The Call of Colorful Yunnan: An 11-Day Heartfelt Journey – From Beijing Through the Dreamlike Corridor of Northwest Yunnan

Setting Off: A Heart Ready to Go Anywhere

The rapeseed flowers of Wuyuan had just finished their April bloom when my restless heart began stirring again. I had originally planned to quit my job and travel the Yunnan-Tibet route, but work obligations held me back. Fortunately, by combining annual leave with weekends, I managed to piece together 11 days – just enough time to set foot on this land "south of the colorful clouds."

One backpack, one DSLR camera, and a heart ready to go anywhere – that was all I carried when I set off. On May 18, 2013, as the plane pierced through Beijing's smog and soared into the sky, I knew a journey of encounters and discoveries had truly begun.

Over these 11 days, I passed through Kunming, Dali, Shuanglang, Shuhe, Lijiang, Lugu Lake, and Shangri-La... I only glimpsed a fraction of Yunnan's beauty. The places I didn't reach will have to wait for a real Yunnan-Tibet trip next time.

Pre-Trip Preparation: Making the Journey Smoother

Itinerary Planning

Time: May 18–28, 2013 – 11 days total
Route: Beijing → Kunming → Dali → Shuanglang → Shuhe → Lijiang → Lugu Lake → Shangri-La → Kunming → Beijing

May in Yunnan should be a season of brilliant flower fields, but a few rains before departure made the blossoms a bit shy. If you can adjust your timing, I recommend leaving two weeks later – the scenery will be even more breathtaking.

Before leaving, I scoured every travel website for guides and downloaded electronic travel guides for all destinations from Mafengwo – covering food, accommodation, transport, and attractions. I also printed out a self-made itinerary to flip through anytime.

Transport Tips

• Beijing ↔ Kunming: Round-trip flights. Book 1–2 months in advance if possible. I only booked 20 days ahead and ended up paying about ¥600 more. Ouch.
• Kunming → Dali: Sleeper train, about ¥100, 7-hour ride. Plenty of departures – booking 10 days ahead is fine.
• Shangri-La → Kunming: Flight, about ¥350 if booked a month in advance. This saves the hassle of transferring through Lijiang.
• Other segments: Bus or private car – details will be covered in the itinerary.

Accommodation Advice

Book unique guesthouses well in advance! For example, I had to reserve a bed in a shared dorm at Shuanglang's Haidi Life (Seaside Life) over a month ahead. I recommend international youth hostels – good environment, with prices ranging from ¥30–40 for a bunk bed to ¥100–200 for a private room.

My strategy: I only pre-booked two nights in Shuanglang and two in Shuhe. For the rest, I found accommodation on arrival, and there were always rooms available. I suggest using mobile banking to book on the go – don't lock yourself into a rigid schedule.

Food and Clothing

Everywhere in Yunnan, you'll find "baba" (flatbread) – Dali baba, Xizhou baba, Lijiang baba... The names may sound rustic, but the flavors are fantastic. At each stop, make sure to try the local specialty snacks.

Clothing checklist: - Windproof jacket (essential for sun protection – UV is extremely intense) - Fleece jacket (only needed for snowy mountains – I didn't end up using mine) - 2 quick-dry shirts, 2 polo shirts, 1 pair of quick-dry pants, 3 other long pants - 3 bandanas, 1 baseball cap - Women: long dresses are a must! They pair perfectly with Yunnan's scenery for stunning photos - Shawls and scarves – buy them in Dali or Lijiang; they're both beautiful and meaningful souvenirs

Other essentials: - 60L backpack (recommended if hiking; a suitcase works if not) - Canon 550D + 18-135mm lens - Tripod + wireless shutter release (perfect for selfies) - Toiletries (most guesthouses don't provide them) - Sunscreen (SPF 100 recommended) - Headlamp, first-aid kit (Rhodiola rosea for altitude sickness, motion sickness pills a must) - All chargers

Important Notes

Yunnan is home to many ethnic groups – on this trip, I encountered Bai, Naxi, Mosuo, Yi, and Tibetan people. Please respect local customs. Interestingly, each ethnic group has different terms for men and women – I'll explain these as we go.

Travel attitude: Every scenic spot we visit is someone else's home. Not disturbing or damaging is the most basic courtesy. Are you willing to be a traveler full of goodwill?

DAY 1: Beijing → Kunming | First Encounter with the Spring City

I was packing until 1 a.m. the night before, with a 6:50 a.m. flight booked, so I decided not to sleep. I had a cup of coffee, brewed a pot of green tea, and flipped through my travel guides until 3 a.m. Then I showered, changed clothes, shouldered my backpack, and headed out – the pre-booked taxi was already waiting at the neighborhood gate.

The early morning streets of Beijing were clear, and we reached the airport quickly. China Eastern's flight was delayed by half an hour, taking off around 7:30 a.m. I chose a window seat (I recommend picking one away from the wing), watching the blue sky, white clouds, and mountain ranges flow beneath me.

At 10:40 a.m., I arrived at Kunming Changshui Airport. From here, you have two options:

1. Go directly to Dali: Take a bus, 4-hour ride
2. Explore Kunming first: Buy a sleeper train ticket for 22:55–5:59 (about ¥100), sleep through the night, and arrive in Dali in the morning – plus you get 12 hours to play in Kunming

I chose the second option. I took the airport shuttle bus (Airport Express Line 2) to the train station (¥25), stored my luggage (¥5 per bag). A friend of my travel companion, who lives in Kunming, picked us up and took us to a Dai-style restaurant – if your itinerary doesn't include Xishuangbanna, make sure to try Dai cuisine in Kunming. The dish names are strange, but the flavors are amazing.

In the afternoon, we went to Dianchi Lake Haigeng Park (¥10 entrance fee). Across from the park is Xishan (Western Hills), with a cable car going up to the lake. Exiting from the other side of the park, we reached the free Haigeng Dam. According to the guides, this season should have flocks of seagulls, but when we arrived, the dam was calm, with only the deep blue sky and clusters of white clouds.

At the end of the dam, we took bus 183 or 171, then transferred to get to Jinmafang Station. The Jinma Bijie Archways are symbols of Kunming, consisting of the Golden Horse Archway and the Green Rooster Archway. After taking photos, I opened Dianping (China's Yelp) right between the archways and found "Qiaoxiangyuan" (Bridge Fragrance Garden) – a famous cross-bridge rice noodle restaurant less than 50 meters away. We ordered a few set meals, which filled the table, and they tasted great.

After dinner, we strolled along Nanping Pedestrian Street and stocked up on water and snacks at a supermarket. In the evening, we took bus K12 or 107 back to the train station (¥2 fare), retrieved our luggage, and boarded. The train was delayed another half hour, finally leaving Kunming around 11:30 p.m. Since I hadn't slept the night before, I collapsed into bed as soon as I got on.

DAY 2: Dali → Xizhou → Shuanglang | The Beginning of Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon

Around 5 a.m., the train attendant tapped me awake to exchange tickets, so I got up and washed up. At 6:30 a.m., the train arrived at Dali Station. Outside, I took bus 8 straight to Dali Ancient Town (30-minute ride). On the left was Cangshan Mountain, on the right was Erhai Lake, with the morning sun accompanying us and mist swirling around the mountain peaks – it was like a painting.

I got off at Cangshan Gate and started taking photos. The ancient town at 7 a.m. was very quiet, with no shops open yet. At the intersection of Yuer Road and Bo'ai Road on the north side, I found "Suxiangyuan" (Fragrant Garden) and ordered cold chicken rice noodles (liangji mixian) – incredibly delicious! The beef rice noodles and lamb rice cakes (yang'er) at the neighboring Muslim restaurant were also good.

Around 9 a.m., tour groups poured in, and the ancient town suddenly came alive. I walked along the pedestrian street to the South Gate, just in time to catch the opening ceremony of "Love Travel, Love Life" – the May 19 Tourism Day event. There was a post office on the pedestrian street where you could send postcards.

On the way to Xizhou, I met a driver who was picking someone up. He offered a shared ride for ¥10 per person and even agreed to stop at the Three Pagodas of Dali for photos. The pagoda scenic area costs over ¥100 to enter, but you can get great photos from outside.

The driver told us that in Dali, the Bai people call men "Apeng Ge" (Brother A Peng) and women "Jinhua" (Golden Flower). Xizhou Ancient Town is free to enter, but the "Xiyun Ju" (Xiyun Residence) costs ¥60 (the driver helped us get tickets for ¥30). Inside, a guide explained Bai culture, we watched a performance, and tasted the Bai people's signature "Three-Course Tea": first bitter, second sweet, third reflective.

The most interesting part was the "Pinch the Bride" custom – the harder you pinch, the deeper the blessing. During the performance, the groom carried the bride down for the audience to try, but make sure you don't actually make the young woman cry.

For lunch, we ate at "Sifang Street Food Shop" on Sifang Street. The owner was friendly – no menu, just look at the ingredients and order. Their homemade braised meat was especially good.

After lunch, we flagged down a minibus from Xiaguan to Shuanglang (about ¥15). As soon as we arrived in Shuanglang, it felt like walking into a construction site – guesthouses were being built everywhere, and the overdevelopment was heartbreaking. Fortunately, the Erhai lakeshore remained untouched, and the scenery was still beautiful.

We checked into Haidi Life International Youth Hostel (I had booked a bed in an 8-person mixed-gender dorm with a lake view over a month in advance). The hostel has a few tables and chairs in front that have become very popular online – many people come just to take photos there. After dropping off our luggage, we walked along Erhai Lake to Yuji Island – Yang Liping's (famous Chinese dancer) villa is on the island. The island was also under construction, with new guesthouses being built. They charged a ¥10 entrance fee, but we pretended we were looking for accommodation to sneak in.

For dinner, we had Bai-style dishes at the hostel's restaurant, chatted for a while, then went back to the room to shower, do laundry, and sleep. It had been a long day covering a lot of ground, and I was tired.

DAY 3: Shuanglang | Cycling Around Erhai Lake, Encountering the Most Beautiful Moments

Since Erhai Lake was so stunning, we decided to stay an extra day in Shuanglang. Today was mainly about cycling around the lake.

For breakfast, we had the set meal at Haidi Life (¥8): white rice porridge and egg pancakes. Then we moved to Guanyuan Guesthouse on Yuji Island (right next to the Yuji Island ticket booth) – the room decor and the view from the window were both excellent. I rented a bicycle (the hostel charged ¥30/day, but I found one at "Xiaoyu Bike Rental" for ¥15/day, and the owner didn't even ask for a deposit).

Sun protection warning: The sunlight is incredibly intense. Wear long sleeves, apply sunscreen, and wear a sun hat! I didn't protect myself properly, and my skin peeled from my face to my arms.

From Shuanglang to Wase Town, it was a 40-kilometer round trip, and we cycled for seven hours. The scenery along the way was so beautiful that I couldn't stop – there's a dedicated cycling path along the edge of the road. There was only one uphill section; the rest was flat.

At noon, we reached Wase Town's market, where many locals were shopping. We had lunch at the first restaurant in the market – many cyclists were eating there, and the food was good. After lunch, we went to the observation deck by the market for photos – the view was also beautiful.

Continuing south, we saw a small island in Erhai Lake – Xiaoputuo. Before noon, the barbecue stalls there were very cheap, and the entire island was basically one big barbecue stand. We took a boat to the island (bargained with the boatman down to ¥5 per person) and circled around.

We started heading back at 2 p.m. Passing by an abandoned water station, I suggested stopping for photos (be careful – the water is deep). We returned to Yuji Island at 5 p.m., returned the bikes, and went to Qinglang Coffee Shop. Sitting in a rattan chair by the lake, sipping a cappuccino with a gentle breeze on my face – perfect.

Today was May 20. At 8 p.m., we went to the Tang Dynasty Bar, ordered half a dozen beers and a cocktail. The bar had an amusing sign: "Please take good care of your flirtatious glances and charm." The crowd grew, and the atmosphere got livelier. We stayed until 11 p.m. before heading back to the guesthouse.

DAY 4: Shuanglang → Shuhe | A Migration from the Lake to an Ancient Town

At 8 a.m., we had arranged a private car to Lijiang with five other people. But one person showed up over 40 minutes late without any remorse – frustrating.

The drive from Shuanglang to Lijiang took over three hours. Since cars from Shuanglang can't operate across city lines, we switched to a Lijiang vehicle near Lijiang Airport (¥80 per person – ¥400 went to the Shuanglang driver, and ¥80 to the Lijiang driver). Once we reached Lijiang city, we chose Shuhe Ancient Town – quieter than Dayan Old Town and better for just relaxing and daydreaming.

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Final Thoughts: The Meaning of Travel

Over these 11 days, I met different people, heard different stories, and saw different landscapes. From Kunming's Dianchi Lake to Dali's Cangshan and Erhai, from cycling in Shuanglang to the lazy pace of Shuhe – every step brought me closer to my true self.

Travel doesn't depend on great transportation – it depends on a great travel attitude. Every place we visit is someone else's home. Not disturbing, not destroying, being a traveler full of goodwill – that's the best gift I can give to this land.

Yunnan's beauty goes far beyond these 11 days. The unfinished journey will have to wait for next time. Pack your backpack, grab your camera, and go wherever your heart takes you – are you ready?