — it became my "white moonlight" (a term for something unforgettable)!

But Lijiang Ancient Town itself was disappointing. Walking from south to north, it was all identical costume rental shops, rose tea stores, and ear-splitting bar street — more like nightclub street than actual bars. By the time we reached the north end, we were exhausted and took a taxi back to the guesthouse.

Day's Expenses: - Guangzhou to Lijiang flight: 590 yuan - Accommodation (June 30 - July 3): 315 yuan - Transportation: 110.2 yuan - Food: 262.85 yuan - Postcards: 15.69 yuan

July 1st: Slow Time in Baisha Ancient Town

Sleeping In Blissfully

After the early wake-up and long walk the day before, I slept until after 10 AM. I did a full makeup look and headed to Baisha Ancient Town.

Food and Curiosity

The first meal amazed us — at Naxi Specialty Clay Pot Restaurant, the clay pot dishes and butter tea (酥油茶) for two came to just over 50 yuan! The stir-fried rice noodles were also delicious.

Local milk teas like Naxi Princess Milk Tea and Xiangbala were tasty, though hard to distinguish from霸王茶姬 (a popular chain). The most curious item was the "seeing-handle green" coffee (见手青咖啡) — purely out of curiosity, hoping to take a photo with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background, but unfortunately the mountain was covered by clouds that day. The coffee tasted medicinal, but worth trying.

A Story-Filled Black Wood Cafe

We visited a cafe called "Black Wood House." Ouyang ordered rose vinegar. On the second floor, there was an ugly dog that looked just like actor Sun Honglei — it startled me. But we stayed there for a long time — reading letters from strangers, then writing our own, drawing cute pictures on them. This "slow down" feeling is exactly what travel should be.

Evening Tipsiness

Baisha Ancient Town was very pleasant in the evening. We went to "Flower God Bar" — quiet and atmospheric, much better than Lijiang Ancient Town. I ordered fruit ice red wine, which tasted like juice, low in alcohol. If you want to get tipsy, I recommend the small bars in Shuhe or Baisha.

Day's Expenses: - Food: 186 yuan - Transportation: 10.24 yuan - Jade Dragon Snow Mountain direct bus ticket: 60 yuan - Postcards: 11.24 yuan - Milk tea: 16.73 yuan

July 2nd: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain — An "Ice and Fire" Experience

A Rough Start

Woke up at 5 AM, shared car pickup at 5:20, but didn't leave until 5:40. Didn't sleep well last night, plus it was raining, my shoes got wet — mood was terrible.

The Glacier Park cable car ticket was for 7:30-7:59, Yunshanping (Spruce Meadow) for 13:30-13:59. It was raining, so no "golden mountain" sunrise view. After getting off the cable car, the rain was still heavy. I wore a base layer + down vest + windbreaker — enough when it wasn't raining, but once the rain soaked my shoes, my feet felt like they were in ice water. Tip: on rainy days, put plastic bags over your socks — safer than shoe covers.

Blue Moon Valley and Yunshanping

Going down to Blue Moon Valley (蓝月谷), having seen Jiuzhaigou before, this felt a bit artificial. I took a couple of photos and took the bus to the visitor center. At Tims Coffee, I ate the bagel bread I bought yesterday, and touched up my makeup in the restroom — the signs were confusing, and many people went into the wrong one.

In the afternoon, we went to Yunshanping. The weather improved, and the alpine meadow scenery was absolutely beautiful — highly recommended!

Dinner Alone

Around 5 PM, we returned to the hotel. Ouyang was tired and wanted to rest, so I went out to eat alone. Had mushroom soup rice noodles — the broth was delicious. Then I wandered through Shuhe Ancient Town, tried flower cakes (鲜花饼) and water-crisp pastries, bought cheap bread and a trendy cinnamon roll. Tried grilled rice cake again, but it wasn't as good as my "white moonlight" — the outer layer was crispy, and the filling didn't blend well.

In the evening, I had warm brown sugar ginger tea — so comforting.

Day's Expenses: - Yunshanping cable car: 40 yuan - Glacier Park cable car: 140 yuan - Mountain entry fee: 50 yuan - Food: about 100 yuan - Transportation: 20 yuan

July 3rd: From Tiger Leaping Gorge to Shangri-La

The Thrill of Tiger Leaping Gorge

From Lijiang to Shangri-La, we took the "Lijiang → Tiger Leaping Gorge → Shangri-La" route. Ouyang found a bus on Xiaohongshu. First to the visitor center, then switched to a small car to the base of Halfway Mountain, then another car to Halfway. Tip: sit on the right side of the bus for better views.

The driver strongly suggested we do a short hike. Common route: Halfway → Longdong Waterfall (1 hour) → Zhang's Teacher Inn (0.5 hours). The Longdong Waterfall section was easy to walk; the Zhang's Teacher Inn side was more treacherous. We had to meet back at 2 PM, so we walked from Halfway toward Longdong for 40 minutes one way, then turned back. Along the way, we could take photos, admire the steep mountains, rushing water, and listen to horses and sheep calling.

On the way back, time was tight, but the driver was an expert — navigating the winding mountain roads, he still got us to Zhang's Teacher Inn on time. His car playlist was awesome — perfectly matched with the scenery and the ride.

First Taste of Shangri-La

After over two hours by car, we arrived at Dukezong Ancient Town in Shangri-La. Our hotel, "Yimu Hotel," might have been a former guesthouse. The room was spacious, with underfloor heating, clean, and had the style of an old state-owned enterprise — reassuring. I recommend it.

In the evening, we ate at "Tibetan Home Ecological Yak Feast." The soup was especially good, the sliced yak meat was tender, but the chunk-style yak meat was too tough to chew. The milk residue egg pancake (奶渣蛋饼) was novel, and the highland barley cake (青稞饼) was tasty. But at 229 yuan, it was a bit pricey. I'd recommend 3-4 people ordering dishes, averaging about 100 yuan per person. Note: tissues cost extra!

Day's Expenses: - Accommodation (July 3-7): 412.16 yuan - Transportation: 393.1 yuan - Food: 229 yuan - Postcards: 11.92 yuan

July 4th: Costume Photos and Thangka Painting

Makeup and Shooting

Given the intensity of the previous two days, today was more relaxed — costume photos. We found "Shanxun Photography Studio." The photographer had creative ideas, knew how to guide us, and even took film and Polaroid shots for us. The stylist had great taste and put together beautiful outfits. We got compliments on the street — "Your makeup and outfit look amazing!" — very satisfying.

Food and Foot Bath

For lunch, we had yak meat buns (牦牛肉包子) and rice butter tea (米布茶). The rice butter tea was delicious — recommended without sugar. The yak meat buns were 6 yuan each, average.

In the evening, we went to "Gelaxia Restaurant" recommended by the photographer. We ordered fried milk residue (煎奶渣), highland barley stir-fried beef, greens, and yak meat soup dumplings. The owner worried we wouldn't like the fried milk residue, so they also gave us highland barley cake to eat with it. The stir-fried beef and greens were especially good — I recommend this place.

At night, we went to "Foot Language" for a foot soak and hair wash. The hair wash was very thorough — after blow-drying, they used hair oil, and my hair had never been so smooth. Just a hair wash was 15 yuan — recommended.

Thangka Painting: An Unexpected Treasure

The intangible cultural heritage experience center starts its last session at 9 PM. The volunteer, Gen Ga, was humorous and engaging, explaining Tibetan living rooms and thangka knowledge. We chose the free thangka option. He suggested we not look up the meanings beforehand, but follow our hearts in selecting patterns. I chose a mandala, symbolizing the universe and order — fitting with my name. After coloring, we had it laminated (10 yuan). The whole process was very calming.

Day's Expenses: - Costume photo deposit + final payment: 598 yuan - Food: about 200 yuan - Foot bath + hair wash: 50 yuan - Thangka lamination: 9.07 yuan

July 5th: Wudi Lake — A Hidden Mountain Gem

The Bumpy Ride

We set off at 8 AM in a shared car, me in the front passenger seat. The road to Wudi Lake was terrible — the driver had to stop frequently to move large rocks and check for falling rocks from the cliffs above. I strongly recommend shared car or private car — do NOT drive yourself. The drive took 4 hours; we arrived at the visitor center around noon.

The Alpine Meadow's Impact

Wudi Lake's scenery was stunning! Alpine meadow, very few people — highly recommended! We had to gather at 2:40 PM, plenty of time.

A Delicious Dinner

The return trip took another 4 hours; we arrived back in the ancient town at 6 PM. We went to "Duke Tibetan Restaurant" for yak meat pizza — we asked the table behind us about it, and they generously gave us a slice. It was really good! We also ordered dry-pot lamb chops and stir-fried lettuce. Checking in and saving the restaurant on social media earned us free yak yogurt. One piece of the dry-pot lamb chops was cold, so the restaurant remade the whole dish as requested, making it leaner. The potatoes were especially delicious!

Day's Expenses: - Wudi Lake round-trip transport: 220 yuan - Shoe covers: 40 yuan - Food: 145 yuan

July 6th: Quiet Time at the Printing Institute

The Thin Bean Flour Rice Noodle Lesson

In the morning, I ordered thin bean flour rice noodles (稀豆粉饵丝) for delivery. By the time they arrived, they were completely clumped — strongly avoid ordering noodles with long delivery times. Then I ordered Yinlechui's iced sweet fermented milk drink (冰酥酪) — we shared one cup, and it was so good!

An Unexpected Experience at the Printing Institute

Ouyang suggested going to the Printing Institute (印经院). It was a 40-minute drive, near Potatso National Park. It was very quiet there, almost no tourists. Seeing us wandering around in the heavy rain, the staff invited us inside to warm up by the fire. After a group of children arrived, we got to experience making butter tea and block printing — very interesting.

Day's Expenses: - Thin bean flour rice noodles: 21.8 yuan - Iced sweet fermented milk drink: 13 yuan - Taxi: 40 yuan - Dinner: 139 yuan - Lijiang to Guangzhou flight: 910 yuan

Epilogue: After the Journey

This graduation trip had no perfect plan, but it delivered unexpected surprises. From Lijiang's coolness to Shangri-La's tranquility, from Tiger Leaping Gorge's ruggedness to Wudi Lake's purity — every scene is etched in memory.

A Few Practical Tips: 1. Accommodation: Those with sensitive skin should avoid low-end airport hotels 2. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: On rainy days, put plastic bags over your socks — safer than shoe covers 3. Tiger Leaping Gorge: Sit on the right side of the bus for better views 4. Shangri-La: Find a costume photo studio on Xiaohongshu that matches your preferred style 5. Wudi Lake: Must take a shared car or private car — don't drive yourself 6. Printing Institute: Worth experiencing, but be aware of the travel time

A graduation trip isn't just about seeing sights — it's about exploring the unknown with your best friend, growing through the unexpected. This journey was worth it.