Day 01 Arrive Kunming (D)
Arrive in Kunming in the afternoon. Met and transferred to hotel for a 3 nights stay, short rest followed by the welcome dinner.
Day 02 Kunming (B/L/D)
Kunming, the City of Eternal Spring, is the capital of Yunnan Province, a place where wonderful scenery bestowed by nature and achievements of human culture coexist. Located in the middle of Yungui Plateau, best known for its karst topography in China. A typical example is the Stone Forest, some 126 kilometres southeast of Kunming, covered an area of more than three hundred square kilometres with thousands of narrow, fantastically-shaped pillars of rock. Back to the city, visit a local birds & flowers market.
Day 03 Kunming (B/L/D)
West of Kunming City, stretching southward along the western shore of Dianchi Lake, lies the Western Hills, nicknamed the ¡°Sleeping Beauty Hills¡±. Its luxuriant trees and bamboos set off temples, monasteries and the Dragon Gate. In the northeast outside of Kunming lies the Golden Temple, a Daoism temple built in Ming Dynasty. The building is cast entirely in bronze weighing about 250 tons. The hills around the temple abound in evergreen pines and hardy cypresses, adding beauty to the superb scenery. Yunnan Provincial Museum is a comprehensive museum, founded in 1958, stores, collects and exhibits large numbers of objects concerning anthropology, ethnology, archaeology and other related fields of learning.
Day 04 Kunming to Dali (B/L/D)
Morning flight to Dali, a historically and culturally famous city in China, renowned for its historical interest. Stands against Cangshan Mountain in the west and adjoins Erhai Lake in the east, and is embraced by undulating hills around. There are no marked seasonal changes in a year. The majority of the population is Bai people. Dali is popular for its charming landscape, mild climate and the hospitality of its people. Ride up the Cangshan Mountain in cable car and take a boat ride on Erhai Lake. Visit the famous Song Dynasty Three Pagodas and a Chinese-style Catholic Church. Dali Ancient City is the must for people coming here for, especially the Dali Foreign Tourist Street, used to be called Huguo Street, 1000 meters long, seven meters wide, paved with dark gray slates. Transfer to hotel for a 1 night stay.
Day 05 Dali to Lijiang (B/L/D)
Before driving to Lijiang, visit two villages. |
In Xizhou, taste the Bai people¡¯s hospitality ¨C three courses tea and admire the delicate architecture of Bai. In Zhoucheng, the largest Bai village in Dali, watch the procedure of making batik in the local house courtyard and visit the market with locals dressing in their traditional costumes. Upon arrival of Lijiang, transfer to hotel for a 2 nights stay. In the evening attend a concert of Naxi classical music performed by the elderly musicians of the original Naxi Orchestra using traditional instruments.
Day 06 Lijiang (B/L/D)
Crisscrossed by crystal-clear rivers and meandering cobbled streets, Lijiang has a high research value and is a treasure in the field of urban construction in China, dated back to the end of Song Dynasty, some 700 years ago. Morning visit an ancient noble¡¯s residence ¨C Mu¡¯s mansion. Then continue to the Black Dragon Pool Park with the shadow of the snow-capped mountain reflected on the tranquil pool water. Take a short chair-lift ride up to the beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the holy mountain of Naxi. On the way back, stop at the biggest Naxi village ¨C Baisha for a visit.
Day 07 Lijiang to Zhongdian via the first bend of the Yangtze River & Tiger Leaping Gorge(B/L/D)
Drive up to the north for Zhongdian, en route, first to Shigu, where will be a chance to see the first bend of the Yangtze River (the longest in China and the third in the world), abruptly turned then flows further northward and forming the rare V-shape bend. Further to the north will reach the Tiger Leaping Gorge. The movement of the earth¡¯s crust caused the river to change its course and the banks suddenly narrowed at where the gorge is. There is a drop of 3,900 metres, thus making it one of the deepest canyons of the world. Arrive in Zhongdian in the late afternoon. The height here is about 3,600 metres above sea level. Transfer to hotel for a 2 nights stay.
Day 08 Zhongdian (B/L/D)
Inhabited mainly Tibetan people, Zhongdian, now called Shangri-La, is the core part for Three Rivers¡¯ Merger, boasting for its typical plateau scenery. The first thing that hits most visitors to Shudu Lake is the sheer beauty of the spot. The lake is known for its clear water, and the peaceful environment of the area around here. Imitation of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, Songzanlin Monastery is located at the foot of Mt. Foping, first built in 1679. |
Napa Pasture is both an ideal grazing field for herdsmen and a paradise for many species of birds. There is, in the true sense, a seasonal lake. In summer, snow melts and forms a vast lake. While in the dry season, the lake becomes boundless green grassland. Back to the old town of Zhongdian, visit a local Tibetan family.
Day 09 Zhongdian to Guiyang via Kunming (B/L/D)
Morning flight to Kunming, then connect flight to Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province. Visit Jiaxiu Tower, the symbol of Guiyang, initially built in 1597 to encourage scholars to make progress. Transfer to hotel for a 2 nights stay.
Day 10 Anshun, Huangguoshu Waterfall (B/L/D)
Drive some 97 kilometres to Anshun, called the throat of Dian (Yunnan), as it is on the highway from Guiyang to Kunming. En route visit Tianlong ancient town. The inhabitants are Han people, the descendants of the expeditionary army from the central China in the Ming Dynasty. Following the ancestry instruction, dressing in unchanged costume, entertaining themselves the dramas of an everlasting theme, they are still in the 600 years old dream. The most famous scenic site of Anshun is the Huangguoshun Waterfall, about 60 kilometres south to Anshun. 74 metres in height and 81 metres wide with a drop in elevation of more than 20 metres. It is the biggest of its kind in Asia. On the way back to Guiyang, visit the Buyi Stone Village.
Day 11 Guiyang to Kaili (B/L/D)
After 2.5 hours drive will reach Kaili, the capital of Miao and Dong Minority Autonomous Prefecture. The ethnic minority villages are the main attractions, especially Miao. The architecture of the buildings in Datang Miao village and the colourful costumes in Lang De Miao village. Transfer to hotel in Kaili for a 1 night stay.
Day 12 Kaili to Guiyang (B/L/D)
Early in the morning, first to explore the local market. Followed by the visit to the Kaili Minority Culture Museum for its rich collections. Return to Guiyang after a visit to Matang Gejia village. Transfer to hotel for a 1 night stay.
Day 13 Depart Guiyang (B)
Qingyan ancient town used to be station for the expeditionary army from the central China in the Ming Dynasty. There are a lot of buildings dated back to Ming and Qing. Transfer to the airport for flight back home. |
