Lijiang and Dali Girls' Trip: A Five-Day, Four-Night "Romance" Adventure

"Never stop being crazy, keep moving forward."
This sentence became our travel mantra.

As the countdown to the college entrance exam ticked down day by day, my best friend Shirley and I had been buried in a mountain of textbooks and practice tests for an entire month. So we made an incredibly smart decision—we booked our flights and hotel a full month in advance. As it turned out, this move saved us nearly 500 yuan and planted the seeds of surprise for our graduation trip.

Meet the Crew: Two "Wild" Girls on the Road

Let me introduce our two leading ladies—
Yan Yan (the one on the left, yes, that's me)
Shirley (the one on the right, my best friend)

The stress and anxiety before the exams made us crave a spontaneous getaway more than ever. And Lijiang and Dali were our chosen "stress-relief paradise."

Day 1: We Set Off at 3 AM

The alarm went off at 3 AM. Honestly, waking up at that hour was pure torture. But knowing our flight was at 6:30 AM, knowing Lijiang was waiting for us—the excitement hit us like a shot of adrenaline, and we were instantly wide awake.

Capital Airlines' seats were narrower than expected, and the in-flight meal (a bun stuffed with egg and ham) barely earned two stars. But during the three-hour flight, we chatted, watched the clouds shift colors outside the window, and felt like we were floating on air.

First Glimpse of Lijiang Old Town: The Surprise of Donghe Inn

From the airport to Lijiang Old Town, we booked a shared ride on Ctrip—about a 35-minute drive. Our hotel was called Donghe Inn, tucked inside the old town, where we stayed for three nights.

The moment we walked into the inn, I was drawn to the massive courtyard. It was big enough to hold several tea tables, perfect for a group of friends to sit around, drink tea, chat, or enjoy some drinks. Even better, passing tourists would constantly stop to take photos of the courtyard. The inn's mascot—a dog named "Goudan" (Dog Egg)—was so sweet and well-behaved that we wanted to take him home.

First Real Meal: The Taste of Ama Yi

After resting at the inn, we found a restaurant called Ama Yi (a minority ethnic restaurant), recommended by a tea girl named Xiaoman (more on her later). The owner told us that "Ama Yi" was the name of an elderly woman from their ethnic group who brought good fortune. The food was incredibly flavorful—the two of us somehow managed to devour three bowls of rice.

Wandering Through the Old Town: The Legend of Romance in the Alleys

After eating, we aimlessly explored the old town. The alleys were like a labyrinth, but luckily neither of us has a bad sense of direction—after walking through them twice, we had memorized the crisscrossing paths.

Sifang Street (Square Street) is the "heart" of the old town and also a legendary spot for "romantic encounters." The street is lined with bars, the most famous being "One Meter of Sunshine." As we passed by, we heard guitar strumming and singing from inside, secretly hoping for something exciting.

There were also plenty of local women offering to braid hair—20 yuan per person, negotiable. We both got our hair braided into little plaits, and walking around, we felt like ethnic minority girls.

We also went to send postcards. At the old town post office, we each wrote a letter to our future selves, to be delivered six months later. I wonder what we'll be thinking when we receive them.

Tea Room Encounter: Xiaoman and Boss Bai

In the afternoon, we rested at the inn. The inn's hostess said we could have free tea, so we headed to the tea room. The hostess, Xiaoman, was only a few months older than us but was already working. She had studied tea ceremony, and her movements were as graceful as a dance.

Also in the tea room were a man named Boss Bai and the inn's owner. We talked about Guangzhou, Fujian, Lijiang—everything. Xiaoman mentioned that her male best friend was coming to Lijiang to see her and asked us to "look after" him. That friend was named Zhou Wei, a super-nerd, who later became our "temporary travel buddy."

Dinner was a chicken hotpot, courtesy of Boss Bai. We only remembered to take a photo halfway through, but by then, the pot was just broth—all the chicken had disappeared into our stomachs.

Yard Werewolf Game: The Xi'an Brothers Join In

That evening, Xiaoman, Zhou Wei, Boss Bai, and I agreed to meet in the yard for drinks. Halfway through, Xiaoman called over a group of guys who were passing by. They were also guests at the inn, just like us—fresh out of the college entrance exam. It was a group of brothers from Xi'an, about ten of them.

And so, a spontaneous game of Werewolf began in the yard. We became friends with these Xi'an guys and later hung out with them again in Dali. Although they had a bit of an internal squabble later (drama, haha), a few of them actually came to visit us in Guangzhou a few days ago.

Day 2: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Falls Through, But Surprises Await

We had originally planned to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on the second day. But the Xi'an brothers had gone the day before and said it wasn't great—some roads were closed, and you couldn't reach the summit. Plus, we'd been drinking until 3 AM the night before and were completely exhausted. So we decisively canceled the plan.

Inn Breakfast and Card Games

We had breakfast at the inn in the morning. The egg pancake was amazing—I ate three of them. Afterward, we played cards in the yard with two of the Xi'an guys, Dang Ge and Long Ge, while Goudan lay nearby, occasionally looking up at us.

By noon, the Xi'an friends were heading off to Dali. So Shirley, Xiaoman's male best friend Zhou Wei, and I became a "trio."

Preserved Pork Ribs and the Legend Bar

Around 4 PM, we started wandering the old town again. Xiaoman recommended a preserved pork rib restaurant—the three of us ordered a pot and ate until we were sweating.

Where to go at night? Zhou Wei asked his inn's owner, who recommended Legend Bar for live music and drinks. This bar wasn't like the overly commercialized places on Sifang Street. The songs they played weren't the typical trendy folk tunes but original music with its own style.

We didn't know the way, so we first went to Zhou Wei's inn to chat with the owner. There, I had my first sip of Erguotou (a strong Chinese liquor)—it was so spicy it made me cough, but I felt incredibly cool.

Day 3: From Lijiang to Dali, My First Time on a Scooter

On the third morning, we strolled through the old town one last time, buying some local specialties: flower cakes (鲜花饼), flower jelly (鲜花果冻), and various handicrafts.

In the afternoon, we took a bus to Dali. We bought the tickets on Ctrip, and the Xi'an friends had booked a hotel for us a day in advance. Because of ongoing sewage treatment work around Erhai Lake, there were very few hotels left by the lakeside, so early booking was essential. We stayed at Liyang Banyue Dao (Pear Blossom Half Moon Island).

At the drop-off point, the hotel sent a car to pick us up. After dropping off our luggage, we followed the Xi'an guys to rent "little sheep" (electric scooters). The hotel had rentals right downstairs—very convenient.

My First Scooter Ride and the Embarrassing Dead Battery

This was my first time riding an electric scooter. The moment I started moving, the scooter felt incredibly unstable, so I didn't dare stop or brake—I just sped ahead. Shirley sat behind me, holding on tight and laughing hysterically.

After riding for a while, we decided to go for an evening cruise. I ended up riding with "Gouzei" (Dog Thief, a nickname for one of the Xi'an guys). And then disaster struck—the scooter ran out of battery halfway. We had to pedal the thing all the way back to the hotel, cursing the whole time.

Back at the hotel, we started drinking "Feng Hua Xue Yue" (Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon—a local Dali beer). We played cards, and the loser had to take on a dare. The dares kept escalating, from version 1.0 all the way to 30.0—dancing, moving furniture, and… (I'll spare you the details, you get the idea).

Day 4: Lazy Time by Erhai Lake

On the fourth day, we slept until noon. Then we switched hotels—this time to Dali Longwan (Dali Dragon Bay), which had a great view overlooking the entire Erhai Lake.

At noon, we took a Didi (ride-hailing) to Dali Old Town, about a 30-minute drive. But after wandering around, we felt it didn't have the same charm as Lijiang Old Town, so we headed back to the hotel early. On the way back, we spotted a movie theater and spontaneously decided to watch Alien: Covenant—watching a movie during a trip felt a bit "irresponsible," but it was incredibly satisfying.

After the movie, we grabbed dinner and late-night snacks at a nearby barbecue stall. Grilled skewers with beer—that's the taste of travel.

Back at the hotel, we held a "farewell ceremony"—finishing off the entire case of Feng Hua Xue Yue that the Xi'an guys had bought. They had an early morning flight back to Xi'an the next day, while we had an afternoon flight back to Guangzhou.

Day 5: The Final Breakfast and Goodbye

Shirley and I discussed it—over the entire trip, we'd only had breakfast once in Lijiang, which was unacceptable. So on the last day, we decided to have breakfast too. We'd called the hotel front desk the night before to ask about breakfast hours and set our alarms.

Breakfast was plentiful: rice noodles, eggs, fruit. We ate slowly, not wanting the trip to end.

In the afternoon, we flew back to Guangzhou, with a layover in Kunming that was delayed by an hour. Luckily, it wasn't too long.

Final Thoughts: Grateful for the Encounters

Well, that's the end of my graduation trip with Shirley.
Five days, four nights—from Lijiang to Dali, from the old town to Erhai Lake, from strangers to friends.
We met Xiaoman, Zhou Wei, Boss Bai, the Xi'an brothers, and a dog named Goudan.
We drank, played Werewolf, rode scooters, watched a movie, and ate barbecue.
We laughed, we goofed around, and we got tired.

I'm grateful to have met you all.
Looking forward to the next time.

— Yan Yan's overdue travel diary

Travel Tips (Practical Summary)

1. Flights and Hotels: Book a month in advance to save a significant amount of money. Especially hotels near Erhai Lake—book early, as the sewage treatment project has made rooms scarce.
2. Getting Lost in the Old Town: Don't worry—walk through the alleys a few times, and you'll remember them. Lijiang Old Town's narrow lanes are full of character.
3. Hair Braiding: 20 yuan per person, negotiable. Totally worth trying for the photos.
4. Choosing a Bar: Bars on Sifang Street are quite commercialized. I recommend Legend Bar for its original live music.
5. Scooters: Check the battery level before renting—otherwise, you'll be stuck pedaling a dead scooter halfway.
6. Dali Old Town: If you're short on time, you can skip it. Lijiang Old Town has more charm.
7. Souvenirs: Flower cakes and flower jelly are must-buys—great gifts for friends back home.

One last thing: Never stop being crazy, keep moving forward.