Yunnan | Placing Them Afar: Listening to Her Sing, Holding an Umbrella for Him (Dali & Meili Snow Mountain)

Before Departure: A Promise About "Distance"

On January 31, 2016, I made a promise to myself: from February 13 to 21, I would go to Yunnan. Not Lijiang, not Dali — but Nujiang. But plans, as always, are subject to change. Nujiang was too far, so far that it felt intimidating. So I compromised and turned my gaze toward Meili Snow Mountain instead. To hold the line of "not going to Lijiang," I bypassed that ancient city celebrated by countless travelers and chose a wilder path.

Before setting out, I read a poem that said: "Love is a method, and the method is to pause. Place her in the distance, and enjoy a moment of emptiness." I thought, perhaps this is the meaning of travel — leaving trivialities and anxieties behind, throwing yourself into the unfamiliar and the vast. As for the title of this travelogue, it's a reading comprehension question — the answer will be revealed at the end.

Itinerary Overview: Exhausting, But Worth It

Nine days, half of them spent on the road. Airplanes, hard-sleeper trains, overnight sleeper buses, taxis, tuk-tuks, electric scooters — I experienced almost every mode of transport you can name. The result? Altitude sickness, vomiting and diarrhea, pharyngitis — I came home and was sick for a week. I thought I'd earn some bragging rights, but in the end, I realized it wasn't about how impressive the destinations were, but how fragile our bodies are.

Quick Itinerary: - DAY 1: Tianjin → Guiyang (flight) → Kunming (hard-sleeper train) - DAY 2: Kunming → Dali (hard-sleeper train) - DAY 3: Dali: Cycling around Erhai Lake, staying in Caicun Village - DAY 4: Dali: Xizhou, Caicun Village, staying in the ancient town - DAY 5: Dali → Deqin (overnight sleeper bus) - DAY 6: Deqin: Feilai Temple, Wunongding, staying in Deqin - DAY 7: Deqin → Shangri-La → Kunming (bus + flight), staying in Kunming - DAY 8: Kunming → Guiyang → Tianjin/Guangzhou

Important Note: If you don't want to go through the same hassle as me, fly directly to Dali or Kunming. Trust me on this.

Part One: Beneath Cangshan Mountain — Wind and Poetry by Erhai Lake

Kunming: Seagulls and a Fake Uniform

At 5:30 AM, the train arrived in Kunming. First thing: find a hotel to shower. After a few dead ends, we settled for a place near the train station — the water wasn't very hot, which probably set the stage for my later illness. After a bowl of rice noodles (mixian), we headed straight to Haigeng Park to see the black-headed gulls.

Every year from November to April, these little creatures migrate from Lake Baikal to Dianchi Lake for the winter. To pull off a "seagull girl photoshoot," I defied my mom's objections and brought a fake school uniform. As a result, I became the most underdressed girl within miles of Haigeng Dam. Photographer Brother Zhage (a nickname for my travel companion) kept complaining about my "sturdy limbs" and "round face" while shooting. I swear: next time I appear in a travelogue, I'll be down to 90 pounds! If I can't make it, I'll come back and delete this sentence (smile).

Dali: Waiting for a Room, Electric Scooters, and "The Little Mermaid"

Arriving in Dali at just past 5 AM again. Took a taxi to Caicun Village — cost 70 yuan. The village was pitch black, with dogs barking everywhere. When we found the hotel, the doors weren't open yet. We waited for a room until 11 AM, and I decided to get a haircut at the village barbershop. Price: 20 yuan? Ridiculously expensive, but I had no choice. After the wash, I felt revived.

We rented an electric scooter that claimed it could "circle Erhai Lake" and finally set off at noon. The lake water was crystal clear, and along the lakeside road, signs read: "Clear Erhai, Prosperous Dali." The wind was fierce — strong enough to blow any trash out of your hand into the water. So please, hold onto your garbage.

By a big roadside tree, I posed in a dress while tourists in the distance raised their phones to snap photos. Two trees that looked like they were high-fiving I photoshopped into Angry Birds. By the lake, a father and daughter were flying a kite — the wind was so strong it took off with barely a toss. During the day, you could still see the moon, a crescent shape, impossible to tell which way it faced.

We rode to Shuanglang and hit traffic. The electric scooter was a lifesaver — weaving through gaps like a needle. A大叔 (middle-aged man) by the roadside was singing "South of the South Mountain" (Nanshan Nan), which was the background music for my first featured travelogue — back then, the song wasn't popular, but now everyone knows it.

Shuanglang is full of narrow alleys that end at the lake. But every single one is a dead end — don't ride in, or you'll regret trying to turn around. At the Haidi Life guesthouse, people lined up for the classic "scissors-hand silhouette" photo on the white chairs. I refused to join in — just being stubborn.

From the observation deck overlooking Shuanglang, I spotted a familiar figure. Brother Zhage said, "Is that Wei Yishan?" I replied, "Looks like her, but not sure." Turned out it was. If you're reading this, ccpp (her nickname), come say hi.

We took photos on a big rock. Looking back at them, I said, "Doesn't this look like Denmark's Little Mermaid?" Brother Zhage replied, "You'd have to take off your clothes for that." So I gave him a "realistic" version — okay, I just struck a pose. Luckily, the waves on Erhai weren't big.

Night fell, and the scooter's battery was running low. We sped back to Caicun, pushing the scooter the last two kilometers. Returned it at 9 PM, hadn't eaten dinner, bought a fried potato, and went straight to the hotel.

Xizhou: Sidecar Scooter, Backlighting, and Late-Night Eats

The next day, we rented a pink sidecar scooter. One hundred percent head-turn rate — people rolled down their windows to ask, "Where did you rent that?" I wanted to stick a sign on it: "Stop asking — rented in Caicun, not easy to ride."

The sidecar was indeed hard to control; people with less upper body strength should be cautious. Turn slowly, brake gently, or the handlebars will veer off. But as long as the sun was out, any shot by Erhai Lake looked like a postcard.

First stop: Zhoucheng Village, a very rustic place. Elderly locals in traditional clothing sat by the roadside soaking up the sun. I felt shy about pointing my lens directly at them, so I only captured their silhouettes. From Zhoucheng to Haishe Park, we found a farmhouse restaurant at the entrance — cheap, delicious, and they let us park and charge the scooter for free.

Inside Haishe Park, I took "publicity shots" for two little plush toys. A tree standing in the water looked like a dolphin. Another famous tree, highly photogenic, resembled a fishing rod. I finally went into the water for a photo — the February water was bone-chillingly cold. While shooting, an uncle in the distance said, "I like that girl's red dress." I thought: Why doesn't anyone like the girl herself?

From Haishe, we rode to Xizhou Ancient Town. I'd tried fried milk fan (rushan) in Shuanglang and thought it was okay, so in Xizhou, I tried the grilled version with rose sugar — absolutely delicious. Back in Beijing, I even ordered the ingredients online to make it myself.

Xizhou was more fun than Shuanglang. Fewer guesthouses, fewer shops, but there were rice paddies perfect for photos. The legendary "most beautiful corner in Dali" appeared by accident. Sunlight fell on a grandmother and granddaughter, creating a heartwarming scene. Yellow walls plus the golden hour made everything look good. The bubble solution I'd bought earlier came in handy — under the sun, the bubbles turned rainbow-colored.

We also ran into a wedding photoshoot. The backlit shots were stunning — I finally got a set of backlit portraits, something I'd begged Brother Zhage for ages to capture.

Two shops in Xizhou caught my eye: Jiyisi Guesthouse and Mosang Restaurant. Mosang was closed (note: it's pronounced "mò sāng," not "dǎ yáng"), so we just took photos outside. Jiyisi Guesthouse was a converted old building with a rooftop terrace for views — I'd definitely stay there next time.

Dali Ancient Town: Three Pagodas, Reflections, and the Overnight Bus

On our last day in Dali, the goal was the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple and the ancient town. Lonely Planet said the overnight bus from Dali to Deqin departed at 4:30 PM, but when we got to the station, we found out it was 6:30 PM. Should've stayed in the ancient town longer.

Chongsheng Temple tickets cost 121 yuan, and we only spent half an hour there. The Three Pagodas Reflection Park required a combo ticket — still 121 yuan. Oh well, we were already here. The wind was so strong the water surface was in chaos — no reflections to be seen. None of the three pagodas were straight — I suspect the wind blew them crooked.

After shooting at Longkan Pier, we hurried back to the ancient town. Climbed the city wall, walked less than 500 meters, and found almost no one around. Set the camera on the ground for a group shot — it looked very "father-daughter" — Brother Zhage just looks a bit older than he is. Being old-looking isn't all bad; in twenty years, he'll just be even older.

Had cold chicken rice noodles (liangji mixian) in the ancient town — pretty good. Went back to the guesthouse to grab our luggage, took a photo of the resident dog Duole and the small courtyard. Took a taxi to the bus station, bought tickets from the self-service machine, and only then realized the departure time was 6:30 PM. Found an internet café nearby, but they needed a password to log in — my first time in an internet café as an adult was ruined. Finally, we walked far in the sun and found a coffee shop.

Part Two: Mountain Pilgrimage — The Hardship and Majesty of Reaching the Snow Peaks

The Overnight Sleeper Bus: A Palmtop-Sized Upper Berth and Sub-Zero Wind

The overnight sleeper bus from Dali to Deqin was our first — and last — experience.

A palmtop-sized upper berth, steadily rising altitude, passengers chain-smoking, sub-zero temperatures with the window cracked open — all these elements combined, and Brother Zhage, who'd already been coughing for five days, completely broke down. He said, "Is this the new way to cleanse the soul?"

I sketched a top-down view of the overnight sleeper bus to give everyone a sense of how miserable that night was. But words are enough: vomiting, diarrhea, altitude sickness, pharyngitis — every possible illness struck. The check-in streak on WeRun (a step-counter app) also broke — in Tibetan areas, signal and internet are luxuries.

Meili Snow Mountain: A Giant Ice Cream Cone and Silent Awe

But all the hardship was worth it the moment we saw Meili Snow Mountain.

Kawagebo Peak stood like a giant ice cream cone, floating among the clouds. At the foot of the mountain, Feilai Temple and Wunongding were perfect viewpoints. We stood there, speechless. The wind was strong, but our hearts were still.

During those days in Deqin, I barely showered — conditions were rough, but the beauty of the snow mountain made everything else irrelevant. Brother Zhage, despite being sick, managed to take a few photos of me. In them, I'm wrapped in a thick down jacket, grinning like an idiot.

Shangri-La: A Glimpse and the Journey Home

From Deqin to Shangri-La, the bus bumped along the whole way. In Shangri-La, we caught a flight back to Kunming. The tickets were last-minute — we bit the bullet and upgraded our comfort level for the next few days.

On the way back, I started reflecting on those nine days. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

Conclusion: Placing Them Afar

The title of this travelogue — here's the answer.

"Place her in the distance" — that "her" is the wind by Erhai Lake, the snow on Meili Mountain, the wings of black-headed gulls, the starry sky from the overnight sleeper bus. We place these beautiful things in the distance, not to forget them, but so that in our ordinary days, when we occasionally recall them, we can feel a touch of emptiness and haze.

As the poem says: "Love is an aftertaste, and aftertaste is forgetfulness. Place her in the distance, never to be haunted by longing. Love is inaction, and inaction is eternity. Eternity sees no falling leaves, only two floating duckweeds."

Practical Tips: 1. If possible, fly directly to Dali or Kunming — don't do what I did. 2. The wind is strong by Erhai Lake — keep your trash secure. 3. Sidecar scooters are hard to ride — be cautious if you lack upper body strength. 4. The overnight bus from Dali to Deqin departs at 6:30 PM, ticket price 148 yuan. Call ahead to confirm the time (though I called countless times and never got through). 5. The best viewpoints for Meili Snow Mountain are Feilai Temple and Wunongding — bring warm clothes. 6. Altitude sickness is no joke — pack medication and don't push through it.

Finally, a bonus: Follow the official account "Old Deer Tea Garden" (Lao Lu Cha Yuan) and reply with "film presets" to get a full set of Lightroom film presets. May you find your own emptiness and haze on the distant road.