If You Have Time for but One Province in China, Yúnn

YÚNNÁN prepared here, youmaynever thatifyoustart gettoanotherprovince. Ithashappened. townsthatyou’llnever forget.day, manyintime-capsule Smacks ofPRpulp?Well,justbe province thisbreathtaking ethnic group).Village-hop andgreet anewminority group each all China’sethnicminorities,nearly50%oftheprovince isnon-Han(Hanare China’smain Flowers’;thecapital’snicknameis‘SpringCity’. ‘Garden ofHeavenly Marvellous mild climate year-round. Indeed,theprovince’s ofPlants’and nicknamesinclude‘Kingdom flora andfauna–including2500varietiesofwildflowersplantsknownforits through therest oftheprovince. It’salsohometoChina’shighestnumberofspecies plainspreads busridesouthandafertile lushjungleliesatwo-day ranges tothenorth, scenery leapsfromevery encyclopaedia’sentryonChina. Yet Yúnnáncantop’emall. also anethnicmosaic,Sìchu ing Yúnnán.Nootherprovince canrivalYúnnán’s diversity inlandandpeople. Guìzho understatedYúnnán shouldbeit.Strongwordsbuthyperboleisremarkably whendescrib- We’ve saiditbefore andwe’llsayitagain:ifyouhave timeforbutoneprovince inChina, n á n n ú Y 216 © LonelyPlanetPublications A huge attraction istheprovince’sA hugeattraction astonishinglydiverse populace. Hometonearlyhalfof Just gaze atamap.Yúnnán’smajestic,andoften sacred, peaksthrustfromtheTibetan

HIGHLIGHTS AREA:394,000 sqkm Test yourlegs(andrecharge yoursoul) trekking Escapethehordesandexplore theregional townsandvillages of time-warp Loseyour way (andyourcares) in the Fleethefreeze andgetyour upnorth GlimpsetheTibet at border,marvel Feel yourjawhitchestwatching ( p324) W (Xi towns of own Shangri-lainthenorthwestern rice terraces a sunriseorsunsetover the China’s hiking rite ofpassage China’s hiking Dàl funky oldtownsof Southeast Asia fixin sublime Méil ē ā ish ǐ nggé L

( p257 outintothesublimecountryside aroundthem. ), thenstrike ā n Déq 25) ( p245), ǐ l ā ǐ (p323) Xu ī ) n ( p287) 24) n and (p294) ě Jiànchu sh Lìji ā X n, andfindyour 云南 ī ā shu ng ā ā n 27) and (p267) ā n’s rivers garnermuchoftheSouthwest’sgloryandGu Shangri-la ngb 24) n and ( p274) Yuanyang POP: 42.1 MILLION ǎ nnà

Nuòdèng Tiger Leaping Gorge Nuòdèng ( p248) Jiànchuƒn Leaping Gorge Déq¸n Tiger X¸shuƒngb†nnà Shangri-la Shƒx¸ Lìjiƒng Dàl¨ W‰ishƒn www.yunnantourism.net 21) Southwest (p281), Yuányáng Sh ā x ī (p277), ǎ ngx ū is ī ’s YÚNNÁN 217 (5km) Tianlin (60km) (280km) To Hanoi jìng in jìng in To Guìyáng Anshun To Nánníng ū Bó'ài Fùníng Bƒb†o VIETNAM Ha Giang Bijie Bƒm›i n to Q Tuoniang River Gu†ngnán ā GU‡NGX¹ X¸ngyì Luzhou GUÌZH±U Yíb¸n Liupanshui Panxian

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Yùx¸ 108 Jins organised within prefectures and the famed within prefectures organised Burma and India into Southern Silk Route was Yúnnán was established. Meanwhile, interested in the frontiers. Armies invaded in the frontiers. interested put Zhuang Qiao general Chu twice before the Dian himselfpower as the emperor of into K kingdom near long way China was still a of tact the rest with off, who facilitated eventual it was Zhuang ex- migration. large-scale the first pansion and a road from Sìchu tended establishednortheast Yúnnán and the first jun was Yúnnán dynasty, western to the Han Lüch¥n LAOS Chéngjiƒng Yuányáng Yuánmóu Shípíng Lake Dian Phongsali K§NMÍNG Móhƒn Jiƒngchéng Pƒnzh¸huƒ (Jinjiang) Boten Xichang Hónghé Dàyáo H‰ij¨ng M›nglà Ch©xióng Shíyáng (G†nl†nbà) M›ngh†n S¸máo Lake Lugu Zíx¸ Shƒn J¨nghóng ZhŸuchéng 323 B¸nchuƒn Shítouchéng Chicken Foot Mountain 3240m) (J¸zú Shƒn; River Chéngd¥ (760km) To L¨táng (130km); Nínglàng Xiàguƒn (Dàl¨ City)

Hèqìng Jiƒng) Lake Báishƒ Erhai (Lá M›ngh†i Líncƒng nc ƒng Dàm›nglóng X¹SHU„NGB‡NNÀ Tiger Gorge 214 Leaping Kengtung Birang (Shangri La) Gorge Lìjiƒng Dàl¨ (Old City) W‰ishƒn Mekong Shíg© (5500m) Níx¸ Mènglián Shangri-la (ZhŸngdiàn) n Chí (Lake Dian). n Chí (LakeDian). Shƒx¸ B‰nzílán Mt Satseto Jiànchuƒn Derong ā M›ngm† Dhondrupling Gompa Xiƒngchéng Láncƒng Yúnlóng Wéix¸ Burma Road Nuòdèng Límíng Fúgòng Baima Déq¸n Dímáluò Y¡ngpíng YÚNNÁN •• History B‡OSH„N Mountains Nujiang Valley Gòngshƒn Liùkù C†ojiàn

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TéngchŸng (1100km) To Markam (50km); Lhasa Lashio Putao nmíng, belonged to hominids who lived lived to hominids who nmíng, belonged TIBET

Yúnnán’s other great anthropological anthropological Yúnnán’s other great Ruìlì Myitkyina ū YÚNNÁN Ji›gào gaps in a previously unknown period of the the of unknown period gaps in a previously province. First discovered in the 1950s, excavations in the 1950s, excavations discovered First filling throughout Yúnnán are southeast discovery was of sophisticated Bronze Age Bronze Age sophisticated of was discovery around Di cultures 1.75 million to 2.5 million years ago. This and ago. to 2.5 million years 1.75 million what was once con- proved further discoveries was inhabited region a wild, isolated sidered any other in China. before K pological world when they determined that when they determined pological world by teeth discovered humanlike fragments of northwest of in Yuánmóu, railway engineers HISTORY HISTORY anthro- the rocked scientists the 1960s In lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN and Burma as it did to the Chinese emperor.and Burma asitdidtothe Chinese looked asmuch toitsneighbours Indochina the province’s rebellious character. found themselves exiledhere, which addedto countless politicalpurges, fallenofficials often with thenortherngovernment. DuringChina’s was alwaysoneof thefirst regions tobreak Ji minorities alongtheMekong River (Lánc andvariousDai (Thai) andother highlands, mixed aboriginal populationoccupyingthe inthevalleysandbasins,a and settlements region, withscattered garrisons Chinese into theempire astheprovince of Yúnnán. part of theSouthwestwasfinally integrated to gainamodicumof control. In1658this localpower-brokersenough intosubmission to northernrule,theQingemperorcowed armies. Finally,after 15centuriesof resistance Yúnnán resisted capitulationtotheemperor’s Asia.riors fromCentral Southwest China’sMuslims,whowere war- inmanyoftury. Kublai’sarmiesalsobrought andtheMongolsinmid-13thcen- Khan Dàl century andwasreplaced bythekingdomof Burma. ing traderoutes fromChinatoIndiaand asafullyindependententity,dominat- itself a large sliceof theSouthwestand established and defeat theTang armies.Ittookcontrolof of the8thcentury,itwasabletochallenge dom extended itspoweruntil,inthemiddle againsttheTibetans,the Chinese thisking- Nanzhao, southof Dàl apowerfulkingdom,thehad established slowly –first eastwardtoQ tion of somesortof control. Chinese consolidation, andcameunderthejurisdic- (AD 265–316),Yúnnáncrept to closer ever theWesterntime andthroughout Jinperiod up-and-coming elite wasputdown.Fromthis was formedwhenarebellion byYúnnán’s 280), akingdomincludingpartsof Sìchu obeyed orignored theemperor. cal organisation either andtheirchieftains aboriginal people. Theylacked goodpoliti- occupied bylarge numbers of non-Chinese 218 ward. By the 7th century AD the Bai people ward. Bythe7thcenturyADBai ā Right up tothe20thcentury,YúnnánRight Even soitremained anisolated frontier The Mingdynastypurged theMongolsbut The Nanzhaokingdomfell inthe10th ofThe powerbase Yúnnánalsoshifted In theThree Kingdomsperiod(AD220– ng). Like therest of the Southwest,Yúnnán ǐ , anindependentstateoverrun byKublai ÚNN • lmt YÚNNÁN ••Climate ǐ . Initiallyalliedwith ū jìng, thenwest- ā ng ā n tion as ‘subtropical highland monsoon’re-tion as‘subtropicalhighland of 2000m–andthustheofficialclassifica- 6740m intheTibetan plateau withanaverage phology –76.4mabove inHék level sea Yúnnán hasastunningrange of geomor- CLIMATE thirds of theland. third of thepopulation,but theyoccupytwo- groupsmakeDrung. These upmore thana Jingpo, Pumi,Nu,Achang, Bulang,Jinuoand Yao, Hani, Wa,Naxi, Bai, Dai,Lisu,Lahu, Zhuang, Hui,Yi, Miao,Tibetans, Mongols, stellation of minorities(25registered): the 42 millionpeople,includingaveritable con- fold.Itisaprovinceback intheChinese of ignored longenough. thatfelt comed byapeasantry ithadbeen machine. theRedArmywouldbewel- Later, toshuttle materialused fortheAlliedwar Japan’s forcesintheeast,province was for Yúnnán.Strategically located awayfrom that wastoironicallyaugurabetter future with thearrivalof Japanese forcesin1937 It wasthedeathof China,atleastintheeast, powers alongtheborder,andemperor. was exploited bylocalwarlords,European armyput-down,Yúnnán bloodier Chinese the bloody1855Muslimuprisingandeven Wracked byethnicdisturbances,including here thesummer months soarto33°C. the 21°latitude –meaning steamy subtropics; X to most,Yúnnánis thereal ‘south’China. The south thanYúnnán’s ownborderwithLaos, southernmost peninsulajutsabit further at highs of Gu 19°C.Andthough lows of -12°Candsummertemperatures peak Déq in thefrozennorthwestern region around above 25°Cinsummer. dipping below4°Cinthewinter months or ture year-round, withtemperatures rarely Dàl tuating more theyear. than10°Cthroughout ‘weather’, itsmeantemperature fluc- never K coatwithina12-hourridesouthofa light latethrough February) youcanget bywith and inthemidstof winter (mid-November off inthenorth,you canfreeze yourtail August) through the gripof summer(June ally translates asdozens of microclimates. In ī ū shu Today, Yúnnánprovince looksfirmly More abouttheworrisomeextremes: detail nmíng, the capital, which seemingly lacks which nmíng, thecapital, seemingly ǐ ī is also blessed withanidealtempera- isalsoblessed n andShangri-la, winters reach chilling ā ngb ǎ nnà borderline with Laos lieson nnà borderlinewith Laos lonelyplanet.com ǎ ngd ō ǒ ng’s u to YÚNNÁN

ǐ i, ǎ 219 nnà to nnà to , Lhasa, ǎ ū , Shàngh u, as well as nmíng and ū ngb ō ū ā shu n on their way to ngzh ī ā nghóng include nghóng include ǎ ǐ u (and occasionally ng there are daily daily are ng there ō ā nmíng, Chéngd ngzh ū ǎ i, and Gu nzhèn and Guìyáng. ǎ ē nghóng in X ǐ nnà). From Shangri-la, Yunnan nnà). From Shangri-la, ǎ u. From Lìji u, Sh ō ō ngb airport has flights to K ǐ ā nghóng, if not other places. We’ll see. nmíng, though at some point flights into nmíng also recently saw the start up ofnmíng also recently ǐ ng, Shàngh ngzh ngzh ū ū nzhèn and Gu ā ǎ ǎ The southeast is now only served by four ē Destinations from J K Dàl shu ī direct flights to Bangkok and Chiang Mai in flights to Bangkok and Chiang Mai direct only has flights Thailand. Mángshì currently and J Sh foreigners managed to snag rides aboard cargo rides aboard cargo to snag managed foreigners boats from J Chiang Saen in Thailand. Chinese authori- not a bit and put a stop to it in that ties liked October 2006. Coincidentally (?) at the same time a new high-speed passenger boat began running the same (and stopping off at route Lìji to K Burma should be on offer. flights per week Wénsh to Nánníng, though the flight expen- is absurdly to the bus. compared sive airline – Lucky Air – budget first the province’s flights to/from Dàl cheap hopes to offer which Boat adventurous From 2004 to 2006 a number of Gu flights in high season to Chéngd X Airlines flies to K Gu

ǐ nnà’s air ǎ n provide n provide ā ngb ā osh nnà ǎ , 24th of 6th 26 July 14 August 4 August ǎ ǐ shu ī ngb ā ng 13th of 3rd 18 April 8 April 26 April ng, 15th-21st April 20-26 10-16 April 28 April- 3rd 19th of 24 April 14 April 2 May 23rd-25th 27-29 May 17-19 May 5-7 June 6th 19th of 21 July 9 August 30 July 19th of 9th 17 October 5 November 26 October xióng ǐ ǐ ǐ ǐ ǐ ā ā nmíng ǔ shu nghóng, (13-15 April Western calendar) in fixed ū ī ǐ YÚNNÁN •• Language nghóng is X ǐ nmíng and change planes. nmíng and change ū ng. Mángshì and B ā

Water-Splashing Water-Splashing J Festival X Festival Sanyuesan K Fertility Festival Third Moon Fair Hills, Western Lìji Dàl 3rd of 3rd 8 April 29 March 16 April Guanyin Pavilion Dàl of 3rd 4 May Festival Festival Temples Three Dàl Festival Festival Guanyin Pavilion Dàl of 4th Festival Torch Festival Lìji Ch Shílín, Dàl Guanyin Pavilion Guanyin Pavilion Dàl Festival nmíng is served by all Chinese airlines and nmíng (and other major Chinese cities). Keep nmíng (and other major Note: Festival dates are subject to change – check ahead. are dates Festival Note: Festival Location Lunar calendar 2008 2009 2010 2009 2008 calendar IN YÚNNÁN FESTIVALS Lunar Location Festival

The northwest is linked by Shangri-la, Dàl by Shangri-la, The northwest is linked Domestic airports in almost all corners of Domestic airports in almost all corners ū ū link. Déhóng prefecture in the southwest with an Déhóng prefecture air link and J and Lìji in mind that some of the following flights are in mind that some of seasonal to – meaning you still may be forced to K fly first Yúnnán province are served are Yúnnán province by daily flights from K Mai/Bangkok, Rangoon,Mai/Bangkok, Osaka and Seoul. destinations include but are by no means lim- destinations include but are Vientiane, Chiang to Hong Kong, Hanoi, ited K has daily flights to most cities. International county of Yúnnán you pass through you Yúnnán you pass through you county of or dialect. language a different encounter GETTING THERE & AWAY Air China’s minority groups, in virtually every (eg the Naxi language), and the Sino-Tibetan and the Sino-Tibetan (eg the Naxi language), This, however, family (eg the Lisu language). is a simplified classification – home to half of other major languages spoken in the Yúnnán spoken languages other major family belong to the Tibeto-Burman province modified into Yunnanese, intelligible to native modified into Yunnanese, to native intelligible not to you!), the but often speakers Mandarin LANGUAGE LANGUAGE has been here (which In addition to Mandarin lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN slower insideYúnnánthanelsewhere in smooth busnetworktoallmajor destina- wishes itwere, withacomprehensive and knell was thecancellationof thewonderfully old!) and chronic landslideissues; thedeath to ageing infrastructure (nearlyacentury hasexpiredThis, however, graduallydue in itssoutheastern counties nearVietnam. gauge railsystem forintraprovincial travel there Dàl passenger linewasextended westtogotta-go- China; itwasonlyadecadeorsoago thatthe kun Railway. easily nabbed ticket toNánníngontheNan- for thelatter, considertheeminentlymore probably themostpopularroute, andGuìlín; country. BookearlyfortrainstoChéngd and Sìchu most popularroutes. ticketsleeper miraclesonshort noticeforthe as always,donotexpectmiddle-berth hard- train toK Arriving in(ordepartingfrom)Yúnnánby Train onlygetcushy highways close. Thailand). ForVietnamandMyanmarthese (andultimately ing totheborderwithLaos Guìzh networks alsolinkK expresswaymentioned inthisbook.These Jiànshu B linkwithLìji will eventually Déhóng –forRuìlìprefectures.) J between smashing.(Theworsttailbone are routes are you’ll get abitof queasiness perhapsbutno variety–of mountain-road theserpentine well-trodden paths, are butthese generally out there ifyou’re the planningtoheadoff as Yúnnán.Afew curlicueribbonsstilllurk has laidnewroadsinthepast10years asfast tions; nootherprovince inSouthwestChina YúnnániswhatSìchu Roadwise, Bus boxed text, p331 . the Formoresix portsinbetween). see details 220 Lìji time of writing). ǎ Yúnnán oncehadafunkyoldnarrow- ofDevelopment therailwayshasbeen linkYúnnántoGuìzh Railways osh Expressways linkK ā ng was reportedly half-completed atthe ng wasreportedly half-completed YÚNNÁN ••K ā ō n andJ u andGu ǐ and virtually every other city nearby othercitynearby andvirtuallyevery ǐ ū ā ǐ (afurtherextension fromDàl nghóng andtheDàl nghóng nmíng isgenerally asnap,though, n and further afield throughout the n andfurtherafieldthroughout ǐ nghóng, and southeast to Gèjiù, andsoutheasttoGèjiù, nghóng, ǎ ngx ū nmíng ī ū ū , andatthetimeof writ- nmíng withSìchu nmíng withDàl ā ng), southto ǐ , B ō ǎ u, Gu ā osh n only ǐ ā (and (and ǎ n or ā ǐ ngx n, to ū , ī

begin yourinfatuationwiththecity. of fresh airinalongwhilethatwillprobably itwillbethisfirstthe south.Indeed, breath Chóngqìng orChina’stropicalneighbours to respite toanyonecominginfromChéngd K toAugust) than thenorth!Insummer(June spells are quite briefandit’llstillbewarmer Snow isn’tentirely unheardof, these though definitelydry, though abitchilly intheshade. the province). Winters are short, sunnyand cities(andotherareasmost otherChinese of 1890m, K lers of noticeabouttheplace. Atanelevation the climate isgenerally thefirst thingtravel- for aplacefarfrominclementweather. Indeed, couldn’t beabetter meteorological metaphor K Yúnnán means‘Southof theClouds’,and % K from K ually includeMyanmarr,iftheycanlaytrack claim,event- Thiswouldalso,officials a base). as toagree system touse onwhose can’t seem Asian Nations(Asean; themembers of which tem, alongwithotherAssociation of Southeast to completely overhaul andupgradethesys- provincial government hasannouncedplans train toHéko anachronistic meandering,chugging night of K of urban area. Atmost,minorities accountfor 6% onlyabout amillion inhabitthe million, though isthankfully onthelowend. and buses cell-phone yappingwannabes onboulevards of hurry-uphereno sense andthequotientof to beanythingbutlaid-back. There literally is istheabsolute refusalent pluses of thepopulace than you’dthought. quiteyourself cosyhere andspendmore time downtown), butintheendyou’lllikely find afew intheheartof stars atnight actually see (neon israre thatyoucan however enough most of thecity’squaintarchitecture hasgone time blowingawaytheresulting haze–and City’s legendary breezes are having aharder fic isworseningbytheminute –theSpring which every way.Sure,lined boulevards traf- unlike onebigpark,withtree- and flower- ofthat thecapital ‘China’sGreenhouse’ isnot Ū ū ū K Given thisfresh climate, it’snotsurprising Another of K nmíng, withtheaptmoniker ‘SpringCity’, nmíng hasmore rainbutitoffers cool 0871 /pop1.01million NMÍNG ū ū nmíng’s total population is around 3.5 populationisaround3.5 nmíng’s total nmíng’s population, although the farm- nmíng’s population, although ū nmíng toRuìlìneartheborder. ū nmíng hasamilderclimate than 昆明 ǔ ontheVietnamborder. The ū nmíng’s immediately appar- lonelyplanet.com ū , YÚNNÁN 221 , captured , captured ǐ God’s God’s nmíng , was , was nmíng in 109 ū ǐ ū is Joseph is Joseph . and ǐ nmíng, this nmíng, this ū . nmíng’s commerce ū nmíng at Dàl ū , Erik Mueggler. A A , Erik Mueggler. National Geographic nmíng. The first Chinese prefecture, Chinesenmíng. The first prefecture, ū The Search for Modern China The In 1274 the Mongols came through, sweep- During the Warring States period the king- – weapons, drums, paintings, and silver, jade – weapons, drums, paintings, and silver, and turquoise a well- jewellery – that suggest in the late 13th century: in the late outpost, but the kingdom of Nanzhao, centred Nanzhao, centred outpost, but the kingdom of K to the northwest of it and made it their second capital. us a Polo gives them. Marco ing all before K of fascinating picture developed culture and provide clues to a very clues to a very and provide developed culture the city. of early history sketchy established Dian was closedom of to present- day K Jun, was set up in K the Yizhou dynasty. Until the BC Han during the Western Chinese 8th century the town was a remote n ā edited by Guo Xu and Lucien Miller. This fascinating fascinating This Miller. Lucien and by Guo Xu edited The Ancient Nakhi Kingdom China of Southwest The He Liyi. You cannot possibly be unmoved by this account of of by this account be unmoved He Liyi. You cannot possibly In China’s Border Provinces: The Turbulent Career of Joseph Rock, Botanist- Career Turbulent The In China’s Border Provinces: n Chí lies to the south. ā nmíng has been inhab- Gao Xingjian. The Nobel prize winner for literature, Gao weaves a search for a search for Gao weaves for literature, winner prize Nobel Gao Xingjian. The ū . YÚNNÁN •• K by JB Sutton, or Rock’s many archived articles by JB Sutton, or Rock’s many archived for u Plateau; Di u Plateau; ō The Age of Wild Ghosts: Memory, Violence, and Place in Southwest China and Place of Wild Ghosts: Memory, Violence, Age The Explorer a simple man’s ordeal during China’s 20th-century upheavals. Mr He, a Bai from Dàl China’s 20th-century upheavals. a simple man’s ordeal during found himself sent to the he later studied English, a crime for which unlucky enough to have In the end, he wound up sharing for much of his life. countryside and otherwise persecuted closed) in Dàl in his café (now travellers with foreign his wondrous outlook on life Soul Mountain, Brilliant. of Southwest China. his own ‘soul mountain’ as he wanders about the countryside work, along with his Naxi dictionary. and his For an insight into the man Rock’s definitive work, take a look at and minority community on the fringes – literally compelling account of a Tibetan-Burmese – of the Han world in the 20th century. figuratively Mr China’s Son, A Villager’s Life, Mr China’s Son, A Villager’s South of the Clouds: Tales from Yunnan, South of the Clouds: Tales ground articles, maps, and thorough links. a good overview the province. – though fairly basic – of all things touristy in ment, it provides a wonderful provides anthology of Yúnnán tales sketch thumbnail of the cultural ethos of the its people. and province ernmental-, transport- sources. and tourism-information site either has what you need or a link to where you can find it. you need or a link to where either has what site Chinese Son

Anything by Joseph Rock. Seriously.

Spence, in particular Anything by Jonathan his books back- with excellent is an outstanding resource (www.yunnanexplorer.com) Explorer Yunnan govern- the Yúnnán provincial of is the official site Tourism (www.yunnantourism.net) Yunnan K in Yúnnán, specifically is run by expats (http://gokunming.com) Go Kunming for links to gov- is a good hub China (www.voyage.typepad.com/china/yunnan) from Letters

Books Books books for Yúnnán- or China-centric reading: list of eminent Consider the following brief WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE TO FIND WHERE Resources Internet

It’s an enormous municipality at some It’s an enormous municipality at some thousands of artefacts from the Bronze Age from the Bronze Age artefacts thousands of Chí, particularly at Shizhai Mountain near Chí, particularly at Shizhai unearthed have Jìníng on the southern shore, ited for around 2000 years, though nearby for around 2000 years, ited been for millions of populated have areas around Di The tomb excavations years. History History K of The region Guìzh 6100 sq km. The city is surrounded on three 6100 sq km. The city is surrounded on three the Yúnnán- of sides by the mountain ranges ese border clashes that started that in 1977.ese border clashes groups. There are also Vietnamese refugees- are groups. There turned-immigrants who fled the Sino-Vietnam- ing areas are home to some Yí, Hui and Miao are ing areas lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN 222 Park (3km) To GrandView (2.5km) Bus Station To West (1100km) Chéngd¥ To X¸ Shƒn(13km) Bamboo Temple(6km); Bus Terminus(2km); To Liangjiahe

4 Zhuantang

Daguan Jie 1 3 2 5 K§NMÍNG

X¸ Shƒn(15km) To DiƒnChí(5km);

Haigeng Park(7km); Lu etans…The landis fertileetans…The in riceand Christians andSaracensor Moham- consisting of idolaters, Nestorian withamixedartisans, population, noble. Initare foundmerchants and is namedYachi, andisvery great and you arrive city,which atthecapital At theendof five these daysjourneys Huancheng Xilu Huancheng Bus Terminus Xi†ox¸mén 26

YÚNNÁN ••K Dian Lu Xichang Yi'eryi Dajie

chi Lu Wenlin Jie Ὀ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ

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49 Renmin Xilu Renmin

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Guanghua Jie yun Jie

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Haigeng Lu Haigeng

Dongsi Jie Dongsi

Huancheng Nanlu Lu Zhengyi Yuantong Jie Yuantong

Renmin Zhonglu

Chongyun Jie

Weiyuan Jie 25 Yuantong

Nanping Jie35

Pool (11km) 17 Shulin Jie Shulin 41 8 ὈὈ 12 To Black 21 Dragon

Xiangyan Jie Xiangyan Houxin Jie Dong

Baoshan Jie 18 Qin Jinbi Lu

gnian lu Huguo Lu Huguo

33 Lu Qingnian

on this salt produces largeon thissalt revenues to there are springs…the dutylevied salt Venetian groats.In thiscountryalso the shellsare equalinvalue to…two ofnaments about theirnecks.Eighty andwhich theyalso wearasor-sea, white porcelainshell,foundinthe wheat…For moneytheyemploy the Lu

Nanba Panlong

River Taoyuan Jie Taoyuan Government Sq

29 Beijing Lu Beijing 1km 0.5miles 0 0 50 54

52 Beijing Lu Beijing 3 5 47

Tuodong Lu Golden Temple(11.5km); Station 34 To PSB(2.5km);World 1 6 56 Main Train

Lake Resort(48km) 11 Wujing Lu Wujing 9 Spring CityGolf& Horticultural Expo Heping Lu Heping Garden (10.5km); 39 10 Airport (7.5km); 55 4 Guƒndù (8km) Station (2km) To SouthBus 27

Dongfeng Donglu

Shangyi Jie Shangyi

Baita Lu Baita Chuncheng Lu Chuncheng 40 24 Ὀ Ὀ

Chuanjin Lu lonelyplanet.com Renmin Donglu

37 42 Huancheng Donglu Huancheng 30 D Tuodong 23 Stadium 36 16 To Guìyáng Bus Station (120km) (639km) (1.5km) To East Shílín 13 To YÚNNÁN B3 B3 B3 C5 C5 C3 C3 C3 C3 C5 C5 C5 C5 C5 C5 C5 C5 A3 A3 A2 A2 A2 D5 223 45 46 51 54 56 47 48 52 53 50 43 44 49 55 nmíng ..... ū nmíng’s nmíng. nmíng...... ū ...... ū ...... (see 23) ...... (see 23) nmíng ...... (see 39) ū ...... (see 31) 㢅右Ꮦഎ ໽⽣㣫㤊 máo and Méngzì ᯚ䛑໰Ꮦ ...... (see 11) ī ...... (see 51) ...... nmíng continued ऻ䫎≑䔺キ ☿䔺キଂ⼼໘ ⾷࿕䳪ᮙ␌ ū ...... ѥफ㟾ぎ݀ৌ ...... u, S 做偐੪ଵ佚 ...... ǒ 㗕ᣱ㟾ぎ݀ৌ ⽣ᵫූ ᅶ䖤キ䇈৻ ␃啭㟾ぎ ࠄㄛネᇎⱘЁᏈ ϝ৊೑䰙㟾ぎ᳡ࡵ᳝䰤݀ৌ ⋄೑೑䰙㟾ぎ ࠄ㽓ቅⱘЁᏈ 䭓䗨ᅶ䖤キ偀ᴹ㽓Ѯ㟾ぎ݀ৌ Yunnan Airlines Airlines Yunnan DRINKING Camel de Cafe Speakeasy SHOPPING Market &Bird Flower Kundu Night Market Kundu Táng Fú Lín Train Ticket Office Train Ticket Tian Fu Famous Teas Famous Tian Fu Minibuses to Bamboo Temple Bamboo to Minibuses Shān Xī to Minibuses Sanye International Air Service Sanye International TRANSPORT TRANSPORT StationBus Dragonair Ko Wai Ko Wai Lin Travel Fat Tyres Bike Shop...... Lao Aviation Long-Distance Bus Station Sleeper Bus Stand Thai Airways International Malaysia Airlines Airlines Malaysia nmíng, Hék B3 B3 B3 B2 B2 C4 C4 C4 C4 C3 C3 A3 A3 A1 A1 A1 A1 ū D2 D3 D3 D3 D3 D3 D3 D3 D2 D3 35 28 25 22 41 29 33 34 26 32 38 36 37 23 24 39 40 27 30 31 42 n and Yúnnán. Supplies came overland n and Yúnnán. Supplies came overland nmíng’s expansion began with WWII, ā ...... ū ...... K The intrusion of the West into K The intrusion of In early 1942 the Japanese captured Lashio, captured In early 1942 the Japanese ...... began in the middle of the 19th century and began in the middle of a 1000km haul from Lashio to K K of extension Today, the western K cutting the supply line. by 1900 K The French trade. had been opened to foreign copper, on exploiting the region’s keen were and in 1910 their tin and timber resources, railway, started in 1898 at Hanoi, Indochina the city. reached and established here when factories were in from poured fleeing the Japanese refugees China from In a bid to keep China. eastern forces sent Anglo-American falling to Japan, in supplies to Nationalist troops entrenched Sìchu on a dirt road carved the mountains in of out 1937–38 by 160,000 Chinese with virtually no equipment. This was the famous Burma Road, Heil- of Renmin Lu, leading in the direction on the road. For more inpu, is the tail end of . p347 text, the Burma Road, see the boxed sieged the city severalsieged between times 1858 and 1868. It was not until 1873 that the rebellion was finally and bloodily crushed...... ☿䔺फキ ...... ᯢ䛑໻䜦ᑫ ☿䫙 ᤃ݈佁ᑫ ...... 㓓⌆໻䜦ᑫ ᯚᯢ 㢅䜦ᑫ ...... ѥ໻ᆒ佚 ᯚ␪佁ᑫ ᯚᯢ佁ᑫ 㤊㢅ᆒ佚 ∳⇣ܘᓳ ...... જજ令ख़ ...... 偀偀Ҭ令ख़ 㧼ᇨ⪺໮੪ଵ佚偐ዄᅶᷜ ᯚᯢ䴦ᑈ໻㛮⇣ᮙ⼒ ख़ੇٷⱑศ ѥफⳕम⠽佚 ᯚᯢ೑䰙䴦ᑈᮙ⼒ ⥝⊝᭟令ख़ ᆊФ⽣䍙㑻Ꮦഎ Hotpot Restaurant Ma Ma Fu's Ma Ma Fu's 2 Salvador's Greenland HotelGreenland Hump CloudlandKunming Youth Hostel Kunming Youth Hostel Kūnhú Fàndiàn Yunnan Provincial Museum ProvincialYunnan SLEEPING Hotel Camellia Dàjiǔdiàn Míngdū Kunming HotelKunming Wei's Pizzeria Pizzeria Wei's Restaurant Dai Pagoda White Yuquanzhai Vegetarian Restaurant FàndiànZhènxīng Sakura Kunming Jiang Brothers Carrefour Supermarket Yúndà Bīnguǎn Yúndà EATING 1910 La Gare Du Sud B3 B3 B3 B4 B3 B1 B4 B1 C2 C4 C3 C3 C4 C4 C4 C3 C3 A1 A1 A3 A3 D4 D3 D2 D3 , attacked and be- , attacked 2 8 3 6 5 9 1 7 4 ǐ 12 20 19 21 15 17 11 18 14 10 13 16 ...... (see 5) ...... (see 23) ...... nmíng was then known, ...... (see 23) ...... ū ...... ೑䰙䚂ሔ ೑䰙䚂ሔ ...... Ѩढк㢥䍞फ乚џ佚 ঠ吸໻㥃᠓ ...... YÚNNÁN •• K 㓙⬌乚џ佚 ...... फජ⏙ⳳসᇎ ...... ೚䗮ᇎ ᮄढкᑫ , as K 䰜ܜ⫳ᮙ␌ ...... ǔ ᓊᅝए䰶 ֵ⬉Ё೑ ⋄⥟೑ᘏ乚џ佚㗕ᣱ乚џ佚 Ё೑䫊㸠 Ё೑䫊㸠 Ё೑䫊㸠 ᯚᯢࡼ⠽ು 㽓ᇎศ ϰᇎศ ⏙ⳳᇎ nmíng in 1681. ū In the 19th century the city suffered several In the 19th century the city suffered the Emperor. The natives do not con- The natives the Emperor. sider it an injury done to them when connection with their have others the act is voluntary provided wives, is a there on the woman’s part. Here miles in circuit, almost a hundred lake fish are quantities of great in which accustomed to caught. The people are fowls, sheep, oxen eat the raw flesh of sorts only dip and buffalo…the poorer garlic…they eat it as it in a sauce of well as we do the cooked. Ё೑೑䰙ᮙ㸠⼒ ᯚᯢᏖम⠽佚 ߯ᑧ㡎ᴃЏ乬⼒ऎ China International Travel Service Mandarin Mandarin &Books CDs Bank of China Bank of China Telecom China International Post Office Shuanghe Pharmacy Mr Chen's Tours Tours Mr Chen's Bank of China Bank of China International Post Office Lao Consulate Thai Consulate Myanmar Consulate INFORMATION INFORMATION Bank of China Vietnamese Consulate Yuantong Temple Temple Yuantong Nancheng Mosque Nancheng West Pagoda Xinhua Bookstore Bookstore Xinhua Yanan Hospital Kunming City Museum Kunming SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES SIGHTS & (The Loft) Kù Chuàng East Pagoda Mosque Kunming Zoo Kunming blood baths, as the rebel Muslim leader Du as the rebel blood baths, Dàl Wenxiu, the sultan of in 1678. His successor was overthrown by the in 1678. His successor was overthrown and killed himself emperor Kangxi Manchu in K General Wu Sangui. Wu in turn rebelled General Wu Sangui. Wu in turn rebelled against the king and held out until his death resistance to the invading Manchu took place to the invading Manchu resistance by in Yúnnán in the 1650s and was crushed From the 17th century onwards, the history of From the 17th century onwards, the history of the city becomes rather grisly. The last Ming in Yúnnánf site. building a walled town on the present In the 14th century the Ming set up shop In the 14th century the Ming set up shop lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN 224 find. but this one hasbecome extremely hard to on theK English labelson theprovincial mapand cations and Tourist Map lack anyreal The detail. withasmattering ofthose English names andin bookshops; sadly,and trainstations Scores of maps are available aroundthebus MAPS anddo.eat andsomethingtosee downtown area hassomewhere and tostay wound up,buttodaytheentireeveryone tobetheforeignused traveller where ghetto Lu isintersected byDongfeng Donglu.This Atabout thehalfwaypoint,Beijing station. bus andthelong-distance main trainstation Lu.Atthesouthernendis south, Beijing is K ple andtheKunmingZoo. YuantongTem-place forawander;itcontains intersection isGreen Park, Lake apleasant best forpeople-watching. Tothenorthof the K to JinbiLu,theoldquarter hasgiven wayto Nanping Jie). Lu (thisstreet isalsoforafew blockscalled intersection of ZhengyiLuandDongfeng centre circleatthe of thecityistraffic supply thecitywithfruitandvegetables. The ruralcounties,whichcity districtsandeight The jurisdictionof K Orientation building materials andplastics. tools, electricalequipment,textiles, chemicals, trucks,machine foodstuffs, include steel, a ‘Made Thecity’sexports inYúnnán’stamp. ing range of goodsandmachinery nowbears industry hasexpandedrapidly,andasurpris- structed. Withthecomingof therailways, office buildingsandhousingprojects con- altered sincethen, withstreets widenedand were siphoned off. andreliefintended forthemilitary agencies cines, cannedfood,petrolandothergoods Yúnnán. Ablackmarket sprangupandmedi- ranges Indiaand 5000m mountain between mission of crossingthe‘Hump’, towering 1942–45, whenUSplanesflewthedangerous to handlemostof theincomingaidduring ū To thesouthwestof theintersection, down The faceof K To theeastof thecitycentre intersection nmíng’s onlyarea of bustleandneon– ū YÚNNÁN ••K nmíng’s major roadrunningnorthto ū nmíng citymap on theflipside, ū nmíng has been radically nmíng hasbeen ū nmíng ū nmíng includesfour (Y10)hasgotgood Yunnan Communi- turn left ontoYuanxiturn left Xiang. ( offthebusatJ couple ofblocks. Get Beilu.Buses3,25and57willget you withina Erhuan inthree tofivedays. Themainentrance isoff extensions issuevisa Affairs Branchwill,withbureaucratic weariness, uán, JinxingLu; 1st fl, block 6, Renmin Donglu)Hasaforeigners’ clinic.1st fl,block6,Renmin lers havehadluck. Lu; Dongfeng Donglu) You can make internationalcallshere. Donglu)Youcanmake Dongfeng Express Mail Service (EMS)andWesternUnionagent. Service Express Mail (perletterY3,IDrequired). Itisalsothecity’s parcel service Lu) Themainofficehasaveryefficientposterestante and Bank ofChina MONEY Yanan Hospital Shuanghe Pharmacy SERVICES MEDICAL equipped). access(andit’swirelessoccasionally iffy, national YouthHostel ( p228 ) hasfree, albeit internet cafésare Y2toY4.)CloudlandInter- Hump ( p228 atK ). (Rates Hotel ( hour; trytheCamellia p228 ) andthe by travellers offers emailforY4toY10per Pretty much hotel every andcaféfrequented ACCESS INTERNET find somethinghelpfulinEnglish. maps are alsofoundhere; mostare inChinesebutyou’ll Xinhua Bookstore tons available,butit’sbetterthannothing. man, French, Dutch,Italian andsomeSpanish.Notexactly inEnglish,Ger- oftravelwriting magazines andaselection % Books&CDs Mandarin BOOKSHOPS Information PSB BUREAUPUBLIC SECURITY PostOffice International China Telecom POST &TELEPHONE Bank ofChina( your bestbetistolookforbranchesoftheAgricultural around townhaveATMs whichwillacceptforeign cards; XiluandHuancheng Nanlu.AfewDongfeng otherbanks credit cards. There isanATM here. There are branchesat cheques andforeign currency andoffers cashadvanceson Donglu; 金星西门站 h 220 6575; ( 公安局 24hr) OppositeYúnnánAirlines. h 9am-noon &2-5pm)Changestravellers h 中国农业银行 ; G h ) onJinjiang Lu, headeast twoblocksand (Zh (Zh (Yán’ ō 9am-10pm) Hasguidebooks,novels, ng 9-11.30am &1-5pm)TheForeign ō ō (NanpingJie)Provincialandcity ā ngguó Diànxìn;cnrBeijingLu & ngguó Yínháng;448Renmin njú; ā (Shu n Y (West Gate, Yunnan (WestGate, University; % ī yuàn;

ā (Guójì Yóujú;231Beijing nghè Dàyàofáng;Tuodong 571 7030;J % ), where sometravel- ū lonelyplanet.com nmíng’s zillion 317 7499, ext 311; 317 7499,ext ī nx ī ī ng X nx ī ng Huáy- ī mén stop YÚNNÁN sì ī

is (X 225 ng Sì; ō – the ) nmíng- (Yuánt

9am-6pm) ū nmíng ū West Pagoda h at the base of 书林街 nmíng is like nmíng is like ū temple 8am-5pm) 圆通寺 ; Shulin Jie, ǎ h ; admission Y2; ; admission nmíng where everyone in in everyone nmíng where ū ngsì T ō (D 东寺街 ng Hill is the largest Buddhist complex ng Hill is the largest nmíng and a rare and superb example of and superb example of nmíng and a rare ē ū East Pagoda To the rear of the temple a much newer hall a much the temple of To the rear

; Dongsi Jie, ; Dongsi hood gentrifies around them. them. around hood gentrifies ǎ triumvirate, along with Green Lake Park Lake Park along with Green triumvirate, (for the views if notand the Kunming Zoo this the animals’ existence), complex temple wander amid a 1200-year-old pilgrims. The of that still draws a fair number pond square central courtyard holds a large and at the by walkways and bridges, intersected has a Ming dynasty octagonal pavilion centre statue. houseswhich a 3m golden Maitreya Sakyamuni, a gift from enshrines a statue of Thailand. Two dragon sculptures the king of T Attached is a compound interesting. the more to drink spot for older people that is a popular jong tiles around (if and thwack mah chat tea, and a haircut). a shave not get one slightly off-plumbto – was, according Chinese destroyed by an earthquake; sources, sources sayWestern it was destroyed by the Muslim revolt. YUANTONG TEMPLE the perfect-for-a-daylong-stroll One piece of Tang dynasty design. Yes, it is pretty cool to it is pretty dynasty design. Yes, Tang in K Luóf Yuantong Jie; admission Y4; Jie; admission Yuantong To be precise, one little slice of the district of the same one little slice of the district of the same To be precise,

ngguó ō 官渡). ( (CITS; Zh nmíng aptly put it, ‘The only place in K nmíng aptly put it, ‘The ū ndù 唐代塔 ā Gu 356 6730; 285 Huancheng Nanlu; 356 6730; 285 Huancheng Nanlu; YÚNNÁN •• K % NMÍNG NMÍNG Ū xíngshè;

One place to go to still see little old men puttering about in their funky blue Mao hats or about in their funky blue Mao hats or One place to go to still see little old men puttering much white-tiled the circum- had pretty crews 2006, of late Now, living museum this ain’t. As But still, it’s kind of a kick. When you get off bus 31 (train station all the way to the end), ǚ

nmíng do exist. nmíng do exist. 316 4961) ū 9am-5.30pm) Organises tours. It’s not big on dispens- It’s not big 9am-5.30pm) Organises tours.

nmíng is one of the safest cities in China cities in China the safest nmíng is one of donkey carts parked in front of temples, or even hear everyone speaking the lovely K speakingdonkey carts hear everyone the lovely or even parked in front of temples, in ‘new’ brick and ‘old’ repaved being are of the neighbourhood. ‘Old’ flagstone alleys ferences of China), and those locked-up pavilions way to new (à la the rest giving wooden façades are paint job. look suspiciously draped in drop cloths for a garish worry, absolutely laid-back and yes, don’t follow the donkeytake carts. you to a very They’ll (admission to each Y5), pagodas and other section of town. A handful of temples tourist-free, fun to track down (new signs in English take of away half the fun great are historic structures about searching for them). puttering A day or two in the city and you may feel ‘old Kunming’ is oxymoronic. Nope, not here. Bull- Nope, not here. ‘old Kunming’ is oxymoronic. A day or two in the city and you may feel (though to be fair who of peeves pettest ranks among travellers’ traditional architecture dozed and K building with rats and no indoor facilities?) in a 125-year-old wants to live Be- remains. what little extant architecture other Chinese city in scrambling to save most every pockets of ‘real’ ), a few p231 text, sides the much-hyped Flower & Bird Market (see the boxed K the neighbourhood was actually born there.’ OLD K name southeast of downtown – so ‘real’ that it’s technically now a protected national historic national historic now a protected that it’s technically name southeast of downtown – so ‘real’ park. one transplant to K As accented Yunnanese, is Yunnanese, accented

ū % complexes open, but both are fairly impressive fairly impressive open, but both are complexes as the neighbour- as gracefully since they age To the south of Jinbi Lu are two Tang pagodas. two Tang Jinbi Lu are To the south of their temple Neither can be climbed, nor are Sights Sights TANG DYNASTY PAGODAS

but take special precaution near the train and special precaution but take can get long-distance bus stations. The area of been reports seedy have at night and there razored. their bags having travellers Dangers & Annoyances Dangers & Annoyances K Tourist Complaint & Consultative Telephone bouring countries. China International Travel Service Chen’s Tours ( p228 ) and Ko Wai Lin Travel Lin Travel ) and Ko Wai p228 ( Chen’s Tours and visa processing, tickets, ), offering p353 ( to neigh- (if pricey) tours some intriguing to Y20 per ticket). The Camellia Hotel ( p228 ) p228 The Camellia ( to Y20 per ticket). Hotel Mr including count) agencies, has four (at last TOURIST INFORMATION INFORMATION TOURIST hotels popular backpacker the all of Almost queries and assist with travel and cafés can reservations ticket from free (ranging make lonelyplanet.com ( Guójì L h and English spoken. information, though. French ing free YÚNNÁN was justhaving thefinishingtouches puton uán; admissionY10; than at most Chinese zoos (not saying much), much), zoos(notsaying than atmostChinese living conditionsof the750animalsare better known to existintheworld, Chinahas1400 periods and are superb. Of1600such drums andWesternfrom theWarring States Han jiashan (nearJi (Di artefacts fromtombexcavations atJìnníng still callthishome. The nation wasasmuch tombasmuseum. its much-needed face-lift;theprevious incar- Bówùgu At the timeof writing,this 云南省博物馆 YUNNAN PROVINCIAL MUSEUM tong JieandQingnianLu. K throughout chitectural styles seen pavilions were constructed tofeature allthear- tecture, includingaMing dynasty citywall.The existingcityarchi-others. Thegroundsalsouse tigers, Yangzi alligators, golden monkeys and greater Chinayou’ll get theobligatory pandas, das, leafmonkeys pythons;from andblack-tail as X fauna, residing here are such Yúnnánrarities the city.Ifyoudowantaganderatregional grounds, which offer commandingviewsover areas wideberthandstrike outintotheverdant on aspiral-shapedhill,youcangive theliving obviously mosttravellers give up itamiss. High toYuánt Close ZOO KUNMING depends onwho’smindingtheplace. temple. Whetherphotosare allowed ornot Yuquanzhai Vegetarian Restaurant, p230 ). rant opposite themaintemple entrance(see beasts). There’s awonderfulvegetarian restau- temple wasconstructed inparttosubduethe two caves the inhabited bydragons(it’ssaid coversdynasty. Abrickplatformatthebase scholastic inscriptions datingbacktotheTang part of thetemple). Alongthewayare carved ping (forsomeoddreason that’sourfavourite steps leadingupandtheninexplicably stop- into thetemple walls. about themhaveries andpoems carved been here are abigattractionforpilgrims,andsto- 226 The mainentranceisatthecornerof Yuan- Watch outforpickpockets outsidethe The museum’s threeThe museum’s major collectionswill PutuoRock,with thehallisacliff, Behind ā ī n Chí),Wanjiaba (Ch shu YÚNNÁN ••K ǎ n; WuyiLu; admissionY10; ā ngb ǎ nnà wildoxen, (red) lesser pan- h ō ā ng Sìisthe 昆明动物园 ngchu 8.30am-5pm) ū nmíng ā n). Thedrumsdate Bronze DrumsHall Bronze zoo museum h , and though the the , andthough ǔ xióng) andLi- (K 9am-5pm Tue-Sun) ū nmíng Dòngwùy- (Yúnnán Sh (Yúnnán

ū nmíng. nmíng. has ě ng

10pm) tor Gao Mingsheng. A dinosaur exhibit inhabits exhibitinhabits tor GaoMingsheng.Adinosaur constructed forK Yuan Douguangof theDalikingdomhadit PrimeMinister Dali (AD937–1253).It’ssaid with Buddhistscriptures fromthekingdomof –animpressiveY5 itself 6.6mpillarengraved of thewholeshebang,the highlight worththe (generally hallhouses none).Theright-hand area; you’ve gotpotluckonEnglish captioning mini bronzeox headsexcavated intheK is packed with Bówùgu The left-handhallof this MUSEUM CITY KUNMING K nic diversity butyouare better goingto off and hats.Itgives anideaof Yúnnán’seth- clothes, withexamplesof embroidery,bags (some withblondehair!)dressed inminority of shop mannequins photosandfairlytacky if youare thinkingof visitingeithersite. rals of Báish the artatShíb Yúnnán’s bronzedrumssee p47 and p191 . among minoritiessuch astheYi. Formore on Get tothis Get GREEN LAKEPARK paleontological importance. underrepresentingmiddling, sadly Yúnnán’s not, wekidyou the 2ndfloorwithhighlight, brought into a modern context by their use intoamoderncontextbrought bytheiruse Sh and Yúnnán400,mostunearthedatShizhai ū The The droves toflingbread cruststo thebirds. gites tothewaterside inabsolute ‘flocking’ November, whenyoucanwatchKunmin- is whentheseagulls arrive inmid-tolate local petspecies. themostfun Actually, ture here, nottomentionsomething of a November tolate Marchthey’re nowafix- Greenlar liked Park Lake somuchthatfrom annual southerlymigration,andinparticu- the Di descendingonred-beaked seagullsstarted Some 20yearsago,forwhatever reason, FOR THEBIRDS nmíng’s Nationalities Museum ( nmíng’s NationalitiesMuseum p237 ). ā Yunnanosaurus robustus; early in the morning to take a stroll (or earlyinthemorningtotake astroll(or n nearDi ǎ n; Tuodong Lu; admissionY5; Ancient Buddhist Art Hall Ancient BuddhistArt Minority NationalityHall Minority ā n Chí (Lake Dian)regionn Chí(Lake duringtheir park ā outsideLìji

swords, spears and surprises like swords, spears like andsurprises ǎ ā

osh (Cuìhú G n Chí.Theancientdrumsare ū nmíng’s military administra- nmíng’s military ā 翠湖公园 n, nearDàl ō ngyuán; CuihuNanlu; ā ng, which are useful 昆明市博物馆 museum h lonelyplanet.com hasexamplesof mostlyconsists thisarea isabit 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) ǐ , andthemu-

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诺地卡 ā ( 春城湖畔 nmíng on ( nmíng 767 1188; www ū ū (Xiàgu % ǐ n; ū TC/G Nordica TC/G ng and an observatory ī ij ě , 48km from K nchéng Húpàn Dùjiàc 411 4692; www.tcgnordica.com/en; 101 Xiba 411 4692; www.tcgnordica.com/en; ū ; Ch % ; 5-11.30pm Mon, 1.30-11pm Tue-Sat, noon-4pm Sun) 5-11.30pm Mon, 1.30-11pm Tue-Sat, ǎ Spring City Golf & Lake Resort h evenings reservations are required). evenings reservations required). are Activities The 度假村 .springcityresort.com) is Lake Yangzong, of shore the northeastern West of downtown in a disused factory districtWest of modern Chinese art- galleries of a host of are along with a handfulists and photographers, shops (most rather and coffee restaurants of pricey but worth a look-see for the artwork). sorts is of The cornerstone Nuòdìk Lu; best described as a gallery-exhibition hall- restau- even a relaxing There’s cultural centre. and Chinese food. (Onerant with Scandinavian founder was Swedish, another Chinese – hence for a out Nordica’s website the mix). Do check and exhibitions; most performances of full slate something is happening (thoughweekends if you wish to eat, at times on Friday and Saturday a historical landmark than place of active active a historical landmark than place of worship. CHUÀNG KÙ (THE LOFT) 创库艺术主题社区 was taken Qing forces and Du Wenxiu was by n (see p245 ). ). p245 n (see ǐ ā lóu ish ǔ ē nmíng holds the lion’s share, with other populations other populations with the lion’s share, nmíng holds ū

(Nánchéng nchéng Ji nchéng ū nmíng, overrunning the city briefly in 1863. Du Wenxiu, the Muslim nmíng, overrunning ndiàn and W ū ū nmíng (or at least ū can be recognised by can be recognised nmíng you can’t help but note its Hui (Chinese Muslim) residents. Of the residents. Muslim) Hui (Chinese its help but note nmíng you can’t Nancheng Mosque ū is nearby, wedged between is nearby, wedged YÚNNÁN •• K mosque 清真寺 sì; 51 Zhengyi Lu) ǔ n G In the 13th century Mongol forces swooped into the province to outflank the Song dynasty outflank the Song dynasty to into the province Mongol forces swooped In the 13th century dynasty Yuan simultaneously raised with the new China were mosques all over Not long after, Heavy land taxes and disputes between Muslims and Han Chinese over local gold and silver mines mines local gold and silver Muslims and Han Chinese over between and disputes Heavy land taxes But success was short-lived and in 1873 Dàl But success was short-lived ē THE HUI THE HUI K Wandering about Hui, K 550,000 approximately province’s in the counties of X centred troops and were followed by Muslim traders, builders and craftsmen. Yúnnán was the only region the only region craftsmen. Yúnnán was Muslim traders, builders and followed by troops and were was when Sayyid Ajall Kublai Khan’s armies arrived, after leader immediately put under a Muslim in 1274. named governor in B to build the first Mongol palace A Muslim was entrusted banner. triggered a Muslim uprising in 1855, which lasted until 1873. The Muslims chose Dàl Muslims until 1873. The uprising in 1855, which lasted a Muslim triggered based on Persian models was also constructed here. Dozens of Arabic texts were translated and and translated were of Arabic texts Dozens here. models was also constructed based on Persian source. than any other influencing Chinese mathematics more by Chinese scientists, consulted rightfully proud of their legendary local-boy-done-goodYúnnán’s Muslims are Cheng Ho (Zheng Middle who opened up the Chinese sea channels to the He), the famed eunuch admiral East (and been the first to voyage to the Americas). may actually have who, some believe, their base and laid siege to K their base and laid siege to (Nánpíng Guó) and took South established Kingdomleader, proclaimed his newly of the Pacified the name Sultan Suleyman. captured and executed. Up to one million people died in Yúnnán alone, the death toll rising to Up to one million people died in Yúnnán and executed. captured of eliciting quelled, but they also had the lasting effect uprisings were The 18 million nationwide. sympathy from Burma.

Another ngzh ī on the site where a mosque has sat the long- where on the site Huguo Lu and Chongyun Jie, and is more Huguo Lu and Chongyun Jie, and is more left of the Muslim area from the Zhengyi Lu area the Muslim left of roundabout, walk west past Ch and then bear left a half-(Spring City Hotel) block to a small alley. and has slowly been dispersing throughoutand has slowly been dispersing to what’s is left. To get the city. Not much raphy and pictures of Mecca nearby got its Mecca of raphy and pictures from the city government orders marching the once-lively strip of Muslim restaurants Muslim restaurants strip of the once-lively and shops selling callig- skullcaps, Arabic lower floors essentially look like the white- the essentiallylower floors look like worse, in 2005 Even tiled offices that they are! Q est), the 400-year-old est), the 400-year-old MOSQUES The oldest mosque in K paper lantern boat with candle inside adrift onpaper lantern – outstanding photo op! the waters tember to early October for the Lantern Festival, for the to early October tember when simply everyone in the city seems to set a in one of the lakeside cafés. Sunday is the best the lakeside in one of Sep- Also try to pay a visit late time to come. perhaps dance with the retired ladies), then chill perhaps dance with the retired lonelyplanet.com its telltale greenish onion domes, though onion the its telltale greenish YÚNNÁN ellers who knowYúnnán like thebacksof a couple of oh-so-friendly inveterate trav- i 23 ZhuantangLu 3777; www.cloudland2004.com; [email protected]; 脚氏旅社 Kunming Cloudland YouthHostel BUDGET Sleeping for more details). andoverlandflights (see tripstoLhasa p233 almost anywhere youwanttogo,including Lu)Camellia Hotel,154Dongfeng them. tojoinatoursee makes sense are justashort bicyclerideaway–ithardly tours. has ( below) allow, KunmingCloudlandYouthHostel toomuch trouble.causes Whennumbers their tours, claimingthelanguage barrier tour operators refuse totake foreigners on far endof jadehawkers’ corridors). Some in which the toiletsjusthappentositat stopoffsthe ineluctable forbathroom breaks most travellers findratherboring(including them. Theygenerally feature lotsof sights would,butbepreparedibuses topayfor fastersurrounding sights thanpublicmin- Several tour outfitscover K Tours youraching limbs. town) ease ( right ; andmanyotherlocationsthroughout Hotel infrontoflet themasseurs Camellia Haigeng Park (p237). cluding tennis, golfandboating,onoffer at costs aroundY150. fromK ditional Y200.Aone-waytaxi (figure acoolUS$250).Clubhire isanad- it’soverat thehotel, otherwise doublethis including cartandcaddieifyouare staying costs aroundUS$69/89weekdays/weekends and water-sports centre. Aroundof 18holes a five-star signed byRobert Trent JonesJr,aswell designed byJack Nicklausandanotherde- features onechampionship 18-hole course gush over someof thesignature holes.It Coast onthatclaim).Golfmediaabsolutely wait toget furiousletters fromChina’sEast arguably China’sbestgolfcourse (can’t 228 Mr Chen’sTours More like centralsights YuantongTemple At theendof ahardday’ssightseeing There are plentyof sportingactivities,in- ) The newestof the city’shostels (runby YÚNNÁN ••K ; K resort ū nmíng Q ; 篆塘路

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路 bus stations. Afairnumberofbus stations. backpackers landmark budget option–long theonly time youread this. may beamore relaxing environmentbythe friendly. Itwasslated foramakeover, soit arekind of institutionalfeel butthestaff is basicbutcleanandquiet.Dormshave a Green Park, Lake theKunmingYouthHostel bya lanebesidetheZhengxieHotel, right Lu L behaviour, it’snotclearwhy. though on thisplaceforrumoured heretofore bad authorities alsoapparently keep asharpeye for one. (Yeah, amite The thumpyatnight.) step. What more Well,quiet doyouneed? umpteen bars anddiscosare atyourdoor- ontheterrace;pool andPing-Pongtables basketball court–sizedcommonroomand and comewithindividuallockers; there’s a logical budget option:dormsare enormous 鸡广场 hostel.com; JinmabijiSq,JinbiLu; ( off attheYunnanDailyNewsstop64. Get take citybus busstation or long-distance ers onthesinks!Toget here fromthetrain cess andloadsof extras–fresh cutflow- with anindividuallocker. Free internet ac- bedsarecomfortable; soft andeach comes fort forguests.Dormsare spankingnewand staff trying (butnotalways successfully)not staff the toilets andshowers are decent) anda side? Somegrubby roomsonoffer (though the goodnews/bad newsvariety.Thedown- place backpackers would headfor–isof 东风东路 Donglu 96Dongfeng 314 7033;www.kmcamelliahotel.com; towalk there.it’s easyenough onbus 2,23or47,though main trainstation Thehotelcomfortable. istwostopsfromthe beds –anyoneover getting 1.6mwillstruggle Singles are bigbutfurnished withdoll-sized site beaten andcleanthough upolddorms. ortwo.other star There on are travel services upshop orberenovatedclose togarneran- word onthestreet wasthatitsoonto always enduphere note though thatthe ǚ 云南日报社站 ing with a staff thatmakes atremendousing withastaff ef- their hands),thisplaceisabsolutely charm- ; shè; 202 Kunming YouthHostel Camellia Hotel Hotel Camellia Hump K 翠湖路 ū nhú Fàndiàn 号 % ; 8-beddmY25) ; dmY25,s&dY128) (Tuóf 517 5395;[email protected];94Cuihu 94 96 Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 号号 ē ng Kèzhàn; ; dmY25,dfromY80) ; dmY30,dY188-288

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ǔ ngd n ǎ ǎ Dàji ū ngu ī 白塔路 ; ; s & d Y780, ste Y1419; ; s & d incl breakfast from Y945; ste from Y1527 ; s & d incl breakfast This radically revamped monster is op- monster This radically revamped ) Sakura Kunming Greenland Hotel Míngd 号号 80 along with a popular breakfast-lunch buffet), buffet), along with a popular breakfast-lunch pub, a small health club, pool, a Western-style and a disco. Holiday Inn. It has some excellent restaurants Holiday Inn. It has some excellent restaurants American–Mexican, (Thai and southwestern 5888; 25 Dongfeng Donglu; a better in town. Its most praised restaurant in town. Its most praisedbetter restaurant may be the one serving a few) (one of the Cháozh cuisine of from travellers for its superlative service for its superlative from travellers and complex with It’s a city-state-sized upkeep. everything you need and you won’t do much Gu eastern decade has garnered (quite justifiably) kudos justifiably) kudos (quite decade has garnered 52 TOP END TOP END Kunming Hotel it’s pretty good value. it’s pretty but delicious sauces). and tidy save for the tubs. With decent ameni- and tidy save ties and service, usual discount, the if you get a modicum of thought to its design scheme. thought scheme. to its design a modicum of red- done up in a refreshing are Rooms here spacious Bathrooms are gold colour combo. Baita Lu given that seemsity in China – a hotel to have university’s west gate. west gate. university’s here are a good choice. Staff a good choice. practically fall are here to help. It’s next to the themselves all over coffee shops, bookshops and the like – makes – makes and the like shops, bookshops coffee for a nice home base, the standard and doubles fax 514 8513; d from Y160; restaurants, laden with foreign-student-centric MIDRANGE MIDRANGE Yúndà B to Dongfeng Donglu, then change to bus 5 to bus 5 Donglu, then change to Dongfeng at the second off stop. and get heading east from the main train station, take bus 2 or 23 train station,from the main 23 bus 2 or take to be weary of pesky budget travellers. But But travellers. pesky budget weary of to be services, ex- with travel foreign bicycle hire, services, priced laundry reasonably change, buffet, it’s all in all and a colossal breakfast here to find yourself.not a bad place get To Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book www.greenlandhotel.com.cn; 80 Tuodong Lu; Lu; 80 Tuodong www.greenlandhotel.com.cn; posite the Kunming Hotel; it’s a needed step it’s a needed step the Kunming Hotel; posite incarnation as a fading up from its previous .kunminghotel.com.cn; 52 Dongfeng Donglu ity in China – a hotel that for more than a than a that for more ity in China – a hotel YÚNNÁN K on theeatingprocess! register andmake sure you get instructions ity atmealtimes.Pay upfrontfirst atthecash out thecity,mostof which are filledtocapac- that there are branches through- nowseveral place hassuch goodacross-the-bridge noodles 风东路 from YuantongTemple. much Englishspoken). 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o ji ǎ l nmíng isn’t on any shopaholic’s on any shopaholic’s nmíng isn’t ū has long been one of the more enjoy- has long been one of the more Fú Lín Táng Yunnanese is also an excellent buy and tea One teashop worth checking out is out worth checking One teashop Other items that make good souvenirs: good souvenirs: that make Other items and is highly by Chinese prized throughout the world. comes in several varieties, from bowl-shaped called tea green smoked bricks of been around since at least Marco have which that rivals some tea Polo’s time, to leafy black India’s best. of Teas Famous Fu Getting There & Away AIR Airlines/CAAC Yunnan Lu; 4270, 313 8562; Tuodong any Chinese only offers airline but the office discounts on Yunnan Airlines flights. From small from the 8pm to 8am buy your tickets Shopping Shopping K Well, it ain’t a totalitinerary but Yúnnán wash. Dàl marble and batik from are specialities musical minority embroidery, jade from Ruìlì, utensils. and spotted-brass instruments pipes for smoking angel- bamboo water large local herbal medi- Yúnnán tobacco and haired as Yúnnán Báiyào (Yunnan White cines such 100 herbs over is a blend of which Medicine), not a dive, and doesn’t have much of a poseur quotient. It’s poseur quotient. have much of a and doesn’t not a dive, blue sign. stairs under the down the jing Lu). ; ng; Tongdao Jie) ǎ 拓 (the legendary Yunnanese cure-all root mixed into tea, which which into tea, cure-all root mixed (the legendary Yunnanese o Shìch 东风西路 ǎ (

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n; Tuodong Lu; Lu; n; Tuodong ǎ Carrefour igu ē f ā ; Dongfeng Xilu) A great atmosphere atmosphere ; Dongfeng Xilu) A great YÚNNÁN •• K ā ng; Dongfeng Xilu) b ǎ ō (Luòtuo K (Luòtuo nmíng these days, this is a breath nmíng these days, this is a breath ū (Shu 9am-late) A legend started years ago by a ojí Shìch ā Flower & Bird Market h The highlight may lie one block west of the intersection of Guanghua Jie and the pedestrian- the intersection highlight may lie one block west of The Ah yes, and ‘antiques’. As you’ll soon note, ‘antiquing’ here generally means pawing through pawing through generally means here ‘antiquing’ you’ll soon note, Ah yes, and ‘antiques’. As

; ONE-STOP SHOPPING ONE-STOP SHOPPING The able and relaxing places to stroll in the city. It’s also known as able and relaxing only Zhengyi Lu. Here in a creakingly old building is Here only Zhengyi Lu. several downtown blocks surrounded by buildings of immense, gleaming modernity and bustle. gleaming modernity and bustle. downtown blocks surrounded by buildings of immense, several though on weekends the anymore, Flowers and birds most certainly the main draw here aren’t hawkers’ surreal away. This a block or more chirping, yawping and cawing can still be heard with flora and fauna (well, again, is chock-full ghetto and its mazy neighbourhood walk of stalls and doo-dahs of endless curios, knick-knacks, (the contents not so much of these anymore), fine rugs and than one occasion), some occasionally someone’s back hall, it seems, on more Hmmm.) And (Kurt Cobain or KISS T-shirt? handmade clothing; and a hell of a lot of weird stuff. into the traditional somehow officially crept you can’t help notice that the word ‘jewellery’ has ‘bird and flower’ name. it’s been dishing out the Yep, layers of crap or fakes. For real antiques it’s better to look in the privately run shops on Beijing run shops on Beijing to look in the privately antiques it’s better For real layers of crap or fakes. Donglu. and Dongfeng Lu costs about Y20 to Y100 per gram) since 1857. Other places to try:

For self-catering try lèfú Ch nmíng rock-and-roller (dunno if he’s still in charge but (dunno if he’s still in charge nmíng rock-and-roller ā ū Speakeasy CaféCamel de Xinwen Lu has dozens of discos frequented discos frequented of Xinwen Lu has dozens the (sometimes) and by the young, the rich weirdly dressed. techno, outrageous prices and all around prices and all around outrageous techno, along the Kundu Nightsilliness, Market superloud bars at Jinmabiji Sq absolutely Sq absolutely at Jinmabiji superloud bars thump the night away. And for hardcore K is where you want to be. Wenhua Xiang is Wenhua Xiang is you want to be. is where a good place to start. Seemingly dozens of Drinking Drinking area the university atmosphere, laid-back For Ji chain. supermarket the popular French of (trust a duel with Wal-Mart now in They’re so betweenus, you’ll find them too) the two food to gorge of eight got about floors you’ve on. yourself less, with all the slick restaurant and eateries eateries and restaurant with all the slick less, K all over to muscle your way though your way to muscle and the throngs Nonethe- at this restaurant. fed eventually get lonelyplanet.com here with a mix of expats and locals. It’s not too pricey a mix of expats and locals. with here but 东路 shop is still cool), this restaurant-coffee the atmosphere doubles as a drinking den on weekends when tables are moved to one side and a DJ plays tunes until dawn. of fresh air. fresh of YÚNNÁN ones. 20 international carriers andallthenational Theoffice dealswithmorebus station. than (Y1970), alwaysviaShangri-la; expectfre- X Sh Nánníng (Y710),Shàngh (Y1290), Guìyáng(Y570),Nánj K Hángk is the bet fordiscounts. travelperiods. Goingthrough agents isagood have outsideof topaythese absolute peak given hereRates are posted rates –yourarely ticket windowontheleftsideof thebuilding. 232 (Y830), Chóngqìng(Y840),Gu 66-68 BeijingLu) ī ū Flights areFlights scheduled todepartdailyfrom ’ There is a thrice-weekly flight to Lhasa There toLhasa flight isa thrice-weekly ē A good one-stop shop for booking flights A goodone-stopshop forbookingflights K ā nmíng forB unág 38 67 al 10.40am,noon, 4daily 8pm 8am,4.30pm,6pm 4-8.30pm daily 6-7 1-3daily half-hourly 73-82 13-15 13-15 15 Yuányáng 7.30pm, hourly 142-161 8am-5pm Wénsh 10.30am, 3-4 167 Shípíng 55 209 (sleeper) Shangri-la Shangri-la Ruìlì (sleeper) 2 8pm Ruìlì 222 13 3.40pm 2.30pm, daily 10am, 8.30pm 6pm Qi daily 6pm Liùkù 154 11 Lìji Lìji J 8.30pm J Jiànshu Jiànchu Gèjiù 64-77 hourly 3-4 8.40am-6.30pm Dàl Dàl Ch 7pm, 8pm B B B Destination Price (Y nzhèn (Y1370),Q n (Y1100),amongmanyothers. Ū ǐ ǐ ī ǎ ǎ góg(lee) 6 1-1 afhul 4-8pm half-hourly 10-11 165 nghóng (sleeper) góg 8-2 9 al 9.30am,6pm,7.45pm, 4daily 9 185-223 nghóng ō nchu ū YÚNNÁN ••K ǔ osh osh ng FúwùY ā ā NMÍNG BUSTIMETABLE ǐ ǐ b in 64 - half-hourly 7.40am-6pm xióng 36-41 3-4 (lee) 5 2diy 9pm,9.30pm 2daily 9 95 (sleeper) 74-126 frequent 5-8 7.30am-7.30pm g 11 hul 7.30am-7.30pm 8pm,8.30pm hourly 2daily 9 10-12 171 139 ng (sleeper) ng Sanye International Air Service AirService Sanye International ě 6 67 al 9am,10.30am,noon, 5daily 6-7 68 i ā ā ā ā sepr 12 1 al 7.30pm,8.30pm 2daily 11 142 n (sleeper) 7-0 - 4 n 171-202 7-8 daily 8am-9pm ǐ ā 7-0 68 al 9am,11am,3pm, 5daily 6-8 77-104 n 61067 4 n 86-110 6-7 daily 8.40am, 9.20am, 5 3 half-hourly 7.30am-8pm 3 50 9-2 8 al 8am,7.30pm(sleeper) 2daily 8 98-125 n , next door to the long-distance , nextdoortothelong-distance ǒ uxiàn G ě ij ū nmíng ō ī ng (Y1940),Chéngd ngs ī ī ngd ; % ǎ ǎ 353 0773;fax3543370; ) Duration (hours) Frequency Departs i (Y2030)and o (Y1730)and ī ng (Y1680), (S ǎ ā ngzh nyè Guójì ō ū u

154 Dongfeng Donglu) 154 Dongfeng 5888; Sakura Kunming, 25 Dongfeng Donglu) Office is Donglu)Office Kunming,25Dongfeng 5888; Sakura Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Lao Aviation 2/F K Dragonair the following: time of writing. announcedatthe hadalsojustbeen to Osaka flight Kuala Lumpur(Y2256).Anewweekly tiane (Y985,WednesdayandSunday) including HongKong(Y2108,daily),Vien- K Dàl (Y660), Mángshì/Déhóng(Y790),Xiàgu B so planahead. quency tochange often andunexpectedly, ǎ ū Foreign airlineoffices inK There are international from flights Within Yúnnánprovince youcanflyto osh n míng flyingtomostmajor Asian cities ǐ ā (Y520),andShangri-la (Y770). ihuá Gu ā n (Y640),J (G ǎ ǎ (L ngch nglóng Hángk ǎ ow ǎ (M ng, 157BeijingLu) ō Hángk ǎ láix ǐ nghóng (Y780),Lìji nghóng ī yà Hángk ō ō ng G ng; % ō ngs ō 356 1208,1209; lonelyplanet.com ū ng G ī ; CamelliaHotel, nmíng include ō ngs ī ; % ā 316 ng ā n/ YÚNNÁN 233 nmíng ū u or anywhere u or anywhere ǒ (Beijing Lu), opposite nmíng p234 for more for more p234 nmíng ū n Chí or even southeastern Yún- n Chí or even southeastern ā bus station Exceptions to this are more local destina- more Exceptions to this are nmíng’s Buses to Shílín (Y30 to Y40, two hours, (Y30 to Y40, two hours, Buses to Shílín Trains no longer serveTrains no longer Hék From the sleeper-bus stand closer to the From the sleeper-bus ū ard to start rejuvenating the network. ard to start rejuvenating Getting Around TO/FROM THE AIRPORT Buses of run between 52 and 67 the centre Y20, town and the airport. A taxi averages going. you’re depending on where the long-distance bus station. Make sure you you sure the long-distance bus station. Make the tourist onto one of dragged don’t get course you want to spend buses, unless of at various morning stopping off the entire stalls en route. and market temples TRAIN days in up to 10 You can buy train tickets is good news becauseadvance, which at peak sell times, especially public holidays, tickets departure. out days ahead of railway that once else on the narrow-gauge served though the province, the southeast of coun- China is working with neighbouring rail stand- on a once-and-for-all tries to agree tions like Di tions like nán; see Around K details individual attractions on transport to close to the city. sleepertrain station buses get you can to most the same destinations as the train. Busesof generally prices are to be older, so ticket tend cheaper. from 8am to noon) leave every 30 minutes, K

ū ng; ō Mr Chen can also ū (Tàiguó Guójì Hángk NMÍNG Ū YÚNNÁN •• K and you must have the requi- and you must have ū nmíng and bus transport can be ū u 341 u K363 25 10.40am 215 K114 18 12.38pm ō i 502 K79 43 3.07pm i 502 K79 43 ū ǎ ng 558 T61 40 T61 558 ng 10.02pm ngzh 90 N987 9 11.26pm N987 90 ī n 334 K165 39 6.22pm K165 n 334 ǐ ǎ ij ā ‘ ě ī Destination B Cost (Y) Train Duration (hours) Departs Chéngd Dàl Emei Town 20 Gu 3.53pm 2055 Guìlín 230 Nánníng 175 13½ K393 Shàngh 7.03pm 196 K114 16 12.38pm X 351 1515; 68 Beijing Lu) Next351 1515; 68 Beijing Lu) to the King World Hotel. nmíng. However, the situation is the same All prices listed are for a hard sleeper middle berth and/or most comfortable) are the best (fastest on All prices listed trains. TRAINS FROM K TRAINS Other stations are found all over the city, the city, found all over Other stations are There are also trains to Tibet from Chéngd also trains to Tibet are There There are also flights from Shangri-la to also flights from Shangri-la are There ū a little confusing at first. The long-distance a little confusing at first. bus station on Beijing Lu is the best place to imately 2km from the city centre. imately but if the main long-distance station doesn’t what you need, start with the east bus have station approx- or south bus station, each Yúnnán or further afield. organise bus tickets to almost anywhere in to almost anywhere bus tickets organise BUS seemThere to be buses from every- leaving in K where for independent travel. for independent travel. organise overland travel to Tibet, although to Tibet, travel overland organise his sales pitch reported have some travellers than his trips. to be better Lhasa and it’s recently become possible to Lhasa to become possible it’s recently and into Tibet from Shangri-la overland travel ). From Chéngd p291 (see around Y2750. necessary permits and sign you onto a tour. necessary permits and sign you onto a tour. cost writing these packages At the time of Chen’s Tour ( p228 ) can sort you out with the ) can p228 Chen’s Tour ( K as in Chéngd It’s now possible to fly to Lhasa from Thai Airways International group. Mr a as part of permit and travel site outside, on your right-hand side approaching the hotel entrance. lonelyplanet.com To Tibet To Tibet % YÚNNÁN day Y20) own. Ifyou have more time,get your handson has terrific circular-tour possibilities of its have decent transportconnections.Di Hills) are probably themostinteresting. Both Temple (QióngzhúSì)andX fast. everything want tosee lodging offers isprobablyyourbestbetifyou what tours your accommodation orseeing three daysormore. which everything, wouldconsume trips tosee ing, soitwouldtake somethinglike five return There are few crossovers forcombinedtour- consuming, awkwardandvery, very crowded. in visitingthem.Whatisavailable istime- K of liewithina15kmradius Wonderful sights AROUND K exact change. havecity buses noconductors andrequire tion. Fares range fromY1toY4.Themain Lutothemaintrainsta- south downBeijing tion. Bus23runsfromthenorthtrainstation Hotel andontothemaintrain sta- Camellia toBus 63runsfromtheeastbusstation BUS aheadofmake time. reservations Sundaymorningbike to ises rides–youneed some very bikes. goodmountain Italsoorgan- bikes foraroundY15perday. Many backpackers hotels andhostels rent BICYCLE 234 hasn’t quite caught upwithpeople’sinteresthasn’t quite caught If youdon’thave much time,theBamboo Arranging acaranddriver your through Shop Fat Bike Tyres side ( any essentialdetailsandcover yourguide. cross theborder. Werecommend youcopy Planet guidesconfiscated byofficialsasthey that sometravellers have hadtheirLonely 7.30pm, 8.40pm)andthencrossing. Note thing after 6pm. from 8amto11pmbutdon’tbankonany- of Hék ing abusfromK common waytogetVietnam isbytak- With theclosingofrailline,most TO GETTING VIETNAM ū YÚNNÁN ••AroundK The bordercheckpointontheChinese nmíng; sadly, however, localtransport however, nmíng; sadly, hasalarge stockof bicyclesincluding % ǒ u (Y119, 12hours,9.45am,1.30pm, u (Y119, 0873-342 1655)istechnically open Ū NMÍNG ū nmíng tothebordertown

( % 530 1755;61QianjuJie;per ū nmíng ī Sh ā n (Western ā n Chí much as those interestedmuch asthose intemple viewing. is definitely onetobevisited bysculptors as one by one to the right untilyoureachone bytotheright your monster. (Andthisiscool:countthe cymbals together, yetanothercursing apet discussion point,anotherabouttoclaptwo a figure turningaroundtoemphasise caught (the facecontorted almostintoascream), a a monkabout tochomp into alarge peach of photograph: with thedetail asplit-second depictions resemble theimpossible–done got crabs, shrimp,turtlesandunicorns?That’s waves onavarietyof mounts:bluedogs,giant ’bout the70-oddsurfingBuddhas,riding exaggerated surrealism –isstunning.How mash of superbrealism andhead-scratching theresultin statuary, –afascinatingmish- tempt toperfectly represent humanexistence at- gonzo intheirexcruciating,eight-year into… himself One wonders ifheknewwhatwasgetting to fashion500 sculptor LiGuangxiuandhisapprentices the abbotemployedmaster Sichuanese restored untilthelate 19thcentury,when the 15thcentury.Rebuilt,itwasn’ttruly ple nearlyperished inaconflagration s i h T Temple Bamboo some steep hillslurkingoutthere…). area (butbewarned,there ontwowheels are a goodmap,hire agoodbicycleandtourthe leave whenfull from opposite theYúnnán K inside.in forapeek bepersuadedfriendly monksmight tolet you then when youvisit(that’safunnythought) obviously didn’twork).Ifthetemple isquiet tobring themgoodluck(it that isthought –anactists throwingcoinsatthestatues tovisitors closed tostoplocaltour-has been yourheadroundthe doorasthehall peering completion hedisappeared intothinair. peared incaricature), andupontheproject’s temporaries (someof whomnodoubt ap- considered inbadtaste byLiGuangxiu’scon- Intriguing,isn’tit?) inner self. age your –thatistheonebestdetails ū Because Liandhismates pretty muchBecause went duringtheTangRaised dynasty,thetem- The temple isabout12kmnorthwest of So lifelike are thesculptures thattheywere Unfortunately youhave tomake dowith to be the highlight. Theotherrealistic tobethehighlight. nmíng. Minibuses (Y10, 30minutes)nmíng. Minibuses temple

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YÚNNÁN 235 B2 B1 B1 A2 A2 A2 A1 A2 A2 8 3 7 9 2 4 5 6 1 (126km) To Shílín (126km) To Shílín (320km); To X¸ngyì (2km) D¡unán To Black 3 Jìnchéng ...... 7 Dragon Pool ...... Chénggòng Nánníng (800km) nmíng Guìyáng (590km); B ū Guƒndù 00 4 km 2 miles Cable Car Lake Dian (Diƒn Chí) Cable Car 8 Haigeng Park Park Village View Grand Longmen Báiyúk¡u Ϫ⬠ು㡎म㾜ು K¥nmíng ѥफ⇥ᮣम⠽佚 ...... H†ik¡u 9 1 2 5 Zhenghe Park 4 6 oyáo bus station,the foot at ...... Guƒny¸nshƒn ...... ā ...... 催኷ᅶ䖤キ (1889m) ...... (see 6) ...... (see (X¸ Shƒn) ...... Western Hills ㄛネᇎ ढҁᇎ 䞥↓ Gucheng Jìnníng ໾ढᇎ 㘖㘇๧ (Kúnyáng) A 啭䮼 ϝ⏙䯕 oyáo to the top section, or take a oyáo to the top section, a or take To Yùx¸ (50km) ā „nníng Hill Cong It’s a steep approach from the north side. from the north side. approach It’s a steep 2 3 1 AROUND K§NMÍNG AROUND the ‘Sleeping Beauty Hills’, a reference to the the ‘Sleeping Beauty Hills’, a reference Golden Temple Huating Temple Sānqīng Gé TRANSPORT Station Bus Gāoyáo Yunnan NationalitiesYunnan Museum Taihua Temple Temple Taihua Dragon Gate Dragon SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Temple Bamboo Tomb of Nie Er of Tomb Expo Garden Horticultural World To Chéngd¥ (1110km) The hike from G The hike 2½ hours, takes to Dragon Gate the hills, of though a connecting bus most people take from G It is Nie Er. to the Tomb of minibus direct also possible to cycle to the hills from the an hour; to vary the trip, in about city centre undulating contours, which are thought to are which undulating contours, of woman with tresses a reclining resemble hair flowing into the sea. (This is certainly a draw than the original ‘Sleeping of more Buddha Hills’!) n; ā Sh ī n Lóu) n Lóu) (pirate- is at the is at the ā n (the West- ā

nchuán (Dàgu Sh n) and Haigeng n) and Haigeng ā ī f ū n, you haven’t seen n, you haven’t ā n Chí, 3km south- ā Sh ī n Chí ( Lake Dian), to the n Chí ( ā n Chí, X 大观公园 ngyuán). From Longmen ngyuán; admission Y10) ā ō ō n, and catch a minibus back a minibus back n, and catch YÚNNÁN •• Around K ā n G ā ng G Sh nmíng, is dotted with settlements,nmíng, is dotted ī Grand View Tower ě nmíng. A taxi to the temple will A taxinmíng. to the temple ū ū 滇池 (Dàgu ig

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ū ī see below ). other cultural relics. Its hills are also called Its hills are other cultural relics. full of walking (some very steep sections), walking (some very full of and all the temples exploring and discovering out across a long wedge of parkland on the of out across a long wedge Di side of western day trip, lovely a perfectly ern Hills) make Village you can hike up the trail to Dragon you can hike Village and X Gate seen X If you haven’t ‘ K X you the local creed: to give like Kunmingites into town from near the summit at the Tomb bus 44 to take Park, From Haigeng Nie Er. of K men Village (Lóngmén C (Lóngmén men Village Park (H near the Kunming Hotel. At the northeastern At the northeastern near the Kunming Hotel. you may be the park is a dock where end of to Long- a boat (Y5, 40 minutes) able to get ple via the city centre; bus 52 departs from ple via the city centre; Ranweng, beauty rapturously extolling the the lake. of provides good views. Its façades are inscribed inscribed Its façades are good views. provides poem poet by Qing with a 180-character Sun temple was originally constructed here in in here was originally constructed temple 1862. The and includes a nursery, a children’s play- and includes a nursery, a children’s A Buddhist ground, rowboats and pavilions. This Grand View Park sails). It’s mainly for scenic touring and hik- some fabulous aerial views are ing, and there in X Gate at Dragon from the ridges sized junks with bamboo-battened canvas canvas sized junks with bamboo-battened The southern end of the lake, particularly the the lake, The southern end of southeast, is industrial. sq 300 of an area north to south – and covers are km. Plying the waters south of K south of side enterprises; the western farms and fishing side is flat country. the eastern is hilly, while Di Di of The shoreline Fàndiàn from 7am. Minibuses return regu- Minibuses from 7am. Fàndiàn return K larly to Y45. cost around lonelyplanet.com northernmost tip of Di northernmost tip of 60 hectares It covers city centre. the west of YÚNNÁN Y4) a talented Yúnnánmusicianwhocomposed (Lóng Mén;admission Y30) Dragon Gate forY2. tively atourist tramtakes passengers up tothe fairly steep ascent tothesummit.Alterna- (one way/return Y15/30) ( dedicated tothethree mainTaoist deities prince, andwaslater turnedintoatemple wasacountryvillaoftain, aYuandynasty training. en route to theSoviet Unionforfurther of China(PRC) before drowninginJapan the nationalanthemof thePeople’s Republic (Niè’ and cablecarterminus, isthe including magnoliasandcamellias. afinecollectionofhouses flowering trees, ple from here uptotheMingdynasty more the province anditsnumeroushallshave the 11thcentury.It’soneof thelargest in tohavedom believed constructed in been K dikes of upperDi consider doingthereturn route acrossthe 236 ‘enlightenment’). s ū ā , acountrytemple of theNanzhaoking- Near the top of is the mountain From thetombyoucancatch a S The roadfromHuatingTemple winds2km At thefootof theclimb,about 15kmfrom Further alongtheroad,nearminibus that hertears filledDi death. The younggirl wassogrief-stricken Devastated, heleaptfromthecliffs tohis the tipofacalligraphybrushoncarving. completion, themanaccidentallybroke China.northern to formadragongate, emulatingonein decided tochipstonefromthemountain Gate villageatthefootofLuohan Mountain ried, twoyounglovers wholived inDragon most engaging andsad.Before theymar- the rest ofX She laydownandturnedtostone,forming tion of X The Chineselegenddescribingthecrea- THE LEGENDOFHILLS

nq nmíng, is (Tàihuá Sì;admission Y3) (Tàihuá ā ě r Zh nq YÚNNÁN ••AroundK For yearsthetwotoiledbutjustbefore ī arhats ng ī ī ng Gé mù; admissionY1) refers of level tothehighest Taoist ī Sh . , nearthetopof themoun- Huating Temple ā ī Sh n (Western isoneofthe Hills) ā ā n. n Chí. ifyouwanttoskipthe . Thatquote earlierabout . NieEr(1912–36)was . Thetemple courtyard ā n Chí (Lake Dian).n Chí(Lake ū nmíng (Huátíng Sì;admission Tomb ofNieEr Dragon Gate Taihua Tem- cable car

from Li foot of (Y5) alsoleave thehills.Minibuses will take youtoG Li 5 fromtheKunmingHotel totheterminus at to fillup. is youcouldbewaitingforages forthebus site theYúnnánFàndiàn.Theonlytrouble 7.30am to2pm)leave whenfullfromoppo- (oneway/returnMinibuses Y10/20,onehour, THERE&AWAYGETTING return viathebackroutes. pathand up totheDragonGate alongthecliff area includes S and weekends! EntrancetotheDragonGate byatatime,soavoidsqueeze publicholidays so narrowthatonlyoneortwopeoplecan of Di ing outthemostprecarious perches forviews that’s whatthelocalsdowhentheyvisit,seek- X you haven’t LóngMén,youhaven’t seen seen part:‘Andif the Western Hillshasasecond can take aboat fromGrandView Park. lake shore LongmenVillage, through oryou (Y10). Yunnan Nationalities Village ortake ataxi so fromthecablecartoentrance of the Haigeng Park, you’llhave towalk3kmor main trainstation. far entranceandcatch bus44toK Park Haigeng forY30.)Walkthrough Park’s could alsotake thecablecaracrosstoHaigeng row stretch of water andasmallbridge. (You Continuing acrossthespit,youarrive atanar- narrow spitof landleading acrossthelake. andwalkabout100mtoa road, turnright known asS in LongmenVillage (LóngménC the S of hundred metres before DragonGate and to thelakeside. Steps leaddownhillacouple scramble downfromtheDragonGate area the Tombof NieEr. hanging upthere bytheirfingertips. Atleast monk andcoworkers, whomusthave been 1781and1835 by aTaoist between the cliff ridors andpavilions thatwere hacked from This isagroupof sculptures, grottoes, cor- ī ǎ Sh It’s more take reliable bus localbuses: touse edgeThe tunnelalongtheouter is cliff Alternatively, bus33 runsalongthewestern To return toK If you don’t want to pay Y6 to cut through If youdon’twanttopayY6cutthrough ngji ā ā ā nq n Chí. n’. Again, there’s somevaliditytothis. ā ǎ hé, andthenchange tobus6,which ī ngji ng Géarea ticket office andendup ā ā nyì C hé anddroppassengers at off ā nq ī ū ū ā ng Gé.It’spossibletowalk nmíng take thebusor oyáo bus station atthe oyáo busstation n. Whenyoureach the lonelyplanet.com ū ū n), also nmíng’s YÚNNÁN ng ng ō 237 nmíng n Chí, this n Chí, this n Chí. Flow- ū ā ā Kunming Botani- Kunming

nmíng, notably ū (January/Febru- nmíng’s north train train nmíng’s north ū 呈贡县 ngyuán) commemorates ngyuán) commemorates ō 郑和公园 Spring Festival n, and change there for bus 12 to there n, and change , where the flora collection might flora collection the , where ū c ā From Xiaoximen bus station the bus take From Xiaoximen During the During the Take bus 5 heading east to the terminus bus 5 heading east to the terminus Take Many Western varieties of camellia, azalea, varieties of Western Many Take bus 9 from K Take Chénggòng. Haigeng Park Haigeng Park sporting activities at plenty of are There costs Y20/30 per hour – tennis Park Haigeng in the daytime/evening the week, during and RacketY24/43 per hour on the weekend. hire ers bloom year-round, with the ‘flower tide’ bloom year-round, ers This is the and March. February in January, at Júhu Zhenghe Park Di At the southwest corner of park (Zhènghé G (known Zheng He the Ming dynasty navigator as Admiral Cheng Ho outside China). A mau- holds tablets with descriptions soleum here a Muslim, and works. Zheng He, his life of than 30 Asian to more made seven voyages and African countries in the 15th century, in imperial fleet. For a bit a huge command of . p227 detail, seemore Hui, the to Jìnníng; the park is on a hill overlooking the town. orchid and magnolia derive from southwest- and magnolia derive orchid introduced ern Chinese were varieties. They botanists who to the West by adventuring samples off the 19th and 20th cen- in carted the to China; of native turies. Azaleas are found in 800 varieties in the world, 650 are Yúnnán. in and around K sites temple Tàihuá, Huátíng, Yuánt of the temples as well as at Black and the Golden Temple, Dragon Pool. Within walking distanceWithin the is cal Institute to specialists. interest be of station. Chénggòng County (ChénggòngThis county an orchard Xiàn) is Di side of on the eastern region the diminutive best time to visit, especially Yún- nearby. Once one of Dòunán village than it now sells more villages, nán’s poorest The vil- day. each flowers 400,000 sprays of per capita went from US$13 to income lage’s US$415 in four years. blooms can be found at of ary) a profusion n) ǎ Yun- 8am- h ilóng Tán; nmíng’s nmíng’s ē ū

(H 云南民 (Shìjiè Yuányì (Shìjiè Yuányì

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501 2367; adult/student Y100/50; , 11km north of K , 11km north of %

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cypresses, dull Taoist pavilions and no bubble pavilions dull Taoist cypresses, the surround- in the springs. But the view of ing mountains the garden is inspiring. from Black Dragon Pool admission Y1) (Y15) at the back of the gardens can take you the gardens can take (Y15) at the back of to the Golden Temple. in April 1999 for the World Horticultural in April 1999 for the World Horticultural pleas- a mix of Exposition. The gardens are ant Disney-style topiary work and strangely from the expo; the exhibits left over pointless in interested place is worth a visit if you are it a miss. gardens and plants, otherwise give 5m-high, 14-ton bell. This 218-hectare Ból 5pm, last entry at 4pm) temple to the World Horticultural Expo Expo to the World Horticultural temple Garden. Expo Garden World Horticultural 世界园艺博览园 and set himself up as a rebel warlord, with and set himself rebel up as a as his summer residence. the Golden Temple 1671; the back to dates structure The current in the same stood original Ming temple spot off to Dàl but was carted the region but instead turned on the Manchus turned on the Manchus but instead the region

Golden Temple on Phoenix Song Hidden amid a pine forest Mountain is 族博物馆 Yúnnán’s 25 minority groups. of ivals – on each research, the time of at Closed for renovations this. by the time you read it will be reopened tumes, folk art, jewellery, handicrafts and art, jewellery, handicrafts tumes, folk – as well as information musical instruments, fest- and popular social structure concerning is worth a visit if you’re interested in China’s interested if you’re is worth a visit cos- Its halls display minority nationalities. On the northeastern side of the lake, the the the lake, side of On the northeastern Museumnan Nationalities Yunnan Nationalities Museum Museum Nationalities Yunnan lonelyplanet.com ally made of bronze – that was the brainchild bronze – that was the brainchild ally made of General Sangui. Wu was dispatched Wu of in 1659 to quell uprisings in by the Manchus K h YÚNNÁN a labyrinthforlovers privacy. seeking smashed into that theimmortals amountain the pillars reaches hasit Legend 30mhigh. oferoded bywindandrainwater, thetallest about 120kmsoutheastof K massive collectionof grey limestonepillars Shílín also mostderidedattractionsintheprovince. ists, thisisequallyoneof the mostvisited but ning karst geology andahellof alotof tour- A conglomerationof utterly bizarre butstun- % SHÍLÍN able forhire. equipment forhire, andexpensive boatsavail- costs Y15.There’s adrivingrange withall 238 (10km); To Lùnán Pùbù (18km) Dàdiéshu¨ 4 1 3 2 SHÍLÍN ᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲ 0871

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Ā sh Jiuxiang Scenic Area ī ngq ǐ ng B XI 0871 ī 779 8888; fax 779 4887; r incl breakfast Y228-368 + 15%) 779 8888; fax 779 4887; r incl breakfast Minibuses to K Stone Forest Hotel street on the restaurants plenty of are There Gu ncuìxiá (Yincui Gorge) and then follow and then follow Gorge) ncuìxiá (Yincui Ǔ ngj ī ē F Most and waterfalls. gorges river caves, of boat trip through a short the take visitors Y walkways into J hall and the main cave that you enter After proceed through the complex, passing the Fàndiàn plenty of and there’s prices food at bargain produce to point at. fresh Getting There & Away Minibuses between shuttle Lùnán and Shílín In Lùnán, flag (Y3, 10 minutes). regularly the main down anything heading north of traffic circle. Lùnán’s from the west side of depart regularly until around 7pm. For Lúx main roundabout a through bus at the catch (Y12, two hours), the roundabout. southeast corner of JI The when Lùnán becomes a colossal jam of don- colossalwhen Lùnán becomes a jam of are horse carts and bicycles. The streets keys, and with produce, poultry and wares, packed finest. in their dressed Sani women are Sleeping & Eating Kèx Y10, r Y50) bet, thoughin it’s bout is this good budget renovation. need of % place is rightThis high-profile on the central rooms, includ- roundabout and has three-star train station. from the ing transfer The Hotel. next to the Stone Forest east, is an interesting town that has an excel- that has town an interesting east, is and Sani traders of full market lent Sunday tourists. There foreign by is unfrequented in town blue church is also a remarkable straight it’s been from lifted that looks like St Petersburg. LÙNÁN % 10km about town Lùnán is a small market It’s not worth making from the Stone Forest. a special effort try to to visit, but if you do go, day (Wednesday or Saturday), a market catch is is ǔ Shílín; Shílín; ig ǔ ; Moon ǎ ig ǎ ; N Shílín YÚNNÁN •• Around 月湖 ( ; Long Lake; admission ; Dadieshui Waterfall; Yuè Hú 乃古石林长湖 ( (

, and get off at Wéizé, from , and get ī 大叠水瀑布 ( means ‘black’ in the local Yi means ‘black’ in the local Yi Cháng Hú ǔ (July/August), bull- wrestling, nqiáo (Y5) and then change for a nqiáo (Y5) and then change , 18km from the Stone Forest. , 18km from the Stone Forest. , with karst caves, a large waterfall waterfall a large caves, , with karst ig ǎ ǎ Pùbù n ǐ n or Lúx ā

Naigu Stone Forest sh . To get to Cháng Hú take a bus bound for to Cháng Hú take . To get ī nmíng’s bus station to Shílín. In the after- nmíng’s bus station to Shílín. Minibuses run between Lùnán and Shílín Other places include Another day-trip option is the impressive Another day-trip option is the impressive There are also Sani performances during performances during also Sani are There

Larger (300-hectare) rock formations called (300-hectare) Larger ū noon there are minibuses at Shílín’s waiting are noon there full (Y20). when car park, leaving Y10) Gu Lake), 15km away and accessible only by hired Lake), 15km away and accessible only by hired minibus, and less frequent microbus – unless it’s high microbus seasonless frequent – to the falls. infrequent let’s say very it’s 1.5km to the lake. where sign, to a small bus stand where microbusessign, to a small bus stand where for B leave from Lùnán, otherwise walk 2km southwest of from Lùnán, otherwise 2km southwest of walk you see turning left when Lùnán centre, a blue It’s a modest 30m wide but it seems larger It’s a modest 30m wide but it seems larger for Y30 a microbus than its 88m height. Hire Dàdiéshu admission Y20) Forest. The easiest way to get to N The easiest way to get Forest. more (Y15 one way) or a microbus to take 45 minutes) cart (Y10 return, horse relaxing from the main road. blocks ( Stone the Major 8km northeast of dialect), are admission Y40) black volcanic causeway of and an impressive the the crowds, there are less-visited sights around less-visited are crowds, there Shílín. If you want to get away from the tourist from the tourist away If you want to get leave from a stand Horse on the main road. leave carts cost Y15. AROUND SHÍLÍN regularly (Y1, 10 minutes). At Shílín, they they Shílín, At (Y1, 10 minutes). regularly

See p233 for details on travelling from from for details on travelling p233 See K Getting There & Away Getting There & Away ral outdoor amphitheatre by Hidden Lake at ral outdoor amphitheatre Shílín. the back of the day between During the 2pm and 3pm. Torch Festival fighting,dancing is held at a natu- singing and performances are free. are performances times extra performances, so ask at the hotels; hotels; so ask at the times extra performances, Entertainment Entertainment organised eveningsSani song-and-dance are nor- enough tourists. Shows are when there mally start next to at around 8pm at a stage some- are but there Forest the Minor Stone Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book YÚNNÁN nearly 20%of thecity’s400,000residents; for City).TheYias Lùchéng (Deer accountfor the Yi language, thecityisalsoknowntoday Ch of theYi minorityin thecounty,of which population of theYi; itisthecentre indeed, of wandering. foranafternoonnot abadplacetohopoff ally astheywhiztowardDàl Yúnnán visitorgrazestransportation- every K of Ch % CH ride costsY15. Shílín. Ifyoutrackonedown,thetwo-hour vast majority of themare simplyheadedfor near theK occasionallylurk (Y5, onehour).Tourbuses ortheroadjunctiontoJi bus station one hour)andthenanotherfromYíliáng K as lowY80. Rooms costY260butmaybediscounted to is agoodbetifyoucan’tget backtoK ( ( the want tospendthenight, asit’sbecomequite popular.raised, that theadmissionpriceforthissite maybe There are othercaves several inthearea. Note car (Y15)takes visitors backtotheentrance. stone terraces. Fromtheexitof thecave acable Cixiong Waterfall andsomeimpressive lime- 240 九乡宾馆 % ū Visitors are mostintriguedbyitsheady To get toJi In Yíliáng,38kmaway,the The area isbestvisited asadaytripbutifyou eastern Zhouexcavation sites. Many ofthesesites istricky. can bevisited, though transport Budding palaeontologists and anthropologists willlove theCh DIGGING INTHEDIRT nearby W 2001 fossilisedtusk fragmentsfromastegadon, in elephant,were orsabre-toothed unearthed theDadunziNeolithicVillage. excavationneartheLongRiver unearthed large-scale InMarch ing Ch museum hasrecently beenestablished. here inwhat isthoughtobeoneoftheworld’slargest dinosaurburialgrounds, andadinosaur Over120dinosaursdatingbackupto200millionyearshave alsobeenfoundbeen unearthed. the region’s twotoeightmillionyearsoldhave east,bonefragments ofpalaeo-anthropoids ǔ ǔ nmíng’s east bus station toYíliáng(Y8, nmíng’s eastbusstation Ǔ 0878 /pop99,840 0871-753 9444;rY80-260) xióng is the seat. OriginallycalledEluin xióng istheseat. xióng, 185kmandtwo-plushours west ū XIÓNG YÚNNÁN ••Ch Most Chinesemuseums have bronze drumsandotherrelics fromnearbyWanjiaba’s 2500-year-old The famedYuanmou nearShangnabangvillageinYuánmóu, Manwasunearthed border- nmíng, isoneof thetownsthatnearly ǔ xióng County, dating Yúnnán’s earliest humanlike ancestorto1.7millionyearsago.xióng County,datingYúnnán’searliest humanlike A ū ; s&dY80) ē nmíng railway station, though the though nmíng railwaystation, ish 楚雄 ǔ ā n County. xi ā hasdecentrooms. ng take aminibusfrom ǔ xióng on the main highway onthemainhighway ǐ , butit’sactually Shu Ji ǔ xi ā nglú Dàji ā ng B ū ǔ nmíng. ī ngu xi ǔ ā diàn ng ǎ n

town. Thelatter hasgoodviews. Pagoda Dàl old). Theprimeminister of thekingdomof (one tree intheparkisfactover 600years which dates backmore thanamillennium ubiquitous camelliatrees, thecultivationof place famousforthelushred colourof its Ch 20km westof town.Thesourceof much of This isolated peakina12km-longrange is Z AROUND CH fromK seat K decent time. Theydepart8.55amfrom míng are theonlyonesthatget youinata 30minutespart every from7.40amto6pm. Dayan Pagoda of X and ( andMiao.include Hui,Bai minorities withsignificantpopulationshere more informationontheYi see p434 . Other oddest-looking pagodas you’ll see –the oddest-looking pagodasyou’llsee Dàyáo. Thefeature of thistownisoneof the About 100kmnorthwestof Ch Dàyáo left onlyone–Z and nunneries,butearthquakes andwars have retired, hebuiltnearly 100temples, pavilions during theQingdynastyandwasrebuilt. inanearthquakeMing dynasty.Itcollapsed 龙江公园 ǐ ū x Buses (Y36toY41,threeBuses tofourhours) de- Just southof townisthe25m-high Ch Xiàgu The daytrainsbetween nmíng and9.35amfromXiàgu ǔ ī ǐ Sh used the mountains asaretreat. themountains used Whenhe Elu Park xióng’s drinkingwater, it’sapicturesque ǔ xióng’s city sights include xióng’s citysights ā ( 大姚雁塔 n ) 紫溪山 in the northern section of inthenorthernsection thecity ( ū 峨碌公园 ǔ ) nmíng) andtake 3½hours. , based onthedesignof, based the Ǔ xióng region. NearLùf XIÓNG ī dìng Sì.

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SNAKE-BONE PAGODA (SHÉG SNAKE-BONE PAGODA some 3km north of Good views from here, Xiàgu tale. The pagoda was but an even better Peak, Bai man who a legendary raised in memory of to his body and allowed a boa strapped knives Lake Erhai toconstrictor dragon terrorising is Ti to the usual brick pathways, old men with and nary women exercising, retiree birdcages, come here Most bus in earshot. a belching the tombs of for the repaired Victims. in attacks on troops here of wave after wave wiped the Nanzhao kingdom but they were purportedly One general time. out each and his spirit drowned himself in shame town west of on Xieyang Peak haunts a cave A it refuge). was built to give here (a temple park has grown around the peak and it has Xiàgu good views of Sights Sights not many here, are far as sights there go, As yet Erhai Lakesome worthy vistas and sur- of the park on foot rounding hills. You can reach or by motor tricycle for around Y3. Bus 6 goes town. of to the park from the centre Erhai for day trips up and down sell tickets sights.Lake, taking Prices for in all the major start at Y80. the all-day tours

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ǔ XIÀGU„N 2 1 Xiàguān Bīnguǎn Xiàguān SLEEPING SLEEPING Fàndiàn Kèyùn Xiàguān FàndiànXiàguān TRANSPORT StationBus Public Security Bureau Security Public INFORMATION INFORMATION Bank of China Long-Distance BusStation loads of stops along the way, so it’s a good along the way, so it’s a good stops loads of the sightsway to catch along the west side Erhai Lake. of bus station, and left again at the first inter- bus station, and left again at the first Xiàgu (Y1.5, 30 minutes) until around 8pm. Bus 8 until around 8pm. Bus 8 (Y1.5, 30 minutes) that accepts all major credit cards. credit that accepts all major of China and has an ATM cheques money and travellers The regional The regional Jie; 21 Tianbao visa for Xiàgu extensions Information Information G also runs from the centre of Xiàgu of also runs from the centre ask for Dàl If you want to be sure, west gate. for local bus 4, which runs to the real Dàl runs to the real for local bus 4, which section. Just up from the corner is the station There is no reason to stay in Xiàgu is no reason There a in order to catch only need to come here bus or train. centre for transport in northwest Yúnnán. for transport in northwest Yúnnán. centre

lonelyplanet.com ὈὈ YÚNNÁN Y80 orso. if youcanscore theusualdiscountdownto grim buttheroomsaren’t bad,particularly is-better-than-the-rooms, here thelobby is bad choice. Theopposite of thetypicallobby- thisfadingplaceisstillnota main busstation, she Lu; guests tryingtolive onthecheap. are somewhatfamiliarwithforeignthe staff bathroom. Don’texpectmuch butatleast better, smallish, roomswithprivate though rooms withcommonbathroomandslightly thisplacehasdirt-cheap main busstation, without bathroomY30/50/60; mid- totop-endplaces. negotiate apretty gooddeal,atleastinthe of hotels atleastmeansyoucangenerally overpriced andmidrange, anexcess though Accommodation inXiàgu fromDàl start asbuses butit’snotstrictlynecessary station, catch bus anearlybusfromthelong-distance Some travellers inXiàgu anight stay Sleeping ble bathtubsbelowwaterfalls built. hasbeen the Si’erRiver valley.Asmall‘resort’ withmar- suburbs, isthishotspring(Xiàgu Southwest of Xiàgu SPRING HOT XIAGUAN God of theWhite DragonKinghekilled. of which astatue houses thelocalheroand of here, of atthebase XieyangPeak, is him,which killedthebeast.Justsouth devour 244 Xiàgu Kèyùn Fàndiàn Buses fromXiàgu XIÀGU úln 2 3 eey5 i 7am-4.30pm 50min every 3½ 29 Yúnlóng ígàg4 8 al 8pm daily Téngch 8 Ruìlì 117-131 4pm, 2 Nínglàng 48 10-12 Mángshì (Lùx 8.30am, Lìji daily 7pm 8.20pm K J Jiànchu etnto Pie() uain(or) rqec Departs Frequency Duration(hours) (Y) Price B Destination ǐ ū ǎ góg 7 1 3diy noon,2pm,7.30pm 3daily 17 170 nghóng YÚNNÁN ••Xiàgu 建设路 osh mn 9-2 7 vr 0mn 7.50am-7pm 40min every 7 90-126 nmíng ā g 15 3 al 8.30am,10am,2pm, 5daily 3 41-58 ng ā ā n Fàndiàn 85 2 diy 10.30am daily 2½ n 48-58 ō ā Ā g8 6 al 10am, 2 1pm daily 6 ng 85 2 3 eey1 i 6.30am-5pm 15min every 3½ 20 n N BUSTIMETABLE 58 ī 8 - 1diy 6pm 1 daily 6-8 ) 98 号 ǐ toXiàgu

( ; s&dY100-168; (Xiaguan Hotel; (Xiaguan

% ā ā n’s long-distancebusstation: n, afew kilometres inthe 212 5286;s&dY60-120,s/d/tr ā a n 下关温泉 ā ) n around6.30am. Right nexttothe Right ā % n isgenerally a ā 216 1018;58Jian- W ) East of the East ē nquán) in nquán) in B ǎ ā olìng Sì n to , Cangshan Lu, Middle Section; Section; Cangshan Lu, Middle the main bus station is this option. Though isthisoption.Though the mainbusstation are sideof bothonthesame thestreet, ap- some travellers. Luckily,thetwomainones partures theprovince, throughout soifthe get ateitherone. droppedoff Bothhave de- proximately twoblocksapart.Youmight Xiàgu BUS one toGu are three dailytoK flights Y50 fromXiàgu are cost totheairport;taxis nopublicbuses Thereiently located nearthetrainstation. Yunnan Airlinesticket office isinconven- Xiàgu AIR Getting There&Away foods. and Bai exercise gym,andrestaurant withChinese 700-room complexwithswimmingpool, lobbyatriumleadsintothetions. Abright 580; places intown. it stillisjustbetter thanmostothermidrange it continuallytriestoremodel intoglitz, itself 1 8pm) and local destinations you need to8pm) andlocaldestinationsyouneed hours, 20minutes every from6.20amto other one. departure timeforyou,wanderover tothe have doesn’t agood busstation long-distance 号 Xiàgu M For Shangri-la tonine (Y50toY60,eight ; s&dY150-288; a ě id ā ā ē n hasfive which busstations, throws n’s airportis15kmfromtown.The ) ā Thisisoneof thebestluxuryop- ng Dàji n B ǎ Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ī ngzh ngu ǔ ǎ diàn a ō n ā ( u (Y1540). % n orY80fromDàl ) Almostdirectly opposite

( 美登大酒店 217 4933; 1 Renmin Lu;217 4933;1Renmin 苍山路中段 ū nmíng (Y430)and ; % ; s&dY400- 人民路 213 8999; ǐ . There YÚNNÁN n ā ng ǐ 245 ish ē nd n ī ā J

(admission ; Lèngyán ; Magnificent n, W n, ā zú Sh ī . ǐ 金顶寺 cable car u Mén). At the the u Mén). At zh 楞严塔 ( ǒ ā ( n (Y11, two hours), n (Y11, two hours), n consider a stopo- ā ā ), once the adminis- ; Gongchang Tower). ; Gongchang Huásh nchu nchu ī ; ī 周城 at the foot of the mountain at the foot of ǐ ( 拱长楼 zh ā ( n’s north bus station or the bus ā 巍山华首门 Lengyan Pagoda uchéng ( N ō Ā Golden Summit Temple Zh to the summit is a good way to cheat, way to cheat, to the summit is a good ISH 0872 / pop 20,670 ), a 13-tier Tang dynasty pagoda that was dynasty pagoda ), a 13-tier Tang A popular option for making the ascent is for making the ascent A popular option On the way to B Just before the last ascent is the the last Just before Ē ngcháng Lóu ǎ ǒ restored in 1927. in 1927. restored done the who have Travellers a pony. to hire fun. A trip claim it’s a lot of Today it’s a charming small town with old ar- small town with old Today it’s a charming and strollworthy flagstone streets. chitecture Orientation The town’s central point is the unmistakable G pedestrian zones. are here North and south of ver in ver the and another of the area of centre trative important salt out a capitals. You can check (with a Confucian tem- 15th-century temple ple added to it in the 17th century for good and some residual ancient bridge measure), old architecture. W % Xiàgu Some 55km or so south of by the Hui populated a region is the heart of was once the nucleus of The town and the Yi. the powerful Nanzhao kingdom, and from Wenxiu led an army Du the Hui rebel here century. against the Qing in the 19th in revolt Accommodation is available at the base of the at the base of Accommodation is available mountain, about halfway up and on the sum- Y20 to Y30 per bed. from mit. Prices average the once you reach fairly expensive Food gets to consider bringing summit so you may want is basic accommoda- own. There your some of tion at a sleepingSì), next to the pagoda – bag might be a good idea at this altitude. GETTING THERE & AWAY From Xiàgu the main bus sta- blocks east of station a few a bus to B tion take for a bus or to change you’ll have from where minibus to Sh (Y10, one hour). temple on the mountain, on temple an hour’s walk about at Sh the bus stop up from Head Gate summit is T Y30) though the ride only starts halfway up. SLEEPING & EATING

n n n ā ā ā ng, ǐ nd zú Sh ī nmíng, ī nchu ī J ū nmíng. n between n between YÚNNÁN •• J ā ū nmíng’s main nmíng’s main is a major at- is a major Zhusheng Temple ū

n (Y20, 3½ hours) buses n (Y20, 3½ hours) ā n you’ll have to slog down to slog down n you’ll have n at 8pm, 8.50pm, 9.30pm ng also run regularly from from run regularly ng also ā ā ā ish . ē ǐ 鸡足山 n. (A third downtown station near N ā Zhùshèng Sì), the most important Ā

; n. n. ā

zú Sh ī At the time of the Qing dynasty there were were the Qing dynasty there At the time of Tickets for nearly all destinations can be for Tickets Today it’s estimated more than 150,000 than 150,000 more Today it’s estimated Bus 1 goes to the train station from the To get to W To get Also from the north stationAlso from the not the but To get to Jiànchu To get ZÚ SH Ī 祝圣寺 at 9.35am. SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES & ACTIVITIES SIGHTS Sights include along the way ( the Golden Summit, is at a cool 3240m so to bring warm clothing. sure make tourists and pilgrims clamber up the moun- the sun rise.tain J every year to watch been going on since 1979. although renovation work on the temples has on the temples work although renovation monks. The Cultural Revolution’s anarchic assault past did away with on the traditional on the mountain, interest that was of much approximately 100 temples on the mountain 100 temples approximately 5000 resident in the vicinity of and somewhere and Tibetan. and Tibetan. Packed with temples and pagodas, with temples Packed (Chicken-Foot Mountain; admission Y60) traction for Buddhist pilgrims – both Chinese centre of town. of centre J and 10.20pm. The day train leaves Xiàgu and 10.20pm. The day train leaves booked in Dàl booked Xiàgu trains leave 5.30am and 8.05am. One day train departs at 3.54pm; it’s cheaper at 8.55am and arrives than the night train. Returning to K berths Y67 to Y95) leave K Y67 to Y95) leave berths train station at 9.25pm, 10.36pm, 11pm and 11.30pm, all arriving in Xiàgu TRAIN TRAIN sleeper sleeper trains (hard Four overnight to the miniscule south bus stationto the miniscule south bus via bus 12 (or a Y8 taxi the Kunrui ride); it’s opposite to K near the expressway Hotel, for J the main bus the traffic east of roundabout station also has buses there.) also leave from the main bus station. also leave busesmain station to B you can get run mostly from the north bus stationrun mostly every 6.30am to 5pm though from a few 15 minutes Xiàgu catch your bus from the north bus station. bus station. the north bus from your catch Minibuses to Lìji Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book YÚNNÁN cheapest intownbut,asithadjustopened a friendly family.Wherever you are you may but it’snot farsouthof thetower;it’s runby of them.Ourfave hasnoname(seriously!) or southof Gongchang Towertofindmost a problem, asthey’re allgood.Head north town otherthanof thecubbyholevariety.Not There are quite literally norestaurants inthis Eating &Drinking of thebusstation. make itasteal. It’sjustahopandskipwest of all–discountstoaroundY60 Best staff. than mosthotel rooms!)andvery friendly fresh rooms(thebathroomsaloneare larger priortoourvisit,ithassmashingly two weeks 5866; DongxinJie; tothecentre close station, of town. bad. It’safive-minute walkwestof thebus The lowest-pricedonesare actuallynotthat ernment-run placehasthecheapest rooms. 52 DongxinJie; We Sleeping artefacts. belongingsandotherhistorical inhabitants’ compound are roomsfilledwiththeoriginal Surrounding aMing(withQingadditions) sliceof architecture.the town’sbestpreserved 化老家 Tower) you’llcometo ing under Gongchang Toweranother100m,after pass- a bitnorthof Southfrom thebusstation. historic towerstructures are inbackalleys Gongchang Tower,twoother(more modest) todo.Just wanderingisallyou’llneed Besides Sights Jie, acoupleminutes’ walksouth. opposite sideof thestreet, ortheoneonXixin located justnorthof thepostofficeon Y2 perhour,trythecaféonWeicheng Xilu, walk westof Forinternet thebusstation. at of thecornerof XixinJie,about a10-minute Yóuzhèng; WeichengXilu; before youcome. No bankscanhelpintown,sostockupDàl Information and theroadto/fromXiàgu To theeastfive to10minutes isthebusstation 246 Yunxi Hotel W ī sh ē YÚNNÁN ••AroundW ish ā ; MénghuàL n hasloadsof options. ā n B 东新街 X ī ī ngu

( ngg 云溪会馆东新街 ǎ ǒ ǎ n oji ng Lóu China Post

52 ( 巍山宾馆 ā ; admissionY6; 号 h ; d/trY120/150; ; dY40-160; ; Yúnx 8am-8pm) ( Menghua OldHome Menghua 星拱楼 ē

ī 中国邮政; ish Huìgu ā ; n. % ā isjustnorth h a n ǎ a ; Xinggong 0872-612 2655; n; 9am-evening) ) Thisgov- % ) Notthe Zh 0872-612 ō ngguó ( 蒙 ,

two hours) toW in China).Birders inparticulargogagaover camelliatree (andthetallest and flyingmouse 50 speciesof faunaincludingwhite pheasant Dòng; No1).Alongthewayyoucanalsoespy ticket) and Wenchang Palace; No3onyourentrance most significantare at and you’llfindsomesuperbTaoist murals;the dynasties itwasthezenithof China’sTaoism around 2500m).DuringtheMingandQing structures (which onthemountain peaksat tively easyhike toalltwodozen temples and birthplace of theNanzhaokingdom.It’sarela- about 10kmsouthof town, claimedtobethe worthy Most touriststoW W AROUND W Xiàgu Getting There&Away at least. Gongchang willbearoundY15 Tower;abeer ( trendy bars here, including theHàntángJi the town – can be spectacular; rolling clouds the town –canbespectacular; particularly tothenorthand tothewestof dissuade avisit.The entire county’s scenery– tions anawfullot of mining,butdon’tletthis you comeacross regarding theregion men- Hui, Dai,LisuandAcang.Mostof thepress Yi,ethnic groupsincludingtheBai, Miao, ranges, populated bymore thanhalfadozen nestled inamongtheNuandYunmountain halfway totheNuJiangRegion, Yúnlóng lies Around 150kmnorthwestof Xiàgu % YÚNLÓNG around Y40;forY50he’llwaitthere foryou. adriveraway, it’seasiertojusthaggle downto of Ifyouwanttoleave thebusstation. straight shared microvans toleave fromablockwest you canwait–interminably attimes–for togetit’s easyenough there fromW node onaninternational birdingflyway. and,infact,theentirethe mountain county,a all thatmany–are headedfortheeminently 汉唐酒吧 baked tea. peopleindulginginalocalYisee specialty, ē Oddly, you’llfindacoupleof trying-to-be- To get fromW tothemountain There because isno lodgingatthemountain, 0872 /pop8800 ib ǎ ā o Sh n’s south bus station has buses (Y11, hasbuses n’s southbusstation W ē ib Changchun Cave ), alongMingJie( Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ā 云龙 ǎ n Ē o Sh ISH 巍宝山 ā ē n ish Ā

ē (Weibao Mountain;admissionY50) ish N ā n from6amto6pm. Wénch ā n –notthatthere are ( 长春洞 ā ng G 明街 ō ; Chángch ng ) northof ē ( ā ish ē 文昌宫 n and ish ā n. ā ǔ n b , ū ā n ;

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n ǎ n ǎ bù yào ch ǎ ǒ uròu; ngu ǒ ī ngu g W ī ngu ī ; ; s & d from Y80; ; s & d Y80-280; ; s & d from Y40; ). ng B ā 狗肉 ji ǐ 文笔路 B 虎山路 ), at the far west end of the Dàl ), at the far west end of Yúnlóng B any For eating, you’ll notice an absence of Ténglóng B 文笔路吃狗肉涧 uphill one to hike you’ll have there From ture. the bus drops you off, turn block from where minutes right (east) and head about 10 more to the highway through running town. From buses you can flag down any number of here from the bus station along Hushan Lu, cross from the bus station Lu, cross along Hushan and you’ll see the bridge the town’s over a flower- and laudable ‘riverwalk’, impressive a Bi shrouded pathway along the dry bed of tributary. It isn’t a bad stroll, and for River it you’ll find the town’s only real most of – all simple holes-in-the-wall with eateries Muslim places, standard a few Chinese fare, than one that sells now, more and, careful dog ( say eat dog meat’ in Man- ‘I don’t want to darin, it’s: Getting There & Away in the Nujiang heading for Liùkù If you’re on one to get have ), you’ll first p297 ( Valley ( morning buses two early for Cáojiàn of Lu; Lu; to Y50 (they gave the usual discount down Everything for this) this is a steal. us a suite nary a cigarette (usually) works and there’s burn in the carpet. Lu; a bus. Spacious com- be led if you stumble off at staffpound and attempts professionalism else. the same as everywhere but rooms are You can expect a standard room discounted to around Y60. Simply walk east No problem. actual eateries. much of the town is ringed by similar heights heights by similar ringed the town is of much or two of day a great for make and could exploring. Eating Sleeping & a finding hardly any problem You’ll have head for the night place to lay your cheap in Yúnlóng. Lu; with a somewhat riotous seem much, like canteen-style next to the reception dining hall But the rooms and faded paint in the hallways. fine and the actually perfectly are themselves staff helpful. quite 100m east of the bus station is where you’ll the bus station is where 100m east of ; 沘江 ; njú; Panlong Panlong ā ng ō YÚNNÁN •• Yúnlóng ; G , flanked by a by a , flanked n ( right ). right n ( ǎ ngguó Diànxìn; Hushan ō 公安局 ngu 中国农业银行 pagoda ī ngguó Yóuzhèng; Renmin ( ; Zh ō ; Jisu Internet Café; Wenbi Lu; ; Jisu Internet Café; Wenbi Lu; ng B (PSB; ā ; Zh nlóng Sì), which was shut nlóng Sì), which ji ǐ ā ; P 中国电信 ( 极速网吧 9.30am-5pm) Unable to help with visa (

中国邮政 ā ( h 潘龙寺 . It’s a tougher slog to get there than than there . It’s a tougherto get slog ngb ( ng) runs along the west side of town town side of ng) runs along the west ǎ

ā ngguó Nóngyè Yínháng; Renmin Lu) They’ll smile but They’ll ngguó Nóngyè Yínháng; Renmin Lu) In the dramatic eyries above the temple the temple In the dramatic eyries above

Don’t despair, within a handful of kilometres within a handful of Don’t despair, Ji ō ǐ pavilion Lu) Just west of the PSB. Lu) be unable to help; stock up on cash before you get here. you get here. be unable to help; stock up on cash before Zh per hr Y2) Opposite the B it looks, but the views are grand. In fact, grand. In fact, it looks, but the views are Renmin Lu; Renmin Lu; tight when we showed up. sits the town’s sentinel extensions but nice enough anyway. If you’ve got some time to kill, just north of got some time to kill, just north of If you’ve you the bus station bearing to the left (before sits modestly proud the bridge) cross Sights Sights Temple Public Security Bureau Jísù W China Telecom China Telecom China Post Agricultural Bank of China Most services sta- the bus of found north are tion on Renmin Lu. only one you’ll find – and its street names only one you’ll find – and its street thosedon’t match streets! on the actual Information MAPS MAPS map on the bus station wall is the The lovely the river, and it’ll take you towards slmost and it’ll take the river, everything you need. north to south (with one tributarynorth to south (with one splitting east to west) and everythingoff is referenced to it. The bus station is in the south end of town. Bear the bus station, follow left out of B Orientation Orientation and you can streets Yúnlóng has but a dozen ( The Bi River or so. it in an hour cover fascinat ing millennium-old Baiing millennium-old village. fascinat are a couple of outstanding sights: a couple of A naturallyare and, further on, a figure formed Yin-Yang sights are nearly impossible to get to on public to on public to get impossible nearly sights are flaggingtransport without down. something hot springs (along with a lot of interesting interesting (along with a lot of hot springs these of Trouble is, most ancient bridges). In the mountains throughout the county are In the mountains throughout the county are and lakes’ ‘heavenly caves, of dozens literally formed from secondaryformed evaporation impelled Dragon’). ‘Cloud (literally, Yúnlóng the name Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book Lu) Exit the bus station and head east 50m; it’s on the left.Lu) YÚNNÁN narrow and leadintoawondrous labyrinth of own personal architectural tour. Thepaths once thelifeblood of dynasticambition. salt wells the river andhitthefirst of thetown’smany Entering thevillage fromYúnlóng,youcross SIGHTS in the2ndcenturyAD. upherewas set asfarbacktheHan dynasty moniker isabitmisleading:thefirst well salt Burma andIndia. Oh,andthemillennial also white goldastheyheadedforTibet, ponies were notjustleafyriches but lugging trade. TheoldTeasalt Trail(see Horse p277 ) village wasoneof theepicentres of thecrucial where inYúnnán. the mostunretouched courtyardsof Bai any- asaschool, ancientburialspots,andused still proudgates, aConfuciantemple now tecture you’llfind temples, weathered but alone English here. Amongthemyriadarchi- –you’llhardlyhearMandarin,indeed let populaceMing andQingdynasties.ABai a wholelotsincetheywentupduringthe haven’tbuildings which seemingly changed clop upcoolnarrowflagstonestreets amid visit tothearea. and Poniesanddonkeys huff toany lóng, isunquestionablythehighlight Nuòdèng, around7kmnorthwestof Yún- concentrationsof inYúnnán.the highest Bai this lovely anachronistic hamletwithoneof village’ parts,anditrefers aroundthese to You’ll hearmuch of the‘thousand-year-old Nuòdèng AROUND YÚNLÓNG damn itcanbelovely instretches! along narrowcountyroadsisabutt-killer,but Yúnlóng (Y22,fourhours, 7.30amand10am) Thebumpyandcircuitousridefrom through. (Y13 toY15,onetwohours) astheypass 248 Ascending fromhere intoyour youstart And salt. AlongwithH And salt. YÚNLÓNG BUSTIMETABLE Y Xiàgu K Jiànchu etnto Pie() uain(or) rqec Departs Frequency Duration(hours) (Y) Price B Destination ǒ ū ǎ ÚNN • rudYnóg YÚNNÁN ••AroundYúnlóng gíg 6 2diy 9.40am&14.30pm 2daily 3 16 ngpíng osh mn 3 89 al 6pm daily 8-9 nmíng 139 ā ā . Grubbytoday,perhaps, butitwas 9 ½ 16 3½ n 29 7am-3pm daily 5 diy 8.20am daily 5 n 35 ā 2 diy 8am daily 5 n 32 诺邓 ē ij ī ng ( p241 ), this solicitous. They’lllikely pourloadsof tea into wondrous proprietors whoare charming and run bysimply now acosylittleinn-museum village, courtyard buildingis thisoriginalBai maps onthewall)doublesasafavourite tea- (lookfortheplacewith shop-guesthouse tury andthenrebuilt inthelate Qingdynasty ( Further uphillisthegrandold getting distracted bythe astheteacherseven trytokeep themfrom school. The kids’lleatupavisitfromyou, ConfucianTemple spots inthevillage, first upcomesthetown’s too animated withthecamera. places. Justremember tobepolite andnotget You’ll likely aroundafew beinvited intonose everywhere –thatmake thetripworthwhile. living withtheirchickens withdryingpeppers folks less dwellings–yeah,theystillcontain areever, bare. sadly Butit’sreally thename- theinteriors,English signage you’llsee; how- exterior touch ups,nottomentiontheonly salt administrationbuildings more than100 ancientdwellings.Thevillage’s hills andexploring theoldbuildings. lingering justwanderingabout the foraweek, owners. More thanonetraveller haswoundup lots of memorabilia andartefacts of theprevious you andgive youatourof theroomscontaining per bedY15) facilities are clean. No frillstobesure butthebedsandwash their drinking spotforlocals,wholinger andslurp bed Y10) G SLEEPING after itburneddown. 玉皇阁 ǔ c Fùji Of thetwoshouldn’t-be-missed historical ū n Ch chá ǎ Smackinthecentre of thevillage, this Liúf ī ; YùhuángGé),builtinthe16thcen- zhùdiàn Atoneof pointsof thehighest the (tea) inthe shadeof abigol’tree. ā Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ngyuàn

, nowhometoaprimary ( 古村吃住店

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ǐ 257 ǐ ng and ng and ā as an end node ǐ and Lìji ǐ ’, complete with original gates with original gates ’, complete n (Jade Green Mountains) Mountains) Green n (Jade ǐ ā ’s character. The southern part of The southern part of ’s character. ǐ ng Sh ā lies on the western edge of Erhai Lake at of edge lies on the western ǐ The kingdom exerted considerable influ- The kingdom exerted The main inhabitants of the region are the are the region The main inhabitants of The influx of Chinese tour groups is chang- The influx of Yup, expect a constant friendly invasion of a constantYup, expect of friendly invasion still in a stunning Then again, so what? It’s the former is in a losing battle for the hearts in a losing battle for the the former is travellers. and minds of and renovated city walls. Fuxing Lu is now and renovated ing Dàl to create town has been radically renovated a new ‘old Dàl to Chineselined with shops catering tour- up in Baiists led around by guides dressed costumes. people have long-established roots in the Erhai people have settled thought to have and are Lake region, In the early 8th ago. some 3000 years the area and succeeded century they grouped together Imperial Army before the Tang in defeating establishing the Nanzhao kingdom. ence throughout China and even, southwest since it con- to a lesser Southeast Asia, degree, the 9th cen- of trolled upper Burma for much Dàl established tury. This later on the famed Burma Road. In the mid-13th the invincible Mongol before century it fell Kublai Khan. hordes of History History Dàl 4000m- 1900m, with imposing an altitude of tall C in centuries the five of behind it. For much its own affairs, Dàl Yúnnán governed which operations, and the old city of was the centre that is a historical atmosphere still retains China. hard to come by in other parts of Bai, 1.5 million. The Bai who number about become a cliché in backpacker discussions and discussions in backpacker a cliché become both Dàl forums for online buses, way offtourists clambering tour-group some misguided shops, too many souvenir and un- structures, and streets of renovations guesthouse staff usual pitfalls – the interested a town gone famous. of location sandwiched between mountains and fascinat- endless still are Erhai Lake and there to and getting ing possibilities for exploring – seriously, Bai if culture know the region’s you’ve to do here, you can’t find something the wandering keep got other problems. Just the trails nook, hike alleys to find your own Lake on a boat on Erhai the town, get above and get your hands on a bike get or, better, town. out of

finds itself getting finds itself getting ǐ (back to Yúnlóng)!

YÚNNÁN •• Dàl symbol. When the weather is right –

the wrong way the . Just say old the name and watch ǐ 太极图大理 22km’ go left and up a stone road and

Ǐ 0872 / pop approx 40,000 To get to the pavilion at the prime viewing to the pavilion To get This is where nature really can seem really to be nature This is where

Or, more easily, take a three-wheeled motor- a three-wheeled easily, take Or, more A three-wheeled motorcycle taxi ride there taxi motorcycle A three-wheeled ride there 天池 slagged by quite a few travellers. ‘Touristy’ has travellers. a few by quite slagged nán’s (nay, China’s) backpacker sanctuaries nán’s (nay, China’s) backpacker today Dàl Yet decades ago. % Ah, Dàl Yún- of the first China hands grin, thinking of DÀL cycle for Y20. ‘ start the trek. at the gas station in town head west across the you see 50m after a sign saying About bridge. but it seems like a lot more.) If you’re up for it, If you’re but it seems a lot more.) like point, you could theoretically hike the seven hike point, you could theoretically is, it’s a long, The trouble or so kilometres. road with slog uphill along a gravel tedious (The rise is only 300m, endless switchbacks. vember through January according to locals – according to through January vember Best lovely. preternaturally are the mists here afternoon. mid to late photo-op times are Yin-Yang cooler nights and warmer days, especially No- into a serpentine roll, and the result, seeninto a serpentine roll, and the result, naturally formed is a remarkable from above, messing with you. The Bi River here is forced here with you. The Bi River messing it. Or, even if you know it’s there, from the it. Or, even if you know it’s there, it. ground you can hardly appreciate While waltzing along the Bi River towards Bi River While waltzing along the Nuòdèng, you’ll walk right past this amazing and not even realise nature coincidence of is around Y20. Tàijítú will be a white-tiled building in the centre). in the centre). building will be a white-tiled pass (but won’tNear the 2.5km point, you’ll at also that ). Note below notice) Tàijítú ( likely the 3.5km point you’ll see a sign with English Sadly, the arrow is pointing you to the village. pointing right. After another 100m the road suddenlyright. another 100m After (there middle route ways; go the splits three low the river. From the bus station, From the bus bear left low the river. 100m After along the river. and walk north past a gas stationcontinue walking on your From Yúnlóng, it’s an easy and occasion- it’s an easy and From Yúnlóng, fol- 7km walk to Nuòdèng: ally picturesque GETTING THERE & AWAY GETTING THERE & AWAY (Continued from page 248) lonelyplanet.com Ὀ Ὀ

YÚNNÁN locals callitYangren Jie(Foreigner’s St)–and Gate (B Gate (NánMén)acrosstowntotheNorth about halfanhourtowalkfromtheSouth awalkforanhourorso.by taking Ittakes eminently walkable –easytoget yourbearings of all,it’s within thetown’soldwalls.Best bled streets andtraditionalstonearchitecture cob- preserved Wandering about, you’llsee Orientation 258 around thetownwalls(renovated in1998). town anditssurroundingsyoucanalsowalk Bank ofChina INFORMATION Dali Museum SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES CDs Books & Mandarin Friends Guesthouse SLEEPING Café Peace & Jim's Guesthouse Tibetan China Telecom China Post Chairlift (1km) Mountain To Zhonghe 1 3 2 DÀL¯ ໻⧚সජϝটᅶᷜ Huguo Luisthemainstripforcafés– ঢ়ྚ㮣ᓣ䜦ᑫ ঢ়ྚ੠ᑇ令ख़ YÚNNÁN ••Dàl ě Ё೑䚂ᬓ i Mén). For a good overview ofi Mén).Foragoodoverview the ໻⧚म⠽佚 Ё೑䫊㸠 AC ֵ⬉Ё೑ Shíb†oshƒn (110km) Shƒpíng (30km); Pagodas (2km); X¨zhŸu (18km); To Three ...... Ѩढк㢥 ...... To Xiàguƒn ...... (see 2) ...... (see 2) 17 ...... (18km) 18

...... (see 7)

Yuxiu Lu 19 West Gate Yunnan-Tibet Road 16 ...... 6 10 7 Vegetable 5 3 4 1 2 Market B3 B2 B3 B2 B2 13 Canping Lu Canping Boai Lu 11 15 Marley's Café Jim's Peace Café Bamboo Café EATING Tibetan Lodge No 3 Guesthouse MCA Guesthouse MCA Jim's Tibetan Guesthouse Jim's Peace Hotel Liùhéyuàn Qīngnián Lǚshè Lǚshè Liùhéyuàn Qīngnián 9 14 12 ঢ়ྚ㮣ᓣ䜦ᑫ ݁ড়䰶䴦ᑈᮙ⼒ 4 South Gate B 3 North Gate Wenxian Lu 1 5

Fuxing Lu Renmin Lu Renmin

Huguo Lu

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Pingdeng Lu Yu' er Lu er Yu' 2 偀Б੪ଵ佚㋿ネሟ ໻⧚সජ䴦ᑈᮙ佚 ...... ঢ়ྚ੠ᑇ令ख़ ㄀ϝ᢯ᕙ᠔ ঢ়ྚ੠ᑇ䜦ᑫ ...... 䜦ᑫ and Dutch. guidebooks andnovels English inChinese, Sh can bepicked upat Huguo LuandFuxingLu.More ones useful are available atstreet nearthecornerof stalls Tourist mapsof Dàl MAPS pizzas, cheap garbandbootlegged CDs. much allthere looking forlattes, crispycrust claim toloatheandavoid it,they’re pretty otherforeign every though traveller to seems ...... ū yuàn; Fuxing Lu) ...... (see 7) 7) ...... (see ...... 13 12 11 10 8 9 6 7 C2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B3 B2 B3 Yeyu Lu 8 Birdbar DRINKING Yunnan Café&Bar Tibet Café Tibet Café Bus Station Bus Station TRANSPORT Local Bus Station Station Bus Local Buses to Station Train , alongwithagreat of selection ѥफ੪ଵ佚 ࠄ☿䔺キⱘ݀݅≑䔺 Reservoir 右৻ Mandarin Books&CDs Mandarin Reservoir ǐ South and the Erhai Lake area andtheErhaiLake North 㽓㮣੪ଵ佚 0.3miles 500m 0 0 ᅶ䖤キ ...... & East Gate ㈬ ᅶ䖤キ ู ...... Ὀ ...... lonelyplanet.com Cáic¥n (5km) ...... Lake (4km); ...... To Erhai D (W

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n; Wenxian Lu; n; Wenxian Lu; ǎ is likely the most is likely nlíng) Just Qianxun Pagoda ā ) Merrymaking – along ē ’s outstanding Third Moon ’s outstanding Third Moon ǐ n. It is flanked by two by two n. It is flanked ( Rào S ā , also almost makes the the , also almost makes Shì Bówùgu ’ ǐ ī u. Here travellers stay up until u. Here nyuè Ji 8.30am-6pm) ō ā 大理市博物馆

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ǐ Dali Museum The tallest of the three, the three, The tallest of The temple behind the pagodas, the pagodas, behind The temple ; admission Y5; Three Temples Festival Festival Three Temples Give it a shot and you’ll see it a shot some marble Give grace marble stelae handicrafts (a number of one wing) and a fairly decent overview of Bai culture. Festivals & Events text, seefestivals, the boxed these of For dates p219 . Third Fair Moon with boatloads of buying, selling and general horse- trading (but mostly merrymaking) – on a human-wave scale takes place during Dàl Temple In tradi- the visitor. admission worth it for of tional Yunnanese layers style, it has three peak in the a sacred buildings lined up with has beenbackground. The temple restored museum into a chronicling and converted of and renovation the history, construction the pagodas. DALI MUSEUM The 路 region, entire tourist spot in the unvisited the spectacular natural world in which given Nothing else to do? left the town is plunked. which begins on the 15th day of the third lunar Fair, month (usually April) and ends on the 21st day. The origins of the fair lie in its commemoration of a fabled visit by Guanyin, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, to the Nanzhao kingdom. structures in southwestern China and China in southwestern structures Dàl of symbol or photo a painting in Yúnnán seems to have It’s a costly admission them on the wall.) of can’t actu- that you given price (especially pagodas), but just watching the ally enter their buses falling off tourists literally and snaps nearly makes their take to about tearing price. it worth the It was 70m. a height of that reach 16 tiers century by in the mid-9th originally erected from X engineers is which of each pagodas, smaller 10-tiered 42m high. up with the party is held during festival The this festival. between the 23rd and the 25th days of the fourth lunar month (usually falling in May). The first day involves a trip from Dàl (Shèngyuán Sì) in X dawn, dancing and singing, before moving on to Jingui dawn, dancing and singing, before n. ā nghé nghé ō ) Offers a 号 Three Pagodas 63 njú; 21 Tianbao Jie, njú; 21 Tianbao ā PSB office started Zàngshì ng ǐ , these ǔ ǐ ō 博爱路 (Jím (PSB; G 8am-10pm) Internet access. Most 8am-10pm) Internet access. 三塔寺 ngguó Diànxìn; cnr Fuxing Lu & Lu ngguó Diànxìn; cnr Fuxing ngguó Yínháng; cnr Huguo Lu & Fux- ngguó Yínháng; cnr Huguo Lu h ō YÚNNÁN •• Dàl ō n. The PSB office is a short walk south ngguó Yóuzhèng; cnr Fuxing Lu & Huguo Lu ngguó Yóuzhèng; cnr Fuxing ā (Zh (Zh ō , are among the oldest standing among the oldest standing , are 8am-11am & 2-5pm Mon-Fri) No visa exten- (Zh nmíng as bags can be pinched or or nmíng as bags can be pinched 267 1822; 63 Boai Lu; 267 1822; 63 Boai Lu; ū h Sì; admission incl Chongsheng Temple Y121; Y121; Sì; admission incl Chongsheng Temple 8am-8pm) The best place to make international % ǎ

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Be careful on the overnight sleeper bus sleeper bus Be overnight on the careful n T diàn; ā ǔ Sì) and along the mountain ridges is super, is super, Sì) and along the mountain ridges solo been of several have reports but there h Around 2km north of Dàl Around 2km north of (S THREE PAGODAS them under the lower bunk as far back as them under the lower bunk as far back as possible. Sights razored. Chain them securely and try cram Chain them securely razored. beries. Try to find a partner to walk with. walkers being robbed. Sadly, violence has also Sadly, violence has also being robbed. walkers these rob- of and more been a factor in more

Dangers & Annoyances Dangers & Annoyances (Zh up to Zhonghe Temple The hike Public Security Bureau Xiàgu ago the Dàl Years Period. sions here. practising its collective stone-faced techniques – refusal most likely by because it was simply overwhelmed backpackers begging second (or third) extensions. Then they shunted off the duties to their colleagues in Xiàgu Jim’s Tibetan Guesthouse Jim’s Tibetan China Telecom China Post Bank of China cies and cafés on Huguo Lu that offer all all offer on Huguo Lu that cies and cafés half-day from tours manner of trips market Lake, though to Erhai to full-day trips it can to- a group you can get unless expensive get gether. arrange tours and book tickets for onward for onward and book tickets tours arrange agen- also numerous travel are There travel. Information Information and can advice travel offer hotels All the lonelyplanet.com Lu; Lu; calls as it has direct dial and doesn’t levy a service charge. per hr Y2; Huguo Lu; internet access for guests. free hotels also offer Ji ing Lu) Changes cash and travellers cheques. There is also There Changes cash and travellers cheques. ing Lu) cards. that accepts all major credit here an ATM (Sigh.) To get there, take(Sigh.) To get there, after bus 4 until just it crosses the river in Xiàgu long list of trips, tours to Muslim including markets and Yi minority markets, very highly rated by travellers. that are unusual Henriette some more Jim and his wife also offer trips including trekking of Yúnnán and areas in remote overland travel to Lhasa from Shangri-la (per person from Y5000). from here. from here. from K YÚNNÁN about, newwoodenfurniture fillstherooms upkeep. For theprice,have anopenmindregarding Then headtothischeery longtimestand-by. .com; WenxianLu; boat racing. fun-to-watch on adinfinitum)anddeliriously dragon- includefireworks displays(whichgo events fields. Other Flaming torchesare paradedatnightthroughhomesand lensandfilm).superb photoopifyou’vegottheright throughout Yúnnánandisalwaysgrand(aready-made lunarmonth(normallyJuly),thisfestival isheldsixth ground-floor twins forkidsandcomfy lofts butthefamily suites – unavoidable TVs) damned space istaken upbythose essary here are abitcramped(more thannec- 58 Lu; 58Renmin 4177; [email protected]; of thegoodsort. find ahandfulof otherextrasandattitude– and itshows –let’scallitfunkychic. You’ll extras, each roomwasdesignedbylocalartists much like itintown.Alongwithloadsof Lu; la here (see p291 ). overland tripstoTibet leaving from Shangri- the gardenandpond.Youcanalsobook views; oryoumayjustwish tolollaround roomshaveStandard commandinglake to lookat;it’salmostasifsomeonecares. floors, andfurniture that’sactuallypleasant sport lovely touches like wallart,hardwood Dorms and,well,pretty much everything are immaculate. forprivacy,andfacilities a bamboocurtain pine-likewith apleasant smell,each bunk has Huguo Lu; 路 % staff. of search abed,andburnt-outguesthouse foralongslogaboutbrace yourself townin During peaksummermonths youshould Sleeping Festival Torch Temple (J 260 Temple. –backtoDàl by gettinginahorsecart orcheating –or,occasionally,staggering, involves walking 号 1 Tibetan Lodge Liùhéyuàn Q No 3Guesthouse Guesthouse Friends MCA Guesthouse 人民路 266 2888; [email protected]; 1WenxianLu;266 2888;[email protected]; 号 ; s/familysteY60/160; YÚNNÁN ••Dàl ;

dm Y10,s&dY50-80) ī nguì Sì) on the shore of Erhai Lake. Thefinalday Lake. nguì Sì)ontheshore ofErhai 护国路 415 (Hu 号 ī ngnián L 文献路

(Dàl ; dmY20; ; dmY20,s&dY100-200; ǒ b

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ǚ ā i 267 3666;mcahouse@hotmail ; dmY20,s/dY100/120; n Zh i shè Countingyouryuán? ǐ G ) ( The regular rooms

% ā ) A fab staff buzzes Afabstaff ǔ odàisu ī chéng S ngnián L 267 0701; 415 Renmin 267 0701;415Renmin ǐ by way of Majiuyi bywayofMajiuyi ǒ ; ā % ǚ ny gu ǒ i ǎ 266 4941; u Kèzhàn; 人民路 n; % ) 文献 Not i 266 ) 爱路 strong nearby,andyouhave tocheck outthe rooms are andcosy.There’s bothsleek agar- cubed cheese you’llgetcubed cheese withyourtom atoes ( atop otherfoods–thisisdistinctfrom a localspecialtyandisoften friedormelted mixture (itendsupasalong,thinsheet) is sound appetising,butthis‘aired’ yogurt/milk wide. ‘Milkfan’( snacksareplain); these alsofoundprovince- ‘cakes’ withanassortmentof toppings(or Ě things youwillmostdefinitely comeacross. are unrecognisable. there However, are afew ofuse localfloraandfauna –manyof which foodmakes justasquickly.Bai some close Dàl Eating and tours canbebooked atboth. great foodandcompanyhere. house bar below. terrace andrestaurant and den, aroof-top d Y200; -travel.nl; from the HuguoLuthrongs, it’sairierand acornerstonebeen of thetown; nowaway 博爱路 Tibetan version (Y18). fasts are wellworththeprice,especially proprietors really make itspecial.Thebreak- pretty much can’tgowrong.Thewelcoming ravedalways been about foritspizza,butyou Lu; cuisine. (Y25) are agreat introductiontothelocal a synopsis–butthelocalfaves like fish Bai est menusyou’llfindaround–theworldin tohavethis solidplaceseems oneof thedens- 民路 beadded. might touch, magnoliapetals carp–asaBai Lake fish casserole/stew Erhai madefromsalted menus. Try fish are of unsurprisinglyamainstay most Givenon salads. proximity, Erhai Lake’s 乳饼 littl’uns. for parents –make itworthwhileifyouhave r kuài 护国路 Jim’s Peace Hotel Marley’s Café Marley’s Bamboo Café If youwanttheoriginal, Yunnan &Bar Café ǐ eateries seem to open almost weekly; and toopenalmostweekly; eateries seem 63 71 (Jím i ; goatcheese), which isoften thesort of 号 ( 号 % 105 ǔ 饵块 ) ; s&dinclbreakfast Y140-200) NewlyopenedbyaDàl ; dishesfromY5) ZàngshìJi ; dishesfromY5) 267 7824;13Yuxiu Lu; Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 号 sh ; dishesY5-25) (Z (M ) are flattened andtoasted rice

ā ǐ zhúw ǎ gu lì K ǔ

(Yúnnán K (Yúnnán diàn; ō (Jím ā 乳扇 f ū yú ē ; igu Dimlylitandrelaxing, This town stalwart has Thistownstalwart % ǔ % HépíngJi ( ǎ Marley’s hasalways ; n; 267 1898; 71 Renmin Lu;267 1898;71Renmin 沙锅鱼 267 1822; r % ā ǔ 玉秀路中段 f Jim’s Tibetan Guest- ē shàn igu

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ǐ ng n’s ā is a ā ǐ 261 from ǐ nmíng nmíng ǐ ū ū . ǐ by bus is ǐ and central and central ǐ n. Coming from n means Dàl ā ā to the airport will to the airport n airport takes 45 n airport takes ǐ ā píng every Monday ā n (hard sleeper For Y93). ā n earlier than 7.30am you u and other local destinations ā ō , let passengers off, then con- , let passengers n. Many buses to advertised n. Many n-bound buses stop at the east- n-bound ǐ ā ā zh ǐ nmíng (Y106, 9.30am, 10.30am, ū , a taxi to Xiàgu ǐ n’s train station. ā is the overnight sleeper train from is the overnight n (Y1.50, 30 minutes) every 15 minutes every 15 minutes n (Y1.50, 30 minutes) n and pick up a taxi from there (Y50). a taxin and pick up from there ǐ píng, X ā ā ā ng, Xiàgu or Xiàgu there are daily buses to Shangri-la (Y50, daily buses to Shangri-la are there only go as far as Xiàgu ǐ ǐ ǐ ā nmíng to Xiàgu nmíng, see p233 . p233 nmíng, see Bikes are the best way to get around (Y10 the best way to get are Bikes From the bus stop near the West Gate in the West Gate From the bus stop near Bus 4 runs between Dàl For information on getting to Dàl For information on getting for Sh A bus leaves ū ū train station it costs Y30. to Xiàgu won’t have to stay the night there. won’t have minutes and costs around Y80; to Xiàgu minutes Dàl 4.30pm and 9pm). A slow bus for K . Bus 8 runs from Dàl p245 details seemore to find out in advance whether your bus is for to find out in advance whether per day). Most of the guesthouses several and per day). Most of bikes. other places on Boai Lu rent Xiàgu your that unless means from 6.30am, which Xiàgu bus leaves morning (Y5, one hour, 9.30am) for the mar- times, local buses At all other run regularly ket. to Sh the bus stationfrom opposite in Dàl TRAIN getting the most popular means of Probably to Dàl K Getting Around Dàl From Dàl Lìji Dàl ern end of it’s from which tinue to their final destination, walk to the main guesthouses.a 20-minute K from 7.30am to every eight 30 minutes hours, 11am and 7.20pm, 8pm, 8.30pm) and express buses to K daily at 8am (Y65). Buses to Lìji also leaves 7.30am to (Y30 to Y50, every 30 minutes, from here. 7.20pm) also leave Getting There & Away Away There & Getting AIR at nearby Xiàgu The airport flying time from K 45 minutes’ mere ). A taxi from Dàl p244 (see whether or not (depending on cost Y60-Y80 only worth thinks you know it’s the driver a bus to you can take Y60). Alternatively, Xiàgu BUS to Dàl The golden rule for getting Dàl

) 号人民 63 267 1822; % ng; 博爱路 ī is famous for its is famous for its nt ǐ ā 266 2391; 42 Huguo Lu; Lu; 266 2391; 42 Huguo % i; Hépíng C 266 1843; 22 Renmin Lu; 266 1843; 22 Renmin Lu; ē ǔ f ā % (Jím

; ā YÚNNÁN •• Dàl zàng K ob , and hidden behind many of many of , and hidden behind ī ǐ ǎ A hang-out and thus a good and thus a good A hang-out (X (Ni

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Bargain. Firmly but politely. For those For those Firmly but politely. Bargain. Most shopkeepers can also make clothes can also make Most shopkeepers 22 don’t feel bad for paying one-fifth of their of bad for paying one-fifth don’t feel asking price – that’s what locals advise. For sellers, 40% to 50% is fair. marble from street the price is average. two-thirds of In shops, And don’t fall for any ‘expert’ opinions; go deal. on your own and back later roving salespeople badgering you incessantly, salespeople badgering roving a relief when you see some of the items of of when you see the items a relief of some on offer. clothing ready-made to your specifications – which will come as to your specifications – which is silver, although this will be reflected in in although this will be reflected is silver, the price. on cotton and silk. A lot of the batik is still the batik is still on cotton and silk. A lot of made in Dàl blue dye – it’s the shopfronts sit vast vats of the shops to worth asking around at some of a look at how the batik is see if you can have jewellery sold in the ‘silver’ Most of made. Dàl Bangkok’s Khao San Rd. Dàl batik printed marble and for blue-and-white Shopping Shopping of Huguo Lu has become a smaller version the the The Western-style restaurants mentioned mentioned restaurants The Western-style Also worth trying is earlier double as bars. Drinking Drinking to be missed, especially when washed down with his ‘No 1 special’. See also Jim’s Tibetan ). opposite Guesthouse ( Still, the food is tops. The Tibetan banquet banquet Tibetan Still, the food is tops. The in this café is not (Y30, minimum four people) Folks have always come here as much for laid- as much always come here Folks have rooms and food. back Jim as for his great in the group dining area. Perhaps the best the best Perhaps in the group dining area. place is its pursuits the to frequent reason for sustainable development in the Tibetan Kham region. betan, local and Western food. It’s amaz- food. It’s betan, and Western local royalty sitting like you’ll feel ingly decorated; dishes from Y10) ask around about or just place to eavesdrop Ti- of it’s also got a solid mix what’s new, more relaxing. Well-done food, great service, food, great Well-done relaxing. more out the Bai Check advice. helpful on banquet Sunday nights (reserve early). lonelyplanet.com with a pool table. with a pool table. [email protected]; 63 Boai Lu; Boai Lu; [email protected]; 63 路 YÚNNÁN English. for relaxing tooandthe owner speakssome amidcamellias;ithasagoodlounge setting famed for its market (see famed for itsmarket (see above ) andfor its W cosy that hasanicelocalfeel toit,aswellthe side village eastof Dàl or splendidvillage vista. you, willstumbleacrossaforlorn temple food andwater andyoutoo,like legionsbefore way. Stopinsmallvillages alongthewaytobuy road, justtothewestof thelakeside express- to enjoyandyou’re better off onthesecondary most picturesque, itistoobusyandcongested from Dàl there… dential areas andprobably get sidetracked you’ll comeacrossfunkyoldresidual resi- downhill jauntonabike. Alongtheway 50-minute walkfromtownora10-minute fect forbike ridesandvillages tovisit.It’sa sq km,thislake isdotted withtrailsper- at 1973mabove andcovering level sea 250 seventh-biggest freshwater lake inChina Or justpaddlingwithalocalfisher? The time cyclingarounditorferrying acrossit? spendsomuch wouldeveryone Why else tohaveseemed somemysticalpowertoit. ( At theriskof exaggerative excess,this Lake Erhai respectively. have dailymorningandafternoon markets Shu Sh See p264 forinformationontheMonday market dayof togonearlyevery theweek. into aregular scheme sothattouristshave a but shrewd localoperators have coopted it Usually markets followthelunarcalendar, Markets AROUND DÀL 262 day. Though the lakeside road may seem the thelakesideday. Though roadmay seem Ji Yòusu days withtradingfrom9amto4.30pm. around Y150forahalfday. or canarrange tomarkets transportation for Ě ā ā rh From thevillage there are regular ferries to What todo,whatdo. Agreat bike tripis ā Alternately, W Most cafésandhotels inDàl ngw sè píng market. Markets alsotake placein ā (Y3toY5) ontheotherside of thelake, ǎ ngláng (Tuesday),Sh ā YÚNNÁN ••AroundDàl Darling HarbourInn i Hú;Ear-Shaped hasalways Lake) sè alsohasapopularmarket five every ǒ ě (Friday;thelargest inYúnnán)and i (Saturday).X ǐ toSh 洱海湖 Cáic Ǐ ā

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(Zh o or whatever else you dream up. up. elseo or whatever you dream Zh ǎ ng and take the ferry back to Lóngk the ferry ng and take up o D ō temple uchéng, Sh uchéng, ū id ō Branching out from either side of the tem- the side of out from either Branching You can also hike up the hill, a sweaty two up the hill, a sweaty You can also hike Plenty of cafés can arrange a horse-and- cafés can arrange Plenty of ǎ ns ī by ferry. A shorter option would be to cycle to W option would A shorter Dàl to (57km) and then return tons of tourists around, but it’s probably the tourists around, but it’s probably tons of to lose easiest popular place in the province the crowds. the ple is a trail that winds along the face of mountains, steep, taking you in and out of and waterfalls. lush valleys and past streams whatsoever pony rides finding a guy offering but infinite are possible tours around here; on Y70 for a standard ride. figure for those good in moderately hours to three ). p259 & Annoyances, shape (see also Dangers base to the chairlift Walk about 200m north of dry). Follow the left bank (often the riverbed 50m and walk throughfor about the cemetery. Follow the path zigzagging under the chairlift. you know some stone steps When you reach near the top. Naturally, however, there you are horse and human oodles and oodles of are beds and the like dead ends, dry creek paths, so you could wind up either hope- out there, In fact, or wonderfully challenged. lost lessly are – there this area this is half the fun of J around as prices vary. On the cheaper Shop in a Y50 per person end, for around Y40 to a round trip four you can get around group of Laketo Erhai on a horse-cart, then transport possible Many spots on the lake. to a couple of exist, so ask around. routes Zhonghe Temple This up the mountainside behind Dàl hike the the top take reach Y30/50) the rest it on par with would keep Y30, which at every attrac- China as it ramps up fees of no trouble tion in the country. You’ll have the lake stopping at other markets on the way on the way other markets stopping at the lake bicycles and their themselves boating before back to Dàl loop of do a loop, or partial you could still taking by mountain in X bike the lake Zh clockwise from Dàl the lake ride around then a boat ride to ride to the lake, carriage then and Guanyin Pavilion, Pavilion Tianjing H Note that the temple may soon also charge may soon also charge that the temple Note o ng ū , a , a ō ns píng’s ī id ā n and n and ǎ ā n offer re- n offer ū n and J ā njìng Gé; admission njìng Gé; ā Ti ( village, a fishing hot village, (Nanzhao Island; admission n Gé), also known as

ī o (admission incl guide Y12) ǎ ny ā ng for about Y100 for the ng for about o), a canoe-shaped rock ō ngláng ǎ ā id YÚNNÁN •• Around Dàl ǎ (Gu Shu o D ngqíng D ū ē Tianjing Pavilion Tianjing ns ī ng, and between Xiàgu ō Dragon Jade Palace Dragon Jade Palace , which has a 7m-high Buddha and , which white id o (Jinsuo Island). Ferries leave early in the leave o (Jinsuo Island). Ferries Just south of the two temples is tiny Jinsu the two temples Just south of Roads now encircle the lake so it is possible Roads now encircle the lake Other ferries run between Lóngk Other ferries North of all the hoopla around H North of Private boat owners at Cáic boat owners Private On the other side of the bulbous prom- side of On the other Nánzhào F , also known as the Laotai Temple, wrapped wrapped Laotai as the , also known Temple, ǎ ǎ morning (for the market) and return around and return morning (for the market) flexible and departures 4pm; timetables are somewhat unreliable. are market, then continued all the way around market, mountain bike. A few intrepid travellers have have travellers intrepid A few mountain bike. made for Sh theseleapfrogged villages, to do a loop (or partial loop) of the lake by the lake to do a loop (or partial loop) of H D those on the western side are pretty much much pretty those side are on the western cost invaded by tourists nonstop. Boats here Y50 return. alleys. It’s probably one of the better versions versions the better one of alleys. It’s probably a sleepy remaining; Lake old Erhai village of with interesting old Bai architecture along its old Bai architecture with interesting Y22) some fairly nice walking trails. It’s just a short hop south of spot also known as Double Corridor Village, is right on the first alley. You’ll come to a small alley. You’ll come to a small right on the first and home to a seniortemple citizen centre plastic checkers old men thwap their where around. boat. Y1), disembarkingAfter from your boat (fare the left, and then to follow the storefronts its with packed caves network of subterranean that is tourist caving kitsch the over-the-top Otherwise,in China. just wander around the island through some fairly traditional alleys. Island (J tourists mostly for 800m by 2000m. It draws turn trips to H donkey by a master when the princess defied by a master donkey marriage. her father’s arranged this was the place where the clandestine lover the clandestine lover this was the place where a stone a Nanzhao princess was turned into of Guanyin Pavilion According to legend, Luoquan Temple. the ontory and literally decaying in the weeds weeds decaying in the literally ontory and cattle is the better-known amid munching lake, especially when the sun shines. Look for especially when the sun lake, ceiling. in the the fresco in strings of gargantuan Christmas tree lights, Christmas tree gargantuan in strings of the is on a high views of spot with magnificent white-tiled white-tiled Y5) lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN it instead). being amonk there about (hewrote apoem emperor of the Mingdynastyconsidered retiredofficials here an asmonks,andeven andgovernment many poets Supposedly, were destroyedinQingdynastyuprisings. had three dozensubtemples, allof which Sì). BuiltduringtheTang dynasty,itonce another temple, path uphillfor3kmyouwillcome across ofthe base FodingPeak. Ifyoufollowthe worship Gu ninth lunarmonths, peopleflockhere to enemy. Onthe19thof thethird,sixthand order toblocktheadvanceof aninvading dess of Mercy, asanoldwomanin disguised placed there byGuanyin,theBuddhistGod- over alarge was boulderthatlocalsbelieve This temple (Gu Temple Guanyin and BoaiLuinDàl office nearthenortheastcornerof RenminLu roomsatthebooking Youcanreserve to stay. which means it’sanincredibly relaxing place parties andonlyahandfulof rooms (seven), fabulous views,regular barbecuesandbonfire then thisistheplacetodoit.Thehostel has want toget awayfromthecrowdsinDàl just above Temple Zhonghe at2590m.Ifyou 1599; www.higherland.com;dm/s/dY25/30/50) at time here thenight andstay on themountain your guesthouse. by having achat withthepeoplewhorun so figure outhowtoget there before yougo and thenup.There are noreally goodtrails, from thesouthgate of Dàl Allinallit’sabout 9kmifyouwalk mountain. thebackofwhich through the leadsright Cave andPhoenix (Lóngfèngy Cliff Lóngquán Sh way/return Y52/82) thetwotemples (one new cablecarbetween river, you’llreach three ponds.There’s alsoa tothe hiking 4kmupapathrunningclose picturesque of the20orsosmallcreeks. After near thevillage of Q Qingbi Stream vegetarian mealsforlunch, orto which serves down hike southtoGantongTemple ( below ), From Zh 264 the waytoXiàgu Alternatively, youcanspendsomemore One peaksouthof Zh Higherland Inn Higherland YÚNNÁN ••AroundDàl ō nghé it’sanamazing11kmup-and- nghé ā ā (Q n ny , andhalfwayupthatisPutuo ī ī

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ng’s maze of cobbled streets, rickety-look- cobbled streets, ng’s maze of Ā píng market. ā in the archives of some US universities. The Dongba were Naxi shamans who were caretakers of of caretakers Naxi shamans who were Dongba were The of some US universities. in the archives Dongba religion, Naxi and the spirit world. The language and mediators between the the written into an amalgam of developed eventually pre-Buddhist religion, Bon of Tibet’s itself an offshoot confirmed by references of the Naxi are origins Tibetan The Buddhism, Islam and Taoism. Tibetan and Mt Kailash, to Lake Tibet. Manasarovar both in western in Naxi literature THE NAXI Lìji until Qiang tribes and lived from ethnically Tibetan Naxi descend The about the last 1400 years. always male it wasn’t truly matriarchal, Since local rulers were in matrilineal families. recently but women still seem to run the show, certainly in the old part of Lìji The affairs. the addition of the word for ‘male’ will decrease is added; conversely, when the word for ‘female’ plus ‘male’ the idea of a boulder; ‘stone’ conveys example, ‘stone’ plus ‘female’ For the meaning. the idea of a pebble. conveys traditional cape not only stops the basketalso symbolises worn on the back from chafing, but seven of the cape; by the light and dark halves represented Day and night are the heavens. used to circles, one on each shoulder, are Two larger circles symbolise the stars. embroidered depict the eyes of a frog, which until the 15th century was an important to the Naxi. With god of fashion, but the Naxi still call the cape by out the frog eyes fell the decline of animist beliefs, name, ‘frog-eyeits original sheepskin’. is the Dongba most famous Naxi text The pictographs – the only hieroglyphic language still in use. classic residence. Both partners would continue to live in their respective homes; the boyfriend would homes; the boyfriend would Both partners in their respective to live would continue residence. and work at his mother’s house dur- to live house but return spend the nights at his girlfriend’s for born to the couple belonged to the woman, who was responsible ing the day. Any children so was the support, was over, man provided them up. The but once the relationship bringing with their mothers, and no special effort paternity. support. lived was made to recognise Children elders. by female adjudicated all property, were Women inherited and disputes If you’re energetic you could cycle to the you could cycle energetic If you’re ā

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Bookshops don’t have much but you might but you might much Bookshops don’t have ā PSB PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU China Telecom have IDD lines. have China Post POST & TELEPHONE POST & TELEPHONE cafés in the old town the backpacker of Many MONEY MONEY Bank of China you can go online. Prague Café ( p269 Prague Caféyou can go online. ( Y5 per hour. INTERNET ACCESS places in the old town where lots of are There Kodak CD BURNING CD BURNING Mandarin Book & CDs information. BOOKSHOPS with relatively up-to-the-minute informa- up-to-the-minute with relatively prices and other practical tion on routes, duck into a chichi hotel and keep an eye out an eye out and keep hotel duck into a chichi for the especially the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek. Leaping Gorge especially the Tiger have noticeboards and travellers books full of books full of travellers noticeboards and have useful tips and advice on surrounding sights, Lìji Most area. information on the best source of Information Information designed to look aged; these are amazingly amazingly these look aged; designed to are much detailedhave but, naturally, don’t English. Map are everywhere you look, basically. You you look, basically. You everywhere are Map maps that are fold-out lovely some can get MAPS MAPS follow a stream upstream, all of which lead lead which all of upstream, a stream follow the centre. back toward lonelyplanet.com 11.30am & 2.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri) Reputedly very speedy with visa extensions. 8pm) Offers Mail Express Service (EMS), so your postcards might actually Another post make you do. it home before office is in the old town just north of Old Market Sq. branch is in the old town and has an ATM machine. branch is in the old town and has an ATM to China Post; you can make calls from here. international Jie) Has a fantastic choice of English books and maps on Lìji language titles. foreign YÚNNÁN search Institute western China–youcan visitthe the mostobligatory photoshoot insouth- Xu strolling aroundthepool–itsview of Yùlóng 6pm; mission Y60,free after Dragon PoolPark On thenorthernedge of townisthe BLACK DRAGON POOLPARK tovisit. enough travellers findthebeautifulgroundsreason speakersnon-Chinese nota bitbutmany onto Sh tiestoLìji Chinese deliberately,some say toreinforce historical rebuilt toresemble aminiForbiddenCity, The sixmainhallsandcourtyardswere quake, usingfundsfromtheWorldBank. like builtfromscratch) after the1996earth- h FamilyMu Mansion The formerhomeof the aNaxichieftain, MU FAMILY MANSION Old Market Sq. ests. Apath(withEnglish signs)leadsfrom culled fromnorthernYúnnánold-growth for- four-storey pillars were –unfortunately these famed forauniquedesignusingdozens of tourists atacostof over onemillionyuán.It’s Pavilion of sortsforthetown, town comestolife. Here actingassentinel ing andwatch themistclearingasold radio mast.Sitontheslopeinearlymorn- (March). dayof lunarmonth on theeighth thesecond marking thebirthdayof thelocalgodSanduo Archway World Heritage site. ment celebrates Lìji north edge of theoldtown.Thenearbymonu- areconstructedWaterwheel, modelatthe 268 (Sìf can bereached onthepathleadingpast which ispartof arenovated complexon the hundreds of ifnotthousands otherpeople. just beprepared toshare theexperiencewith the surroundinglanesare stillextraordinary, theviewuphilland However, nir stalls. they’ve souve- longsincemadewayfortacky To thewestof thesquare isthe Above theoldtownisabeautiful The focusof theoldtownis ě 8.30am-5.30pm) ā sh ng Ji YÚNNÁN ••Lìji ā (Wàngg , which isthesceneof celebrations n (Jade is DragonSnowMountain) ī z ē ī ) Oncethehauntof Naxitraders, Sh ǔ (D ā Lóu;admissionY15) washeavily renovated (more n. Inadequate captionshelp

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and backdowntheotherside,makinganice a spinyridge pastacommunicationscentre Hill) toadilapidated gazeboandthenacross also celebrated by the Bai intheDàl also celebrated bytheBai a or earlyApril)isthetraditionaldaytohold The 13thdayof thethirdmoon(late March Festivals &Events the region isthe‘real’ Shangri-la. Lìji on Naxi dress andculture, D visit ifyouhave thetime. There are displays the park’snorthernentrance,andiswortha Wénhuà Bówùgu p267. ances, alsoDangersmorning hike. &Annoy- See the shapeof phoenixes. roofs eaves witheight each are in supposedly moved toitscurrent locationin1979.Itsthree edificedatingfrom1601butonly 20m-high Hall Phoenix Five bridge acrossthewater andtheMingdynasty for anartexhibition,apavilion withitsown clean) but eminently fun. Midnight curfew.clean) but eminentlyfun. Midnight packed, abit chaotic well runand (though (but goeasyonher –she’sexhausted). It’s you’ll begladtohave herlookingoutforyou mainly fromMama’s dynamic personality; i Wuyi Jie; G especially duringholidays. that pricescanspike inJulyandAugust Noteopens up(butnotthatmanyclose). ings here. dayanewplace thatevery Itseems No shortage of charming Naxi-stylelodg- Sleeping quite sosombre. fire Thefestival andimmolatingherself. isn’t she showedherloyaltybyleapingintothe thansubmittohisentreaties, to death.Rather wife of asubjectand sohadthemanburned of theNánzhàokingdom.Akingdesired the this festival canbetracedbacktotheintrigues and theYi allover thesouthwest.Theoriginof graph script. tefacts andscrollsfeaturing auniquepicto- hillside. Here Naxiculturalar- youcansee ǔ Fertility Fertility Festival chéng Xi July bringsthe The At thefarsideof thepoolare buildingsused Mama Naxi’sGuesthouse Mama Trails lead straight up Trails leadstraight ) ā Thisplace’senormouspopularityderives ng’s oldtownandthedubiousclaimthat 五一街 Museum ofNaxiDongbaCulture Museum ā nggéyùn Kèzhàn; Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ǎ n; admissionY5; 文化巷 (W . Torch Festival ǔ fèng Lóu),astrikingNaxi % 78 号

Xiàng Sh 510 0700;78WenhuaLane, ( h 古城香格韵客栈 ; dmY15,s&dfromY50; 8.30am-5.30pm) ō (Hu ngb ā n (Nàx

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崇仁巷七一街 ; dishes from Y6; 518 5206; Mishi Xiang; 密士巷 ng local speciality: thick flatbreads of of thick flatbreads ng local speciality: ng) are great sources of travel info, and info, travel sources of great ng) are 号 ā % ā 8.30am-midnight; Lamu’s House of Tibet More and more of these places offer free free these places offer of and more More Prague Café Blue Page VegetarianBlue Page Restaurant Well Bistro Lijiang Bookcafé Petit ; 18 ū the food and atmosphere are so superb you are the food and atmosphere the bookstore better, Even may never leave. are massive. are W h this place does, it does right. Find nouveau along with Indian and Chinese, dishes, veggie atmosphere. all in a quiet and relaxing Lìli and English- has an outstanding collection of titles focusing on Yúnnán French-language in China. and elsewhere a UN menu; the and it’s people-watching, need (though all you really are items Tibetan you sure rocks). Do make the Naxiburger room for the desserts though – they save go wrong with the Naxi breakfast (Y22): fried breakfast go wrong with the Naxi as big goat cheese, ham and a potato pancake staff, you all set. Great as your head will have crowd and atmosphere. Xiang; sorts has been well-established landmark of serving for sustenance up solid from-scratch Go for the homemade going on a decade. and desserts. breads Xiang, Qiyi Jie; and Olivier (a Chinese-Belgian Mei Owners deftly fits couple whose easygoing nature ‘Naxi omelette’ and ‘Naxi sandwich’ (goat’s (goat’s ‘Naxi sandwich’ and omelette’ ‘Naxi cheese, fried eggtomato and between two local pieces of Lìji wheat, served plain or stuffed with meats, is simply noth- or sweets. There vegetables before for filling your gut better ing on earth or countryside alley strolling of a long day for bus a couple in your pack biking (stick rides!). if they do charge, for customers; internet thoughit’s around Y5 per hour, this too is dropping. 9000; 56 Xinyi Jie; for the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek? You can’t trek? Leaping Gorge for the Tiger been putting smiles and service yuán before relocations, a few a decade and after for over she has finally nailed her spot in this casual place on the north side of pine-and-bamboo for is great area the old town. The upstairs 巷 512 518 五 diàn; ǔ % Kèzhàn; % ā n Kèzhàn; n Kèzhàn; ī ix ngb ǎ ) 丽江老谢 A casual A casual ō A number (

; D ngn ng. Amazing i 511 6118; 25 Jishan 511 6118; 25 Jishan ā ā ; Ruìhéyuán Ji ; dm Y20, s Y40-120, ; dm Y20, s Y40-120, ; d Y400, ‘wedding ; d Y400, ‘wedding ; K % 号号新华街、黄山段 nyuègé Kèzhàn; ī 25 36 ; Hóngyùn Kèzhàn; ; X Diàn; ; s & d Y50-120, Jul-Aug Y150; Y150; ; s & d Y50-120, Jul-Aug

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新义街 This sybaritic place, run by a Naxi ā 文治巷号五一街、兴仁段 ; Lìji 109 Smack next to the Dongba Hotel Old Old Smack next to the Dongba Hotel ; s & d Y50-80) 511 1237, 511 7306; [email protected]; 134 ) 512 1975; www.dongbahotel.com; 109 Wenzhi Alley; 518 9799; www.zengardenhotel.com; Lane, 36 Xingren Moon Inn Zen Garden Hotel Carnation Hotel Good Luck Inn Dongba Hotel Old Town InternationalYouth Hostel Lijiang 号 items on the menu, including the famous on the menu, including the famous items The following rundown is by no means following rundown is by no means The always several ‘Naxi’ are There exhaustive. ist brother, is like a sumptuous museum with ist brother, is like old Lìji night views of glittery Eating rooms’ Y1400) with help from her art- and decorated teacher % Wuyi Jie; to detail. attention Y20 per person. Y20 per person. The courtyard is lovely and there’s a relaxing a relaxing and there’s The courtyard is lovely Y10, dinner common room as well. Breakfast but mod place, its bright rooms and breezy colours. and fetching wood furniture have 一街、兴仁下段 a large courtyard. Breakfasts also come rec- Breakfasts courtyard. a large ommended. town, with solicitous owners – chatty with with – chatty town, with solicitous owners – and comfy rooms setsome English around i the best in of one Town, this is definitely % Wenzhi Alley; 21 and this is a good op- with ‘family-style’ inns, a dearth tion: it’s hospitable, helpful (despite English) and clean. of 4748; 21 Huangshan Lane, Xinhua Jie; 4748; 21 Huangshan Lane, Xinhua and friendly service, by well-recommended numerous travellers. isn’t to demean its quality. Good clean dorms isn’t to demean its quality. 文治巷 alleys of the inns in this ‘neighbourhood’ of which nice and this is the cheapest, quite are % bikes here for Y15 per day. Hot water from for Y15 per day. Hot water here bikes 6pm to 2am only. conceivable variation and touches like flow- like and touches variation conceivable set from it apart bedspreads or patterned ers rent in town. You can also hostels the generic Alley, Xinyi Jie; d 100-140, tr 150-180) 车马店 FYI: kitties pretty much have the run of the of the run have much pretty FYI: kitties place. lonelyplanet.com 0520; [email protected]; 34 Xingren Xiaduan, Wuyi Jie; 0520; [email protected]; 34 Xingren YÚNNÁN One of theplacesmanyfolkstake thetimeto papaya.com; 70XinyiJie; up tillwaylate) China. Thepiecestheyperformare suppos- ists, theyabsolutely swellwithcustomers at this lane;perfectly located todrawintour- also foundalong other ‘SakuraCafés’ several like it)inhalfadecade. Itisactuallyoneof in-Yúnnán theory –usuallyspeaks for the guy who originally posited theShangri-la-is- they besmashed. lest buried duringthe CulturalRevolution on originalinstruments,someof which were Han, SongandTang dynasties,andare played edly faithfulrenditions of musicfromthe as play atypeof Taoist temple music(known town. located inside abeautifulbuildingintheold % in evening Lìji One of thefew thingsyoucandointhe Entertainment and more offering courses oncooking,massage, taichi also hometoa‘culturalexchange academy’, many creative flourishes.Therestaurant is andfish –isexcellentwithmany, on pasta food–heavychic places.The Italian-centric write about, thisisamongLìji turnip,carrots,broccoliandcabbage.tato, butispacked salt withtofu,claypot needs po- dishes outshinethefor LocalNaxi very shybutvery friendlystaff. to wanderintothiscasualeatery runbysome Jie; here issuperiortotheWestern food. branched outintoK forever –sopopularhasherplacebecomeshe’s atraditionatMamabeen Fu’spretty much 密士巷 is stilloutrageously good. times, buttheKorean You’llhardlyhearyourself thinkatnight. terly has gonefromsubduedandrelaxed tout- 街 270 the ; Local historianof note XuanKe –he’sthe All members (26atlastcount)are Naxiand Café Naku Café Sakura Blue Papaya Fu’s Mama 新义街 dòngj 512 7971; tickets Y100-140; 512 7971;tickets % Naxi Orchestra YÚNNÁN ••Lìji rè 312 6766;dishesfromY10;

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271 ng Hufa Hall ā ng’s mon- ng’s Black ā ā 玉峰寺 ng Sì) is on a hillside ē Camellia Tree of 10,000 . The last 3km of the . The last 3km of n (5500m) and was es- ā 富国寺 until you reach a small until you reach ā ā sh ě lies the remains of the temple the temple of lies the remains ā The monastery sits at the far southwestern sits at the far The monastery To get there head west from the main head west from the main there To get ponds to the north of town). The few monks town). The few ponds to the north of Dragon Pool Park. Look out for the Dragon Pool Park. asteries. Much of it was destroyed during the of Much asteries. remain- Cultural Revolution and a couple of to Lìji moved ing buildings were track require a steep climb. Lock your bike if a steep climb. Lock your bike track require it at the bottom. you leave Xu Yùlóng foot of main at- tablished in 1756. The monastery’s traction nowadays is the about 5km past Báish West of Báish West of Lìji of (Fùguó Sì), once the largest walls compound; the interior in the monastery frescoes. some interesting have section in Báish inter Turn right at the fork in the road, village. the next continue for around 500m then take and 30 minutes left. Walk up the hill for about ruins. you will come to the monastery JADE PEAK MONASTERY This small lamasery (Yùf here are usually happy to show the occasional usually happy to show are here around. stray traveller FUGUO MONASTERY ng’s envi- ā ng are Tibetan in Tibetan ng are ā jì Sì) is around 5km north- 普济寺 ǔ NG YÚNNÁN •• Around Lìji Ā ng (on a trail that passes the two ā n 16 2-3 every 30-50min 7am-6pm 30-50min 2-3 n 16 every ā n Y35-37 3½ 20 daily 7.30am-6pm daily 3½ 20 n Y35-37 n 35-50 3½ 27 daily 7.10am-6.30pm daily 3½ 27 n 35-50 NG BUS TIMETABLES TIMETABLES NG BUS ā ā 54 6 2 daily 7.30am, 8.30am 7.30am, daily 6 2 54 ng Y45-60 8 3 daily 7am, 8am, 11am ī Hú 63 7-8 1 daily 9.30am ā Ā ū nmíng 151 12 hourly & 1pm 8.30-11.30am nmíng (sleeper) 119 8 11 daily 6.30am-9pm nmíng Y119 8 8 8pm daily Y119 nmíng

nji ū ū ū ī Destination Jiànchu Price (Y) Duration (hours) Frequency Departs K Destination J Price (Y) Duration (hours) Frequency Departs K K Lúg Nínglàng Shangri-la Xiàgu Y23 Y39 3-4 5 6 daily 2 daily 10am, 8am, 9.30am, 7.50am, 11am 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2pm Xiàgu Nínglàng 23 5 13 daily 8am-4.30pm daily 5 2 Nínglàng 23 1pm 13 daily Qiáotóu 20 Shangri-la Wéix 39 5 15 daily 7.30am-5pm Buses from the long-distance bus station include the following: Buses from the long-distance LÌJI northBuses from the following: bus station include the Taxis start at Y6 in the new town and are start at Y6 in the new town and are Taxis at the International is available hire Bike

west of Lìji west of PUJI MONASTERY (P This monastery make it worth hopping on a bicycle and head- it worth hopping on a bicycle and make town for a look. ing out of there’s not much monastic activity nowadays. not much there’s Nevertheless, the splendid scenery hereabouts sect. Most of the monasteries were extensively extensively were the monasteries sect. Most of Revolution during the Cultural damaged and The monasteries around Lìji monasteries The (Red Hat) origin and belong to the Karmapa Monasteries Monasteries Y200; it might one that be worth it if you take fees. includes admission rons on your own, but a few agencies do offer do offer agencies rons on your own, but a few half- starting from Y150 to or full-day tours, AROUND LÌJI It is possible to see Lìji most of not allowed into the old town (the whole of not allowed into the old town (the whole of the old town is pedestrianised). Y15 per day). Lijiang (p269; Youth Hostel CAAC 90 minutes before flight departures. before 90 minutes CAAC Getting Around Getting Around from outside theBuses to the airport (Y15) leave lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN the monastery has a sacred cave andspring. In 80lamas. The hillbehind yards once housed and dates from1733.Itstwo-dozen court- astery hassomedistinctive Tibetan features, walksinthenearvicinity.Themon- pleasant Lìji a steep uphillride8kmtothesouthwest of tothismonastery (Wénb Getting MONASTERY WENBI deity –datingfromAD780. Naxi temple toSanduo,aguardian –devoted name). luko, notaChinese ( opposite ; whenthetownwasknownasNgu- famed asbeingmore than500years old. is tion. Onecamelliainthenorthwestsection secretly watered duringtheCulturalRevolu- on thegroundsrisked hislife tokeep thetree Februaryblossoms between andApril.Amonk locals claimthatthetree producesatleast4000 besomethingof might anexaggeration, but Blossoms 272 (Jade oncethehomeof Rock Lake), Joseph Lìji To Wéix¸(30km) AROUND LÌJI„NG&SHANGRI-LA On thewaytoYùf Not farfromYùf ā ā ng. There are alsosomegoodviewsand ng, isB YÚNNÁN ••AroundLìji To B‰nz¨lán(27km); X¸nzh© (Wàndu Déq¸n (148km) T†chéng ě iyué village, thesite of another Líguƒng Jùdiàn

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Yangzi Luòjí Báishu¨ To Hèqìng Yak Meadow H‰ishu¨ Dàjù Crossing Nír© (27km) ‘borrow’ thekey toget totheirdestination. cometotherock,burnjoss,and Mountain) pilgrims headedtoJ ple of tohave Sakyamuniissaid laidakey, so the cave there’s ablackrockonwhich adisci- Buddhist themesandcan befoundonthe depict various Taoist, andTibetan Chinese stored duringthelater Qingdynasty.They andHanBai artists. Many of themwere re- the 15thand16th centuriesbyTibetan, Naxi, may beworthchecking outoneortwo. themout,butit or sotraipsingaroundseeking travellers probablywon’twant tospendaweek Lìji Frescoes mergansers. blackstorkandChinese you mayget tosee (admission Y10) in 1727.Thenearbylake isa Sì (PointingtotheCloudsMonastery), built Hai is theZh by thesmallLashi reservoir, Along theroadtoShíg MONASTERY ZHIYUN

Ferry (J¸nshƒ Jiƒng) Meadow River Dry Sea Most of thefrescoes were painted during ā ng isfamedforitstemple frescoes. Most Mingyin B†oshƒn Shítouchéng Lƒbó To Y¡ngshèng popularwithbirdwatchers, and (2km) Y¡ngníng Cuìyù Temple Zhamei Luóshu¨ L¨gé ī zú Sh 指云寺 ǔ Mountain (3754m) Gemu , 18kmfromLìji Nínglàng ā 12miles 20km 0 0 Lugu Lake (Lúg¥ Hú) n (Chicken-Foot lonelyplanet.com Lúg¥ Zhèn wetland reserve (J¸njiƒng) (101km) SÌCHU„N X¸chƒng (101km) To Mìl¨(45km); To Pƒnzh¸huƒ ǐ ā yún ng

YÚNNÁN ng ā 273 ā ng’. The ā (admission . Many of . Many of

ā museum ). It’s a name – the – the ). It’s a name ng’. Journalists and ng’. Journalists and ā was the capital of the Naxi was the capital of 洛克 ā In China’s Border Provinces: In China’s Border Provinces: (Hastings House, 1974) by JB Sutton, or (Hastings House, 1974) by JB Sutton, or . We may as well go ahead and name the in Jade Dragon Mountains of Lìji Dragon Mountains of in Jade author Bruce Chatwin propelled the good doctor into the limelight when he mytholo- gised (nay, borderline romanticised) Dr Ho Dragon physician in the Jade as the ‘Taoist Lìji Mountains of (1271–1368), Báish – since then kingdom. It’s hardly changed everyone by nearly with being visited despite a close-up – and offers a guidebook and a bike for those willing to Naxi culture glimpse of spend some time nosing around. who has Dr Ho’ (or He), of place ‘the Village Lìji become possibly as famous as any of County’s other attractions. Looking the stere- physician, he has a sign out- a Taoist otype of side his door: Chinese Herbs ‘The Clinic of (Harvard University Press, 1947) is Joseph Rock’s 1947) is Joseph Rock’s (Harvard Press, University

Dajue (Liúlí 8.30am- h National Geographic magazine’s ‘man in China’ and it was his exploits in northwestern and it was his exploits in northwestern magazine’s ‘man in China’ ng between 1922 and 1949, becoming the world’s leading expert and 1949, becoming the ng between 1922 on ā Liuli Temple ng, near several old ā ng; admission Y15; ō n for the magazine that made him famous. n for the magazine that made also have some, and in the also have ā G ī oj ng). ǎ is one of the best day trips out is one of YÚNNÁN •• Báish ō ā National Geographic (Dàb the best frescoes can be found in the best frescoes ā Dading Ge 白沙 Ancient Nakhi Kingdom of Southwest China

Ā ng, especially if you have a bike. Before a bike. ng, especially if you have which also has quite nice Naxi artwork also has quite which

, ā (Dàjué G Yúnnán was a hunting ground for famous, foreign plant-hunters such as Kingdon Ward and such as Kingdon and Ward plant-hunters foreign a hunting ground for famous, Yúnnán was Rock was born in Austria, the son of a domineering father who insisted he enter a seminary. seminary. a he enter father who insisted the son of a domineering Rock was born in Austria, Harvard and later always beckoned and he convinced the US DepartmentAsia of Agriculture, The The He sent over 80,000 plant specimens from China – two were named after him – along with 1600 him – along with 1600 named after plant specimens from China – two were 80,000 He sent over of servants for 800m, and included dozens (including a cook trained Rock’s caravans stretched from Báish not far there) in Yù Hú village (called Nguluko when he was Rock lived , which got kickstarted in 2004 with a concerted effort by and donations from the Austrian Y5) JOSEPH JOSEPH ROCK ( incessantly hear ‘Luòkè’ long enough and you’ll around Yúnnán Travel Sinified version of Rock, Joseph Rock. Absolutely everywhere you go, locals will discuss how ‘Luòkè ‘Luòkè go, locals will discuss how you Joseph Rock. of Rock, everywhere Sinified version Absolutely Etc ad nauseam. home’. parents’ stayed at my grandmother’s in (year)’ or ‘Luòkè was here Joseph Rock. in Lìji Rock lived definitive work. Immediately prior to his death, his Naxi dictionary was also finally prepared for for work. to his death, his Naxi dictionary prior also finally prepared was definitive Immediately insight into the man and his work, take For an a look at publishing. of Joseph Rock, Botanist-Explorer Career Turbulent The articlesRock’s many archived for embassy in China. It’s open whenever somebody is around. It’s open whenever embassy in China. Yúnnán and Sìchu Naxi culture and local botany. More than his academic pursuits, however, he will be remembered will be remembered he however, than his academic pursuits, More and local botany. Naxi culture China. in western to travel characters most enigmatic and eccentric as one of the An a passion for China. and atlases, discovering into imagination A withdrawn child, he escaped astonishing autodidact he began learning (he taught himself eight languages, including Sanskrit), wound up in Hawaii, and in time became the foremost He somehow Chinese at 13 years of age. authority on Hawaiian flora. much of his life He devoted collect to sponsor his trips to flora for medicinal research. University, was being extinguished by the dominant Han culture. which he feared to studying Naxi culture, He became his possessions are now local family heirlooms and his home is now a small his possessions are birds and 60 mammals. Amazingly, he was taking and developing the first colour photographic Amazingly, he was taking the first colour photographic birds and 60 mammals. and developing lost in 1945 in containerloads of his collections were Tragically, in his field in the 1920s! plates boat was torpedoed. the Arabian Sea when the against of mercenaries for protection cuisine), trains of pack horses, and hundreds in Austrian bandits, not to mention the gold dinner service and a collapsible bathtub. In Báish Dabaoji Palace Dabaoji Palace Kublai Khan made it part of his Yuan empire his Yuan empire Kublai Khan made it part of temples, Báish temples, Lìji of On a plain north of Lìji On a plain north of can be found on the interior walls of walls of can be found on the interior Palace BÁISH Diàn) and Lóngquán, frescoes of village neighbouring 5.30pm) Nearby, and scrolls for sale. interior walls of temples in the area. However, in the area. temples walls of interior slashing the Red Guards came through here and gouging during the Cultural Revolution, to see. not that much so there’s lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN run byanartist,ZhaoFan, andhisgirlfriend. (Y60) 牛坪 Meadow,drive from DrySea is the mountain. up toanhourwaitget eitherup ordown get onthetour groups,prepare aheadstart for before thefirst chair upat8.30am. Unlessyou impressive, butmake sure youget here well for Y80. some glacierviews.Horses canbehired here up to4506mwhere walkwaysleadtoawe- stopanda the second on altitudesickness,see p499 .) Y300, oxygen are tanks Y40.(Forinformation warm coatscanberented forY30,deposit warm downhere of atthebase thechairlift: ago. Itcanoften get freezing above when even to geologists, wasactuallyalake 2000years large meadowat3050m,which, according from Lìji first stopyoucometoiftravelling bybus Tex–clad onamammothscale. pretty much nowoverrun dailybytheGore 1963 byaresearch team fromB to some5500m.Itspeakwasfirst climbedin fee Y40) protection Dragon SnowMountain;admissionadult/studentY80/60; Also knownasMtSatseto, YÙLÓNG XU Lu. FromBáish (Y15) fromthecornerof MinzuLuandFuhui ride fromLìji for details. in townandsurroundingthearea; see p272 Eco-tours, (see p267 ). It isalsoagoodplacetoget travel information [email protected]) BuenaVista Café of aLìji to hisdoor,andtherest isquirkyhistory.Kind photographers (andwe)started beatingapath 274 regularly (Y20). herbal medicinesforwhatitisthatailsyou. ous about listening andprescribing Chinese he’s stillchatty andfriendlyquite seri- all thefamehasn’treally gonetohishead– Around 60kmfrom Lìji Views fromthetwoMeadows are pretty Meadow Dry Sea Báish There are acoupleof frescoes worthseeing Cloud Fir Meadow Almost directly opposite DrHo’sclinicis pullsvisitors uptoanaltitude of 3500m YÚNNÁN ••YùlóngXu ; Máoniúpíng) where yetanother ā ā ng must-do, and one must say that ng must-do,andonemustsay isaneasy20-to30-minute bike ā ng. A Ě , , alovely littlecafé–artgallery ā

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and immediately plantoflagdownthefirst trucks roaringbyonbusyNationalHwy214, Jiànchu Lìji Travellers thealternate taking route between % JIÀNCHU (Tiger Gorge) Leaping there’s noticket gate. way. ReturningtoLìji Lu inLìji from theintersection of MinzuLuandFuhui cover. a tendency tochange quicker thanthecloud check whenyouget there asregulations have area wasnotprohibited butit’sbetter to however. helpyerslice, altitudes! Thethinairdoesn’t thump alittlewhite ballover 400matthese wherethe entrancetomountain, youcan Snow MountainResort wannabe, consideravisittothe everything you need lies on or between these liesonor between youneed everything the north of here Most isHuancheng Beilu. at thesouthend of town.Three blocksto isalongthehighway Thebusstation traffic. south; youcan’tmiss itforallthe dustand National Hwy214splitsthecity north-to- Orientation &Information something theylike tobragabouthere. to theearliestperiodof Yúnnán’sBronzeAge, earthed fromHaimenkou, tothesouth,date the movie Jiànchu percentage ofwith thehighest inChina), Bai some great hikes. in fineshape. Epictractsof green spaceoffer tecture liespretty much untouched –butstill Ming)archi-own. SplendidQing(andeven drag, Jiànchu and villages surroundingthecity. vehicle out of towntothegorgeous mountains as thehometownof AhPeng, heroof theBai out whattimethelastbuswilldepart. regularly butcheck withyourdriver tofind near Xu where there are amplehikingopportunities and longwaitsare almostunheardof here. If youenter theregion fromthenorth Bus 7(Y15toY20)leaves forallthree spots At thetimeof research, campinginthe ifyou’reAnd even notaTiger Woods– The seat of theeponymous county(theone The seat Don’t. Justafew theuglymain blocksoff 0871 /pop9685 ā ng andDàl ā ā n, head out of the bus station, see the n, headoutof see thebusstation, n comes to mind for most Chinese n comestomindformostChinese ě ā hu Ā The Five GoldenFlowers ng and passes byBáish ng andpasses N ā ā H 剑川 n has some worthy sights ofn hassomeworthysights its ǎ ǐ mayhopoff thebusin i (Snowflake Crowds Lake). ā ng, buses leaveng, buses fairly

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No special eateries stand out. There are per- are standNo special eateries out. There worth asking for. local delicacies are A few Jiànchu Motorcycle taxi rides cost Y2 to Y3 to most 得勒母资汤 Getting There & Away Getting There & Away to Sh To get van; a small shared take (Y7, 45 minutes), the bus station. sit in front of drivers run between Xiàgu through Jiànchu fectly fine restaurants, just not in the old town fine restaurants, fectly Huancheng to head north of You’ll have area. Beilu to find any. its citizenry’s prowess at growing flow- Given it’s unsurprising that Jiànchu ers, the only place in China to is purportedly ( azalea flowers dine on white other local speciality: kidney beans ( yúndòu bean the entire useThe Bai of also make used are which plant, including the leaves, for the sharp-tasting soup ( Sleeping & Eating Sleeping & Eating Ruìhu Highway;214 Easy bus station to find. Just head out the bearing to the right door and cross the street, new, has a friendly a bit. This place is relatively staff seeing be wide-eyed likely who’ll you spotless rooms for next to waltz in, and offers full by midafternoon, nothing. Thus, it’s often so don’t dawdle. 1 Huancheng Beilu; bathroom Y50; can supposedly hike (OK, we got lost) the got lost) the (OK, we can supposedly hike through stands of kilometres strenuous five to the cypress Forest some 3000, lies – it’s actually which name of tall. 18m It’s stands which over the tallest of fairly eerie the twilight to be surrounded in the way, stone or not. (Along by 3000 lions, is the county for which look for orchids, locally grown species well known; three quite though Y100,000, sold for over each have to see not likely those trails!) on the you’re places. dùju any foreigner in this direction first. Perfectly Perfectly first. in this direction any foreigner fine rooms and a helpful enough staff. It’s a J block south of n, n, ā ngyuán’s ngyuán’s is lovely is lovely ō YÚNNÁN •• Jiànchu ; Jingfeng Park), Park), ; Jingfeng ng G ē ngyuán ( below ) is ) is below ngyuán ( f ǐ ō ngyuán, trails lead ngyuán, trails lead ō ng G ē 景风公园 ( architectural stroll ng G ngf N SOUVENIR N SOUVENIR ǐ ē Ā ngf ǐ ngyuán ō ng G

ē keep your eyes peeled for finely detailed keep eyes peeled for finely detailed your and wood carvingsscreens on doorways. all the town and note stroll around Then these similarly fine pieces, the shops selling legendary for city is The large. some quite carvings,its intricate dating back a millen- jaw- are detailed wood screens nium. The shops you may meet and in drop lovely managers and hotel designers, interior the like the world), all (many from around distinctive. coming in to look for something wanna (you don’t even And superexpensive know – especially the shipping). While wandering the streets of Jiànchu the streets While wandering A JIÀNCHU EXTRAORDINAIRE

From J The real highlight The real in town is the extant ngf ǐ straight up into the hills, from where you you straight up into the hills, from where and easy as pie. From J and easy as pie. ping shots.) a look on three separate occasions in three separate occasions in three a look on three people’s in mind that these are blocks! (Keep in and start snap- homes, so don’t just barge way. Gorgeous and all the real deal. People deal. People and all the real way. Gorgeous in to have invited superfriendly; we were are just start wending your way up and down just start wending your way up and down blue flagstone alleyways heading every which entrance, veer to the right as you exit and to the rightentrance, veer as you exit and to the little you’ll come almost immediately south and Head (West Gate). alley Xi Men dozen residential courtyards are quite well well quite are courtyards dozen residential preserved. An Ming and Qing architecture. Nearly two Nearly two Ming and Qing architecture. entrance, including a somnolently proud pa- and a memorial goda, a Confucian temple, hall to local Bai success stories. (yet droopy) pines, flower-lined paths and and paths (yet droopy) pines, flower-lined right near the some fine historic structures J skyscraperesque park of a meander-worthy Sights & Activities Sights & Activities Beilu Huancheng At the north end of is Beilu, then a block south. East along this blocks is a hospital.same Two road three J blocks east of two roads, including the post office, which is is which post office, two roads, including the the highway on Huancheng a block north of the PSB office. We’ve yet to find an internet yet to find an internet We’ve office. the PSB in the vicinity; let us know if café anywhere one pops up. Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book YÚNNÁN the Stone Bell monastery, isthe the StoneBell world.’ Goodness. equal terms withtheBuddhaandGodin ofthe onlycase engraved vulvasplacedon is tourist PRwords,notours: ‘This carving women visittoboosttheirfertility. Thelocal of female genitalia, which localcarvings which isratherwell known: themountain in China. Andthen,ahem,theracypartfor also amongthefinestworksof Buddhistart The sculpture of Kings inChinais theEight the fourthkingof theNánzhào kingdom. the bestcaves features images of Geluofeng, Nánzhào courtof the9thcentury.Oneof ern Chinaandoffer intolife insights atthe insouth- some of stone carvings thebestBai Gu (Shízh monkeys outthere. so there are alsotherenegade bandsof bandit mountain, And,yes,thisisaChinese sights. of old-growth cypress andsomefabulous islovely, –mountain that high withtracts that, butthisquite large –expansive butnot and Dàtóng.Wedon’tknowanythingabout ofably withthegrottoes D mous) scholars whocompare themfavour- bureau loves totoutpurported (butanony- admission Y30; MountainGrottoes Stone Treasure (or 110kmtothenorthwestof Dàl About 75kmtothesouthwestof Lìji Shíb AROUND JIÀNCHU destinations. may alsostophere.) Dàl train linebeingbuiltbetween times.(Anextension ofdelays onthese the asofwork hadstarted expect yet,butifitdoes, 276 mous cliff. (Baoxiang Temple), at theedge of anenor- On thewayto complex,6kmfrom ridescostY2toY3formost Motorcycle taxi There are three temple groups: The Stone Bell monastery groupincludes The StoneBell JIÀNCHU ā úln 0 - diy 6.40am daily 6-7 Yúnlóng 40 Xiàgu Lìji etnto Pie() uain(or) rqec Departs Frequency Duration(hours) (Y) Price K Destination n); and ū ǎ YÚNNÁN ••AroundJiànchu mn 9,15(lee) 1 ogl ory 9am-5pm roughlyhourly 11 97,125(sleeper) nmíng ā osh g 6 - eey3-0mn 6.30am-4pm 30-40min every 2-3 16 ng ō ā ng), themostfamous; 2 33 eey1 i 6.30am-5pm 15min every 3-3½ 20 n ā n Ā h Shadeng village N BUSTIMETABLE 石宝山 dawn-dusk) Ā

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village. Walk one mere block east from the one block east from the mere Walk one village. a wormhole. however, road, and enter paved decade into a bygone is another step Every and horse’s hooves of era, the clippety-clops highly Raised imaginable. traders bellows of Sh Sh in Arrive Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book YÚNNÁN north up theYangzi River (known here asthe and requisite gear. There are twomainroutes; shorter treks. Longer treks mayrequire atent forthe inlocalhouses English. Youcan stay arrange guidestoo. Youshouldn’texpect any treksa guideforthree- toseven-day toLúg owner of theMuFamily canactas Guesthouse for adventurous travellers. MuShangwen, the soundasprosperity the same forfish for thisisthattheChinese wooden fish onereason decoratingtheeves; crossings here. grandparent assisttheexplorer onhisYangzi old-timer claimstohaveevery hadaparent or ( p273 ) lore aroundhere, aswell;pretty much sometime around1274.Lotsof Rock Joseph tohave theYangziwho issaid crossed here the townhasconnectionstoKublaiKhan, tothenorthof Themountain the evenings. gates isthesite of occasionalNaxi dancesin The village square atthefootof theentrance again willtake youuptoa Once insidethewalls,first leftand laden withhorseapples!)tothevillage. descent (mostlysteps butsomestonepaths From theendof theroadthere’s a20-minute Sights &Activities get hotinsummer. downright much milderclimate thanLìji Yangzi River. Ataloweraltitude,it’salsogot families, perched onaledge above high the charming, time-locked walledvillage of 108 to Shítouchéng (theStoneCity),apositively roads 24km (onehour)onwindingmountain endure thehassleof getting here istocontinue B % 宝山,石头城 B just off themainDàl About 46kmtothesouthof Lìji HÈQÌNG 278 125km northof Lìji Naxivillage aestheticallypleasant) about say may get atinybreak). can Otherguesthouses forY70toY80 perday(solotravellersLake byonthebusfromLìji ion asyouspeed of beabletocatchmight aglimpse thepavil- Pavilion, builtduringtheMingdynasty.You the centre of thetowniswoodenYúnhé to Dàl ǎ Ǎ osh Shítouchéng offers someinteresting Many of theeaves of have theNaxihouses OSH 0888 /pop108families! ÚNN • èìg YÚNNÁN ••Hèqìng ā ǐ . n isafairlyinteresting (which isnotto Ā N & SHÍTOUCHÉNG N &SHÍTOUCHÉNG 鹤庆 ā ng, butthereal reason to ǐ toLìji ā viewing platform ā ng highway. In ng highway. (yú). ng; it can even ng; itcaneven ā ng, Hèqìng is (yú) treks has ā ng ū .

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( 石城第一家客栈 ; Mùji A second A second ā Kèzhàn; ǒ ngníng ; YÚNNÁN n it’s 279 ā osh ǎ nmíng had assured nmíng had assured n & Shítouchéng n & ū ā osh ǎ I slurp some noodles while my my I slurp some noodles while u. ǒ Méi y A small private van does leave from the van doesA small private leave enoughThe trouble is that if not passengers ket, bus 8 runs east along Fuhui Lu, then north Fuhui 8 runs east along bus ket, the bus Donglu; to Xiangshan Xin Dajie along B From the market. stop is opposite and one hour to Shítouchéng. another Y10 at the same for the same time market price and goes is to the Stone City; it all the way Stone City in the reaching quicker, much some 5½ hours. summer weekends show up, neither may run; guaranteed to about the only time you’re are enough – if not too many. have ; literally ‘not have’). Of course. Run around trying to find Run around trying to find Of ‘not have’). course. ; literally ng market, ng market, ǎ 没有 n (Y35, five n (Y35, five ( ā u ǒ osh ǎ Thomas Huhti Huhti Thomas n Shìch ā Méi y ; leaving soon, literally ‘horse-on-move/walk’). After a few months in China, in China, months a few After ‘horse-on-move/walk’). ; leaving soon, literally ng daily between 8am and ā . Already left. What about the little van? . Already 马上走 B YÚNNÁN •• u ( ǒ u ng’s Old Town. To get to the mar- ng’s Old Town. To get ǒ ā Méi y shàng z Then the usual of any China journey: another hour of waiting. Troll the streets for an hour. for an hour. Troll the streets another hour of waiting. the usual of any China journey: Then The It coughs and finally chugs. Which doesn’t start. Monkey around for another half-hour. stops and says we should get in back. the driver just 15 minutes, town, but after leave Finally Salt? Chemicals? (TheSo in back we climb atop bags of…white…what? ol’ paranoia again…) I’m in the one truck in China Great, another problem – carbon monoxide. By now we have fix a flat – Continue on, with the usual two-hour meal break, hop out a half-hour later. Finally hours to the village, which is majesty, two more Anyway, finally cross the pass into absolute

ǎ It was the usual. Get to the bus departureIt was the usual. Get to the K point, which my friend from out where it actually leaves from. An hour later, get to the real place – a grubby market. Bus place – a grubby market. Bus the real get to from. An hour later, it actually leaves out where today? me was still the place. me was still the place. LAND-SPEED RECORD friend guiltily haggles with a seems-to-be-friendlyfriend guiltily haggles with is going to the who it turns out truck driver, up to the who isn’t gonna drive driver, turns out to be the brother of the van (Also same village. he starts Then up with the old refrain: it’s China.) ’Cause just ’cause. village today ’cause…well, m Go to some house to pick up the cargo. No-one there. Wait a half-hour. Guy comes. No key. No key. Guy comes. a half-hour. Wait No-one there. Go to some house to pick up the cargo. a tonne of bags to get key. An hour for two rangy young guys to load literally minutes Fifteen into the truck. grin. grins the inimitable driver driver Now, my paranoia kicks to get in his face, but my friend explains it’s either in and I get ready going through but not stopping for the park that we were to pay a Y120 fee that or we have I suck at pisses off my friend. I say I’ll pay for both (honestly, at, the unfairness of which really lot of money for him). My friend won’t budge; cheating, I’d be sleepless with guilt; plus, Y120 is a worked up. it’s an insult to extort Now he’s really he feels money from travellers. cool, salt for de-icing it: rock Well, that’s actually pretty My friend – true Chinese – tastes roads. stopping twice for 10 minutes gonna hit. Chug along for 20 minutes, considering the pass we’re him pulled alongside and waved who had could talk with a local bus driver each time so the driver is still pissed, so I try to assuage him Who knows why? My friend – the same bus each time. over the authori- by the Kerouac of ‘Avoid mantra him of one of my other friends, who lives by telling got that befuddled look I always get. ties,’ but I think I stunk up the translation since I just that’s airtight. Me, in a nutshell, there. Am I sleepy from the ride, or am I DYING? because another truck had for 90 minutes only one! – and then get stuck on a mountain road least pass out a bunch of smokes I always carry and make broken down on a hairpin turn. (At partnew friends – my fave of China.) wonderfulthe truck driver’s and wind up staying with family, sitting on their drop-jaw lovely, in the moonlight. River balcony, drinking as they play mah-jong, tea looking down at the Yangzi if a five-hour trip had just taken nearly 10? Who cares one learns to loathe that phrase. You can bet there will be even more inns will be even more there You can bet

8.30am from the Xiàngsh north of Lìji north of Only one public bus to B Only one public bus to Lìji leaves hours) Getting There & Away & Away Getting There ing river. One thing, though: One thing, really man, they ing river. morning… in the roosters some noisy have – per- more this. A few you read by the time the atmosphere but without any of fine fectly – lie outside the staying village inside the of main gate. lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN there isarathernice view.That’sabout it, river here oninflated sheepskins. tohave the isalsosaid Kublai Khan crossed 1936 duringthe Long March tothenorth. People’s Army crossingof theriver here in paigns. Anotherplaquehere celebrates the therivercrossed here duringoneof hiscam- strategistLiang, the3rd-centurymilitary who original stonedrumisattributed toZhuge tury Naxivictoryover aTibetan army.The like adrumthatcommemorates a16th-cen- Drum’ andrefers toamarbleplaqueshaped of China’sgreatest river. Shíg The smalltownof Shíg % YANGZI SHÍG you tosomeoneelse. act asaguideforaroundY30orintroduce take p278)can aguide;MuShangwen (see be dangerous attimessoit’sagoodideato half ofsideandcan thetrailfollowscliff sideofto thetrueright thestream. Thefirst ahumpbackedutes thetrail crosses bridge valley uptoB cacti andafter about1½hours takes aside trail followstheYangzi River pastclumpsof of timetocatch thebusfromB leave by7.30amyoushould arrive inplenty to hike 3½tofourhours toB case.) up yourridebackwhenyouarrive, justin finally leaving around11amor11.30am.(Line up passengers andfreight (andeatlunch), stop foratleastanhourinB 30minutesself upthehill)but tohaulyourself 8amand9am(givesometime between your- park officials willnotbudge onthis. Youcanargue allyouwant,but for theeffort.) the backof thetruck–foralittlesomethin’ your kindlytruckdriver offers tostickyouin as youpasstheentrance. (Unless, of course, gonna get hitupfortheY120combinationfee touristzoneandthusyou’reSnow Mountain) theYùlóngXu through catch: technically theroadtoB Here’scious andfairlycomfortable. thehuge hours. Still,they’reto seven relatively spa- market; italsocostsY35butcantake up and hopaboard asupplytruckatthesame 280 Vehicles backtoLìji you’llhaveOtherwise, todowhatlocals The view? Well, it is a bend all right and The view? Well,itisabend allright An excellentwaytoleave Shítouchéng is 0887 /pop5679 YÚNNÁN ••Shíg Ǔ &THEFIRSTBENDOF 石鼓和长江第一弯 ǎ osh ā n. After afurther30min- ǔ ā &teFrtBn fteYnz &theFirst BendoftheYangzi ǔ ng departShítouchéng sitsonthefirst bend ě sh ā n (Jade Dragon ǔ ǎ ǎ ǎ means‘Stone osh osh osh ǎ osh ā ā ā n topick n. Ifyou n crosses n crosses ā n. The the return, justwaitbytheroadforanybus It’seasilyvisitedand hopoff. inaday.For depart from7.30amto4pm.Alternatively, one of theJùdiàn( willlikelymain busstation throw youaboard asked.been somehaven’tsion pricetotheview,though immediately headout.There isaY4admis- a touristifiedvillage; others snapapicand Somepeoplelovethough. thefactthatitisn’t at theturn-off (nearZh take anybus bound forJùdiànorWéix inLìji the mainbusstation marching off tothesky. to resembleomenon thatissaid 1000turtles ( potential here, especiallytothe river valleyfloor. There’s plentyof hiking of conceivable every colourvaultingfromthe geology, withsteep flat-toppedhillsandcrags the heartof a240-sq-kmscenicarea of freak leads to Límíng andthencontinuestoLígu Halfway toJùdiàn( % LÍMÍNG intheregion.the tastiest Firstpassing through. bendfishare reportedly take a7.30amor8.30amdeparture toWéix stop inLímíng. hitch. Accommodation isavailable atthebus 千龟山 For Shíg Occasional buses departforLímíng from Occasional buses been profoundlydifferent. China, andtherefore theworld,mayhave existence andtheculturaldevelopment of of thenation,wouldnever have comeinto Without him,theYangzi Valley, thecradle bureaucrat-deity incharge ofwater control. U-turn toYu theGreat, China’smythological ing southoutofChina. ofChinainstead ofdrain- into theheartland nels China’sgreatest andeast river north River (known here astheJ rocks inthemiddleofoncomingYangzi on thefirstbendofYangzi. This pileof history hangsinthebalanceatCloudHill, The River attheCentre oftheWorld, As SimonWinchester notes inhisbook CHINA THE MOSTIMPORTANT HILLIN 0887 Chinese traditionassignsthisdramatic ; 1000TurtleHill),aweirdrockphen- 黎明 ǔ (Y9, two hours) staff atLìji (Y9,twohours) staff 巨甸巨甸 ō ) fromShíg ) bound buses that ) boundbuses ngx ī nsh ā ng. Alternatively lonelyplanet.com ī ng village) and ā Ji Qi ā ng) fun- China’s ā ngu ǔ aroad ī ī get off Sh ā ng’s ā ā ng, n ī

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) ī 塔 ( 新主 ). These ( ; Shòu- ǔ botanical chéng n and so ī ǎ T nzh n, or just visit n, or just visit ī n and Wéix ), a pavilion ), a pavilion ī ī 横断山寿过寺 ( Dòng or Damo n ( ī chéng reportedly reportedly chéng ā ng. It is slated for ng. It is slated ǎ ā sh 攀天阁 ǔ ( Bodhidharma Cave & Temple . It also has some lovely . It also has some lovely passes through Jùdiàn, ī ī town) 4288 town) n Gé ī ā 维西县 , towns are more like micro- like more , towns are ī YÚNNÁN •• Wéix nti Shuoguo Temple Shuoguo Temple ā ; Dámó Z P n. Tibetan pilgrims come to circu- n. Tibetan ā is pretty much unexplored. The large The large unexplored. much is pretty ī COUNTY showcases the dozens of rare species rare showcases the dozens of itself is a bit of a yawner, except for itself is a bit of Lisu Autonomous County lies off Lisu Autonomous the Ī ī ī

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Wéix Outside Wéix The route can be lovely at times but just be can be lovely The route 达摩祖师洞 by a snowstorm that came out of nowhere. nowhere. by a snowstorm that came out of anyone before stuck for four days They were missing. even knew they were to you may have a transport junction where Pumi and Lisu villages, including remote including remote Pumi and Lisu villages, guò Sì) and Wéix 27km north of county sports er’s Cave, 15km east at the elephant-shaped 15km east at the elephant-shaped er’s Cave, Dámó Sh complex. the temple mambulate ( as the Damo Found- translated Gompa), often garden has many Neolithic ruins, but most tourists come for the cliffside ing behind the village. T ing behind the village. region. and several thousand-year-old trees in the in the trees and several thousand-year-old mountains are a treasure-trove of botany and of a treasure-trove mountains are been by Chinese pegged scientists as one have in the world. A the most diverse of change buses. Further along is X change in the Héngduàn Sh village lers was stranded between Déq lers storms – of rain or especially snow – can leave rain or especially snow – can leave storms – of travel- the road impassable. In 2006 a group of scopic villages – if that – and if there’s a guest- – if that – and if there’s scopic villages house tight. it may be shut Worse, sudden cheap guesthouses but little traffic and hotels, cheap early. so buy and not enough tickets, bus being one of the few places in China to see places in China the few the being one of town has loads of Pumi ethnic minority. The 城 have mentioned it as lovely, but demanding. but demanding. mentioned it as lovely, have Wéix aware that though there are a few sights, prac- a few are that though there aware bikers and far between. A few few ticalities are into rough track. and the occasional place where it has degraded where and the occasional place as a return trip from Lìji trip as a return but this has been said for years; improvements roads of it’s mostly ribbons for the moment between decent narrow highwayalternating gets few visitors but you could visit it as an but you could visitors few gets to or from Déq route alternative Wéix and Déq to Shangri-la main road WÉIX % lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN sunscreen andlipbalm. this hike, 2L to3Lisideal,as well asplentyof not toscaleandoccasionally outof date. gorgedetailed maps;justremember they’re for trailandweatherupdates. Mosthave fairly onthetrail. assaulted also been thelastdecade,afew solotravellersOver have few foreign travellers –have diedinthegorge. 282 (50km) To ZhŸngdiàn Tina's Guest House New Ferry Ticket Office PSB INFORMATION Tiger LeapingStone Bamboo Forest ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS Ticket Office Chateau de Woody SLEEPING Pagoda Ferry TRANSPORT ...... Café Tiger Gorged EATING Youth Hostel Snowflake Hotel Lodge Halfway Guesthouse Five Fingers Naxi Family Guesthouse Guesthouse Naxi Family Inn Longhu Daju Sean's Spring Guesthouse Sean's Spring Guesthouse Jane's Guesthouse Tibetan Hotel Lìjiƒng (75km); 1 2 TIGER LEAPINGGORGE Dàl¨ (200km) Make sure you bringplentyof water on Check withcafésandlodgingsin Lìji ݀ᅝሔ ⏵㠍 To Qiáotóu ÚNN • ie epn og YÚNNÁN ••Tiger Leaping Gorge 䜦ᑫ Village ศ 17 ᮄ⏵㠍 ...... ଂ⼼໘ ଂ⼼໘ 䴦ᑈᮙ佚 11 A Ё䗨ᅶᷜ ネᵫ 18 䲾㢅佁ᑫ ໻݋啭㰢ᅶᷜ 12 Nuòyú Village ...... 3 Ёኵᅶᮙᑫ ቅⱑ㜌ᮙ佚 ...... 㰢䏇⷇ School ......

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Yùlóng Xu›shƒn Walnut Garden B Garden’. leaves inWalnut lesstimefordrinkingbeer road ‘Remember thehigh ler quotes goes, again, asoneof ourall-timefavourite travel- ing. Arrowshelpyouavoid getting lost.Then trailisworthhik- Onlythehigh tour buses. lower, thenewroad,replete withbelching route, known asthe24-bend path);andthe There are (theolder twotrails:thehigher GORGE TREK Activities the original guesthouses on thetrailandstill the original guesthouses 6300; www.tigerleapinggorge.com; dm Y15) operation. now abusy-busy –butcosyand well-run– collecting medicinalherbsandhisfamily, it’s with themforY10. by afriendly,enthusiasticfamily,you caneat rave reviews fromtravellers. kilometres intothetrek, thisplacestillgets is notexhaustive. nut Garden.Thefollowinglistof guesthouses B It’ssixhoursthe yellowarrowstoright. to Continue untilthetrackendsandthenfollow yard’s footballpitch, andjointhetractorroad. 150m. Take theschool- aleftfork,gothrough thegate,through crossasmallstream andgo ě 16 ě ndìw 4 Sean’s Spring Guesthouse Spring Sean’s FingersFive Guesthouse Naxi Family Guesthouse To get road,after crossing tothehigh ndìw The followingrouteatQiáotóu. starts Halfway Lodge 14 6 ā Middle Rapids n; dmY15) 7 ā n orastrenuous hours eight toWal- 2 Rapids Lower 20 Approximate Scale Lookout Onceasimplehometoguy

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nbà is about the same, following the same,nbà is about following ā most people stay at the ā b ā If you plan to try the route alone, assume If you plan to try the route Gorged Tiger CaféGorged Tiger In H there. and equipment for you’ll need all provisions for local advice be- Ask weather. of extremes setting out. fore Mountain Inn Jane is one of the gorge’s true characters and and true characters the gorge’s is one of Jane There has all the information on the trek. access internet facilities and left-luggage are at the start It’s next to the school of here. the trek. institution (an Australian woman named or you can take a taxi for Y10. At the car park a taxior you can take for Y10. At the car park and a walkway leads a Y2 entry fee there’s down to an observation platform. Sleeping & Eating but in peak times – Lodging options abound up to 100 people summer – particularly late is so bed space the trek, per day can make to sleep in a back room short. Be prepared can be bottled water Supplies of somewhere. chancy. QIÁOTÓU Guesthouse Jane’s Tibetan 6570; [email protected]; dm/s/d Y15/30/30; hours), or you could get off at the turn-off off at the turn-off or you could get hours), Lake (Bìt to Emerald Pagoda TIGER LEAPING GORGE VIEWPOINT you the gorge, time to trek If you don’t have end near Dàjù. can view it from its eastern From Dàjù it’s a 5km walk to the entry gate from here you can travel on to Shangri-la. to Shangri-la. on travel you can here from to H Walnut Garden From Yi to the it is seven From here to eight hours. S of village road and could just follow the trails. You tractor occasional truck or with the hitch hardy and less scenic. Some but it’s longer followed the trail but have mountain bikers north to south, only fun from this is really The best way elevations being what they are. a guide in Walnut Garden would be to hire depending on the for Y50 to Y100 per day, For Y100 to Y120 per day people. number of and guide. a horse to get be able you should that the trip, but buses will make Eventually is still some time off. also be found for around Y15. From S also be found for around five (Y40, is an 8am bus to Shangri-la there has toilets and showers. In S has toilets and showers. ngxiá This ō village village

TÁI TÁI (Zh tái. This ā njú). The Ǐ ǐ b ā n you de- ā ā Gorge Leaping YÚNNÁN •• Tiger ng n; dm Y15) ǎ ō gu ǚ ndìw ě n L ǎ . Budget more time if more . Budget , where a tiger is once a tiger , where nbáili ng PSB (G ng PSB ā Tina’s Guest House Tina’s ā

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u; before descending into Walnut before ǒ 880 6079; n dùk ī x % Tiger Leaping Stone Tiger The second, option continues lesser-used The road to Dàjù and the village itself are itselfThe road to Dàjù and the village are If you do decide to head on to Dàjù, it’s a From Tina’s to Walnut Garden it is a 40- From Tina’s About 1½ hours from B hours 1½ About If you’re doing the walk the other way doing the walk the other way If you’re Many trekkers call it a day when they reach call it a day when they reach trekkers Many The next day’s walk is slightly than shorter Chateau de Woody bamboo forest diàn; ǚ includes one hairy section over planks with a includes one hairy section over sheer drop below. scend to the road to scend to the turns it into a four-day trek from Qiáotóu and trek turns it into a four-day and the limestone terraces of Báishu of and the limestone terraces TIGER LEAPING GORGE TO BÁISHU is trek add-on to the gorge An adventurous to H to continue north all the way through Dàjù, aiming for the white pagoda at through Dàjù, aiming for the white the mountains. the foot of round and heading for Qiáotóu, walk north for Y10, avoiding the dull 90-minute walk walk the dull 90-minute for Y10, avoiding along the road. along the road from Walnut Garden until it crossing (Y10). the permanent ferry reaches lead to Dàjù. paths From here register with the Lìji register you into Dàjù to take a car offers officer PSB the bottom and flag down anything heading back Qiáotóu. so you won’t be missing uninteresting pretty anything if you skip it. you should hard climb to the car park where ferry ( ferry marker leading down to the new (winter) (winter) leading down to the new marker the previous day’s at four to six hours. There There day’s at four to six hours. the previous options to and so two route two ferries are you’ll see 45 minutes to Dàjù. After a red get a Garden. trail to Walnut Garden keeps high where the highkeeps trail to Walnut Garden where and crosses a stream path descends to Tina’s, minute walk along the road. A new alternative A new alternative walk along the road. minute ing the gorge its name. The man who restored The man who restored its name. ing the gorge Y10. the path charges other original is just fine too. other original hire (Y10 per hour) and can organise camp- and can organise (Y10 per hour) hire and horseing, guides, trips. the spot for lively evenings socialising. and for lively the spot Sean’s mountain-bike blankets, has electric Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book you are ascending. A good detour from here detour from here ascending. A good you are the middle rapids to leads down 40 minutes and thus giv- the Yangzi, leapt across said to have L YÚNNÁN done up. but thedeluxe onesare quite impressively lets, andthebudget roomsare nondescript, nostrils inthecommunal showers andtoi- tostickasmokeYou mayneed intoyour 888 5326040;dstandard/deluxe withoutbathroomY20/50) will snagmostsweatyTLGtrekkers. are andabitdarkbutitsfriendliness spartan Hotel Snowflake DÀJÙ the roomsinitsface-lift. shock) buttheyapparently forgot toinclude appealingontheoutside(whata that seems next theShangri-la-Qiaotou busdrop-off are subparatbest.There’s a the village’s mainroadisfriendlybutrooms food. Great informationsource. afewthough travellers have bemoaned the Margo), thisisawelcomingfriendlyplace, 284 The Daju LonghuInn www.irn.org. on thedamswasexpected tobegin by2008.Agoodsite uptodate is tokeep ontheproject reported thatpreparatory work,includingblasting,hadalready begunandproperconstruction to believe thatthoseincharge muchnotice. willtake At the timeofwritingtheChinesemedia Three Gorges ( Damproject p461 ). aopeng, thesonofLiPeng, theformerprime minister whopushedthroughthecontroversial isLiXi- assaults againstofficials).They majorbackers firstpointoutthatoneofthe project’s double thecurrent figure. be aware). LocalofficialsalsohopetogarneraroundUS$50millionperannumintaxrevenues – (ofwhichanyonewho’sexperiencedthecapital’s‘water blackouts’duringwintershortages will for power. The water proposeddamswillalsodivert toK and washawaylocalculture, history,uniquearchitecture andindigenousplantanimallife. hectares ofprimefarmland,forceover 100,000people(someclaimup toamillion)relocate the government. theother,inNujiangValleydam projects; (see p297 ), hasputlocalsequallyatoddswith the upperreaches oftheYangzi This isbutoneofYúnnán’smostcontroversial River goahead. ing Gorge coulddisappearinamatter ofyearsifplanstobuildeightdamsalong564km bandied about. have chairlifts,golfcoursesandthelike Newplansforresorts, beenendlesslyall oftheactivity. stop-offpoints areand downthegorge alwaysbeingconstructed. andkitschy and a dirt track swings north toBáishu trackswingsnorth and adirt and building,aroadwasbuiltallthewaythroughgorge fromQiáotóutoWalnutGarden itstollonTigerDevelopment istaking Leaping Gorge. After three yearsofHerculeanblasting THE ENDOFGORGE? ÚNN • ie epn og YÚNNÁN ••Tiger Leaping Gorge But even withevery environmentalgroupinChinaandabroadlobbyingagainstit,it’shard Local oppositionhasbeenuniformandferocious (there have of beenoneortworeports Officials, naturally,claimthatthedamsareOfficials, crucialtosatingChina’sever-increasing appetite Once completed, thedamsalongYangzi River’s upper reaches willfloodmore than13,000 If onlythegorge’s annoyingnewroadanditsubiquitousshuttlebuseswere all.Tiger Leap- This currently isn’ttoomuchofanannoyancefortrekkers asthehighpathclimbswayabove Youth Hostel Youth Hostel

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and thenbendnorth toconnectBáishu across theriverthe settlement fromDàjù gorge willlinkQiáotóu,WalnutGarden and 7.40pm (Y20). around9am. Thelastonerollsthrough fromShangri-la runningthrough around start 7.30am and1.30pm. return These fromDàjùtoLìji wheel. just northof Lìji run inthemorning–iftheyfeel like it–from around 7pm. at The lastbustoShangri-la through passes Qiáotóu(Y20). andpassthrough station bus 7.30am to5pmfromthelong-distance run toShangri-la hourorsofrom every easier.Transport isever FromLìji Getting There&Away here. allowing travellers toget toShangri-la from At least two buses toDàjù(Y24,fourhours)At leasttwobuses Eventually the through thenewhighway Returning toLìji ū nmíng tohelpalleviate chronicwater ā ng’s oldtown,bythewater- ā ng from Qiáotóu, buses ng fromQiáotóu,buses lonelyplanet.com ā ng, buses ng, buses ā ng at ǐ tái, YÚNNÁN

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Run by Sichuaner Táng B Run by Sichuaner ) 扎美寺 diàn ( The nearby Mosu guesthouses ǔ i Dàji , so if you do make the effort, so if you do make to come ǐ ō Mosu Folk Custom Museum 里格 ngníng (Y5, roughly hourly), or you ngníng (Y5, roughly hourly), or you ǒ ng feels like arriving at the very tranquil arriving at the very like ng feels Near the bus stop in Luòshu Near the bus ā Husi Teahouse Mósu In the outskirts of nearby Y In the outskirts of ; Mósú Mínzú Bówùgu GÉ Ǐ price will vary wildly, depending on exactly on exactly depending will vary wildly, price to see,what you want people and how many six in a group of If you’re in your group. are to eight Y10 per expect to pay around people person. L silence and vivid starry nights, With its velvet after arriving in this magical little village Lìji past don’t get the earth. Most travellers end of Luòshu 1170; dm Y15; hang-outs on the lake. the best backpacker from the guest- a hike a bit of are Showers with house computers but he’s got a fleet of and bar-café a terrific killer coffee, internet, lucky, you’ll be If you’re info galore. travel four rooms with floor-to-ceiling in one of the lake. windows overlooking d/cabins 160/400) lake ing worth looking at. They don’t have includes a living room, bed- views, but each room and bathroom. Zhamei Temple Zhamei Temple in residence. with at least 20 lamas monastery is expected. but a donation Admission is free, for the per person minivan costs Y15 A private half-hour A bus passes ride. throughLuòshu to Y 20km or so throughcould opt to walk the pleasant scenery. Sleeping & Eating and guesthousesHotels with doubles from in Luòshu around Y50 line the lakeside that serve attached restaurants Most have traditional Mosu foods including preserved being pig’s fat and saltedfish – the latter sour somewhat tastier. while 馆 The museum is set home within the traditional obligatory a wealthy Mosu family and the of you around and explain how guide will show is society functions. There the matriarchal photos taken collection of also an interesting ) in the 1920s. p273 by Joseph Rock ( will likely have better doubles, but there’s a doubles, but there’s better have will likely build- cabins away from the main handful of since 1998, this is one of the original and still the original since 1998, this is one of . ) luó ī , the zh ) n. The ǔ n side, ā ā W gé any of gé any of ǐ 黑瓦俄岛 YÚNNÁN •• Lúg ( o ng are still in ng are ǎ ) and ā 里务比岛 . In L ( é D ǐ o ǎ ǎ gé ( right ), a much ), a much right gé ( ǐ 洛瓦 iw D ǐ ē ( H ǎ . The canoes are rowed . The canoes are wùb ǐ L Luòw cáo) ) is the one heavily developed ) is the one heavily ū n border. The lake, formed formed The lake, n border. ā you can visit several islands on ǐ (zh 洛水泸沽湖 (

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The area is home to several Tibetan, Yi and Yi is home to several Tibetan, The area 五支罗 smaller village on the northwestern shore of of shore on the northwestern smaller village the hostels can help arrange boat trips. The can help arrange the hostels Canoes leave from a beach area to the south to the area Canoes from a beach leave strip in Luòshu the hotel of largest island. From here you can practically island. From here largest land in Sìchu wade across to a spit of island is second largest ally take you out to ally take the lake by dugout canoe, the Mosu call which the lake ‘pig troughs’ Sights & Activities Sights & Activities From Luòshu by Mosu who also serve as guides and usu- May, and September when the to October, May, weather is dry and mild. Entrance to the lake is Y80. the world (see the boxed text, p286 ) and many p286 text, the world (see the boxed other Naxi customs lost in Lìji Mosu (a Naxi subgroup) villages. The Mosu Mosu (a Naxi subgroup) villages. society in the last practising matriarchal are ( Luòshu where little of the action is. Just know that little of where to other the roads around the lake some of rough. for alter- Top votes pretty are villages locations are nate evidence here. remoteness, then just keep village-hopping village-hopping then just keep remoteness, on the Sìchu and you’ll find yourself the area and it’s fairly easy to get yourself yourself and it’s fairly easy to get the area still looking for lost (in a good way). If you’re ‘too touristy’. We politely disagree with that. disagree ‘too touristy’. We politely maniacal building For now, anyway. (True, has started.) vil- fabulous plenty of are Worry not – there found throughout are In fact, villages lages. the lake. Then again, we’ve already started get- already Then again, we’ve the lake. it too is becoming mentioning that ting letters Luòshu the experience. isted’ for tourism and is where your bus will drop your for tourism and is where you off. Essentially, from the further you get and is usually snowbound over the winter the winter snowbound over and is usually the lake around scattered are Villages months. but Yúnnán–Sìchu faults, is fairly highby two sinking at 2685m Tranquillity is fast beating a retreat from this retreat is fast beating a Tranquillity the remote that overlaps lake forest-lined LÚG % Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book YÚNNÁN opened ontheedge of thelake, thisguest- Y30). this charming tothewater. café,it’ssoclose rific south sideof thisspitof land,isanotherter- want here. Bikes costY20perday. ties orarrange pretty much anyexcursion you anyone?).Itcanalsosuggest activi- (Baileys andanimpressivecold beer choice of liqueurs yú food: tryLúg water. wonderful Thecosyrestaurant serves lovely owners andisjustaspitawayfromthe hasbasicroomswithelectricblankets,house 之家 Y Sleeping &Eating two-storey guesthouses. for theconstructionof atleastahalf-dozen part of thebaylookslike it’sbeingreadied struction plansare intheworkshere andone three waterside cafés. and justchat, doodleanddrinkatoneof the but asurprisingnumberof travellers come do eitherinthewildernessoronlake, land), there’s aday’sworthof exploringto handful of backpackers. soloChinese here itwilllikely bejustyou,theMosuanda 286 ǎ sè Dáb ) or sausage ( ) orsausage Right aroundthecornerfromhere,Right onthe But doget here asquickyoucan.Con- aroundabayfacingL Set needed, that’s there’s nosuch thingasfree love. disguised as karaoke barsnow sitontheedgeofLuòshu disguised askaraoke marriagethemselves.walking This inturnhasseen a riseinprostitutionthearea, andbrothels Han Chinese, visitthearea inthehopeofhaving anight stand’andmany men,inparticular some damaging effects ontheirculture. marriage’hasbecomesynonymouswith‘one ‘Walking resulting in theMosubecomingrichestethnicminoritygroupinYúnnán.Butit’salso had order tospiceuptheromanticandexotic imageofthelocalwomen. 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What’sproved to and clannames,socialpoliticalpositionsare passedonthroughthefemale line,has The Mosu are matriarchalsocietyintheworld.This thelastpractising system, whereby kinship WALKING MARRIAGE Waves fromthelake lickatthewallsof ǔ guesthouse ; YÚNNÁN ••L It’s astrategy Thousands that’sworked. oftouristshave ventured uptothisremote area, This ideaofsuchfree and easylove hasbeenheavilypublicised.Traditionallyreferred toas Mosu womennever marrynorcohabit;instead womenare free tochooseasmanylovers Guó (Woman’s Kingdom), thearea Guó(Woman’sKingdom), ofLúg % ā 588 1196;dm/d/trY20/40/60; L ǚ xíngzh ū Húfish (

( 香肠客栈 ě ǐ gé Zh ; ; Kèzhàn; ī xi ji ā ā 泸沽湖鱼

ngcháng ( 雅瑟达吧旅行者 ǐ % gé D 588 1015;dfrom i ) alongwith ǎ o (Lige Is- ; ) Recently Lúg ū Hú ū Húwasrenamed N are many)costsY3. thetwo(there Abusbetween train station. you maybedroppedoffis20kmfromthe to J daily toXiàgu daily toLìji you arrive). FromNínglàng,there’s 13buses a dailybustoNínglàng(Y20,check timewhen for the20-to25-minute ride). normallythey’lltrytochargeyou though Y10 in Luòshu For L the lake (Y20,three tofourhours, 12.30pm). 2pm). FromNínglàng,there’s adailybusto three tofourhours, daily,8amto sixbuses ( out. Alternatively, youcangotoNínglàng least onedayinadvanceastheyoften sell hours,eight 9.30am)butbuyyourticket at direct busadaytothelake to (Y63,seven Lìji Getting There&Away 8am (Y60, seven to eight hours). toeight There8am (Y60,seven are also train toChéngd atleastadayinadvance. There’sbought also leaves dailyat10am.Again, tickets should be 宁蒗 friendly andrelaxed owner. thefantastically It’s allheadedupbySusan, At leastoneperdayalsomakes therun The dailybustoX Luòshu Leaving ā ī nji ng’s long-distance bus station hasone busstation ng’s long-distance ǐ ǐ ) fromLìji gé youwillhave tochange foraminibus town;theultimate proof,ifitwasever ā ng (Y50),fromwhere youcanhopa ǐ Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com (Y8perperson ifthere’s alotof ā ng (Y25,7.30amto4pm)andone ā n (Y48,7.50am). ǚ ā ū ’ér Guó (Girl’s Kingdom) in’ér Guó(Girl’sKingdom) ng’s north bus station (Y23, ng’s northbusstation , but the bus station where, butthebusstation ǐ , thedirect bustoLìji ī ch ā 走婚 ng ( ; 西昌 z ǒ u h ) leaves at ū n ). ā ng YÚNNÁN 287 xíngshè; ǚ 822 6834; n L ǎ % ngdiàn) ō njú; ā ng ō 823 0282; www ngzànlín Sì; admission Y10; ngdào Tànxi ō ā (S

% Sh n; ā (PSB; G ǎ ngb igu ā ē f ā 8.30am-12.30pm & 2.30-5pm) Issues 8.30am-12.30pm & 2.30-5pm) (K , a 300-year-old Tibetan monas- Tibetan , a 300-year-old (Changzheng Lu) There are two tele- two are There (Changzheng Lu) h zàng K ī (X 8.30am-noon & 2.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri) & 2.30-5.30pm 8.30am-noon change Can 828 8648; www.khampacaravan.com; Heping Lu) 7.30am-8pm) h Construction on the Gelukpa (Yellow Hat) Hat) Construction on the Gelukpa (Yellow monastery was initiated in 1679 by the fifth in 1679 was initiated monastery everything else by like Dalai Lama. Shelled Liberation Army (PLA) it in 1959 the People’s until 1981. A half-dozenwasn’t reopened main all open – buildings include eight colleges, usually – to the public. to acclimatise. Brutal winter weather can weather can to acclimatise. Brutal winter standstill so bring the town to a complete and Oc- try to plan your visit between March boom in tourism has that with the Note tober. come a boom in thievery – pay close atten- on buses, tion to your bags and neighbours especially for those early-in-the-morning dark departures. Sights town is the an hour’s walk north of About Ganden Sumtseling Gompa and actually work outside the these live most of It is by far the most important in south- temple. worth the trip.west China and definitely phone offices along this road that offer cheap international this road that offer phone offices along phone calls. Public Security Bureau Café Tibet Dangers & Annoyances and problem here Altitude sickness is a real days need at least a couple of most travellers China Telecom Khampa Caravan Lu; Lu; on cash advances and usually gives cheques cash, travellers travellers have reported cards, though some credit being denied. Changzheng Lu; Changzheng Lu; on-the-spot visa extensions. % the in day treks from Organises some excellent adventures, in the remote treks surrounding countryside to week-long travel into Tibet It can also arrange overland wilderness. as well as flights and permits from Shangri-la), p291 (see lot of sustainable de- The company also runs a to Lhasa. One of communities. velopment programs within Tibetan these projects, Trinyi Eco-lodge, is six kilometres southwest by bike.out of town and is easy to get to .tibetcafeinn.com; Changzheng Lu; internet access per hr Y12) Changzheng Lu; .tibetcafeinn.com; it also organ- place to go for travel information; Another great A particularly worthwhileises overland travel to Tibet. trip is a visit to its eco-farm, 40km from Shangri-la, Shangbala, where family (Y20you can spend the eveningTibetan with a per community. person). All money goes directly to the Tibetan tery complex with around 600 monks, thoughtery h

. ǐ ngdiàn, ō n and Yún- n and ng and Dàl ā n. ā ā

ngguó Nóngyè The Lost Horizon The Lost ō (Zh ) ngdiàn in serious fashion. ō 中甸 YÚNNÁN •• Shangri-La (Zh 香格里拉 via the Tibetan townships and via the Tibetan ū 822 2567; cnr Changzheng Lu & Xiangyang 822 2567; cnr Changzheng Lu % NGDIÀN

Ō 0887 / pop 120,000 / elevation 3200m 0887 / pop 120,000 Accommodation can be a bit tight around Plan your visit to this neck of the woods Plan your visit to this neck of Officials declared the town (and by exten- Officials declared One of the most important in monasteries One of

How times change. A mere decade ago, A mere How times change. zoom into the tourism stratosphere based onzoom into the tourism stratosphere locations, local andtheir sublime geographic

Agricultural Bank of China Yínháng; Information ) p289 at Noah CaféCD burning is available ( for Y10 per CD. tically shut down and transportation is often tically shut down and transportation is often by snow storms. completely halted ), so you may want p288 times (seefestivals a day or two early in order to secure to arrive a room. between April and October. There is no point There between April and October. as the city is prac- during winter coming here well worth a visit. springing up seasonally (and skyrocketing springing up seasonally (and skyrocketing and Still, it’s a wondrous place entrance fees). sion the rest of the country) the location of the country) the location of of sion the rest British writer James Hilton’s fictional Shangri- Hilton’s James British writer la, described in his novel provincial governments started to pay attention to pay started governments provincial Zh to the erstwhile was but one place to stay and pretty much no- much was but one place to stay and pretty Lìji to eat. Then, watching where Shangri-la was literally a one-yak town, too was literally Shangri-la to draw in many tourists. Pigshigh and remote there corners; street nibbled on garbage-strewn rugged terrain of western Sìchu western of terrain rugged looking at a rough five- or six-day journey or six-day journey looking at a roughfive- to Chéngd make it to the real thing. Shangri-la is also the is also the thing. Shangri-la real it to the make hardy travellers more last stop in Yúnnán for China lies just north of town and the town China lies just north of if you can’t a fantastic Tibet dose of offers can breathe at all, given its altitude.) its altitude.) at all, given can breathe name is Gyeltang or Gyalthang) is where you name is Gyeltang or Gyalthang) is where world. (If you in the Tibetan begin to breathe % as Zh (formerly known Shangri-la see you’ll also which Tibetan and hear; its SHANGRI-LA SHANGRI-LA nán side if you want to go exploring.nán side if you dozens of minibuses prowl the villages that the of dozens both the Sìchu on the lake around (ZH lonelyplanet.com Roll your eyes if you wish, but it has worked but it has worked Roll your eyes if you wish, This is a prime spot for all kinds of big time. tourists – hence the airport and guesthouses YÚNNÁN and more touristscomingin.Ifyou’re around a memorial halltotheRed Army’sLong Chamber fluttering prayerflags. turesque amongthetinkling bellsandthe fromhereand asunset isparticularlypic- astery isgetting thebulkof this. price toaroundY30.Itclaimsthat the mon- the admission ernment isplanningtoraise thatthegov- advised Changzheng Lu(Y1).Be mals. Bus3runshere fromanywhere along andani- wear masksdepictingdeities,ghosts Cham,religious see dancesinwhich monks during specialoccasionsorfestivals, you might 288 To Airport(5km); Trinyi Eco-lodge(6km) To NàpàH†i(7km); 4 1 3 2 To Chörten SHANGRI–LA The viewof townfromthetopisgorgeous, The monksare withmore welcoming,even Hidden withinthe oldtownisthe Déq¸n (187km)

Huancheng Xilu Wenhua Lu YÚNNÁN •• Shangri-La (Zh YÚNNÁN ••Shangri-La

(G ǔ 10 A chéng Cángj 3 6

Wenming Jie

Beimen Jie 12 Tuanjie Lu 17 Changzheng Lu Gompa (4km) To Ganden Sumtseling Temple (1km) 2 Pub (50m); 16 ī 11 ngtáng; admission Y5) 5 To Cow 13 1

8 Heping Lu 4 Town

Jiantang Donglu 200m 0.1miles 0 0 Old 9

Xiangyang Lu Ὀ Lu Hongqi Guishan To Bìt†H†i(25km); Báishu¨tái (108km); Park Lìjiƒng (198km) 14 15 ō ngdiàn) Dzong Hotel(3km) Cangfa B 7 , formerly , formerly ng Jie To Gyalthang Scripture Scripture the topwithcommandingviewsof thearea. G one roomisworthalook. March. here Definitely notmuch butits tosee features minority a Another new festival –usuallyin September – dancing, singing, eatingandhorseracing. a In midtolate JuneShangri-la plays hostto Festivals &Events driver youraccommodation through toarrangeport. You’llneed aguide,orcarand to doindependentlygiven lackof publictrans- villages. theremote However, are sights difficult tunities, aswelllittle-visited monasteries and plenty of trekking andhorseback ridingoppor- wonderful placetoget off thebeaten trackwith Changzheng Luisa dens andalongahill,bypassingpavilion. immediate Paths right. runupacrosssomegar- tiny looking theoldtownfromaneyrie,isanother with goodviewsof thetown. left,thentake an end of ChangzhengLu.Bear friendly monks.Toget here, walksouthtothe Shangri-La Traveller Club Noah Café EATING Kevin's Inn Trekker Tibetan Restaurants Tibetan Restaurants International Youth Hostel Hostel Youth International Agricultural Bank of China INFORMATION China Telecom China Telecom Khampa Caravan Caravan Khampa China Telecom Dragoncloud Guesthouse SLEEPING Scripture Chamber ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS Artistic ofthe Space Sacred DRINKING Public Security Bureau Tibet Café Bus Station Station Bus TRANSPORT CAAC Khampa Caravan Caravan Khampa Tibet Bureau Tourism Tibet Café ō ngyuán; admissionY3) horseracing festival Further south,justoutsideof andover- Further north,atopahilltothewestof Besides the sights listed here, thesights Shangri-laBesides isa temple Ё೑⇥㟾㽓㮣੪ଵ佚㽓㮣੪ଵ佚 ᣾Ѯ੪ଵ ᅶ䖤キ presided over bytwoexceedingly ֵ⬉Ё೑⬉ֵ Ё೑ ...... ᒋᏈଚ䘧᥶䰽ᮙ㸠⼒ ᒋᏈଚ䘧᥶䰽ᮙ㸠⼒ ...... 啭䮼ᅶᷜ সජ㮣㒣ූ 㽓㮣令ख़ ...... 㽓㮣ᮙ␌ሔ ...... (see 6) ݀ᅝሔ is nearby and has a temple at isnearbyandhasatemple at ...... 䖾ᑚ㮣ഄ೑䰙䴦ᑈᮙ㟡 rtists of rtists of Ё೑ݰϮ䫊㸠啭㸠ᅶᷜ that sees several days of several thatsees ೑䰙䴦ᑈᮙ⼒ ೷ഄ㡎ᴃぎ䯈 ...... chörten ...... southwest China. Guishan Park ...... (see 4) (Tibetan stupa) lonelyplanet.com ...... (Gu 11 10 12 13 16 17 14 15 1 3 2 6 5 9 8 4 7 A4 A4 A4 A2 A4 A2 A4 A4 A3 A3 A3 B4 B4 B1 B1 B3 B3 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 B4 ī sh ā n YÚNNÁN ; n; ā 289 ngji 金龙 ō nmíng nmíng ū 长征路 Not your u (Y1880), ) ō ngdiàn) 号 ō 16 ngzh ǎ tái, take you over you over tái, take (Shèngdì Yìshù K

ǐ 828 5774; Jinlong Jie; 仓房街 % i; Changzheng Lu; i; Changzheng Lu; ; ē f ā ā b ǔ When the weather gets nippy – gets When the weather (Nuóyà K (Niúpéng Ji

823 1309; 16 Cangfang Jie; nmíng it’s important that you give yourself nmíng it’s important that you give The name itself warrants a poke-around in The name itself warrants a poke-around Artistic Space of the Sacred a look around the old town and on Have Noah Café Noah Café Cow Pub ) ū and regular flights to Lhasa.and regular Flights for other There are four flights daily to K are There (Y830), two a week to Gu from this domestic destinations also leave and des- irregular completely airport but are from week to week. You tinations change about your destination or buy can inquire betans wine-producing techniques, a tradition betans wine-producing techniques, on through carried to has fortunately which a of today; look for the bottle with a picture label. on the church Getting There & Away the roads leading out of that many of Note particularly the road to Emerald Shangri-la, Lake and Báishu Pagoda from 4000m-plus passes. If you fly in direct K a day or two to acclimatise in Shangri-la. AIR this place whose design scheme is dedicated this place whose is dedicated design scheme or otherwise) or at least (Tibetan to cowpokes Subdued but welcoming, in Old Tibet. life you’ll find it in the old town. % run-of-the-mill an joint, this place – is it a bar, from and it shows, inn? – is run by an artist, the lighting to the colour coordination. Best the inspiring views from the tiered all are of A Ming has a gallery full of outdoor terraces. will show you if you and paintings upstairs dorm with a also set up a four-bed ask. He’s room with one and a private Buddhist shrine romantic views in the city. the most of restau- and Western Tuanjie Lu for Tibetan rants and cafés. Also look out for locally pro- missionaries French wine. duced Shangri-la taught the Ti- area working in the Mekong Eating & Drinking has a popular restau- ) & Drinking Eating p287 Café ( Tibet The rant, though has great it’s a bit pricey. It also for rent. bikes dishes from Y10) OK, downrightyou can be sure – freezing for their going to be here are that most people at last at all. Yup, if they leave – squares three this place seemedcheck, to be tops – good CDs You can also burn muesli and pancakes. for Y10. here 街 688 shè; It’s ǚ ngnián ī ; dm/d ; dm/d ; dm/d % Large Large Spar- ) 822 8178; 号 ; Jiàntáng ; Jiàntáng 98 i

% ngnián L ī •• Shangri-La YÚNNÁN (Zh 团结路 s & d Y80; n Zàngdì Guójì Q

ī 和平路 ; dm/d Y20/80) (Guójì Q 建塘宾馆 ( (Lóngxíng Kèzhàn;

(Déq Y15-25,

(Lóngmén Kèzhàn; 建塘路

; dm 号 94 822 3646; www.coloursofangsana.com/gyal Run by a diehard traveller, this this traveller, Run by a diehard ) The gregariousness of the staff of here The gregariousness ) 822 8671; 98 Heping Lu; 822 8671; 98 Heping Lu; % i i % n;

ǎ 822 6948; Jiantang Lu; 822 6948; Jiantang Lu; Kevin’s Trekker Inn Dragoncloud Guesthouse

Gyalthang Dzong Hotel International Youth Hostel Shangri-La Traveller Club shè; ngu ī ǚ exquisite attention to detail throughout. attention exquisite rooms – call them spiritually chic in design, rooms – call them spiritually chic and maroons – and with subtle rusty oranges of the best we’ve seen in China’s we’ve the best anywhere of town and backed Southwest. Some 3km east of it’s got amazing hill, against a ‘protector’ end place in China that warrants the mention. one place and them – a fabulous This is one of thang; s & d in peak season US$90; closed 1 Dec-1 Apr) a high- about to write pleasure honestly a rare % might be the flowers the proprietor insists on might be the flowers maintaining on the grounds. digs. Choose between a traditional Chinese building. Warmly house or a newer Tibetan extras – best and loads of lit common areas place has consistently garnered high praise garnered place has consistently and cosy helpful owners for its from travellers www.kevintrekkerinn.com; Tuanjie Lu; www.kevintrekkerinn.com; Lu; Tuanjie (Y15 per day) and go online (Y6 per hour). downside – the chilling dash from the outdoor downside – the chilling here bikes shower to your room! You can rent L Y20/50; than enough) for the only up (more makes a godsend. hour) and inter- (Y4 per Internet from the nearby esting comings and goings for Y15 per day. rental old town. Bike in great shape – including the restrooms and the restrooms shape – including in great is in the common area The fireplace showers. and spacious, this guesthouse has tastefully modern rooms and everything is understated 7573; www.dragoncloud.cn; 94 Beimen Jie, Jiantang Zhen; 7573; www.dragoncloud.cn; 94 建塘镇北门街 in the snow. 24-hour hot water. Those listed here ostens- Those here listed water. 24-hour hot this with but verify ibly stay open year-round, street slog your bag down the you them before Shangri-la’s often glacial night temperatures, glacial night temperatures, often Shangri-la’s nor have neither heated many guesthouses are hostels popping up near the old town and and up near the old town popping hostels Becity outskirts. however,despite that aware, Sleeping Sleeping guesthouses and interesting always are There Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book B Y20/60; tan and on the chilly side at night, this hostel tan side at night, this hostel and on the chilly town and run by a lovely is in a quiet part of but go out of family who don’t speak English their way to help. YÚNNÁN Wenming Jie) something. call your accommodationto tryandarrange ers of infrontof theblack sedans you or you’ll have tonegotiate withthealldriv- wear picture ID.Iftheshuttle busisn’tthere atyour hotel.drop youright The drivers andwillusuallywait forincomingflights the airport.Shuttle(Y10)sometimes buses here, anytaxis they areto see rare around is currently noairportatDéq times referred toasDíqìngorDeqen –there tickets atthe 290 The airportis5kmfromtownand some- ‘I’m sure there’s awish forShangri-laineveryone’s heart…’ surely ametaphor.its heart JaneWyattsaysinthefilmversion As ofthebook, askinny-dipping willdeterfiction localChinesewhoare proudlyconvincedoftheauthenticity. forcommercialpurposes.been hijacked Noamountofreminding thatShangri-laisinaworkof Even Xuan theoriginal Ke, proponentoftheShangri-latheory,lamentsthatconcept has ists intotheprefecture toprovide analternative incometotherecently bannedlogging trade. exercise.money-making Provincial authoritieshadlongbeenpreparing foraninvasion oftour- Qing dynastynamingthetown‘Xianggeli’,fromwhere thenameShangri-laisderived. town ofXióngg thatRockwroteChanna Dorjeandthefact abouttheregion inseveral Then articles. there’s the just over theborderinSìchu even toldthatshewasthebloodrelative characters! Meanwhile,Dàochéng, ofonethe(fictional) that itsCatholic churchesandTibetan monasteries live side bysideinthevalley.Onelocalwas his descriptions of Shangri-la on articles byJosephRockhehadread in his descriptionsofShangri-laonarticles the county’sblood-red valleyswiththree parallelrivers fitavalleyfrom there Shangri-lahills’,rivalbidspoppeduparoundYúnnán.Cízh are Shangri-lahotels, Sensingthat‘there’s travel moneyinthem agencies andaShangri-laairport. Buddhist paradise. ‘Shangri-la’mayjusthavethat Hilton’s beenacorruptionoftheword Déq loads oftea totheTibetans’. town…where fromaworld’sendmarket kilometres Chinese coolies fromYúnnántransfer their is reached bytravelling ‘southwestfromPeking formanymonths’,andisfound‘afew hundred book,Shangri-la AccordingtoHilton’s pyramidpeak,MtKarakul. valleycappedbyaperfect fertile ruled bya163-year-old holyman.This ‘Shangri-la’isintheValley oftheBlueMoon,abeautiful Gielgud) tells thestoryoffourtravellers whoare andcrash landinamountainutopia hijacked magazine detailingRock’sexpeditionstoremote ofLìji parts 1933 best-seller Research Centre thatthefabled‘Shangri-la’ofJamesHilton’s hadestablishedwith‘certainty’ kidding. InNovember 1997the At atypicallyoverstated firstitseemedlike touristcampaign:‘Shangri-laFound’.Onlytheyweren’t SHANGRI-LA –FACT &FICTION YÚNNÁN •• Shangri-La (Zh YÚNNÁN ••Shangri-La And whileitmayeven have andmillionsofreaders, beenShangri-latoHilton Shangri-laisat It’s hardforuscynicsnottobelieve thatthewholethinghassimplybeenmanufactured asa One certainly plausible theory is that Hilton, writingthenovel London,based plausibletheoryisthatHilton, innorthwest One certainly Tourism authoritieswasted littletimelatchingontotheShangri-laphenomenonandtodaythere The YúnnánEconomy&Technology ResearchCentre that baseditsclaimprimarilyonthefact novelHilton’s (later filmedbyFrankCapra andstarringRonaldColeman, JaneWyattandJohn ī n’s Kawa Karpo peak perfectly resembles the ‘pyramid-shaped’ landmark of Mt Karakul. Also, resembles peakperfectly the‘pyramid-shaped’ landmarkofMtKarakul. Karpo n’s Kawa . CAAC ǔ Lost Horizon

( (Zh 雄古 ō ngguó Mínháng; ), aNaxivillage40kmfromLìji ā was,indeed,inDéq n, hadastrongbidbasedaroundthepyramidpeakofitsmountain ī n. Don’texpect ō ngdiàn) China Daily % 822 9901; reported that theYúnnánEconomy&Technology ī n County. your next destinationis L Xi ing. Thefirst stage of thetripisShangri-la to warm clothes.Roadsareneed alsoass-kill- days’ travel atsomevery altitudes–you’ll high picnic, sobeprepared before yougo. ing-it trips,butbeaware thatitisn’talways a as farastravellers’ knees the bee’s fave rough- Xi popularity now)toChéngd like itwithits the ‘back’door(hardlyseems Then, there’s favourite everyone’s bus-trek: BUS ā ā You’re lookingataminimumof five tosix ā ngchéng, L ngchéng inSìchu ng, whichboastsastonetabletfromthe ā ng, Mùl ō ng inW ǐ táng andK ǐ andDéq Lost Horizon ē Shambhala, ā x n. From Xi ī Countypointed out National Geographic ī n. Others believen. Others ā ngdìng. Itmaybe ū lonelyplanet.com inSìchu ǐ táng, though amystical . ā ngchéng, ā n, via

YÚNNÁN

. 291 Xiagei ng Qiáo; ē 822 9028; n from n from nsh ā ā % ; Ti courtesy of the of courtesy ǐ nquán; admission Y15) yóujú; ē ǚ i W ě ng in Sìchu 天生桥 ( ā

zàng L ī Xiàg nji

ī ; (X ( p260 ) can also organise overland overland organise ) can also p260 ( , a natural limestone formation, ǐ 下给温泉 (

Tiansheng BridgeTiansheng Trips – and costs – vary so it’s worth shop- AROUND SHANGRI-LA AROUND SHANGRI-LA Shangri-la southeast of 10km Approximately is the admission Y15) and further southeast, the subterranean hot springs is the transport, en route If you can arrange member that permits take five days to organise. days to organise. five member that permits take to Café for travellers has arranged The Tibet start in Dàl the permit process can fax copies Guesthouse. Traveller’s MCA from their passports through to Shangri-la of Guesthouse so by the time they ar- the MCA their permits will be ready in Shangri-la rive Guesthouse Peace & to collect. Jim’s Tibetan Café in Dàl to Lhasa. travel Getting Around Buss 1 and 3 zip between and the monastery town (Y1). Tibet TourismTibet Bureau These same can also organise companies into Tibet trips from Shangri-la overland via either the northern or southern highway to Lhasa. you need Likewise, official permits in order to do this and these trips (from Y800 to Y1000 per don’t come cheap also looking at an per day). You’re vehicle eight- to 12-day journey at high altitudes. (and what an adventure But holy smoke, what scenery). ping around to see best suits you. Re- what [email protected]; Shangbala Room 2206, Hotel, 36 Changzheng Lu) n ī n & the ā lán on the lán on the táng, it’s on ǐ n, and try to ǐ ā nz and travellers and travellers ē ū . For more details . For more ū ngwàng, get off where off where ngwàng, get ō 828 8648; www.khampacaravan % YÚNNÁN •• Around Shangri-La ( 823 0019; www.tibetcafeinn.com; 823 0019; www.tibetcafeinn.com; lán you can also catch the Déq lán you can also catch ǐ % nz ( tái 23 4 2 daily 9.10am, 2.10pm 9.10am, daily 23 tái 4 2 nmíng and Chéngd n 56 8 hourly 7am-12.30pm 8 n 56 hourly ǐ ē ā lán 17 3 2 daily 1pm, 2pm 1pm, daily 17 lán 3 2 ū ǐ n 38 6 4 daily 7.20am-noon ng 35 4½ 13 daily 7.10am-5.40pm daily 13 4½ ng 35 ī ngchéng 65 8-9 daily 7.30am ā ngwàng 45 7-8 daily 7.30am ngdìng from where you can make your you can make ngdìng from where nmíng 167 15 7 daily 4-7.30pm nz táng road from there. ā ō ē ū ǐ ā Báishu Destination Price (Y) Duration (hours) Frequency Departs B Déq D K Lìji Xiàgu Xi SHANGRI-LA BUS TIMETABLE BUS TIMETABLE SHANGRI-LA most covered routes, ply local- and long-distance Loads of other buses list is not exhaustive. This take the extraordinary You could even long-haul to J in other chapters. here on an endlessly long sleeper bus. on an endlessly long sleeper here Note that roads out of Shangri-la can be Shangri-la that roads out of Note For B Few undertake the other options. Take the the other options. Take undertake Few .com; Heping Lu) Changzheng Lu) Tibet Café Tibet ‘packages’ to Tibet (around Y2570 per person, (around Y2570 per person, to Tibet ‘packages’ including air ticket): Khampa Caravan the necessary permits in order to travel. There There the necessary permits in order to travel. sell that companies in Shangri-la three are as in K ‘group’ and have an organised must be part of There are now flights from Shangri-la to to now flights from Shangri-la are There Lhasa,same the however the situation is much TO TIBET TO TIBET way. See also individual local destinations for transport details. bus which passesbus which through B catch onward transport to the main Shangri- catch la–L to (or even October in some years) November at this time bring travelling If you are March. itinerary. warm clothes and a flexible lots of temporarily blocked by snow at any time from by snow at any time blocked temporarily here. Another option is to take the daily early Another option is to take here. morning bus to Déróng (Y37), a town with a nice monaster- of and a couple decent hotel the border in Sìchu ies just over it turns off the main road and hitch from from road and hitch the main it turns off on these towns see Sìchu Western ). p387 ( Road to Tibet 8am bus north to D if roads are bad you may be forced to stay if roads are From L in Dàochéng. overnight to K way west towards Chéngd lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN graph the islandinthemiddle of the lake Rowboats are cheaper. Touristscome tophoto- down toY100or soforfive ifyou’re good. ride runsY50per person, oryoucanhaggle thetwoendsofbetween thelake; a motorboat is 2kmtothelake. It’spossibletorent boats southernentrance,from whereis asecond, it from southernentranceto/fromlake). There at thelake (Y65round-triprides;Y25toor hiking optionsandponiescanbe arranged rethink this. dropintourism)forofficials to subsequent Hopefully there outcry(and willbeenough just beingintroducedatthetimeof writing. admissionprice,anditwas lutely laughable bypony). Yes,(a half-hour thisisanabso- (Bìt for you alongthehighway S Some 25kmeastof Shangri-la, thebusto 塔海和属都海 Emerald Pagoda Lake& Shudu Lake from thebustoDéq groundtothenorthandyou’llgethigh these it maybeY150).Thebestviewsare fromthe times(duringafestival inoff-peak per night Tents canberented foraroundY25toY30 horses; therest of thetimeit’sjustamarsh. bike rideinsummer,whenyoucanalsohire and there islittlereason tovisit.Itiswortha golden meadowsandyakseverywhere. Autumn islovely here –azure skiesabove munity of around200black-necked cranes. rare birdspecies,includingawinter com- m NapaHai ishometomyriad Nature Reserve orni thologists willlike theplace:2000-sq- fine views. lie theremains of aMingdynastytemple with in thehillsnorthwestcornerof thelake Nine caves lieinthesurroundingmountains; onthreegrass meadowand mountains sides. streams andrivers, surroundedbyalarge this seasonal Some 7kmnorthwestof Shangri-la you’llfind Napa Lake(NàpàH uniformly underwhelmed. tour groupsbutmanyforeign travellers seem of theearliestBuddhisttemples inYúnnán. Temple Treasure Great 292 ā nbà (see Báishu nbà (see Between September andMarch September budding Between sites areThese wildlypopularwithChinese If youdodecidetovisit,there are lotsof Outside of months, these thelake driesup ǎ H ǎ ÚNN • rudSagiL YÚNNÁN ••AroundShangri-La i; admissionY190) l ake (admissionY30)fed by10 , which is8kmdownatrail ǐ tái, following)candrop ( ī n orB ǎ 大宝寺 i) 纳帕海 Emerald Pagoda Lake ē nz ; Dàb ǐ lán. ǎ o Sì),one 碧

also take adailybus(3pm)toLuòjí( helpknowingwhereneed togo. Youcould youdefinitely toNírùinaday,though Lake One traveller reported hikingfromShudu for theentrancefee ifyou’re passing through.) parts,you’ve forkoverthose gotta thecash (Even ifyoujustwish tomeanderaround totheborderwithSìchu northeast, close geous littleTibetan village of probably putstravellers atriptothegor- off to get precise directions. the twolakes butit’seasytoget lost,sobesure anywhere Itispossibletohike else. between ismorecertainly livestock grazinghere than most fertile innorthwestern Yúnnán.There Tibetan itspastures because are reputedly the name means‘placewhere milkisfound’in cially thedragonspruceandsilver birch. The The lushcarpetsof forest are impressive, espe- more scintillatingblue–youknowthedeal. approximately 10kmtothenorth.More birds, to theinclusionof Shudu (Sh Lake ern endof thelake. after feasting onazaleapetals. minutes inthelakeunconscious forseveral fishthatfloat insummeristhecomatose sight of autumncolours inOctober. Anintriguing that isablaze withflowers inJuneandariot Sìchu in Pamukkale inTurkey orHuánglóng in Shangri-la. most popularslow route Lìji between good reason hasthisbecome probably the plateau 108kmsoutheastof Shangri-la. For to and asplendidchain of Tibetan villages leads Breathtaking scenery,possiblepony rides, Báishu including Shudu Lake. willcostaroundY200forthereturntaxi trip, ambitious destinationsforabicycleride. A deal. EmeraldPagoda isoneof Lake themore to Shangri-la negotiate soyoumight agood afare guysneed back –these out fortaxis ally have tocatch thebustoS and hike/hire acarfromthere. one of theentrancesormain roadandlook wait (sometimesforever) forabusorhike to backyoucan the turn-offandhitch. Getting The whoppingnewentrancefee isalsodue Basic The terraces, reminiscent of found those Too bad the entrance fee is so high, asit Too badtheentrancefee issohigh, Getting tothelake(s)Getting istricky.Youusu- Báishu ā n, are resplendent butcan insunlight, ǐ cabins tái ǐ tái (admission Y30) 白水台

(Y15-30) are available atthewest- , alimestonedeposit lonelyplanet.com Nírù ā nbà, get at off ( 尼洳 ǔ d ā ū ng and ) 洛吉 H

to the ǎ ā i), n. ) YÚNNÁN lán. ǐ 293 (Birang (Birang (col- nz

here in here ē ǔ is perhaps ng Xiág ǎ kangtsang

; bed Y25) ) – along, it seems, Bìr ǔ ; Y30), just north of ; Y30), just north of n; buses through pass ī mask dance festival Xiág n buses, and you are well well n buses, and you are lán take any bus betweenlán take ā 翁水 ǐ ā l 多闻旅馆 ǐ

( ( , 100km north of Shangri-la. , 100km north of ǐ nz n 碧壤峡谷 ē ǎ

ǔ gu nggél ǚ ā ngshu ē lán has plenty of restaurants and small and restaurants lán has plenty of ǐ wén L admission Y20) nz ō

ng Xiág ē ǎ It’s recently been rechristened Shangri-la Shangri-la been rechristened It’s recently To get to B To get Currently you needstay to the nightCurrently at the There is lovely scenery in all directions and scenery in all directions is lovely There B Du November. There is no entry fee and photos fee is no entry There November. can be taken. gorge or hire your own transport for around your own transport for around or hire gorge Y300. Public buses at 8am from Shangri- la to W the most hopeless in some of are the gorge, the to cover hours China, taking up to five the next morn- 100km and only returning the bus to off ing. You could try and get Gorge; seems an under- Biodiverse, something of a gander at the statement when one takes flora and fauna contained laundry list of within. Unesco went gaga when examining for placement on its World Herit- the region list in 2003. sites age (Xi Gorge the sights in northwest Yún- with half of itself dramatic 150m-high has nán. The gorge sheer walls but the best part is the trail that op- giving a rare leads out from the gorge, quick portunity to do some hiking. Get here just been built have and restaurants – shops is starting to pile up. and the litter ern end of town. This Tibetan-style place has town. This Tibetan-style ern end of a prayer wheel entrance and pleasant by the been good have there toilets; rooms but fetid about the family that runs it. reports and Déq Shangri-la (Y17, buses Shangri-la a day from two direct daily are 1pm and 2pm). There hours, three about times Inquire buses back to Shangri-la. when you arrive. Bìr time, got loads of Worth a visit if you’ve your butt hasn’t been tenderised too much Sìchu by western is impressive prepared, assembly hall and several assemblyhall and several house still four living and 300 monks leges) is a Buddhas. There to B hike time it’s a great if you have If you show you the short cuts. Monks can it might politely be possible to spend enquire the night at the monastery. decent beds for Y25 to Y30. All offer hotels. bend in the north- around the the best choice, are town between 11am and noon. There , ī tái ǐ tái via ǐ 东竹林 (

lán, head- n, but after n, but after ǐ ā nz sh , famed for its , famed for its villages. You’ll villages. ē ī ě ā b ā lán and where the the lán and where ǐ nz nbà have rooms with nbà have ē ā tái at 9.10am and 2.10pm ǐ n. This laid-back Tibetan Tibetan n. This laid-back ī 奔子栏、尼西

ī nbà and H Dhondrupling Gompa YÚNNÁN •• Around Shangri-La ā , 22km from B

lán, is the (roughly) halfway point lán, is the (roughly) halfway point ǐ lán & Níx

lán gets all the publicity for its won- lán gets ngzhúlín Sì) ǐ nz ǐ

nbà via Báishu ō ē ā nz nz From Shangri-la there are two daily buses are there From Shangri-la The region is also famed as the birthplace is also famed The region

B A couple of guesthouses at the nearby guesthouses at the nearby A couple of One adventurous option is to combine a One adventurous ; D ē ē pottery. Some three-quarters of the village’s village’s the of Some three-quarters pottery. trip to the 3km 100-plus families still make the clay is said and from local hills, where to be sublime, and set work as they have to for centuries. consider hopping off in Níx consider hopping off being destroyed by the PLA in the 1950s, it the mountain. in the lee of here, was rebuilt beds from Y25; in the off season these can go down to Y10 or so. with the road to Wéix highway intersects and trek all the way from here to Tiger Leap- to Tiger all the way from here and trek via S ing Gorge ‘living Buddhas’ resided here; now its main now its main here; ‘living Buddhas’ resided At its peak, more than 700 monks and 10 than 700 monks and 10 At its peak, more the prefecture. The original temple, built in built in The original temple, the prefecture. 1667, was up in Báimáng Xu ing northwest along the main road. This is ing northwest along the main road. This is the most important in monasteries one of the wonderful 寺 on the way to Déq excellent base an to explore makes village Emerald Pagoda Lake Y500. is Y400 to Emerald Pagoda roughly halfway to B B gompa, but along the way, Tibetan derful B (Y23, four hours). Don’t count on these(Y23, four hours). always departing. The starting price to charter to Báishu from Shangri-la a microbus to S towns of Báidì and S towns of guides. See p283 for further information. p283 guides. See guesthouses in Walnut Grove along the Tiger Tiger along the guesthouses in Walnut Grove and horses can arrange trek Leaping Gorge rough road does It is lead between the villages. since in reverse, route probably easier to do this need though local expertise ato find the paths, visit to Emerald Pagoda Lake with Báishu visit to Emerald Pagoda to the Naxi, so tread everlightly. so to the Naxi, so tread and heartland of Naxi Dongba culture (see Dongba culture Naxi of and heartland and thus is sacred information) for more p265 sometimes horses for hire up to the terraces the terraces up to for hire sometimes horses for around Y25. is a 60m-tall cascade and rock cave. There are are There is a 60m-tall cascade and rock cave. be tough to get to if rainfall has made trails has made to if rainfall be tough to get Naxi the small around are terraces slick. The Báidì. The highlight the terraces of of village lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN snowfalls inNovember. marooned here daysafter heavy forseveral ing baginwinter andbeprepared –wewere you apropermattress atleast.Bringasleep- dation atthemaingate forY20,which gets abarn.Thereis essentially isalsoaccommo- from mid-October tolate spring,heavy snows ranges hereing some serious andatanytime –headforthe hills! itself And nobodycomes here inthetown tostay down fromthehillsonashopping expedition. by theoccasionalbandof Tibetans Khampa of poolwiththelocalTibetans) enlivened at thetopendof townandshoot afew games heavy Tibetan population(headtothemarket River ( tion nestlinginasidevalleyof theMekong which crea- isamodernChinese town itself, Han period. datingfromthelateand tombswith16levels recent excavations unearthedstonecoffins of of non-HuiMuslimsinChina. Aseries here, includingoneof thefew settlements adozen otherminoritiesalsolivethough 60,085 people. More than80%are Tibetan, in 1957. cameinforce led byanyoneuntilthePLA so isolated really thatitwasnever control- held sway.Butfar-flung Díqìngprefecture was but bytheMingdynasty,Lìji of theTangbowas theseat Tieqiao magistrate, dles theYúnnán–Tibet border. andstrad- peak 6740m, itisYúnnán’shighest Méil Kawamountains, Karpo (often referred toas of Yúnnán’s–ifnotChina’s –mostmagical perched atanaverage altitudeof 3550m.One which every way.Intrigued? seemingly west isMyanmar. There are sacred mountains Sìchu before Tibet. Forborderholics, totheeastis ragged, snowypeaks, Déq Nestled inthewildwestof Yúnnán,among % DÉQ Fàndiàn hitch backintheafternoon insummer. Xi 294 ā If youare travelling inwinter youare cross- Sparsely populated Déq During theTang dynasty,theprefecture This, Yúnnán’snorthernmostcounty,is There isbasic accommodationatthe Some travellers are disappointed withthe 0887 /pop60,085elevation3550m ngchéng in Sìchu ǐ Ī YÚNNÁN ••Déq Xu ā N n, tothewestisTibet andtothesouth- 澜沧江

( 德钦白马饭店 ě sh ā n) liestothewestof Déq ; Lánc ; bedsY10) ī ā n ā ng Ji n. Youmaybeable to ī withbedsinwhat ī n isthelastoutpost ā n Countyhasonly ng), butthere’s a ā ng’s chieftain ng’s chieftain ī Báim n. At ǎ

email (Y3 per hour). email (Y3perhour). bottomless cupsof green tea whileyou surfor free, internet caféacrossthestreet thatserves There’s duringthechilly nights. godsend an modern bathroomsandelectricblankets –a wanting somethingabitslicker. Roomshave huge discountsandisagoodchoice forthose after leaving thishotel thebusstation, offers Dàsh of thebusstation. sitting area. You’llfindthisplace200msouth rooftop terrace roomsandanicecommunal and ceiling,somegorgeous viewsfromthe in town.There are muralsonthewalls bright d Y20/70) few options. ( opposite ) andenvironsbutthetownhasa Pretty much headsforF everyone Sleeping &Eating erstwhile Zh lars flowingupfromtheotherShangri-la (the tokeep touristdol- ‘Shangri-la’ inaneffort that Déq Plus, remember well–asifyoucouldforget – othervariationsonsigns,maps,whatever.see Shangri-la) isspelledbothways,butyou’llalso (anddestinationof thebusfrom county seat Díqìng Tibetan AutonomousPrefecture. The and county;bothare incorporated bythe a snowboundemergency. theroads.Packcan close andplanfor sensibly raphy, this is proabably a long way off. raphy, this isproabablyalong wayoff. to linkup withGòngsh government intoshelling outforanew road Déq ing thegovernments of the NujiangValley and ( p297 ). Notyet, anyway.Atthetimeof writ- schedule. turn toShangri-la fromDéq six hours). number of re- Thesame buses From Shangri-la toDéq Getting There&Away locals, particularlyforthe7pmnews. tourists, andgets aregular crowdof boisterous and someof thebesteatsin town.Itrarely sees this hole-in-the-walleatery hasthecheapest from Y5) times daily between 7.20am andnoon(Y38, times dailybetween Deqin Tibet Hotel Wéix Deqin DashengHotel Confusingly, Déq There isn’tanyroadtotheNujiangValley ē ī ng Dàji n hadapparently goadedthe provincial AcrossfromtheDeqinDansheng Hotel, ī Themostcharming accommodation Nóngji ǔ ī diàn; dY468) n Countyisalsoreferred toas Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ō ā ngdiàn). F ē ngwèi (

德钦楼 Up the street on your right Upthestreet onyourright ī

n isthenameof thecity ( 德钦大声大酒店

ā ( 维西农家风味 n, butgiven the geog- ī ; Déq n, buses leaven, buses four ī n Lóu;8412031;dm/ ī n onasimilar ē ilái Sì ; dishes ; Déq ī n YÚNNÁN ng ng ǒ 295 n ī 689 5030; (Míngy

the lowest %

o; ǎ ng as it descends ǒ ; Jìhòuni n a taxi will cost you ī 明永冰川 Mingyong Glacier 季候鸟 (

Speaking of views, you are not views, you are Speaking of ilaí Sì. ē n; admission Y63, expect price spike if in high sea- ā Over 13 sq km, it is not only For thousands of years the mountain has years For thousands of Migratory Bird ngchu ī been a pilgrimage site and you’ll still meet site been a pilgrimage whom cir- pilgrims, some of Tibetan a few seven days the mountaincumambulate over known are in autumn. Surrounding villages the dense because fog of villages’ as ‘heaven that hangs about in spring and summer, even permeating into homes. Tumbling off the side of Kawa Karpo peak Karpo Kawa the side of Tumbling off is the 12km-long B son). glacier in China (around 2200m high) but also an oddity – it’s a monsoon marine glacier, that an ecosystem basically means it has which you’ll see diverse: couldn’t possibly be more all and meadow, tundra, taiga, forest broadleaf A conservationin one hike. has been cre- area sucker the peak. This around the baseated of 530m per of an average also hauls, moving year (that would explain all the ice cracking the glacier and thundering). The best views of from the road to Míngy are from F dishes from Y8) ones than breathtaking going to find more is pretty which bar-café at this relaxing here for these parts. If backpacker-central much you need this is where to know something, work you’ll find out. It also does bit of a quite children. with disabled Tibetan GETTING THERE & AWAY from Déq here To get head out onto the road and Y30; alternatively, flag down anything that moves. Mingyong Glacier and it’s still a well-run place; it’s got fabu- and it’s still a well-run everythinglous views. But then again, here does.

is n ng; n, not into Tibet. This route is quite dangerous and dangerous and is quite route This n, not into Tibet. ī ī ā ilái ilái n or ē ā njú) keeps a vigilant eye out for foreigners trying to find to find trying eye out for foreigners njú) keeps a vigilant nzhu ā sh ā ě ng‘ n Sh ō YÚNNÁN •• Around Déq ā Xu ǐ sh Deqin Gompa ě ; Xu (stupas) and, weather n. The young monks are n. The young monks are ī 雪山山庄

( in Chinese), whose is spirit N chörten Ī ǚ (also known as Méil n). A small monument marks the 飞来寺

ā (Shénn n range, including the 6740m-high including the 6740m-high n range, n is also a jumping-off point for those looking to slip into Tibet by the back door. There There back door. by the looking point for those n is also a jumping-off to slip into Tibet ā ī

sh 139 8874 0590; www.meililive.com; dm Y20, s & d Y140) ě YET ANOTHER TIBET BACK DOOR DOOR TIBET BACK YET ANOTHER Déq are rumours that the Yúnnán route into Tibet will open up to individual travellers in coming coming in travellers will open up to individual into Tibet that the Yúnnán route rumours are but at when this town opened), this annually since 1997 been hearing we’ve years (of course to Déq can only go travellers the moment the Public Security Bureau (PSB; G (PSB; Security Bureau the Public their way across. Be warned that even if you find a driver to sneak you into Tibet, more than than more you into Tibet, to sneak if you find a driver that even Be warned their way across. Just as importantly, disappear. the driver only to have half the fare paid have travellers a few fine and likely confiscation of you in he will face a large gets caught smuggling if your driver his driving license. ilái Sì

Meili Guesthouse A further 800m along the main road brings For details on border crossings into Tibet, For details crossings into Tibet, on border ē This has been around longer than most others than most others This has been around longer % handful of guesthouses and ultra-laid-back guesthouses and ultra-laid-back handful of these come and go found here; are eateries the wind. like This place has gone from deserted to a Chinese a Currently ghetto in a decade. backpacker SLEEPING & EATING SLEEPING & EATING Locals come here to burn juniper incense to Locals come here the mountain. the wrathful spirit of peak my eyes were ever privileged to see…like ever privileged peak my eyes were a fairy tale’. an ice palace of a dream, a castle of the female counterpart of Kawa Karpo. Joseph Karpo. Kawa of counterpart the female Rock described Miacimu as ‘the most glorious more beautiful peak to the south is 6054m beautiful peak to the more Miacimu Tàizi Sh on Kawa attempt tragic 1991 Sino–Japanese 17 people died. The even during which Karpo Xu Kawa Karpo you to a row of you to a row of the Méil views of permitting, breathtaking

Sì (Feilai Temple; Naka Zhashi, or Trashi, Zhashi, or Trashi, Naka Temple; Sì (Feilai devoted to the spirit of Gompa in Tibetan) a but leave no charge There’s Karpo. Kawa allowed inside the donation. No photos are tiny hall. F Déq 10km southwest of Approximately F Tibetan is the small but interesting

The Gelukpa (Yellow Hat) sect Hat) The Gelukpa (Yellow Déq 3km south of to see. not a lot friendly but there’s AROUND DÉQ Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book see p291 . YÚNNÁN new claim-to-be-midrange hotels have gone so bringatorch orsomecandles.Ahandfulof and toiletfacilitiesare basic.Electricityisiffy are inallguesthouses aroundY25toY30 Beds SLEEPING hoof it. from X text, below ), youcouldalsohike toMíngy go uptotheglacier(Y150). flags and viewsoffantastic theglacierframedbyprayer Temple A further30minutes alongthetrailis is a get toTibetan Continuing on,after another45minutes you down tothe(unimpressive) of toe theglacier. chörten Míngy 296 Trails totheglacierleadupfrom If you’re can upnorth. ( p228 ) andtalk tothetrekker owners;theycan’thelp withpermitsbuttheycanfindoutwho modation. Better, inK you’re thisoutinShangri-laatanyof the travel better agencies oryouraccom- offchecking it; you’lldefinitely needaguide. Arranging thesemaybepossibleinDéq Xu 3pm or4pm.AtaxifromF You couldalsousetheMíngy in afew spots,soknowbefore yougo. nine or10hours,butthey’re apparently superhuman.Also,it’stoughandvery easytogetlost need tobegabedinoneofthelocalhuts. Ourlocalfriendsinsistthey’ve doneitinaround including through three more ‘settlements’ before reaching X groupings ofTibetan whenyoureach theMekongRiver huts;youthen bend north andpass head south to a fabulous lake (it’s around 4350m high and not easy to find, so take aguide). (it’saround 4350mhighandnoteasytofind,sotake head southtoafabulouslake Or, youcould tofour-houron allofthem.)It’sathree- triponfootorhorsebacktothewaterfall. you 25km(fourtosixhours)Y pony (Y100) to the mountain pass two-thirds ofthewaytoY tothemountainpasstwo-thirds pony (Y100) to X trekkers alongtheTiger Leaping Gorge. At thebridgeover theMekongRiver theroadleads6km and fastbecomingoneofthemostpopular‘other’treks forthosedismayedbythenumbersof Or use a combination of bus/pony/hiking, theeasiestofwhichwouldbetobusX Or useacombinationofbus/pony/hiking, A trek tothefabulous THE YUBENG&KAWA KARPO TREKS guide namedAqinpu. guesthouse ě YÚNNÁN ••AroundDéq Then there’s the legendary Kawa Karpo Then Karpo there’s thelegendary Kawa There isa3pmminibusfromDéq Heading backtoX From Y Now, you could – and many do – hike allthewayhereNow, youcould–andmanydohike fromF sh ī ǒ ( d . After 45minutes apathsplitsoff ī 莲花庙 ng’s centralsquare marked byanew ā ā d ng andanother3kmorsotoahotspring. Then it’spossibletoarrangeponyhire totake n. Sadly,halfofitisintheTibetan Autonomous Region, soyou’llneedapermit to do chörten ā ng inaroundthree hours ifyou

coming fromY Mystic Waterfall Lodge ǔ b (d lowseasonY100-120,highY180)

ē Tàiz ; ng villageloadsandoftreks lieoutthere. (Aqinpu cangive youthescoop Liánhu . Horses canalsobehired to ǐ Miào Miào ī ū d ( ā nmíng, before heading north, go totheKunmingCloudlandYouthHostelnmíng, before headingnorth, 太子庙 ā Miào),which offers Yubeng Waterfall ng you could hike eastalongtheYubengng youcouldhike River, passingthroughafew ǔ ē iláI SìtoX ī b n ē ǒ ng (see boxedng (see ) , where there ng bustogetbackDéq ǔ

b ( 神瀑客栈 ē ng village,where there are halfa dozen basicguesthouses, ī n toX ī d ā Lotus ng isaroundawhoppingY150. ( ǒ ī 雨崩神瀑 ng ; ShénpùKèzhàn; d kora, . ā ng (Y14) thatreturns morningat8am. thenext ng (Y14) a12-daypilgrimcircumambulation of Méil matic Mekong Gorge. Sixkilometres before runfairlyregularly.tion. Returningbuses also trytorent youraccommoda- acarthrough end of town(Y14,onetotwo hours). Youcan leave fromthebridge nearthemarket atthetop From Déq THERE&AWAYGETTING family feel toit. in thelovely andthere’s originalsettlement a tion. Thisplacedefinitely hasthebestlocation the back. heretaurant andapittoiletshort walkout with decentdormrooms.There’s asmallres- drops youoff, isthisgovernment-run place steps fromthemainsquare, where thebus standard roomwithbath. standard uninspiring butstillcostY90toY250fora mostof which are up inthelasthalf-decade, ī d The roadfromDéq Bi ; Y ā Míngy ā ng. It’salong,sweatydayandyoumay nm ǔ b ē ǎ % ī n asitpassesbyX ǒ ng Shénpù) isanadventurous trip dìngzh ng Sh ī ǔ ē n, minibuses toMíngy n, minibuses Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 841 1082;dmY20) b ilái Sìusinglocalroadsandpaths. ē ng village, then hike therest.ng village,thenhike ā ǔ nzhu Kèzhàn ā ng ī n descendsintothedra- ī n butit’snotlikely; Further stillisthisop- ( 明永山庄 , runbyafriendly ī d ā ng ataround ī d ā ǒ ng, hire a ng regularly ) Upsome ǐ

YÚNNÁN

ǎ ng ā is a 297 ǎ ngluò ngluò n, and n, and ō ī n to the ā diàn ( p298 ). p298 diàn ( ngzh ǔ ǐ o Dàji n to Déq ngguó Nóngyè Yín- ǎ ō ā n (Gaoligong Moun- n (Gaoligong ngb ā (Zh ō ng T ā olígòng Sh ā 六库 0886 / pop 7800 The Jiaoye Pass in the west side of the val- in the west side of The Jiaoye Pass Rewards are immense: explore one of the one of immense: explore Rewards are The valley holds an exotic mix of Han, Nu, Nu, Han, The valley holds an exotic mix of háng; Chuangcheng Lu) This branch will possibly change háng; Chuangcheng Lu) If the with US dollars. safest money in a pinch but you are bank is closed try the Nùji border crossing (though not for foreigners) border crossing (though not for foreigners) and trading post with Myanmar. Information in the and China Post are China Telecom town’s north, both on Remin Lu. Agricultural Bank of China remoteness of the region is highlighted by the region of remoteness the C-53 plane that crashed in the Piànm the valley in 1943 and that remained of region until 1997. Today Piànm undiscovered LIÙKÙ % Liùkù is the humdrum but pleasant capital and an important transport the prefecture of (At little intrinsic interest. hub, though it’s of off You will need to get least it’s warm here.) with a police checkpoint the bus and register town. about 2km before China’s flora and fauna species. The river is species. The river China’s flora and fauna crisscrossed suspension and cable by daredevil people still lug them- (in many places bridges hand) and the valley is hand over over selves thatched of villages speckled with traditional China’s too is yet another of houses. Here – this one to tame dam projects controversial undammed river the longest the Nu River, left in China. nationalities and Lisu, Drung and Tibetan is There even the odd Burmese jade trader. the legacy of Catholic churches, a number of here arrived missionaries who hardy French in the 19th century. for the Hump, marker route ley was a major usedthe air supply route during WWII. The a plan in 2006 to blast a road from the far far from the blast a road in 2006 to a plan Gòngsh city of northern B of the village another from im- the given these are, Both of into Tibet. proabably mense challenges, topographical off. a long way quite Yúnnán, sandwiched be- of corners remotest tween G the and Myanmar to the west, Tibet tain) range to the north and the high Bìluó Sh Nù Ji churning east. In addition to the the Chinese name means Raging(Nu River; of holds nearly a quarter the region River)

ǔ ī . nzh Yèzh ā ng Ti chörten ō n is impres- n in the middle n in the middle ī ī ng. Nearby is a small is a small ng. Nearby ng), is based on the ng), is based on the n bus at the pass and n bus at the pass and ā ī ō d ī 白马雪山 n lín Miào) and a lín Miào) and •• Liùkù NUJIANG VALLEY ā ū sh ish ě ǎ . There were no guesthouses open no guesthouses open were . There ī ng the road crosses the Mekong River River road crossesng the the Mekong Xu ǒ ) is where in the 1920s the Lisu devel- in the 1920s the ) is where ǎ

0886 If you are an experienced trekker with a with a trekker an experienced If you are

Further south, near the village of of Further south, near the village 叶枝 way you came. Authorities did announce did announce Authorities way you came. velling at the scenery, then head back the at the scenery, then head back the velling make it the most up-and-coming must-see make spot in Yúnnán. For the nonce transport lengthy backtracks. is painless but requires You trundle seven up the valley mar- hours This epic 320km-long river gorge and its and its gorge This epic 320km-long river views and sublime riverine splendid trekking % 怒江大峡谷 NUJIANG VALLEY NUJIANG VALLEY ( for Wéix used to be one) on a last (although there pass through. script. oped a syllabic missionaries. To get here take any bus bound any bus bound take here missionaries. To get in 1905 but was reconstructed by the local by the local in 1905 but was reconstructed Wine 12 years. a period of over government by the is still made from vineyards planted to the west in the Nujiang Valley.) Built by Built by to the west in the Nujiang Valley.) missionaries in 1867, it burned down French design of French cathedrals. (It actually isn’t cathedrals. (It actually isn’t French design of churches the number of so surprising, given Jiàotáng), 80km south of Déq Jiàotáng), 80km south of (Cízh a quiet village of Cizhong Catholic Church Church Cizhong Catholic 茨中天主教堂 (Cízh church This unexpected slopes and valleys. off the Shangri-la–Déq the eastern around some fine hikes make Botanical gardens and a handful of temples temples Botanical gardens and a handful of still on the mountain. are get you could sleeping bag and stove tent, threatened species, including the critically species, including the critically threatened Yúnnán snub-nosed monkey. endangered and animal reserve in Yúnnán, famous for its dense containing primeval many forests tain nature reserve, part of the Hengduan reserve, the Hengduan tain part of nature Déq east of Mountain range, plant Established 1985, it’s the largest in sive. Báim moun- but this all the press, gets Karpo Kawa temple (B temple Míngy off to X and branches lonelyplanet.com ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ

YÚNNÁN but noneinEnglish. (March/April). is heldhere onthe15thof the1stlunarmonth hotel complex. ALisu(hair-combing) along theroadtoFúgòng,hasanattached singing manynights). dancingand (ethnicminoritiespractise night at inthecitydoes the NuRiver; else everyone along thelovely at night. the steps intothehills;they’re litupbrightly bridge westof andheadup thebusstation the valley.Youcanstrollacrossfoot- the top,fromwhere there are fineviewsof have tocrosstheriver andfollowtrailsto golden Buddha About 2kmalongtheroadtoB Sights Xinhua Bookshop Jùlóng W 298 to theend. andwalk thesecondleft ofZhenxingLu. Goup,take north intothemarket aright hr Y2)FromChuangchengLu, take 1 3 2 LIÙKÙ The betojustmeander The bestthingmight Approximate Scale Hot Springs(12km); Gòngshƒn (262km) Fúgòng (150km); UIN ALY • ik NUJIANG VALLEY ••Liùkù To Mabu Mabu HotSprings Mabu

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Donglu 7 To B†oshƒn(177km); ǎ B osh Xiàguƒn (242km) ā n isthe festival lingering aromaof smoke). ably better shape (save forthepossibilityof more star. L 420) B 路 T mould. more thanoneifthere’s asmidgen even of clean asawhistlebutthey’llletyoucheck Roomsare mostly staff. with shybutefficient discount toY130),asteal forthemoney, midrange pricing(iftheyfigure intheusual 向阳路 bathroom Y60; Chuancheng Lu; find. butit’sthecheapest you’ll indifferent service, hastatteredThis guesthouse and everything without bathroomY40-50,trY45-60; Lu;2589; 153Renmin pick of afew others. alongChuanchengstation Luandtake your tickle yourfancy,justwandersouthof thebus If thetwobudget optionslisted here don’t Loads of placesexist;few are of much value. Sleeping reason, thetownloves itsSìchu Not much inthewayof eateries. Forsome Eating &Drinking Délāmǔ Xiūxiánbā DRINKING Bus Station Station Bus TRANSPORT Jùlóng Wǎngbā Jùlóng China Telecom China Post Sìchuān Lǎoyā Tāng Sìchuān Lǎoyā EATING Xinhua Bookshop Zhèngfǔ Zhāodàisuǒ Zhèngfǔ Agricultural Bank of China INFORMATION Yóudiàn Bīnguǎn Yóudiàn Shèngbǎolù Dàjiǔdiàn Nùjiāng Tōngbǎo Dàjiǔdiàn Nùjiāng Bīnguǎn SLEEPING ō ī ǎ ngu ngb 90 oy The top-endchoice isprobably Shèngb Yóudiàn B Zhèngf inthenorthof townostensibly hasone 号 ā ǎ ǎ T n o Dàji ; dY260-420;

; s&dinclbreakfast Y250-480; ( % Ё೑䚂ᬓ ā ǔ ᅶ䖤キ ǎ ng (literally ‘OldDuckSoup’),a Zh olù Dàji Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ֵ⬉Ё೑ a 362 6888;ChuanchengLu; ǔ ī Ꮌ啭㔥৻ ā 穿城路 ngu diàn ᗦ∳ᆒ佚䚂⬉ᆒ佚 ᮄढкᑫ odàisu ᕫᢝྚӥ䯆৻ ...... ) ಯᎱ㗕吁∸ A tad pricier,butinnotice- Atad ...... ᬓᑰ᢯ᕙ᠔ ǎ

a ⲯᅱ䏃໻䜦ᑫ ( 人民路 n ǔ %

diàn ...... ǒ Ё೑ݰϮ䫊㸠 (Post Hotel; ...... ), (Government Guesthouse; ...... 193

ᗦ∳䗮ᅱ໻䜦ᑫ ...... even though the though even 351 3339; 90 Renmin Lu;351 3339;90Renmin

( 号 % ...... 153 ; s&dY80-150,without 363 7888;XiangyangLu; ...... 号 ...... % ; 穿城路 d Y70-148,s& ...... a 362 0500;193 ) ā Superb n-style Nùji Nùji ; dY260- 11 10 12 13 人民 3 2 6 5 % 4 8 9 1 7 A1 A1 A2 A2 A1 A2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 ā a ā ng ng 362 ) YÚNNÁN

ǔ ; ng, n. ā ā 299 Kèyùn 341 1660; , Lìji 帕山路 ǐ

% 341 1442; Wadi ; n. The n (Y24, 3½ n (Y24, 3½ ǎ ā % n and Xiàgu ; ā ngu ī ; Pashan Lu; ; Pashan just east of the bus just east of nmíng, Dàl osh ū ǎ This one-star is about ) Opposite the bus station. Opposite 政府招待所 ( a 福贡宾馆

; Wadi Lu) (

ǒ n 乐幅宾馆 ( ǎ s/d Y40/60, s & d without bathroom Y10-

; 贡山 n ǎ . Exit the bus station, turn right, ngu N ) odàisu ī ǒ ā Ā ; s & d Y120; ngu ngluò but it isn’t a bad place to spend ī ngluò ( p301 ). Because changing the of p301 ngluò ( 客运饭店 a ( Zh ō

ō 娃底路 ǔ odàisu 0886 / pop 16,400 ā The best restaurants are right by the bus are The best restaurants Fúgòng B Lèfú B 娃底路 ngzh ngzh ǐ ǐ Zh Fàndiàn station and the Fúgòng B GÒNGSH % town is friendly (if grubby) one-street This for the upper Nujiang Val- a trading centre to ley. Most people will decamp immediately B a (one) night. Lu; Lu; the best place in town; it’s near the Zhèngf Getting There & Away Buses run hourly to Gòngsh from 10.30am to 4pm, and to Liùkù hours) 6.30am to 4pm . You from (Y31, four hours) buses to B can also get have a tough time organizing guides locally un- guides locally a tough time organizing have in you speak Chinese. It’s easier organised less B to see better it’s much situation with damworks, if your guesthouse in K can do some phoneworkor Ruìlì (or wherever), there. you get for you before Sleeping & Eating Zhèngf Wadi Lu; 50, tr without bathroom Y20) blood-red the tamped and threadbare Ignore a The manager’s carpet and you’ll do fine. amenable to negotiation. old chap cheery s & d Y60; 2006. It’s not feasible to do it yourself you’ll and 2006. It’s not feasible go to the corner, right again and 50m on the place. side is this better opposite station is run by a friendly Naxi woman. 腊穿 ( ngpíng 穿城 ǒ Làzán •• Fúgòng NUJIANG VALLEY ) or Y n. n and take a a n and take n (see the boxed ǎ China Outdoor China , north of the the , north of ā ā ). 漕涧 osh (319 Chuancheng Lu; (319 Chuancheng Lu;

ǎ 岩瓦 (145 Chuancheng Lu; (145 Chuancheng Lu; ng

( ā ā ǎ has imported beers and beers has imported T nb i range, then descend to andi range, ā ě ū ng, check out Yúnlóng (seeng, check oy m ā ǎ Yán W ō Xiùk n L ǔ ā magazine rated it tops in China in magazine rated m ; soup meal for two Y35) 福贡 ā n 55 7 every 45 min 6.30am-1pm ngluò 65 ngluò 65 8 8.20am daily 6.20am, 2 ā . From here – a node on one of the – a node on one of . From here n 29 3-4 every min 30 7.30am-3.30pm 号 ō ; beers from Y15) n 52-69 4-6½ every 45 min 6.30am-3pm ā Sìchu ā Dél ) along the way to Xiàgu nmíng 157-167 10-11 4 daily 6.50pm, (express), 8.30am 号 osh 319

ngzh treks ǎ ǐ ū Destination B Price (Y) Duration (hours) Frequency Departs B Fúgòng 23 Fúgòng Gòngsh 3½ hourly 6.20am-4.30pm K Xiàgu 7.30pm, 8.40pm (sleepers) 0886 / pop 4200 LIÙKÙ BUS TIMETABLE BUS TIMETABLE LIÙKÙ Just outside the bus station, the trying-to-

More buses leave for the Déhóng region. the Déhóng region. for buses leave More If you want to skip Xiàgu ) is the starting point for one of the valley’s) is the starting point for one of 145 永平 p246 ), for which you’ll likely have to switch to switch have likely you’ll ), for which p246 old tea-horse roads – you hike up and over the up and over roads – you hike old tea-horse Exploration cross the Mekong River to the equally micro- River the Mekong cross scopic hamlet of splendid Sìjì Du North of town the flyspeck village of of town the flyspeck village North of Activities Halfway up the valley, the scenery an hour’s Halfway is prob- town in either direction ride out of ably the best in the valley. The town itself is Chinese, Lisu, Nu and Han a scruffy mix of days with into colour every five bursts which Southwest China’s best markets. one of % text, above ), and for Déhóng, should be reduced be ), and for Déhóng, should above text, finished. are as ongoing road projects FÚGÒNG 咱 best Note that travel times to B times to that travel Note buses, probably at Cáojiàn ( buses, probably at Cáojiàn ( side route to Lìji side route

The bus station for Y2 has luggage storage is usefulper day, which if you want to travel light up the valley. Getting There & Away Getting There & Away bus station. be-hip 城路 stew of duck (natch), carrots, potatoes duck (natch), and of stew for it is the aptly other goodies. A good place named Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book is a decent place to relax. 路 YÚNNÁN hr Y3) ner; it’sonyourleft. cross thebridgehighway, androundthecor- % find. There’s iseasy to onlyonestreet. Thisstuff Sleeping village of Lìsh south of Gòngsh the shapeof themoon.Thecragistwohours peakwith a hugethe mountain gapeinit Lisu andTibetan traditionalclothes. end of themainstreet isasquare Nu, selling 堂 There isaninteresting Sights on thewall. and there’s amapof theregion (inChinese) No Englishspoken here butthey’re friendly west sideof theroad,northof thebusstation. There isa county tourismofficekioskonthe Information 300 ) Bus Station Hotel When returning toFúgòng,watch outfor There isone festival isthe in thefirstlunarmonthanda Yi branchoftheSino-Tibetan group. and ornamentalbelt.Lisumensometimeswearblackturbans. The Lisulanguagebelongstothe crimsontunicbuttonedtooneside,hatofplasticshellsandbeads by theirblackpleated skirt, The largest ethnic groupinthevalleyare the Lisu (587,000inYúnnán).The womenare recognised GROUPSOFTHENUJIANGVALLEYETHNIC involves thesacrificeofabuffalo. a personalnameandtheinfant’spositioninrelation tohissiblings. The main group. TraditionallyDrungnamesconsistofthenameclan,child’sfather, economy. They oftheTibeto-Burman have nowritten tongueispart languagebuttheirspoken dozen womenwithfacialmarkings.) who hasdedicated halfadecadetoslogging pictures throughthevalleytotake ofthelastfew the CloudlandInternational YouthHostel, p228 inK beauty orluck,avoidslavers, isslowlydyingout.(Check outthefabulous photographsat wrapped over theshoulder. Facial tattooing,oncecommonamongolderDrungtoeithergain the extended familieslive inlonghouses. Traditionaldress consistsofatogawoven cloth The 5500 Drung are related totheNubutretain aquite different lifestyle. Inremoter areas overlay ofCatholicism. along thevalleyfloors. theLisu,religion Alsolike witha19th-century isanimistatitsheart, communities growfieldsofmaize, buckwheatandbeansonthehillsidewheatrice 30m-high poles,usingswordbladesasrungs. 351 1496; s &dY60,without bathroom Y30-40) in thesouthwestof town.At the northern . Fromthebusstopwalkbackalong NUJIANG VALLEY ••Gòngsh There are over adozen clans,eachwiththeirowntotems. A The Drungtrademedicinalherbsandpeltsbutare fastbeingintegrated intothe modern The Nu give theLisu,scattered thevalleyitsname,andnumberaround26,000.Like Nu ā d Kuoshi Festival internet café internet ǐ ā . n, 10minutes northof the

( 交通宾馆 Catholic church Catholic

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inthe10thlunarmonth.The mostspectacular Yínhé B not, thisisthenameof theplace. Excitable rooms. roll outof bedandontoabus.Adequate The frontdesk day around 10am. Minibuses leaveday around 10am.Minibuses fromnorth 14 hours) andK toXiàgu are buses crampedsleeper hourly from6.20amto11am.Thereroughly hours) depart buses To Liùkù(Y55,seven to 3.30pmforFúgòng(Y24,3½ hours). leaveMinibuses hourorso from 7am every Getting There&Away nothing toget excited about. great. DiscountstoY120are worthit. bugs were beingworked outbutroomsare This monster openedduringourvisit.Afew s &dY200) ing newroomsonanunnamedstreet. a smattering of English. Crampedbutspank- veteran of Shangri-la andspeaks guesthouses themselves toget oneof youtostay; themisa theplaceandwillfallall overyoungsters staff ū nmíng taken byoneintrepidnmíng taken photographer There are afew restaurants intownbut Xiág Intergalactic &SmallGuesthouse Intergalactic ī ngu ǔ Dàji ǎ Forget anyotherhotel forluxury. n; Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com % ǔ diàn hair-combing festival 351 1853;s&dY50) is ū

nmíng (Y150, forever) every the bus station soyoucan thebusstation ( 峡谷大酒店 spring festival Wekidyou ;

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( n just flag down n just flag down ā Chám ngluò, and a hefty ngluò, and a hefty ō n Kèzhàn 358 1277; s & d Y60, tr Y80) ā ngzh ǐ w ī % ) into the hills, is the fabulous Dìy 捧当 n and B n along the main road. Simple rooms ( ā ā Kèzhàn (Y65, eight hours) at around Kèzhàn (Y65, eight hours) ng ǎ ā ; Tea Horse Inn; ; Tea 358 1189; s & d without bathroom Y30) There are a handful of cheap guesthouses cheap a handful of are There The friendly, helpful Returning to Gòngsh ngd ě hike across the river from the village of of village from the across the river hike is 80% Catholic). Dímáluò (which of village Dímáluò & Báihànluò Dímáluò & Báihànluò 迪麻洛和白汉洛 the way between of two-thirds About Gòngsh P % Gòngsh but clean. 客栈 Great become the go-to spot for good reason. rooms and service (in Chinese) and it has maps one double without bath- There’s the area. of room for Y40. until around 4pm (or earlier). One bus streets the from in front of straight to Liùkù leaves Chám thing in mind if you’re planning on trekking: planning on trekking: thing in mind if you’re Leaping this isn’t Dali, Lijiang, or the Tiger little English is spoken very Very, Gorge. and no one is used to dealing around here with foreigners. in the village. 7.30am or 8am. a minibus (Y10, one hour) as it trolls the a minibus (Y10, one hour) as it trolls the n ī – you’re – you’re n to Déq ā ngluò (Y10, ngluò (Y10, ō 那恰洛 ngzh ǐ N Ā 丙中洛 •• Around Gòngsh NUJIANG VALLEY ngluò

Opposition was immediate and ferocious, led by Unesco, which warned that such a project project warned that such a led by Unesco, which and ferocious, immediate Opposition was as this book was being prepared thin, because patience wore the government’s Apparently,

could warrant the area’s delisting; they were joined by over 70 international environmental groups. environmental groups. 70 international joined by over delisting; they were could warrant the area’s dams in China is a growth industry in itself, but local opposition. Protesting amazing was More – Chinese (from all walks of life than 50 prominent more what shocked that after most was in China spoke out against the dams, and the government pop stars to business billionaires) they actually backed 2004. In 2006 the govern- off in from citizens, by protests was inundated the announced that it may simply scale back secret,’ ment, still trying to keep the plan a ‘state local opinion to see if a of the waters testing Clearly, they were eight dams. project to a mere compromise could be reached. startedfor publication, work had along the valley. And there’s up again in big-time fashion home to half of no escaping the fact on a region that it will certainly devastating effects have Worse will be the flooding of fauna. species and 6000 species of flora and China’s endangered groups from dislocation of many of the valley’s 13 ethnic minority countless villages and the their villages. THE NU RIVER DAM NU RIVER DAM THE First, region. – hit this not so great piece of news, the other – one great In 2003 two bombshells list, calling it one on its World–Heritage sites Valley the Nu River itself to place over all Unesco fell its kind. of wont in China, the government as is the ecosystems Then, most precious of the world’s in for a series of thirteenannounced plans river the second-longest River, dams along the Nu project would theoretically The in China. two undammed rivers and one of only Southeast Asia Dam. Gorges the Three electricity even than produce more

A road is planned from Gòngsh ngzh ǐ here into Tibet is also in the works. South of in the works. South of is also into Tibet here to pay a Y50 entrance you have the village one And do keep as it’s in a park zone. fee the scenery. You’ll find loads of temples and and temples the scenery. You’ll find loads of and exceedingly CatholicTibetan churches Another new road from friendly people. technically entering Tibet, but this is not but this is not Tibet, entering technically a border crossing.) But actually just pick a and you simply cannot go wrong; direction just wander down a road or path and enjoy villages and impressive gorges. (Just keep in (Just in keep gorges. and impressive villages Nàqiàluò – mind that after than 15km long that passes through a host of than 15km long that passes through a host of abound, either south along the main road abound, either south along the main road the bend’ of ‘first for 2km to the impressive or north along a track more Salween River this pleasant village, set in a wide and fertile setthis pleasant village, in a wide and fertile absolutely around the village bowl. Hikes B to head an extra hour It’s a smashing treat through dramatic scenery to (to 90 minutes) it will allow for a smashing loop-trip through Yúnnán. northwestern AROUND GÒNGSH and someday, when it’s finally blazed through, one hour) from between 7am and 8am and 5pm or 6pm. of the bus station for B of lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN The Drung River actuallyflowsout of China theboxedDrung ethnic group(see text, p300 ). valleys inChina. Thevalley is hometothe by roadin1999, this isoneof theremotest G high fromtheNujiangValleySeparated bythe Drung Valley(DúlóngJi for both. Mekong River. guides You’lldefinitely need toward tains leads fromDímáluònorthacrossthe moun- the Mekong River. Anotherlengthiertrek toCízh the BiluoMountains style. Youcanextend thisintoatrek across 125-year-old church Catholic builtinTibetan side of thevalleyisBáihànluò, which hasa wander intothehills! fected byanewdam.Phone/email before you that area wasslated tobeamongthefirst af- check whethertheyare stillthere. Seriously, head toDímáluòorAlou’sTibetan Lodge, to dointheNùJi to suss outanykindof trekking youwant age aroundY60perday.Thisistheplace can behadforY6toY9.Guidedtreks aver- and environmental-awareness treks. Meals forhiscultural- praised tionist andhasbeen Alou isalocalTibetan guideandconserva- best spotforabase of exploratoryoperations. perbedY10) [email protected]; Home to 302 A two-hourhike fromDímáluòonthe east are theChám travel agency. you’d needtoarrangethiswithanexpert (see Karpo circuit ofKawa p296 ) butagain the valleyintoTibet tojoinapilgrimage of routesage trekking leadfromthenorth (see in theFúgòngsection p299 ). Pilgrim- from Gòngsh tains intotheMekongValley, particularly atmaps, Looking overhiking themoun- REGION TREKKING THE NUJIANG VALLEY in Dímáluò( below ) . ( p301 ) andespeciallyAlou’sTibetan Lodge from FúgòngtoYánW guide andcampingequipment.Oneroute there it’sclearthatyouneedatrustworthy Déq OTES ÚNN • upn YÚNNÁN••Luópíng SOUTHEAST Excellent places to start forinformation Excellent placestostart ī n prefecture seemsasnap,butonce ā olígòng Sh Alou’s Tibetan Lodge Yúnl ā ǎ n toYèzh KèzhàninB ǐ ng ā ā n range andonlyreached ng area, butbefore you ( 云岭 ǎ ( ā ī 岩瓦 orYànménin , ng)

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ō ( ǐ % ng ( p297 ) along ngzh ) iscovered 独龙江 356 6182;alou ō ngluò parts, gawkingattheresplendent yellowsand Coming fromGu % LUÓPÍNG may wellrankaslow-key favourites. and thesuperbterraces of Yuányáng– (canola)fieldsof Luópíng, golden rapeseed traditional architecture of Jiànshu the MongolcommunitynearT Dàl the hordesof travellers inX nority areas. Foranyonewhowantstoavoid mi- most traditionalandoff-the-beaten-track ture, andatitsouter fringes someof theregion’s share of interesting agoodinfrastruc- sights, This little-visited cornerof Yúnnánhasitsfair SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN Zh foot. There (Xiàn isaCountyGuesthouse Dúlóngji 96kmtriptothecountycapital for therough You’d have tohire aminivan fromGòngsh Irrawaddy. into Myanmar,where joinsthe iteventually gui Lu,where Just you’ll findthebusstation. the eastend of town isthenorth–south Yun- The townisabit large butstillwalkable. On Orientation K Yúnnán’s ‘Three Gorges’. perhaps topitoff withariverboat into cruise a raftpastBuyivillages and andwaterwheels, you candoyourHuckFinnthingaspole in western Chinaandworthyriver tripswhere abound, includingsomeof thebestwaterfalls Southwest China’shoneyproduction. flowers alsoaccountformuchfamed. These of otously bloomingplantforwhich thearea is 菜花 thing-different-kilometre scenery. halcyon change same- fromtheotherwise golds suddenlyexplodingaroundthem.A Gu headinginto a stopontheNankunRailway necks outthebusortrainwindowsinthese ary orMarch, travellers generally cranetheir ū At present there are intothevalley. nobuses Getting hereGetting iseasy:it’s240kmeastof Only that’s not all. Outstanding daytrips Only that’snotall.Outstanding That’s Luópíng. Oratleast ā nmíng butit’sonamajor andis highway ǎ 0874 /pop22,510 ǐ odàisu ngx andLìji ; canola/rapeseed), thegorgeous; canola/rapeseed), andri- ī . ā ng. Beyond that,mosttravel ison ng. Beyond ǒ 罗平 ) atDúlóngji ā ng, this region’s highlights – ng, thisregion’s highlights ǎ ngx ī orGuìzh ā ng. lonelyplanet.com ī shu yóucàihu ō ō u inFebru- ā ngh ngb ǎ ǐ , the ǎ i, the ā nnà, ( 油 ā n YÚNNÁN , 303 恒升 njú; ā ngyuán 822 5788; n ( ) The staff ) The staff ō ǎ diàn; ng ū ō % In a town In a town ; Luópíng ; Luópíng ; Locals will Locals will ; G 821 2458; Wenbi ) ngu ī 821 2255; Yungui 821 2255; Yungui 821 2967; 98 Wenbi Not exactly an % 振兴街 ) a nhuá Sh ; ī % % Tàiyèhú G ; ; ng B ; X a A newer place that ) ē 公安局 ; s & d incl breakfast Y160- ; s & d incl breakfast a ) Not equipped to deal with ) Not equipped 号罗平旅游局 (PSB; 罗平大酒店 ; s & d from Y20) ( ( 336

山湖宾馆巷 ( ) This bookshop is not worth) This bookshop much

烟草宾馆 1

新华书店 ( 云贵旅社 n ( n ( diàn ǎ ; s & d Y228-388;

ǎ ǔ 号红星北街 shè 云贵路 ngu ī ngu 821 3010; Zhenxing Jie; Zhenxing Jie; 821 3010; 98 ǚ ī 振兴街 ; s, d & tr Y100-120; 云贵路 o B % ǎ nhú B ), which the signs outside still say, the signs outside this ), which ā nc ā 文笔路文笔路 Sh Luópíng Dàji Y Yúnguì L yóu Jú; ǚ They are mistaken. Recently renovated out Recently renovated mistaken. They are Héngsh the erstwhile of 宾馆 nice rooms and prompt service.place has very solid by be booked expect it to often such, As tour groups. exuberant staff (hence the fading rooms), but it’s still clean and not bad for the price. it more Discounts to Y80 or so would make worthwhile. Lu; 336 Yungui 380, without bathroom Y100; tour groups, it’s by overlooked thankfully gets rooms, and a happy staff. well-kept got very well worth it. Discounts to Y100 are Lu; found along are you that the nicest hotels tell town. part of Jiulong Dadao in the western to kill, wander down to to kill, wander down the you can paddle a boat or watch where old folk play checkers. Sleeping & Eating you will pay dearly March and In February parlour massage also that for a room. Note and you can expect to everywhere rows are a lot from the working Hello’ hear, ‘Hello! and on the phone in your girls on the street room. Alley 1; Lu, guesthouses, scuzzy good choice. this is a of Basic and friendly. And you abso- but clean needn’t security, lutely worry about as the in bemusementproprietor – who chuckles at guests – has a foreign having the thought of son on the local police force. Luoping TouristLuoping Office Public Security Bureau Xinhua Bookshop Sights for the city’s here Honestly, no one comes got time If you’ve somewhat drab aesthetics. Zhenxing Jie; Chinese-onlybut it does have a few guidebooks. L Hongxing Beijie; enough. visa issues but nice don’t speak English and won’t know what to do with you, and won’t know what to do don’t speak English it the old college try! but they’ll give Lu; Lu; Lúx¸ 网 ngguó (123km) ( ō ā To Luópíng ; ngb ǎ X¸ngyì (233km); Guìyáng (500km) SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN •• Luópíng w To Wénshƒn (70km); (20km) To Luópíng (100km); Alu Caves Gu¸shƒn To Hék¡u Shílíin P©zh›h‰i/Qi¥b›i (85km) ) and Jiulong Dadao Naigu Kƒiyu†n Méngzì Huangcaoba X¸nchéng Guanyin Gejie; per hr Y3) 821 5701; Wenbi Lu; 821 5701; Wenbi Lu; ā Waterfall Ji©xiƒng Dadieshui ngguó Yóuzhèng; Zh 中国建设银行 ō 00 100 km 60 miles Jianiang Lùnán 白腊街 ( Gèjiù Yiliang % ngb ǎ ; Zh Jiasha Cavern Huaning Swallow's Lake ; W Lake Yangzong Fuxian Xingyun Lake Jiƒngchuƒn TŸngh†i Chéngjiƒng 网吧 Jiànshu¨ ( Dian Lake 中国邮政 ). (X¸nji‰) ( Q¸nglóng Shípíng Yuányáng Qilu Lake Nàjiƒyíng ) West of the traffic circle along Wenbi Lu, Wenbi Lu, ) West of the traffic circle along Yuányáng (Nánshƒ) X¸ngm›ng

K§NMÍNG Yùx¸ Pool Nine ngguó Jiànshè Yínháng;

Lüch¥n ). It’s the closest you’ll find to the bus station, along a Lake Hong He L†oxùdiàn ō SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN Dragon Zhèngyíng C¥n Dongfeng Hónghé (150km;) (200km) To S¸máo J¨nghóng 九龙大道文笔路 friendly other banks. much. Nor were if unable to help Zh Internet café China Post Information Information China Construction Bank only) at the bus and train stations.only) at the bus and train MAPS MAPS (Chinese Luópíng decent maps of You can get really need is within easy hoofing distance of distance need of is within easy hoofing really the bus station. and forlorn now. Three or so kilometres north or so kilometres Three and forlorn now. you is the train station. Everything here of need), ending at Jiulong Dadao, which usedneed), which at Jiulong Dadao, ending drag but is kinda windswept to be the main north of here Wenbi Lu runs west toward west toward Lu runs Wenbi here of north you don’t downtown (which part of the main Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book Yóujú; Hongxin Beijie) A block north office. of the PSB It’s not easy to find an internet café in town. The hastily It’s not easy to find an internet scribbled just says here sign on the window 吧 between Baila Jie ( side street ( YÚNNÁN problem isyou’ve gottowalkthemassage that – stalls arethat –stalls up,butit’sgreat set anyway. the bus station to downtown. the busstation Taxis cost Y5toget anywhere. Bus 1runsfrom Getting Around at 10.40amandarrivescapital at 2.08pm. 3½ hours), which(Y38 hardseat, departsthe The K337trainputsyouinat5am. beforestations droppingyouhere at10.30am. mostof through thatprovince’spasses major Gu pecially whencomingfromK day, butmostputyouinatungodlyhours (es- thecityeach trainspassthrough A half-dozen TRAIN minutes orsofrom6amtoaround6pm. two hours) inGuìzh on oneof toX thezillionbuses ward regularly. Theeasiestthingtodoishop and Gu ( ter runsa more circuitousroute viaYànsh at 10.15;theformerisadirect bus,thelat- (Y36, five hours), oneat7.30amandtheother ternoon. You canget dailytoQi twobuses and 12.25pm,withoneortwomore intheaf- two hours) at9.05am,10.30am,11am,11.45am roadwork iscompleted. incessant quickly inthefuture asseemingly (if notlater); thistripwilllikely bedonemore from7amto5.30pm half-hourly run roughly on right toK . Buses toareasing those aroundLuópíngmentioned trips,includ- forlocalandlong-distance need ( The busstation BUS Getting There&Away and farpricier. become indoorjoints,getting larger, noisier, you move westand/orsouthfromhere, places noodles.As outstanding woman whosells the leftasyougoin.It’srunbyawonderful Our favourite No4(orisit5?)on isstall (Sh Market Night that’s namedwell:Barbecue market circleisanight west of thetraffic ies alongWenbiLuwestof Yungui Lu.Just parlour gauntletstoget nearanyof theeater- 304 砚山 From K You’re of within spittingdistance Guìzh cheapGetting eatsintownisasnap.The Heading leave south,buses forLúx ǎ ā ngx ok OTES ÚNN • rudLóíg YÚNNÁN••AroundLuópíng SOUTHEAST ). ǎ ǎ ī o Yèshì).Actually,onlyadozen –if ngx yourbestbetistrain181,which ū nmíng thebesttrainisK366/3 ī here runeast- aswell,sobuses 客运站 ū nmíng (Y43,fourhours) ō u; they run every 20u; theyrunevery ) has everything you ) haseverything ū nmíng). From ī ngyì (Y22, ī (Y22, ū ā b ō n ě u i 九龙瀑布 scenery. some fantastic camera. to get ashot of afellow shutterbug inyour are tins.Worst sardine –it’simpossiblenot priced ifnotbooked outaltogether. Buses thing.Hotelsthe same are stratospherically tobehereand halfof tosee Chinaseems A caveat: show upinFebruary andMarch rice terraces. fieldsandseveral north, which hasrapeseed Niúji Waterfalls ( below ). B From here youcouldhopaboard another direction!actually pointsyouintheright signmarkingKm30lish nearthehighway stop comingfromLuópíng,asigninEng- itornot,nearthefirst buspeaks. Believe 峰丛 is China)neartheGoldenCockHills( stops alongtheexpressway (remember, this hop off abustoB birds withonebustrip(asitwere) youcan sq kmof inthecounty.Tokilltwo thestuff and notgowrong;after all,there’s over 200 You couldpretty much pickanydirection Those GoldenFieldsofRapeseed AROUND LUÓPÍNG when we visited.) chairlift tothetopwasovergrown byweeds Still, theviewiswell worthitfromthetop.(A all of itatonce, somesteep steps are involved. is flat,butifyou want toget of anoverview whole circuitinacoupleof hours. Mostof it wide and56mhigh. but thelargest cascadeisarespectable 110m valley. Theentire dropisonlyamodest200m, whelming. are low.It’llstillbelovely, butabitunder- Nov April,whenwaterember through levels the earlymorningmists,unlessyoucome they are definitely impressive, especiallyin actually 10tiers). Dunno’boutthat,but representssupposedly a dragon (there are mission Y50) ofworth avisitisthislongseries Around 35kmnorthwestof townandwell Nine DragonWaterfalls(Ji ward alongpaths windingaroundthekarst ǎ But it’s highly worth it. Seriously, thisis worthit.Seriously, But it’shighly From theparkentrance,youcouldhike the The waterfalls a 4km-long thunderthrough You couldalsohopabusheadedtoward nqiáo-bound busfortheNineDragon ; J ē ( ī 牛街 nj –hencethenameeach of which ī F ), adozenorsokilometres tothe ē ngcóng) andstrike off south- ǎ nqiáo atoneof twobus lonelyplanet.com ǔ lóng Pùbù) cascades 金鸡 (ad-

YÚNNÁN

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( 305 One One ī ) , lily, , lily, a Alu Caves 662 1078; Jiuhua Confucius Temple % ; is the is the ī Meconopsis integrifo- Gentiana scabra 8am-4.30pm; admission Y35, 8am-4.30pm; admission Y35, h 钟秀宾馆 , 3km northwest of town. town. , 3km northwest of (

n ǎ dòng; ǔ ngu ; tr per person Y40, d Y100-206; ī lú G Ā ; ; Wénmiào), which is open weekdays.; Wénmiào), which Yúnnán is home to half of China’s 1700 China’s 1700 Yúnnán is home to half of – are prized throughout the world. prized – are ngxiù B 九华路 YÚNNÁN’S AMAZING BIODIVERSITY BIODIVERSITY AMAZING YÚNNÁN’S Yúnnán is China’s treasure- Hands down, Yúnnán’s and animals. of plants trove for 10% of Chi- account timber reserves of metres a billion cubic na’s total, over higher species of wood. Eighteen-thousand half well over the province, plants inhabit of 2500 species are There of China’s total. ornamental plants, particularly flowers and range over In one Yúnnán mountain herbs. can be found. half of China’s azalea species eight key flowers – camel- province’s The lia, azalea, primrose, magnolia, orchid and lia the country’s en- fauna species and 80 of found only in this are species dangered province. The big feature in Lúx The big feature To get to the caves take minibus 1 from take to the caves To get ō 文庙 Sleeping & Eating Sleeping & Eating Zh Lu; long block from the bus station is this place, dou- count on to get you can generally where by 50%. Bestbles discounted (if you can con- the Y15 beds you one) are vince them to give the Song dynasty. The main cavern stretches stretches the Song dynasty. The main cavern and the caves into three 3km and is broken stream crystal-clear Yusun subterranean some 800m, 15m underground coursing fish). This is over- (look out for transparent pleasant experiences in the more all one of a million looks like Yúnnán. The last cave candles. melted the main Jiuhua Lu; it picks up at the exit of sellers will want you to Ticket the last cave. lights a guide who will turn on the cave take and lose a torch group your but if you take path) fun exploring (the fenced-in it’s great by torchlight. for its forests and scenery. A 25m-high and scenery. Ming- for its forests sits atop. Behinddynasty hexagonal pavilion the park is the impressive ( 庐古洞 with student card Y25) ensconced within a large lies caves This set of its name from a formation and takes karst during the area tribe that inhabited resident

Dil- nxiá) nxiá) ā Lion Gorge SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN •• Lúx nqiáo bus (Y4, nqiáo bus (Y4, ǎ Two-Elephant Gorge bùgé S n), a park known ǔ ā 多依河 Hé, fed by five under- by five Hé, fed líng Xiá), the best one, ī ī Hé) y ī ō y Xiá) and ī ; D ō ; Xiù Sh nqiáo and the gate (and the (and the nqiáo and the gate ngxiàng Xiá)– are less so. ngxiàng Xiá)– are ǎ ā 秀山 ( 滴灵峡 ( ; Shu ; Xióngsh 泸西

Ī 0873 / pop 28,862 To get here, minibuses (Y6, one hour) run here, To get

Shuttle buses run here from the Duoyi from the Duoyi busesShuttle run here 双象峡雄狮峡 30 minutes) right across the expressway and right the expressway 30 minutes) across to ride a Y5 shared-minivan it’s from there however, in low season, Again, the entrance.

Xiushan Hill Sights Sights town stands In the northeast section of dozens of market hawkers here, blankets eve- blankets here, hawkers market dozens of in the sun. drying peppers rywhere, coal and dried red peppers exported through- exported peppers coal and dried red see You’ll probably out China. dozens and The capital of the eponymous county (of the eponymous county (of The capital of wealth of produces a which 298,000 people), LÚX % River. ( is downright lovely; the others – the others is downright lovely; ( backed-up reservoir resulted in three gorges gorges in three reservoirbacked-up resulted tour boat rides (Y60). and you can take ing Gorge Six kilometres east of the Duoyi River is a the Duoyi River east of Six kilometres hydroelectric plant atop yet another dam. The Lubuge Three Gorges (L from the rear of the Luópíng bus station. the Luópíng bus You of from the rear in summer that tour bus shuttles can also get include other sights. 鲁布革三峡 cool. present waterwheels. corny and It’s equally present over some 50 calcified shoals and through over of landscape and groves karst a picturesque to pole a come in droves Travellers bamboo. and ever- villages Buyi-style raft (Y10) past ground springs, wends for a dozen kilometres kilometres a dozen ground springs, wends for Duoyi River (Du Duoyi River the ab- Luópíng, of Around 35km southeast idyllic Du solutely return) you may need to break down and just you may need to break return) otherwise, ride, pay Y20 for a private it may be a long wait. not many people are headed to the waterfalls, headed to the waterfalls, not many people are so between B or afternoon. From the rear of the Luópíng of the rear From or afternoon. bus station tour buses in high (Y15) run sea- have But you still may son to the waterfalls. Just hop a B a lengthy wait. GETTING THERE & AWAY GETTING & AWAY THERE in a morning still doable a hassle, but A bit of Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book YÚNNÁN Q to thesouth viaF tourists tieinavisitherenese withJi from K alleys make it’sabit far itworth avisit,though Miao andYi. Thetown’spicturesque oldback people –andfeatures sizablenumbers of Hui, population issmall–onlyaround 125,000 agricultural output.TheH-shaped county’s of MilkandHoney’forits dubbed the‘Land K plateauOn ahighland 65km southeastof % CHÉNGJI another attraction. The BáilóngDòng(White DragonCave) is brand, producedfromfieldtocartonhere. It’s alsofamousforitsRedRiver cigarette resplendently20m-high golden one of which ishometoahuge Buddha,the west of Lúx for alookat tions insoutheastYúnnán,maybehopoff If you’re headingsouthforotherdestina- AROUND LÚX from where departforLúx buses hop onaLúx local destinationssuch asGèjiùandQi (Y30, 3½hours) viaLùnán,aswelltoother From Lúx Getting There&Away B of theintersection leadingtotheZh group of barbecueplacesinthemarket north around Y150. you should get aroomwithbathroomfor pricesthanposted), otherwisenot higher mer andholidays–expectnodiscounts(if left. Inpeakperiods–weekends insum- it hasonlygotahandfulof commonrooms being renovated and up,tothree-star status, the caves, thismodestlyposhoptionisslowly d/q withoutbathroomY55/75; hotels intown. known astheXiànZhèngf the maingate. TheNo7Buildingisofficially in aquadtheNo7Buildingjustoutside 306 Coming fromK to BuildingNo7,hasgoodfood.There isa Stone Forest (Shílín; p238 ), andtheneither ī ū ī ngu Ā Yíngxi hàolóu. There are a numberof other nmíng, Chéngji 0877 /pop30,618 lú Dàji SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN••AroundLúx SOUTHEAST ǎ n. ū nmíng todoasaday trip.MostChi- ā ǔ Ā ī ng Fàndiàn,opposite theentrance diàn there are lotsof toK buses NG ī . Afew temples dotthetown, ī Mílè -bound bus,orheadintoLùnán, ( 阿庐大酒店 Ī 澄江

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Ǎ i, occupied since the kingdom of kingdom of i, occupied since the ǎ Yongjin Sì , freshly painted after a fire. The a fire. after painted , freshly 星云湖 0877 / pop 44,520 ngyuán), 2km north of town. ngyuán), 2km north of NGH ngh Most Chinese visitors come for its lovely come for its lovely Most Chinese visitors It’s only about 200m high but it has It’s only about 200m high but it has Try taking a motor tricycle from the centre Try taking the centre a motor tricycle from ( and ō ō Ō is quite lovely – with a mist-shrouded, over- lovely is quite Xiu Shan Park, but for foreigners an added an added but for foreigners Park, Xiu Shan town distancea short (about 15km) west of 200 couplets left by ancient writers. The first The first 200 couplets left by ancient writers. building on the right is the astery Sì the hill a trail leads around the upper part of Sights Xiu Shan Park with a hill, lush grown, mossy gumdrop of for the old birds – and not too strenuous began temples construction of Original ticker. dynasty and by the Ming as early as the Tang southern Chi- as one of dynasty it was revered Later, Buddhist sites. the na’s most sacred mountain the section supposedly the summit behind the weather. ‘predicts’ Five to occupy you for hours. enough paths Ming dynasty towers some Taoist temples, nooks lots of provide 20 pavilions and over with over marked are and crannies. Tablets From the and camellia garden respectively. Dian’s inception, reached a zenith during the Dian’s inception, reached it was chosenNánzhào kingdom, when as the the kingdom of military and economic centre from T that stretched Dàl the later came from T ers but still visible tradi- attraction is the fading avenues its charming of tional architecture and back alleys. To the north 2km or so is the Q icy-looking, windswept lake, settlement of is Yúnnán’s only remaining Mongols. Long famed for their metalwork- around now sell them knives of ing, dozens the bus station. AROUND JI AROUND Oval-shapedsalty,somewhat and Hú springs hot has a few The lake Broad Waves. is famous for its big- and along its shoreline, tasty is supposedly which headed fish, very in hotpot. town to the of G T % T n near (Jade (Jade ā (Y5, 45 n ī ā sh ā ji nmíng (Y19, n Sh ǐ 青铜器时代 ū ǔ ( n; admission Y10; n; admission Y10; nmíng is easier ǎ ū Yùs n excavation site site n excavation ā sh ā ji ǐ , one hour by bus, lies , one hour by bus, lies ī n are filled with Chinese n are nmíng buses run seemingly ā n bus station is a bit chaotic; n bus station is a bit chaotic; ng (Y15, two hours) every ng (Y15, two hours) ū ā 江川 ā SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN •• Ji , the L N –K (Y5, one hour) until around 8pm ī ī Ā nmíng’s east bus station, the last ngchu Bronze Age Museum ngtóngqì Shídài Bówùgu ū n, the seat of a tiny county of the n, the seat a tiny county of of ī ā ngchu ā ā ; Q n Hú, but they are said to never pass but they are n Hú,

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The Ji At the At the Located in a small circular basin sur- Located Getting there is just a matter of flagging of just a matter is Getting there Ā ā ǔ minutes) first and then to K first minutes) Wengkiaxiang village. every 30 seconds. one departing at 4pm. Going to Yùx because Yùx two hours) there are a couple of daily services a couple of are there two hours) to/from K to find them at times. to other destinations may leave from other to other destinations may leave in town, it’s a maddening slog around corners and to Chéngji Minivans hour or so until early afternoon. tures to Yùx tures you’ll have to wait for minibuses to regional to wait for minibuses to regional you’ll have depar- frequent are destinations to fill. There the bus station. A big bull statue (a replica of of the bus station. bull statue A big (a replica the bronzes) sits out front. one of 1000 pristine Bronze Age relics were re- were relics 1000 pristine Bronze Age the bull is plain to The local cult of moved. see. The earliest coins used in Yúnnán were museum The is a also unearthed at the site. walk along Xingyun Lu west of five-minute 25 tombs of the Warring States period and the Warring States period and 25 tombs of nearly dynasty, from which Han Western h is particularly highlighted, the featuring 博物馆 county’s topography resembles the shape of the shape of county’s topography resembles a begonia leaf. rounded by mountains, Yunnanese say the archaeologists, as excavation sites here have have here sites as excavation archaeologists, Dian, Neolithic and of unearthed prime sites including 25 tombs of cultures, Bronze Age the Warring States period in L until well into the Han dynasty. Villages dynasty. Villages until well into the Han around Ji same name. Occupied since the ancient Dian same name. by imperial China it wasn’t controlled culture, Southeast of Yùx Southeast of Ji JI % down a bus and asking if it’s going there. and asking if it’s going down a bus platter-shaped rock atop the peak that pur- rock atop the peak platter-shaped wet. is always portedly the water.) To the west is the water.) Bamboo Mountain), for the known Shoots F overlooks rock a boundary where the point lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN signs in passable English, givinganinsightsigns inpassable ofgreat. all,manyof Best thetemples have the few places that doesn’t slap the few placesthat doesn’t Bless thetownfor itshonesty.Thisisoneof Sleeping trails andapagodaonitshilltop. folklore. into thehistoryof andregional themountain anight. to stay small hotel make thatmight a peaceful place Dragon Monastery), alovely complexwitha east sideof thehillto 308 every place to stay and callthemhotels. placetostay every To Nàj¸ayíng Yùx¸ (51km) (14km); X¸ngm›ng (5km); To X¸Shƒn Xinhua Bookshop PSB Jiànhuá Zhāodàisuǒ Jiànhuá SLEEPING China Telecom China Post INFORMATION Jīnhú Lǚguǎn Tong Print Hotel Lǐyuè Fàndiàn Nánjiē Cāntīng Yùhéng Lǚguǎn Jiāyuán Dòujiāng EATING Bus Station Bus Station TRANSPORT Microbuses toJiāngchu Buses Jiƒngchuƒn 1 2 T±NGH‡I (22km); (31km) X The viewsof Q To H†ip©Ji©bƒ(300m); ī ݀ᅝሔ Xiu ShanPark(500m) sh SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN••T SOUTHEAST ݀݅≑䔺 Approximate Scale ā 13 n Park Ё೑䚂ᬓ 䗮⍋ᅶ䖤ᘏキ ...... 14 7 Hubin Lu A 䞥␪ᮙ佚⼐Ф佁ᑫ 12 फ㸫令ख़

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Nadaam i just off the main ǎ n, in a compact vil- lù Hú, but dwindling ā ǐ and somehow nearly and somehow nearly ngh ǐ ō i to a lakeside park around i to a lakeside ǎ i. The easiest option is to travel i. The easiest option is to travel ǎ ngh 兴蒙 ō ngh ō The Mongolian faces and language have have The Mongolian faces and language ngméng ī north of T north of Park, T Park, highway, some 4000 Mongolian of members of Kublai Khan’s expeditionary of members of lage 14km west of T 14km west of lage been diluted over the years but the dress is still but the dress the years been over diluted or blue tunics distinct; most people wear green sleeves. An annual with brightly embroidered called festival early-winter for (next one scheduled years every three here 2008), just as it is in summer on the grasslands north. several thousand kilometres torcycle taxicost around Y5. would X Sh Feng At the base of Over most the last 700 years, force still reside. from the nomadic rough-riding switched have on Q to fishing lifestyle decades have the past three levels over water or build- forced most onto the land as farmers still and a few copperware Some still forge ers. The tourists, trying to sell knives. hit up likely traditional stone and sun-dried brick village is still a nice place to wander. 3km north of town. You could walk, or a mo- town. You could walk, 3km north of ng. Once in control in Yúnnán he also left a number of Dai he also left a number of Dai Once in control in Yúnnán ng. ī ij ě nmíng (Y20 to Y33, ū i are surprised to discover distinct Mongolian dress and non-Han features features and non-Han distinct dress Mongolian to discover surprised i are I ǎ Ǎ ngh (Y12, two hours) leave every leave (Y12, two hours) ō ī SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN •• Around T NGH Ō n from across the road when full ā 杞麓湖 (Y12, 1½ hours), Gèjiù (Y31, three (Y31, three Gèjiù (Y12, 1½ hours), i’s bus station is just south of the the i’s bus station south of is just

ǐ ǎ As part of his campaign in southern China, Kublai and his armies had to enter what today part what today As and his armies had to enter southern China, Kublai of his campaign in Khan’s70 years after the Song and southern China until 1279, some armies would not subdue and society. Kublai was much Kublai Khan’sintriguing one for Chinese culture period was an

ngh YÚNNÁN & KUBLAI KHAN KHAN KUBLAI & YÚNNÁN T to Travellers princes in autonomous control. The Chinese were prohibited from most high positions, those most high positions, those from prohibited were Chinese The princes in autonomous control. But as a hands-off emperor, Kublai also allowed many aspects of for Mongols. being reserved and con- society quietly ‘retiring’ of Chinese elite to flower, the educated Chinese high culture centrating on artistic endeavours. is Yúnnán, one of China’s most isolated and long-unconquered regions. In fact, the Mongols In fact, Mongols the regions. and long-unconquered of China’s most isolated is Yúnnán, one language is from an Indian – their name Qandahar country separate thought it a for the region Nánzhào or ‘Southern Kingdom’ it was also called Country’; (Polo in Chinese meaning ‘Great and population op- for the enormity of the land unprepared Completely knew it as Caragan). topography. baffled by the strange river-valley also horsemen were posing them, the Mongol by river, China mountain by mountain, river two armies managed to cross western Kublai’s Yet on Dàl converged They step. groups at every opposed by ethnic minority Chinese fold. Yúnnán into the great In the process they brought they had made initial advances. one of Kublai Khan’s greatest into the country is considered Indeed the inclusion of Yúnnán (Mongol) dynasty. North China had been and south the Yuan as he established achievements forced to find each other. had much to offer, culture Chinese He realised Mongol counterparts. open-minded than his more his capital to B moved and even throughout the town and region. (Not to mention the ornate knives and scabbards sold on every on every and scabbards sold knives the ornate (Not to mention town and region. throughout the from in Yúnnán; all descended 13,000 ethnic Mongolians around are In fact there corner.) street Khan, Kublai. great the army of the blood. took it without shedding ngchu

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ā ǐ ers; his story is told at a temple in Xiushan in Xiushan his story is told at a temple ers; hole in the ground to drain the water for farm- hole in the ground to drain the water getaways. The lake once rose higher much getaways. The lake and shoreline along the cliffs the eastern of a how an ancient monk poked of tell legends This indigo-blue lake, 1km north of town, was 1km north of lake, This indigo-blue the dynasty times as one of famed from Tang southeast Yúnnán emperor’s eight favourite (Y6, one hour). AROUND T Q 8am to 5pm. Cramped microbuses leave for 8am to 5pm. Cramped microbuses leave Ji 8.20am to 6.30pm. To Shípíng (Y18, three (Y18, three 8.20am to 6.30pm. To Shípíng every half-hour buses leave hours) or so from and plush expresses to K and plush expresses from every hour or 90 minutes 2½ hours) hours) and Yùx hours) half-hour minibuses are or so when full. There stop west around the corner along Huancheng stop west around the corner along Huancheng Beilu Buses Lu intersection. at the Hubin to Jiànshu Huancheng BeiluHuancheng Xilu inter- and Huangcheng from a busessection. leave But most regional Getting There & Away Getting There & Away T lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN town isJinlinan Lu,leading southwestfrom east atChaoyang Gate. The mainroaddown- Lus circlingtheold town;theyalllinkinthe lineconnecting alltheChaoyang a curved The eastern perimeter of thecityconsists of Orientation troops here. MarshalLater, his ZhuDewouldstation government of theSouthernGarrisonArmy. Tianjun Temple themilitary andestablished the armystaged arebellion here insidethe become thecontemporary town. what wouldeventuallydynasty established mand of theNánzhàokingdom.TheYuan days aspartof theT to otherauthoritiesuntilitsmostimportant the Ningzhoukingdom.Itwashandedaround Jin period,whenitwasundertheauspicesof Jiànshu cally andyou’llstumbleacrossgems. have given. been Justwanderabout concentri- the cheesy face-liftthemaindowntownstreets and congested outer arteries leadingin,then hardly knowit,given thetypicallypolluted there. Somewhere. yes,youwould Though zying arrayof historicsights. old-style architecture, friendly folkandadiz- Jiànshu % JIÀNSHU from T road fromJi descendingalongthe viewed fromtheheights sq metres. Themosqueismostimpressive if overand twoflankingroomsthattotal 5000 includeagate,three acourtyard,hall sections predating theMingdynasty.Themosque’s to oneof theoldestmosquesinYúnnán, of thelake isthevillage of Nàji bybusupthewestern shoreline A half-hour Q Najiaying Mosque(Nàji there forY2perperson. lucky there’ll beasmallshared vanheading (orrelativelythrough near)there. Ifyou’re and have someonetossyouononepassing of westof smallbuses theT 310 Revolution. On1NovemberRevolution. agroupwithin ī ngzh Known in ancient times as Butou or Badian, Known inancienttimesasButouorBadian, funkyoldbuildingsareHonestly, those To get here youhave toheadthecluster Jiànshu 0873 /pop17,347 SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN••Jiànshu SOUTHEAST ō ǐ ǐ ē ’s historydates backtotheWestern really sucksinthetouristswithits ngh nsì) ǐ Ǐ figured prominently inthe1911

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, a temple which houses which the town’s , a temple lakes , an elegant 14-storey pagoda. From From pagoda. , an elegant 14-storey ǎ ng Sì 建中路 ō 金临安街 A good place to start your explorations is Wénmiào B Back head north and at Chaoyang Gate, of local history. There’s no charge to walk to walk charge no local history. There’s of as things vary a lot here. Staff are pretty eager eager Staff pretty are as things vary a lot here. at an advantage. people back, so you’re to get it’s on is also known as Jianzhong The street Lu ( Ruyi Xiang, Jinlinan Jie; Fúd education department. Sleeping near dozen or so basic hotels You’ll find a town, but who wants the bus station north of it west of also hoof You could to stay there? to snoop out any number of Chaoyang Gate places. cheap BUDGET Garden Hotel Jie; bathroom Y30, tr Y90) stand- place, the epically longtime traveller grouseby; some find it just fine, others that rooms, a look at a few take Do it’s overpriced. decrees positing them as state treasures, have have as state positing them treasures, decrees for other purposesbeen the and co-opted fun – is trying great trick – and truthfully, the to find them. then right south and Head Chaoyang Gate. 200m on the right hill. After is the up a short Walk confidently (Liángshi Jú). Grain Bureau to the inside, past two old storehouses wén T continue round Guilin Jie and you’ll here come across four Club (G then east to the Workers several inter- Jùlèbù). Around the back are locking east is the former A little further card players. you can grab a tea or beer, a pricier interior or beer, grab a tea you can interior a pricier teahouse an upper-floor and Architecture Jiànshu surrounds you in architecture Classic either. in the old-style back alleys and not just has a historically Virtually every main street The archi- significant traditional structure. the because is especially intriguing of tecture local central plans and of obvious mixture official buildings, despite old styles. Many s & d Y60, without bathroom Y30) up into the gate and admire the building and the building and and admire up into the gate views close up. Y2)

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will beonyourleft. some50m;thisplace old town,continuestraightahead intothe through theoldcitygate,insteadofturningright W From thecornerof XishanLu,head eastalong Information old townisratherbarren.) (Shípíng’s flyspeckXinhuaBookshopinthe hua Bookshops inothercitiestheregion. The onlymapyou’llfindof Shípíng isatXin- MAPS Jie( Beizheng old partof town.Theotherstreet of note is Jie ( mediately and youshould beonXizheng of –pedestrianarea of im- shops.Turnright agentrified –kind underneath andyou’llsee blocks tillyouget totheoldtowngate. Cross ( atthemaineast–westroad,XishanLu right crossthestreet,station, andturnleft.Turn Huiyuan Lu( along walk northwestfromthebusstation The centralpartof downtownis a10-minute Orientation There’s nothingquite like itelsewhere. todate fromtheearliestdaysofseem thetown. hole-in-the-wall operationsinstructures that Many of the‘factories’are simplyfamily-run mid- totop-end lodgings,Shípíng’s stars have much of aproblem, butifyou’re aimingfor Finding acheap bedintownshouldn’t betoo Sleeping today. still inuse School (dating fromtheQingdynasty) it’s free. Furthersouthistheextremely old at lastvisit–butthegroundsare nice. And Miào), which wasn’tactuallyopenforviewing First upisthe Jie.are worthexploring,bothalongBeizheng has afew historicalarchitecture tidbitsthat In additiontoallthe tofu goings-on,thetown Sights Café Huazhong Internet and ChinaTelecom office. Huanwen Lu( it, butonlythetitleisinEnglish. town andcitymapsinsoutheastYúnnánon titled 西山路 ǎ ngb 西正街 ā ( Tourist Map of Honghe; ; Xishan Lu, old town; per hour Y2) After passing ; XishanLu, oldtown;perhourY2)After 北正街学校 ). Follow this straight aheadafew). Followthisstraight Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ), which leadsdirectly intothe 北正街汇源路焕文路 Confucius Temple ; B ( ) ); thatis,exitthebus 华众网吧 ) tofindaChinaPost ě izh ē

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And there’s machinery rattles on and SHÍPÍNG TOFU TOFU SHÍPÍNG and the place dynasty tofu purportedly Yuan Mongol invaders during the came with Shípíng’s the water, it’s the the big fuss? Apparently Wherefore on producing the stuff since. hasn’t let up in these parts how the tofu is ‘dotted’ tout water spring (they often fresh silky and primevally like salt water or grimy tap water with it and not for belching tour buses and their hordes (they likely won’t know what to make of a foreigner). their hordes (they likelyfor belching tour buses and won’t know what to makea foreigner). of factories, and the best, you look you’ll find smaller medium-sized everywhere much But pretty too keen smaller places weren’t some of the Just a note: operations. mom-and-pop back-room Still, most don’t mind if you espionage concerns. they had corporate on visitors, seriously saying You should with your camera. and watch. Just don’t get too frenetic crane your head in a window say otherwise. 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Most rooms have area, but this is the only even remotely non- but this is the only even remotely area, we one overpriced) dump (or obnoxiously Huanwen Lu; Huanwen Lu; through the downtown scattered are hotels of previous entry (across the street), it’s got clean entry (across the street), previous rooms and is popular enough that it’s often out by early evening. booked management that seemed delighted to have that seemedmanagement delighted to have friends. foreign clean – very well-maintained – rooms, and clean – very off Huiyuan Lu onto Xishan Lu, and this is off Huiyuan Lu onto Xishan places you’ll come to budget first the one of It has quite the street). (on the right side of 西山路 ing from the bus station, turn right (east) block of Xishan Lu east off Huiyuan Lu is the Xishan block of digs. best place to look for cheap been somewhat generously assigned. The first assigned. 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刘晶郑营村 ; % B ) justeastof town.To ǎ ō oxiù ngh 675 8917,13987308915) ū nmíng, youcan ( ǎ 宝秀 i upandover ū ǎ ) area, with oxiù (but n (below). ǎ oxiù (Y3, . tures bizarre dwellings, asiftherich clayearth the nameisnotamisnomer–village fea- Town.Indeed, Castle known astheFossilised Around 55kmsouthof Shípíng, L L trip). hire which ataxi, youcanget forY40(round old towngate. It’smuch quicker andeasierto inShípíngfrom theoldbusstation nearthe sible buildings). inacces- morning lettingusintootherwise thenleadusaroundformostofhimself, a ing (wehadonekindlyoldchap introduce are lovely andthepopulaceentirely welcom- other placesinChina,butthestreetscapes honestly nothingyouhaven’t inmany seen family courtyardshere. Thearchitecture is it’s acave, Butifyou’re all right.’ headed to aptly described byonelocal: ‘Well,yeah, South Cave) southof town,which was most than theonlylocal ‘sight’ dustrial city. in- along asasemibusy continue tostruggle forthcoming anytimesoon–K tobe seem railway network–which doesn’t bours onthenewregional workoutthedetails Until ChinaanditsSoutheastAsian neigh- nowoccupies the trainstation). (a hospital packed up ern Yúnnán, K Once amaintransporthubinsoutheast- % K local transportitisn’teasytoget here. cation of naturalarchitecture. Troubleis,via fromthegroundinatransmogrifi- had risen row-gauge holdingswere railroadmuseum’s rail inthispartof theprovince. Even itsnar- of extent sincethedemise certain passenger ǎ Ā Public buses run,butnotoftenPublic buses ifatall, There’s noreal reason tostop here, other oxùdiàn IYU 0873 /pop19,248 Ǎ N in toto 开远老旭甸 ā iyu andshipped off to K ǎ n hashittheskidstoa Nán Dòng lonelyplanet.com ā ǎ iyu oxùdiàn is ( ǎ ū n will 南洞 nmíng ; YÚNNÁN 317 ngyuán), the site of of ngyuán), the site ō ohuá G ohuá ǎ n Hú. The bus station is nearly ī 个旧 0873 / pop 35,084 ohuá Sì (Baohua Temple). ohuá No maps are to be found around the bus No maps are Howzat again? Yes, it is saddled with that Howzat again? Yes, Oh, and the tin. Extraction of tin dates from tin dates Oh, and the tin. Extraction of ǎ station or anywhere else. station or anywhere B Information Information Close your eyes, walk 50m and you’ll come average café in Gèjiù; all internet an across is the internet The largest around Y3 per hour. café along Jinhu Nanlu on the south side, east Jinhu Xilu. of Orientation Orientation Gèjiù is built on a north–south axis, divided J by a lake, The main artery, 1.5km from the city centre. the along the west side of Jinhu Xilu, branches major Renmin Lu at its first it becomes lake; Jinhu Nanlu the lake. south of intersection along the south shore, leads east from here, this is the hills. South of 300m to the base of modern but Gèjiù – three-quarters the real old-world architecture. of warrens with a few by the city is buttressed The southern part of (B Baohua Park trucks rumbling, for it’s an attractive enough an attractive trucks rumbling, for it’s (ironic as the tropic city with a European feel Cancerof passes through the northern end of prom- is circled by a lovely town). The lake and a boating, greenery, lots of enade, there’s A the water. teahouse above or two perched sectionpark in the southeastern houses one in southeast the most significant temples of Yúnnán. commercial dynasty, though the first the Han enterprise wasn’t until 1883, during the Qing extraction and smelting still ac- dynasty. Tin Gèjiù’s economic base. And counts for 95% of damned high, tin must be pretty the price of as you’ll see things around from the costs of here. leave roughly hourly from 8.10am to 6.30pm. roughly to 6.30pm. 8.10am hourly from leave at buses leave six hours) (Y42, To Luópíng 9.40am. 7.40am and GÈJIÙ % town setAn alpine-esque a backdrop against craggya steely blue lake cliffs.of Vistas over Yes, realms. picture-postcard approaching City’. Gèjiù, the ‘Tin your there’s that made it the ore because of grim moniker those Then again, perish as the dickens. rich and strip-mining mining dust of images If the If the 712 3396; A few A few , Gèjiù, , Gèjiù, ) ) 316 1336; 316 1336; ǐ 316 4676; 162 % n is this, the a SOUTHEAST YÚNNÁN •• Gèjiù a % ; ǎ ; % ; ), the main one, ngu ī ) and turn left. Walk n B ǎ i zhàn ě (Y29, 4½ hours) buses buses (Y29, 4½ hours) ; s & d Y80-150, s/d/tr without ī 开远宾馆 b This is the first place place This is the first ( 滇南大酒店 ) iyu 月盛宾馆 ( ( 号 ; s & d from Y60; ā

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Regionally, the two stations have buses buses Regionally, the two stations have Di K ū ā 8.10am and 1.05pm though you could also 8.10am and 1.05pm though you could also a Yànsh take utes or so. There are zillions of buses to buses to zillions of are There or so. utes K To Qi running to/from everywhere every 10 min- running to/from everywhere for others, though there may be some overlap. may be some overlap. though there for others, A taxi Y4. ride between the two is all of station ( To Lúx there. switch K dles we’ve ever seen.dles we’ve Getting There & Around Y4. Every diminutive eatery in this town, truth in this town, truth eatery diminutive Y4. Every noo- be told, has the most enormous bowls of fill-ups (of all varieties of noodles) for around all varieties of fill-ups (of Rooms aren’t exactly flash but at least they’re exactly flash but at least they’re Rooms aren’t spacious and bright, and service par. is above along Lingquan Lu (on the southeast side) is clean, friendly noodle and dumpling a very shop that has smiling service and enormous blocks east of the K blocks east of necessary)‘poshest’ (quotes place in town. Lingquan Lu; Lingquan Lu; somnolent place. Still, it’s clean and the staff Still, it’s somnolent place. solicitous. row entrance to this unassuming and slightly Yuèshèng B to Lingquan Lu ( ahead a few minutes to Nanzheng Jie. Turn Nanzheng Jie. to minutes ahead a few right on your right and 40m ahead nar- is a your left. Frill-less but perfectly fine and the fine and the your left. Frill-less but perfectly you. to have staffgregarious love would you’ll come to after the bus station; the bus you’ll come to after it’s about bus station walk from the on a 10-minute bathroom Y40/40/45;

Sleeping & Eating Eating Sleeping & for lodging. Exit at all No problem main the bus station Everything and turn left (south). you need is in this direction. the Wénsh than likely you’ll more or Shípíng, Yuányáng No and wait for a bus. off to stop here have streets tree-lined biggie, got some pretty it’s friendly folks. and honestly Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book and a north station ( Nanzheng Jie; Xizhong Lu; Xizhong Lu; YÚNNÁN attractions attheterminus. ently they’re going tohave carnival-type notallthewaytoShípíng).(though Appar- went towardsShípíng fortouristexcursions funct narrow-gauge railway linewhich once made goodonitsplantoresurrect itsde- By thetimeyouread this thecitymayhave LINE RAIL oldsterpromenade withevery intown. or justtake alovely strollaroundthelakeside half of thedowntownarea. Youcanhire boats intoalimestone cavern,sinkhole swallowing created in1954when torrential rainscreated a J knownasGoldenLake, Otherwise J Sights 318 Ī 4 1 3 2 HÚ N GÈJIÙ OTES ÚNN • èi YÚNNÁN••Gèjiù SOUTHEAST 17 Approximate Scale

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(one way/return Y15/20; ...... 令ख़ Ѹ䗮ᆒ佚 ᅶ䖤फキ ...... 㑶⊇໻䜦ᑫ 宝华公园 ...... Gèjiù Museum Gèjiù Museum ...... buttsupagainstQiling ...... Baohua Gate ...... 䫵䛑佁ᑫ ...... B Baohua Park ǎ ohuá Sì lonelyplanet.com (Gèjiù Bówùgu ...... h , alsoknown 10am-11pm) (Baohua

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Cheap food is not that easy to find. This town seen-on-the-scene its wannabe-chichi, loves buffet- few still a are places. However, there Eating Eating offers stunning views of the lake in standard in standard the lake stunning views of offers themselves rooms and the staff fall all over to help. international-standard luxury hotels within a within a luxury hotels international-standard This, the newer one, other. each of kilometre the price of tin is high, look no further than tin is high, look no further than the price of the fact that the city has not one but two www.hh-sj.com; 6-21 Zhongshan Lu; 6-21 Zhongshan Lu; www.hh-sj.com; location. for midrange rooms but you can’t beat the rooms but for midrange here seems determined to prove the other the other seemsprove to here determined Good sign. ‘overpriced’. in town are hotels the rooms are actually pretty nice if you want actually pretty the rooms are your own bathroom. Best all, the manager of tion, east of the city’s regional bus station, the city’s regional tion, east of seems but when you enter, a bit dark and grim 7028; Xinguan Lu; 7028; Xinguan Lu; of room choices and prices here – the rate sign – the rate and prices here room choices of board. an airport departure looks like % option. best budget none accept foreigners. Forget the upper-low upper-low the Forget foreigners. none accept along places you come across end or midrange not worth the money. – they’re Jinhu Nanlu been and in Gèjiù. Jinhu Nanlu problem – a guesthouses, but cheap a handful of Xin Jie have Sleeping Sleeping has always is – and accommodation Budget Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book r Y388-1688; room Y30-50; 路 YÚNNÁN town. Toget downtown,simplyexit thesta- isonthefarnorthsideofThe busstation and you’llhave inch every of itreconnoitred. 20 minutes; give acoupleof yourself hours Qi Orientation &Information you can. the park,you’llprobably get out asfast there, and therelative of ease lodgingwithin outside of of town,theease transporttoget it’s fairlyrelaxed. Butgiven thelandscapejust on thewaytoP Qi % QI takes 1½hours. bridge noodles.Duetobadroads,thetrip being thesourceof Yúnnán’s across-thetown alsoclaims–alongwithJiànshu for thetown’s200-year-old architecture. This A daytripto AROUND GÈJIÙ Hú. tion. Bus2runsalongtheeastsideof J 1 runsnorthfromdowntowntothebussta- northofto themainbusstation J south entranceallthewayalongWuxiLu Bus 3runsfrominfrontof Park’s Baohua Getting Around local sites. on thesouthwestendof XinyuanLu,serving luxury coach, five hours). (Y30/Y40/48/60 regular/sleeper/Iveco van/ from 6.20amto10pmwitharange of choices at 9.10amand7.30pm. theyalsohavethough epicallyslowsleepers first toLùch 320 means. Thelocalsare cheery andhelpful ǔ Another regional isdowntown busstation goingtoK Buses Ū ū QI 0876 /pop11,418 Wénsh upn 3 56 al 7.30am,10am-3pmhourly 7daily 5-6 32 Lúx Luópíng K etnto Pie() uain(or) rqec Departs Frequency Duration(hours) (Y) Price K Destination b b B ū ā Ū OTES ÚNN • rudGjù YÚNNÁN••AroundGèjiù SOUTHEAST ě ě iyu mn 6-8 eey9 i 8am-9.30pm 90min every 6 63-78 nmíng Ě ī i is,quite honestly,simplyapitstop i is small enough towalkendini issmallenough 3 2 38 4 daily 8.30am, 10.30am B I ǎ Ě 6 ½ 2 5½ 7.30am, daily n 36 noon ā 邱北 I BUSTIMETABLE 6 hul 6.20am-5.40pm hourly 4 n 26 ū Méngzì n (Y43,sixhours) at6.45am, ǔ zh ě ū ( h nmíng leave frequently 蒙自 ē i. Grimitisn’tbyany ) might beworth- ) might ī n Hú.Bus ǐ –to ī n Dongzheng Jie; luxurious. Singlesare crampedbutinvery your bestbetforfindinganythingremotely Qi Lu;fax 4126555;Renmin in Qi this isamongthebetter of thecheaper options aheadoutof block straight thebusstation, are worthit. fortheirownphonedirectory.enough Few the town’scheap and hotels – guesthouses thefirst Immediately of you’llsee section. andbearleftatthefirstto theright inter- thebusstation intown.Exit place tostay At leastyou’llhave littleproblemfindinga Sleeping &Eating time lookingforalog-injoint. todohereing else andwespentwaytoomuch Dong/Xizheng JieisRenminLu( 正街 Jie ( you’retion totheright; nowonDongzheng ( and veggies. teries. meat,fish, Redolenceof tofu searing on thestreet, braziers inea- smokingeven only thingyou’llfindhere: braziers flaring 烤 your first leftandyou’re there. Jie, turnleft,then Dong/Xizheng JietoCaiyun many similarhotels. Toget here, justfollow are morespacious. Staff ontheballthanat good shape;twinsanddoublesare more atad Dajie ( tworunallthewaysouthtoPuzheheithese anywhere inthistown;trustus,there’s noth- know. and asquietanythingnearby. 彩云饭店 Ruìhé Dàji Huìf Foodwise, hopeyoulikeFoodwise, barbecue ( ; Our favourite placetoeatis We couldn’tfindonelousyinternet café ū sh b 东正街 ) at Caiyun Jie( ) atCaiyun ū ě ā i’s originalluxuryhotel, thisisstill ē b 普者黑大街 ok ng B ě i. Kindadarkinteriors butit’sclean ǎ ; CaiyunJie;dishesfromY2), o Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ). ThisbecomesXizhengJie( ) because that’spretty) because much the ǔ 东正街 ī ngu diàn ǎ

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nmíng (Y110,six hours) ( 交通宾馆 ). Remembertohave ā n willbeable tojump- ǎ ngx ), which traverses the a ; X ā ī . Thisisnobad n ontheirwayto/ ) ī Alsonearthe nchéng Kèyùn ; % 219 5518; YÚNNÁN , o ā ǎ b ā 323 ngnán ngnán ngnán n ǎ ǎ n, B n, ā ā n. From n. From ā ), and ask the ), and ask the 八达 , the old town, lo- , hewn from the roll- ē nji ī tián) ī t ; 梯田 i is actually 43km north of Gu north of 43km i is actually 八宝 ě ), an uninspiring but friendly town town but friendly uninspiring ), an o ǎ ngnán you’ll have to wait around for for to wait around have ngnán you’ll 0873 / pop 22,631 ǎ b The village is midway between Gu The village And yes, you really do have to enter via a to enter do have And yes, you really Yuányáng is actually split into two: Nánsh Bàm ā 广南 Gu in the morning mists, you’ll swear these pools dancing are shimmering with golds and reds experience. about. An unforgettable the new town, and X and hour’s bus ride up a nearby hill. cated Yuányáng, depending Either can be labelled and Fùníng, best reached from the latter. Try from the latter. and Fùníng, best reached The problem is that haggling for a ride there. to do solo. YUANYANG RICE TERRACES 元阳梯田 % the only thing visible hill-top villages, Picture rolling fog and cloudbanks; an artist’s above at sunrise or sunset; colours spirit- of palette through centuries-old rice- treks recharging buffalo water chewing hills, with a few covered nearby. Yup, it’s kinda their cud contentedly when describing these indulgent hard not to get ( rice terraces centuries. over ing topography by the Hani are and roughly 12,500 hectares They cover Yúnnán’s – nay, China’s – most another of spectacularabsolutely sights. Seriously – hiking B Wénsh of Around 160km northeast aes- the more in one of is a Zhuang village the province. of thetically pleasing areas (as in the The name means ‘Eight Treasures’ the samename) and couldn’t of soothing tea a tourist region of apt. It is more be more today but if you can escape the than a village along the waterfalls tourist crowds you’ll find (includ- geology and freak caves Babao River, blown ing a fascinating wind-hole literally through a rock outcropping), rock paintings and more. toward groups, so it’s tough oriented it’s more ( ride from Wénsh an all-day bus enough at the bus station passengers to fill a one yourself. also You could hire minivan or ( a bus bound for Bádá take which you when to hop off, after tell to driver There 1km walk to the village. a you have in modest but clean enough hotels very are Guangnan (s/d from Y50). Zhuang-poled boat!

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327 huìyuán; ‘wai’ (Mànt 7am-6pm) ā nghóng’s ǐ h ngquè Hú ngquè Hú nghóng ǒ ǐ (Rèdài Hu Manting Park 孔雀湖公园 is not really interesting, interesting, is not really nghóng, 曼听公园 nghóng bus trip. Be careful ǐ ǐ NNÀ REGION •• J •• REGION NNÀ botanical garden nghóng Xilu; admission Y40; Ǎ ǐ NGB admission Y15) Ā

nmíng–J ū SHU Ī 212 0493; 28 J ngyuán) next to it is pleasant. The Eng- the monks as a greeting and remember and remember the monks as a greeting yourself rub anyone’s head, raise to never or point your higher than a Buddha figure (This at anyone. feet last point applies to If you stay the night in secular buildings too. form to sleep with a Dai household it is good pointing towards the door.) your feet ETIQUETTE IN DAI TEMPLES ETIQUETTE TEMPLES IN DAI rules apply as the same Around Dai temples (no tank tops appropriately dress elsewhere: or shorts); entering; take off shoes before don’t take of photos of monks or the inside a dona- leave without permission; temples taketion if you do and consider any shots you don’t – un- if a token even donation no these Buddhists receive like in Thailand, to It is polite assistance. government ō ngyuán; ō better attractions. Admission gets you into a gets attractions. Admission better MANTING MANTING PARK J In the south of tain. replica The park contains a couple of seestupas, and you’ll probably Dai dancing This terrific % J is one of the town centre, west of 1000 you can view over gardens where series of the path on the Take plant life. of types different gardens to head the left-hand side as you enter area. tropical rainforest towards the lovely LAKE PARK PEACOCK town isn’t of in the centre This artificial lake (K but the small park much, G every lish Language place here Corner takes to Sunday evening, your chance so this is locals with the or to engage views exchange practising their English. Dangers & Annoyances Dangers & Annoyances from trav- been on-and-off reports have There incidents on drug-and-rob regarding ellers K the on buses, accept nothing, who your friends are when you hop nothing unattended and leave for breaks. off Sights GARDEN TROPICAL FLOWER & PLANTS 热带花卉园 even if it is the garden of a former Dai chief-even if it is the garden of G nnà nnà ǎ ǎ ngguó ō ngb ā 212 2676; ng b nnà is. ā ǎ shu ī % 213 6228; (X shu (CITS; Zh ī njú; ā % ng ō ngguó Yóuzhèng & ō (PSB; G ; Manting Lu; per hr Y2) There ; Manting per hr Y2) There Lu; (Zh ā The season ends with this festival, with this festival, The season ends ngguó Yínháng; 663 8459; Jinghong International ngb X ō ǎ 213 0123; Galan The best bet for Lu) 景洪 % (w (Zh 8-11.30am & 3-5.30pm) Has a fairly speedy % & Telecom

yuàn; xíngshè; ī ǚ

0691 / pop 93,341 8am-8.30pm) ngguó Diànxìn; cnr Mengle Dadao & Xuanwei Dadao; Prepare yourself for searing yourself heat late-day Prepare

NGHÓNG ō

nghóng – the ‘City of Dawn’ in the local Dainghóng the ‘City of – Ǐ ǐ visa extension service. Jingde Lu; Jingde Lu; Xishuangbanna Minorities Hospital Public Security Bureau Internet cafés China International Travel Service China Post Bank of China sources of travel tips and trek notes. The best notes. tips and trek travel sources of long-distance calls is from the place to make Lu. along Manting phone bars private other travellers at Mei Mei, Forest and Me- Forest Mei, at Mei other travellers the best by far ) are p329 kong Cafés (see that can put the entire city into a kind of seri- city into a kind of that can put the entire come from South- ous slow motion. If you’ve Information staff, books, and especially The travellers’ east Asia, no biggie, but if you’ve acclimatised no biggie, but if you’ve east Asia, to higher and nippier elevations in Yúnnán, find yourself needingyou’ll probably lots of midday siestas. tation of the laid-back place that B the laid-back tation of in all directions (great people-watching fun, people-watching (great in all directions represen- a perfect actually) but it’s nonetheless phyte tour groups are clambering around here around here clambering tour groups are phyte It’s still an overgrown, drowsy Mekong River River drowsy Mekong It’s still an overgrown, taller as it is a city. Sure, jungle town as much neo- knucklehead going up and buildings are language – is the capital of X – is the capital of language that too seriously. but don’t take prefecture, J % J Open-Door Festival Open-Door Festival year that men aged 20 or older are ordained as monks for as monks ordained or older are men aged 20 year that a periodof time. lonelyplanet.com when everyone down again to celebrate the lets their hair harvest. Guójì L Jie) Can arrange all man- Travel Bldg, Mengzhe LuLuandian ner of one-day Y200 to Y300. However, tours from you’re better off going to the Mekong, Mei Mei Cafés, or Forest which will help with trekking information and put you in touch with English-speaking guides. h Zh Xuanwei Dadao); Changes travellers cheques and foreign Xuanwei Dadao); Changes travellers cheques and foreign also a branch machine. There’s and has an ATM currency, office on Galan Zhonglu. Mínzú Y having an English speaker available. are about a half-dozen along this street. about are YÚNNÁN studied in Thailandandspeak Thai. was built in1990andmany of itsmonks have of temple‘Ivy League’ schools. Thetemple temple, describedbyoneanthropologist asthe Fósì dance), andapoorelephantinchains. girls (performingaWater-Splashing Festival 328 INFORMATION Banna College Hotel Hotel College Banna SLEEPING Dàqīngshù Bīnguǎn Dàqīngshù Inn Dai Building Blind Massage School School Blind Massage SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Ё೑⬉ֵ China Post &Telecom Bank ofChina Bank ofChina Hospital Minorities Xishuangbanna PSB CITS Ё೑䚂ᬓ Màntīng Fósí (45km) To M›ngh†i 1 3 2 J¯NGHÓNG 㽓ঠ⠜㒇⇥ᮣए䰶 The temple intherear of thepark, ݀ᅝሔ (Wat Bajie inDai),istheleadingregional Ё೑೑䰙ᮙ㸠⼒ X Ī SHU ...... ὈὈ ᳐਀ԯᇎ Ā Ё೑䫊㸠 Ё೑䫊㸠 AC NGB ᆊ㢅㢥ᇣὐٷ ໻䴦ᷥᆒ佚 ...... ⠜㒇ᄺ䰶 Ǎ ...... ⳆҎᣝᨽ NNÀ REGION••J ...... Tropical Flower& Plants Garden ...... 10 11 Medicinal ὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ Gardens 8 Botanic 6 5 4 2 1 7 9 3 D3 C2 C2 C1 C2 C3 C1 C2 C2 B2 B2 9

Xuanwei Dadao Méngzí Guòqiáo Mǐxiàn Mekong Café Mei Café Restaurant Mandalay Lucky Forest Café EATING Wanli DaiStyle Guesthouse Tai Garden Hotel Jǐngyǒng Fàndiàn Golden Banna Hotel Golden Hotel Banna Night Market Night Market Xīngyuán Lèyuán Thai Restaurant ᢝ⌑㓙⬌〚ᮃᵫ令ख़ 令ख़ੇٷဝБ 㩭㞾䖛ḹ㉇㒓 ǐ B nghóng 14 Baixiang Lake Fengqing

Minzu Park Lu Minhang Minhang Lu Ểᵫ੪ଵሟ Stadium Z 㕢㕢੪ଵख़ Dàm›nglóng (65km) ໰Ꮦഎ 32 ␘݀令佚 ǒ To Airport(5km); Ὀ ng ⋄೑令ख़ ...... 29 Market ⋄ು䜦ᑫ ᯳ುФು 27 ᱃੣佁ᑫ 3 䞥⠜㒇䜦ᑫ 17 ...... Minhang Lu

Zhuanghong Lu 1 ...... & JingdeLu; School J Activities is the back 1100years. 31 Peacock ǐ Menghun ...... 4 Lu 34

nghóng’s oft-recommendednghóng’s Lake Park

...... Just before youget totheparkentrance Dadao Mengle 28 ...... 12 Jingde Lu 7 26 20 (Mángrén Ànmó; ..... Mànt Mengla Lu 23

25 21

19 18 17 16 15 12 13 22 20 23 14 Galan 5 Zhonglu

Mengzhe Lu D1 C2 C2 C1 C2 C2 C2 C3 C2 C1 C2 B3 Yiwu Lu 24 h

ī ὈὈ ὈὈ

ng Fósì 22 Galan Nanlu 2 18 33 6 19 9am-midnight) Tangshi Travel Tangshi Travel Agency South Bus Station Station South Bus No 2 Bus Station Station Bus Long-Distance Dock CAAC TRANSPORT StudyClub Travel & Xishuangbanna Market Jade Market SHOPPING YES Disco Mengbala ArtsTheatre Naxi ENTERTAINMENT ૤⇣㟾ぎᮙ㟡䭓䗨ᅶ䖤キ㩭Ꮘᢝ㒇㽓㡎ᴃᅿ 㽓ঠ⠜㒇␌ᄺׅФ䚼 10 16 15 , atemple claimedtodate To M›ngh†n(27km); ⷕ༈ Ё೑⇥㟾 11

0.3miles 500m 0 0 Ꮦഎ

% S¸máo (162km) Manting Lu Manting

䖾ᮃ⾥

...... 21 River Mekong 212 5834; cnr Mengle Dadao 212 5834;cnr Mengle ⥝Ꮦഎ ...... 8

...... Mengpeng Lu ...... offers hour-long Manting ...... ㄀Ѡᅶ䖤キ ...... Park ᅶ䖤फキ ...... lonelyplanet.com ...... Donghuan Lu

...... (Láncƒng Jiƒng) (Láncƒng 30 Blind Massage Blind Massage D ...... Ferry (5km) 30 33 31 28 26 25 34 To 32 29 27 24 D1 C3 C1 C3 C1 C2 C3 B1 B2 B1 C2 YÚNNÁN 329 212 4901; Though ) 212 3888; fax % nghóng a ǐ % ; d Y640 plus 15% diàn; ǔ 号 8 diàn; ǔ is a great place to place to is a great nnà Ji ǎ 212 3727; 12 Xuanwei Dadao; n B ī ; s/d Y380/580; (J

民航路 %

nghóng) ǐ ( (Tàiyuán Ji ; s & d Y180, s/d without bathroom ; s & d Y180, s/d without bathroom NNÀ REGION •• J •• REGION NNÀ Ǎ 号猛泐大道 12 It has quiet grounds replete with with It has quiet grounds replete A slight step up between budget A slight up between step budget NGB ) ng Fàndiàn ) Ā nnà Yóuxué Jùlèbù; Map p328 ; Mengzhe Lu, p328 nnà Yóuxué Jùlèbù; Map ǒ ǎ a ngy SHU ngb ǐ Ī ā J as Golden Banna Hotel Dai dishes include barbecue fish, eel or Dai dishes include barbecue fish, eel or Tai Garden Hotel Tai shu ī specialities. Dai women thump drums at the filled nearly are entrance and the restaurants being every night with tourists generally festive. with lemongrass or servedbeef cooked with can Vegetarians peanut-and-tomato sauce. 212 6060; 8 Minghang Lu; and the the sophisticated court. It’s full of the elegant morning makes monied, which entertaining when it inevit- buffet all the more into a rough-and-tumble ably disintegrates free-for-all. Eating serving Lu is lined with restaurants Manting dish up Dai which of Dai food, the majority dance performances along with their culinary 宣慰大道 Y60/80; is this place, your best bet for and midrange comfort and servicea modicum of without busting the bank. its own island, pool, sauna, gym and tennis its own island, pool, sauna, gym and tennis Mengle Dadao; tax; rooms are nondescript, staff are very efficient nondescript, staff very rooms are are times. festival deals outside of great and offer (X

) ng; ī a nt

ā Basic 216 2592; (moonshine). Increasing numbers of visitors have changed changed of visitors have numbers Increasing (moonshine).

% iwèi C ǔ 213 8365; Xu- ǎ X 898 5122; www.forest-cafe.org; Ganlan Nanlu, J 898 5122; www.forest-cafe.org; ; dm Y30) % NNÀ NNÀ olóu; nlì D báiji ǎ Ǎ ǎ Traditional Dai % ; ; s & d Y40-100; ū (W 216 1776; Manting Lu, 216 1776; Manting Lu, nnà used to be among the best in China: you’d be invited into a local’s a local’s into you’d be invited among the best in China: nnà used to be 巷 iw NGB ǎ yuán Xi 4 ē 曼听路 f ā Ā ā % ; dm Y25) ( Hu ngb

nnà Xuéyuàn; ā ; dm Y15, tw/d per person Y40/50; ā 号 ǎ n iji SHU nlín K ǎ Ī ǎ 57 ē (B shu (D

(S ī

ngu ī Xishuangbanna Travel & Study Club Xishuangbanna Travel 曼听路景兰曼听路 for trekking equipment. 宣慰大道 ngshù B ī Try the If you do get invited into someone’s home, try to establish whether payment is expected. If it’s If it’s expected. whether payment is home, try to establish into someone’s invited If you do get and makesure so go prepared, it’s a jungle out there, heading off, before Also take care Seriously consider takingthe trail, let You won’t hear much Mandarin Chinese on a guide. Café Forest

nghóng) Most travellers are winding up here now, winding up here are Most travellers ǐ 1357 811 2879; Manting Lu; ) TREKKING IN X IN TREKKING X around Treks start. Sara, the owner, has years of experience leading treks and comes recommended. The other other The start. and comes recommended. leading treks Sara, the owner, has years of experience been recommended also have Café) and Mekong (Mei Mei Café cafés mentioned in this book things. and each emphasises different J home to eat, sleep, and drink home to eat, not, leave an offering (ask at the backpacker cafés what’s considered appropriate) or leave modest modest or leave appropriate) (ask at the backpacker cafés what’s considered an offering not, leave insist on nothing. though the family may – even candles, matches, rice etc such as gifts you’ll need In the rainy season return. and when you should you are somebody knows where you’ll need water any time At hikingto be equipped with proper gear. shoes and waterproof as well as snacks boiling water, bottle able to hold or a water water purification tablets, bottled and sunscreen. alone any English. Expect to pay around Y250 per day for a guide. this in places. Don’t automatically expect a welcome mat and a free lunch just because you’re a a lunch just because you’re expect Don’t automatically a free a welcome mat and this in places. money around either. local economy by throwing the but don’t go changing foreigner,

Dàq Wanli Dai Style Guesthouse Dai Building Inn is that the sinks drain onto the floor via a is that the sinks drain onto the floor via a but English Zilch hose. Otherwise it’s great. friendly. quieter, is this new small hotel. Rooms range Rooms range is this new small hotel. quieter, only downer to good-sized; the from smallish Jinglan Alley 4; approximation of a garden is here and the a garden is here of approximation is decent. restaurant % style must mean sweating in the summer, staff Still, some and thin walls. a bit uninterested, the place. people love 57 Manting Lu; for good reason: clean rooms, efficientfor good reason: service for rental Bike English. of and a smattering Y15 per day, Y150 deposit. anwei Dadao; a Sleeping Sleeping HotelBanna College Head down the lane off Mengle Dadao and Dadao and Mengle down the lane off Head your left up to the 2nd on climb the stairs floor. massages for Y30. The staff here is extremely massages for Y30. The staff is extremely here reports. it terrific give kind and travellers Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book but OK, though the rooms can get stuffy.but OK, though the rooms can get An Set back off of Manting Lu, and thus much Lu, and thus much Set Manting of back off YÚNNÁN Y5-20; serves upround-the-clocknoodlesandrice serves Mi 2395; 111 Manting Lu; dishesfromY8; 2395; 111Manting outside.whacking cardsontables ence inthejademarket. Justlookforthe guys dishes fromY8) available. quenching lemonade(Y4).English menu dishes tobewasheddownwithbeakers of her treks. best burgers inB foods –trythehomemadebread –andthe the street attheForest, dishing outhealthful around, Saraandherbrotherhave up been 10pm) www.forest-cafe.org; Nanlu;dishesfromY5; Galan recommendation? Everyone windsuphere. How’sthatfora institution intownforyears andyears. Lu; dishesfromY5; 7324; Manting wood fires). wrapped inbananaleaves andgrilledover soup and spicybamboo-shoot and excellentwithbeer), include friedriver moss(better thanitsounds fashion.Otherspecialitiesofsame thisplace order roastbambooshootprepared inthe 330 ǎ Mekong Café Mekong Restaurant Lucky Mandalay Café Forest Méngzì GuòqiáoM Café Mei Mei are essentiallyimpossible tooversteep). tea iseven favoured bynon-tea thatthe leaves aficionadosforitssubtle flavour(andthefact steeping theleaves and,infact, maybereused again and again.Nomatter whatvariety,the Y5, butforthehighestqualityyoucan paynearlyY100,000. Yúnnán claimstoproducethefinest. bowls.) Naturally,someyearsandseasons are better thanothers,andeachlocaleinsouthern italongdistance,wouldneedtobesteamed andcompressedtransport intonuggetsor even tothediscovery wasdueinpart thatinordertoThe longeritages,therichertaste. (This to theSilkRoad. road(s) thatstretched fromYúnnánintoLaos, Burma(Myanmar),Tibet, Indiaandalltheway ofteasfrom asmalltownneartheLaosborder).This wasthegoldonoldtea-horse king legendarily grown in Yúnnán, in particular nearM legendarily growninYúnnán,particular of’emall. Availableof blacktea, maybetheking allover theprovince andnationwide,itis Yúnnán isaslegendaryanyChineseprovince foritstea, and B ndiàn Mùs Ǎ h AlmostaslongMei Mei hasbeen X Then, asalways, thehealthbenefits: they’re infinite. course. Of it.Youshouldnever drinkthefirstroundof butwellworth Brewing it istime-consuming And thehigherquality, thevalue:acupincafécancostonaverage around Essentially, thetea’s claimtofameisits richtaste acquired ferments. fromageing–it,infact, NNÀ’S TEA OFCHOICE Ī SHU 24hr) sh Ā ī Great Muslimfood,tea andambi- lín C NGB (

Thisbreezy, modestrestaurant ā 嘎兰南路 ok

( ( nt 曼听路曼听路 Ǎ ǎ ǎ ī NNÀ REGION••J ng; o nnà. She alsogets raves for ǐ ( xiàn % 烧烤 ; ; Méig S ( ; M 景德路 214 1611;ZhuanghongLu; ē nlín K ; skewers of meat ě im h ō ng C h ě

ā i K f ( ē 8am-11pm) 庄洪路 ; JingdeLu; dishes iw ā 8am-10pm) ā f ngu ē ū ǐ it ; nghóng % ī ng; ǎ n; h 898 5122; % % ; L The The ā 8.30- 216 212 qià snails. There are plenty of andchairs tables to fromsausages up barbecuedeverything, over theMekong where dozensof serve stalls a huge a great market. impromptunight There is ing astep offamainstreet willbringyouto consumption. isiced,ready firingupandthebeer for start walks, fishare intoaquariums,woks tossed are thattables thrownontoside- off, you’llsee go after theheatandtorporof the day wear Everywherebetter than itisinJinghong. you known traditionalDaisingers. (at leastoriginally)byoneof theregion’s best- crappy touristatmosphere; thisoneoverseen Lu; mainsfromY10) feeling brave. dishes downwithsomesnake whiskyifyou’re out. YoucanalsowashtheauthenticThai flock here really and thecrowdsnever thin Thai restaurant. atthispopular moment youspyafree seat Lu; dishesfromY8) 1758; Manting chaos outside. fromthepollutedupstairs, yoursanctuary are wondrous,butbestistheisolated balcony market. whowanttolingerfor those atthisnight food, smiling service, andtravel information food, smilingservice, ě ngh Dining out,asinalfresco, isdonenowhere Almost anywhere youwalkintown,tak- X Restaurant Thai ī ngyuán Lèyuán ǎ i andS night food market night foodmarket ī máo (thoughitsnamecomes Daifoodwithouttheusual p ǔ

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( 曼听路 ě 嘎兰中路 r chá ( 普洱茶 ; TàiguóC by thenewbridge Pounceonitthe devotees literally devotees ; lonelyplanet.com % ), avariety 663 2825; Galan 663 2825;Galan ā nt ī ng; % 216 YÚNNÁN 331 nghóng ǐ nnà is about. But nnà is about. But ǎ ngb ā (18 hours) and loop back if (18 hours) ; Y49, 10 hours, 6.30am or 6.30am ; Y49, 10 hours, ǐ shu ; Y31, five hours), a nice Hani a nice Hani hours), ; Y31, five ī nghóng Monday, Wednesday Wednesday nghóng Monday, ǐ NGHÓNG NGHÓNG 江城 nnà are only two or three hours hours only two or three nnà are Ǐ 绿春 ǎ n ( ū NNÀ REGION •• Around J Around •• REGION NNÀ ngb Ǎ ā ch nghóng is small enough that you can walk ǜ ǐ GETTING TO THAILAND GETTING TO THAILAND hav- were of years, travellers For a couple boats hitching rides on cargo ing some luck but into Laos and Thailand, heading south the ham- 2006, authorities put in November operators se- boat that, giving mer down on New fast licenses). revoking rious fines (and J leave ferries and Saturday for the seven-hour ride (Y800)and Saturday for the seven-hour to plans were to Chiang Saen in Thailand; for six build up facilities to allow ultimately the dock on the stops along the way. Get to at 7.30am to other side of the Mekong River that start Also note customs proceedings. have ferries this could all change – other in the past. come and gone just as quickly ngchéng ( ngchéng A taxi anywhere in town costs Y5. A taxi anywhere J If you want to get to the Yuanyang Rice If you want to get shu NGB ī ā Ā away by bus, but generally they are not not they are away by bus, but generally out – you need in themselves to get much villages, to many that to get Note and about. the bus to a pri- to take have first you’ll often since there, and stay overnight mary village to the – travels only one bus per day – if that tinier villages. There’s no shuttle bus or public transport to no shuttle There’s A taxi the city. will the airport, 5km south of cost around Y20 but expect to be hit up for up times that during festivals. to three life makes to most destinations, but a bike through most ac- easier and can be rented commodation for Y15 to Y25 a day. AROUND J trips that allow you Obviously, it’s the longer a tourists and get to escape the hordes of for what X feel some in- are time there even with limited destinations in possibilities. Most teresting X Terraces, first you’ll have to take a bus to to take you’ll have first Terraces, Ji and then hop another bus 9.20am), overnight to L a bus hopping before town with a good market, You could also to Yuányáng (Y25, four hours). (15 a bus from the main stationtake to Shípíng or Jiànshu hours) going to those places anyway. you’re Getting Around SHU

, ng; ō CAAC CAAC This nmíng (Chángtú

ū 8am-9pm). 8am-9pm). Yìshùg ī ; admission ; admission 8.30pm) h Nàx ā l h ā ng; Zhuanghong Lu) ǎ Tangshi Travel Agency Tangshi 勐肋大道 (Méngb

212 2766; Mengle Dadao) (Yùshìch

% ; tickets Y160; is the most useful for long- 212 7040; Jingde Lu; 212 7040; Jingde Lu; shè; ǚ X long-distance bus station Discos come and discos go, and discos go, Discos come % ( ng L (Mengle Dadao; nnà, go to the No 2 bus station ō

ǎ 嘎兰南路 Jade Market ngb 9pm-late) ng (Y840). You can also fly to Bangkok nghóng ā ā ǐ

There are two flights daily in high season are There

There is a new south bus station with many There Any café on Manting Lu can buy tickets Lu can buy tickets Any café on Manting Tickets can be purchased at the Tickets YES Disco shu ī (Dì’èr Kèyùnzhàn). There is supposed to be a daily bus to Luang There Prabang (Laos) but it wasn’t run- from here, ning at last visit. station) or if they have a better departure time. time. departure a better station) or if they have provincial departures; check with your café check departures; provincial to seeor hotel if your bus starts from there stop at the main bus (though most will likely Kèyùnzhàn; Minhang Lu) distance If you want to explore destinations. X BUS BUS The J which has cheap prices. has cheap which for you, or go yourself to for you, or go yourself (Tángshì Hángk Credit cards and travellers cheques are not not are cheques cards and travellers Credit accepted. Booking Office (Y1630) and Chiang Mai (Y1630) from here, (Y1630) from here, (Y1630) and Chiang Mai usually daily. to Lìji several days in advance to get either in or several either in or days in advance to get out. (Y730) but in April (when the Water-Splash- need is held) you’ll to book tickets ing Festival Getting There & Away Getting There & Away AIR several flights are a day to K There locals. is nearby, with lots of Burmese and other Burmese and other is nearby, with lots of hawking their goods alongside South Asians ings across from the long-distanceings across bus station. The atmosphere. A fabulous fish and produce and produce A fabulous fish atmosphere. behind some modern build- is tucked market Market groupies have two terrific places to places to two terrific groupies have Market and people-watching head for shopping, Shopping Shopping but YES keeps thumping along; you’ve got along; you’ve thumping but YES keeps at least being heavy-lidded of a good chance here. one morning Y10; Galan Zhonglu; song and dance shows. has daily theatre Entertainment Entertainment Mengbala Naxi Arts Theatre lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN can rent jetskis forY60perminute –don’t a smalllake withatinyresort. Here you long Reservoir road toDàm Or amuch easierbike rideissouthalongthe from J bulldozedyet.been will have thelatest infoonwhatroadshaven’t across theMekong River. Travellers incafés crete runways,thenperhapsaferry ortwo lovely dirtpaths interspersed withwidecon- You can’tgowrong. bike andstrike outintheenvironsof J M prefer theThursday market inX to subjective things,butmostpeopleseem the region. Like markets anythingelse, are experiences, there are plentytobefoundin 332 the airport. ě About 15kmfromJ Another possiblebike ride,forthefit,is Depending onwhere yougo,you’llget If you’re collectorof aserious localmarket Biking isgrand.First morning?Hopona Buses fromtheNo2busstation: Buses fromJ J nghùn, followedbyM nghùn, every 30min 4-6pm S S M ègin4 - 5 M 6-7 Mènglián 44 daily 8.30am-noon M M 2.20-7pm Xiàgu daily Ruìlì 254 26 9am M Lánc K J K G etnto Pie() uain(or) rqec Departs Frequency Duration(hours) (Y) Price Dàm Destination Departs Frequency Duration(hours) (Y) Price B Destination Ǐ ǐ NGHÓNG BUSTIMETABLES ī ā ū ū ǎ ǎ ngzh máo 33 5 every every máo 33 5 15min 6.15am-4pm ě ě ě ě ě X nchàhé 10-11.50 1½ every every nchàhé 10-11.50 1½ 20min 6.15am-6.30pm osh nl mn sepr 1519 2 al 7.30am-7pm 20daily 9 145-169 nmíng (sleeper) mn 5-8 2 nmíng 156-186 9 daily 4pm, 7.30pm ny nglún 14 2 every every nglún 14 2 20min 7am-6pm nglà 33 4-5 every every nglà 33 4-5 20min 6.30am-6pm nghùn 15 1½ every every 1½ nghùn 15 20min 7am-6pm ngh Ī ǐ ǎ ā ě SHU nghóng toMandiannghóng Waterfall ( right ). ǎ ā nbà 7.5 ¾ every 20min 7.15am-10pm ng 38 5-6 every 30min 6am-4pm góg1 3-4 every nglóng 15 20min 6.30am-6.30pm ā ē g7 half-hourly 8am-6pm ¾ ng 7 5 82 daily 12.30pm n 152 18-20 ǎ 3 0 daily noon n 230 20 n 11 2 every 20min 7am-6pm 1 ¾ vr 0i 7.30am-1.40pm& 20min every ¾ 11 i Ā NGB ě ( ǐ nglóng; take theleftforknear 曼飞龙水库 nghóng long-distancebusstation: Ǎ NNÀ REGION••AroundJ ǐ nghóng is nghóng ě ngh ; Mànf ǎ i. ē ilóng Shu ī dìng, then Manfei- ǐ nghóng. nghóng. ǐ ǐ kù) nghóng , per person asatop-endprice. hereto stay iswithDaifamilies. Figure Y30 costsaroundY120.The only place for seven) local guide. Around-tripvehicle (big enough dangerous andrequire dodgyclimbs; take a by foottothefalls. the endof thedirtroad,it’sabout45minutes there’sduring rainyseason lotsof mud.From some Daivillages. to thewaterfall (Màndi middle dirtroad.)Fromhere it’sabout25km should beanotherforknearG nearasmallmarket.right (Ifyoumiss itthere outside J On theroadtoM Waterfall Mandian it’s anicebreak ifyou’re continuingsouth. Y60. There’s todoonthelake, notmuch else but off. off. timeyoufallworry, theystoptimingevery It’s possibletoreach are otherfallsbutthese Some of and thehillscanbereally difficult, beavailable Some roomsmight forabout ǐ nghóng, isadirtroadturn-off tothe nghóng, ě ngh 曼典瀑布 ǎ ǎ i, about 6kmto8km n Pùbù)thatisnear lonelyplanet.com ā d ō

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( n) as there’s plenty of scope for plenty of n) as there’s ǐ 勐罕 ě ng is 34km northeast of J northeast of ng is 34km ǎ ǎ n nuò ng (Y7, one hour) run from 8am to hour) run from 8am to ng (Y7, one ǎ ī NNÀ REGION •• Around J Around •• REGION NNÀ ǎ J ngh Ǎ nbà as it’s sometimes referred to) will nbà as it’s sometimes referred ngy 曼听路 ě ǎ ě ngh ngy nl

From M From If you do stay overnight in the park, your If you do stay overnight It’s worth coming by bike (or hiring one It’s worth coming by bike M Buses from J Travellers recommend heading to the south recommend Travellers ě NGB ě ǎ Ā 6pm every 30 minutes. on the road to S on the road beautiful, spending the night here can feel a bit can feel beautiful, spending the night here the night spending albeit in a zoo, you’re like who’ve this, travellers Despite a minority one. come say it’s been worth the trip and some have even stayed with their host families. in touch for the following day. is valid ticket (Y2 by ferry the Mekong town, crossing of be having its daily siesta. But once it cools be having and comes alive down, this little place really you begin to see a popular excur- why it’s such sion from J in M exploration in the neighbourhood. SIGHTS ‘attraction’ in M The premier Minority Park the town that has been cordonedsimply part of entrance. booth stuck at the off and had a ticket homesTourists can spend the night in villagers’ twice ‘festivals’ in water-splashing and partake are a day. While the ‘park’ and Dai architecture the Hani, Floral-Belt Lahu, Dai and the the Hani, of one the region. in minorities poorest east to Jinuo minority. M M M mid-afternoon, If you arrive G ing Lu; ing Lu; SHU ), Ī

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勐养 ng hotel (Xiàngxíng Róngshù) is why most (Xiàngxíng Róngshù) is why most ǎ Previously, the Jinuo lived in long houses with as many as 27 families occupying rooms on in long houses with as many as 27 families occupying rooms on the Jinuo lived Previously,

ngy Banna Wild Elephant Valley Banna Wild Elephant is held in Jinuo villages on the 6th to 8th of the second lunar month. either side of the central corridor. Each family had its own hearth, but the oldest man owned either side of the central corridor. used now rarely Long houses are hearth,the largest which was always the closest to the door. The way of life. and the Jinuo sadly seem to be quickly losing their distinctive THE JINUO PEOPLE in 1979. as a minority officially ‘discovered’ were Jinuo, sometimes known as the Youle, The cowl, a cotton tunic with bright horizontal stripes and a tubular black women wear a white The flowers it skirt. the hole and the more custom – the larger is an elaborate Earlobe decoration black with the sap of the lacquer tree, sometimes painted are Teeth can contain the better. tooth decay which serves of beautifying the mouth and preventing the dual dental purpose and halitosis. Just about any bus travelling north from any bus travelling Just about

If you want to stay by the park there’s a If you want to stay by the park there’s ě nghóng to S ǐ have a bit of a wait on your hands at times a bit of have for traffic by, depending on the time to pass day. of people visit M The much photographed The much yan Tree M J one hour). Returning to J these are a bit unkempt, though some new a bit unkempt, these are travel- planned. A few highfalutin’ ones are see- reported have stayed here who have lers beneath ing elephants bathing in the stream them at dawn. Family Robinson–type Robinson–type Family the park. Expect a discount, as in the heart of generic generic into the heart of the park. into the heart of tourists. A 2km- entrance from the main the treetops runs over shows. Avoid the depressing ‘wild’ elephant the depressing shows. Avoid shutterbug of performances for the throngs of the local forest. You’ll also find displays You’ll also the local forest. of and peacock on tropical birds and butterflies, or so wild elephants that live in the valley; live or so wild elephants that to seeit’s worth a visit if you want something is with guide Y50) admission Y25, mous forest reservesmous forest This in southern Yúnnán. 1.5 million hectares. nearly of one has an area that most tourists visit the park The part of This nature reserveThis nature (S J of 48km north Sanchahe Nature Reserve Reserve Nature Sanchahe 三岔河自然保护区 lonelyplanet.com though it will seem pricy for what you get. 22 Swiss you can stay in one of Alternatively, YÚNNÁN Manting Lu; mainsY15-18) Manting little pricierthanelsewhere. listed, socheck before youorderasfoodisa lish menuonthewallandthere are noprices No 2 bus station (Y8, every 20minutes, (Y8,every 7amto No 2busstation ing Luin J from one of bicycleshops alongMant- several to theDaiMinority Park (Y20perday) or You canrent bike amountain attheentrance AROUND GETTING M (Y29, five hours). (Y8), M region. destinationsincludeJ These the fordestinationsthroughout bus station alsodepartfromM 6pm). Minibuses toM Microbuses THERE&AWAYGETTING near theDaiFamily Restaurant. balconies. rooms thatallcomewiththeirownprivate d/tr Y40/60) for you. fortable. Mosthomeswillalsohave showers traditional Daimatsandare usuallyvery com- arearound Y20perperson. Foodisextra. Beds inaDaihomewithintheparkwillcost Beds SLEEPING &EATING last ferry returns at7pm. with abike), andthenheadingleft(east). The 334 three hours, ride. andit’sapleasant ě It’s possibletocyclefromJ You’ll findahandfulof Dai restaurants Yùnlì B Dai Family Restaurant on boththeChineseandLaosides;peoplegenerallychangemoneyside. Y5. Whatever youdo,goearly,incasethingswrapupearlyoneitherside. There are guesthouses you3kmintoLaosforaround ortrucktotake allstamps),youcanjumponatractor (double-check 8am to6pm. for the final two-hour leg.for thefinaltwo-hour to theborder,where youwaitforaroundanhourtodealwithpaperwork,before reboarding The Chinese could changetomorrow.The pricewilldependonyournationality (generallyUS$30toUS$35). visasforLaoscanbeobtainedattheborder,Móh On-the-spot TO GETTING LAOS Don’t forget thatLaosisanhourbehind. ngh X No matter whatanyonesays,there shouldbeno‘charge’ isstamped tocross. Onceyourpassport If youmissthat,fromM M Ī ě SHU ǎ nglà has one daily bus at 9am running to Luang Nam Tha in Laos (Y32); it takes 90minutes ittakes nglà hasonedailybusat9amrunningtoLuang NamTha inLaos(Y32); ě n inabrisktwohours oraleisurely ī Thisisamodernhotel withspotless ngu nglún (Y10,onehour)andMengla ǐ Ā nghóng (Y10per day). nghóng NGB ǎ n ( checkpoint 运丽宾馆 Ǎ ě NNÀ REGION••AroundJ ngh ThisplacehasanEng- ǎ

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ings, paperballoonsandsoon. celebrations includedancing,rocket launch- Pagoda ishosttohundreds of localswhose Ta Festival November, check theprecise dates of the cans of white paint. doneonthetemple withacoupleofhas been tunately, inrecent years a‘beautification’job niche below oneof theninestupas.Unfor- ancient footprintsyoucanlookforitina ited X tohaveSakyamuni Buddha,whoissaid vis- on thespotof ahallowedfootprintleftby According tolegend, thetemple wasbuilt 1204, isDàm This 曼飞龙塔 WHITE BAMBOO SHOOT PAGODA Sights inching thisway. three-nation trianglearea isonlygradually vengeance, theexpressway though intothe have constructed aroundhere been witha ing Thailand,MyanmarandChina. Highways link- as theentrypointforaplannedhighway designated named2-4-0)hasbeen (poetically a strollup, butbearinmind thatthereal rea- isactuallygold, notblack.Takepagoda itself notice itwhenentering Dàm to the astery withasteep path besideitleadingup Just above thecentre of townisaDaimon- PAGODA BLACK around anyway. There’s anentryfee, butoften there’s no-one path upthehill;it’sabout a20-minute walk. a temple onyourleft.Fromhere there’s a back alongthemainroadtowardsJ for 2kmuntilyoureach asmallvillage with The pagodaiseasytoget to:justwalk If you’re inthearea late October orearly The bordercrossingpointwithMyanmar pagoda ī Black Pagoda shu . At this time White Bamboo Shoot. AtthistimeWhite Bamboo ā Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ngb

(Mànf ě nglóng’s premier attraction. ǎ nnà; ifyou’re interested in 黑塔 ē ilóng T

(H ē i T ǎ ; admissionY5) ǎ ; admissionfree) ě nglóng. The , builtin ǐ ; you’ll nghóng nghóng Tan Tan YÚNNÁN ) n ǎ dìng 337 ī 曼短 i, it’s i, it’s ǎ ( ), built ngm ě ngh ě nglóng 双塔 ě ( ), about 15km north 15km north ), about Manduan Wat i, about 7km west of i, about 7km west of nghóng every 20 min- ǐ ě I 小街 nghóng’s No 2 bus sta- ǐ ( Ǎ ē twin pagodas NGLÓNG NGLÓNG i’s bus station there are buses are i’s bus station there ) is the ) is the oji Ě i (Y11, 45 minutes, every 20 i (Y11, 45 minutes, ǎ ǎ ǎ NGH Xi n (Y18, 9am and 2pm), X Ě ā ngh 勐海曼垒 n Village, which dates from ap- dates which n Village, ngh ě ǎ I ě nglóng, is surrounded by Bulang, by Bulang, nglóng, is surrounded Ǎ i, are the i, are ě ngsh ǎ ǎ NNÀ REGION •• Around Dàm Around •• REGION NNÀ NGH ngh nmíng (Y170 to Y187, 2.30pm, 4.30pm, Ǎ Located a few kilometres to the southwest kilometres a few Located Buses run from J The Bulang are possibly descended from possibly descended from are The Bulang in room for exploration plenty of There’s From M If you’re passing through M passing through If you’re just head here, to overnight If you have ě Ě ū in Màndu building is built on 1132. This proximately each poles and the heads of 50cm-diameter carved pole are like into a lotus or painted a dragon. minutes, 7.30am to 1.40pm and 2.20pm to minutes, 7pm). to Búl (Y11, 10.40am and 3.30pm), M (Y11, 7.30am, 8.30am, 9.30am and 5pm) and K 5.30pm and 6.30pm), among other destina- to J tions. Buses return until 7pm. utes AROUND M Mànl of In the village M in 1746. The taller one one is 9m, the shorter that sits between can be visited 7m. A temple them. ( Manlei of M popular baseThis modern town is another for and Grab a bike exploring the countryside. pagodas interesting head north for the most and villages. daily produce mar- worth visiting the huge the hill tribes. of members that attracts ket The best way to find it is to follow the early- morning crowds. the bus station to find of out in any direction all they’re hotels; number of an inordinate essentially the same – decent. AROUND DÀM AROUND of The village Dàm of Lahu villages. Lahu women shave Hani and ones the younger apparently their heads; and hide any more this happy about aren’t caps. their hair beneath wear Yúnnán. The women northern of the Yi decorations; many of black turbans with silver and marine life. shells, fish of the designs are not al- you’re although remember this area, the border. lowed over tion to M NGB Ā

SHU Ī ; dm ; dm nnà. nnà. dìng dìng nglóng nglóng ī ǎ ě n; d/tr Y20/30) X ǎ ngb nghóng’s No 2 ā ǐ ngu ī n trekkers of of n trekkers shu ā ī 大勐龙招待所布朗族 (

ǒ ; Láilái B ngsh ǎ (pu’er tea), one of Yún- (pu’er tea), odàisu ā r chá ě 来来宾馆 ’ ( ǔ p nglóng Zh ě nglóng–to–Búl nglóng and surrounding countryside countryside and surrounding nglóng The men wear collarless jackets, loose men wear collarless jackets, loose The ě ě

This place has basic beds and fragrant has basic beds and fragrant This place THE BULANG PEOPLE THE BULANG PEOPLE X mainly in the Bulang Bulang live The and Bada mountains of X They keep to the hills farming cotton, sugar keep to the hills farming cotton, sugar They cane and nán’s most famous exports. black trousers and turbans of black or their traditionally tattoo cloth. They white Bu- The arms, legs, chests and stomachs. lang women wear simple, brightly coloured (atop the clothes and vibrant headdresses Avid with flowers. black turbans) decorated black chewers, the women believe betel-nut beautiful. are teeth Dàm

There are a couple of decent restaurants to decent restaurants a couple of are There Lai Lai Hotel won’t be painted on the bus window. Buses on the bus won’t be painted between 6am trip run regularly for the return and 6pm. 6.30am to 6.30pm) leave from J 6.30am to 6.30pm) leave bus station. that the ‘Da’ character Remember Buses for the bumpy ride to Dàm every 20 minutes, to four hours, (Y15, three the Chinese signs proclaim them to be Dai restaurants. Getting There & Away be found located down from the bus station, down from be found located leading up to the Black Pagoda; near the steps yore. You’ll see You’ll sign right the English next to yore. the bus station. popular accommodation choice with the with the choice popular accommodation Dàm Simple rooms and a lovely owner meticulous Simple rooms and a lovely the most this hotel about cleanliness made ernment building sits. From there, the hotel the hotel there, ernment building sits. From left, just past some is in the grounds to the ornamental frogs. the main highway to where the local gov- the main highway to where

foreigners. Sleeping & Eating Eating Sleeping & for available options are cheap Plenty of than the temple itself.than the temple son for the climb is more for the views of the views of for is more the climb son for Dàm Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book bathrooms but the main reason to take note note to take reason bathrooms but the main (Y15 per is for its bicycle rental this hotel of walk uphill from to the hotel, day). To get Y15) YÚNNÁN a goodplacetobuylocalhandicraftsfor at itsmost interesting, you’llreally have toget a bustoX 3.30pm) ortravel viaM direct fromM buses transport youcan eithercatch oneof thetwo Togetfind italmostdeserted. here bypublic of thebestinregion. Atothertimesyou’ll Thursday market, foritsweekly reputedly one hillsidehamletcomes aliveThis sleepy every X more information. you couldwalkupthehill.Ask intownfor to Manguo foraboutY15return, fromwhere Pasa.Bazaiyapa Youcouldhire atractortoget more, beneath which liethesacred ashes of is onelarge, pagodaringed 17m-high byeight Hill.Builtin1746,thegrouping Guangjingha Near MànguóVillage ( Around M to J most of theway.CyclingfromM thatyou’llenduppushingso steep thebike not areal option.TheroaduptoM gears, cyclingtoM to J theday 7.10am and4pm)throughout to M 2 busstation. utes, 7am to 6pm)runfromJ M air-conditioning. butthere’s no ble withbathroomandTV none are remarkable. Y40willget youadou- charging foreigners). women have yettolearntheideaof over- in K much cheaper pricesthanyouwouldfind make thetripworthwhile. M alonetoearrings andbracelets,isenough headdresses,women sportingfancyleggings, The swirlof hilltribespeople,which includes and theactionlingers tonoon. onthrough market southwest of M This quietlittlevillage, located about26km M 338 of M of tirely downhill. ī ě dìng ě Unless youhave avery goodbike with departingfromJ Buses There here, are guesthouses though several From M nghùn nghùn (Y15,90minutes, 20min- nghùn every ǐ ǐ nghóng, ontheotherhand,isalmosten- nghóng, nghóng. ū ě X ě nghùn, isaclusternghùn, of nmíng (don’t haggle too much, these toomuch, these nmíng (don’thaggle Ī ngh . Thetownbeginsbuzzingaround7am SHU 西定 ī ǎ dìng. If you want to see themarket dìng. Ifyou wanttosee Ā ě 勐混 ě i (Y6),X NGB nghùn nghùn, minibuses runregularly minibuses nghùn, ě Ǎ ngh N EIN • ègin NNÀ REGION••Mènglián ě ě ǎ ī ngh ngh dìng (Y11,1½hours, i, hasacolourful 曼国 ě nghùn and changenghùn for ǎ ǎ i andM i (Y11,10.40amand pagodas ), 8kmsoutheast ǐ ǐ nghóng fornghóng ě nghóng’s No nghóng’s nghùn alsonghùn ě nghùn back nghùn ě ( nghùn is nghùn ě 塔 ngh Sunday ) atop ǎ i is cross inthevicinity. ofdistance Myanmar, butno,youstillcan’t Déhóng regions. You’re alsowithinsniffing J journey between while sidetripforanyoneattempting thelong notcavil; Mèngliánisaquickandworth- Let’s OK, fine,soit’snotactuallyinX % MÈNGLIÁN tre inM of Buddha. depict scenesfromthe school. Thepaintingsonthewallof thetemple sive. Thetemple alsooperates asamonastic 1978 andtheornate decorationisstillimpres- butrenovateding theCulturalRevolution in original structure wasseverely damaged dur- 亭 west of M In thevillage of J J from theonlybike shop intown. ifnothair-raisinga spectacular experience, can alwaysget arideonmotorbike (Y30), 1pm) forM X from hasbedsforY20.Buses the busstation here before. thenight at Thesmallguesthouse café that we couldfind.The bestplacetoget aninternetNo information sources,not even Information east, sowhatthehey, justbopdown. at anovernight inLánc stay somewhere (notunlikely) youmaybelooking or B intothe hills. cobblestone walkwaysrises numbers of Wa. Anoldtownlinedwithafew of thefew placeswhere youexperiencelarge are andit’salsoone aconsiderable segment ago.) toimaginedragons,eons it isn’thardindeed dragontrees and snaking aboutthepervasive ing above themists thetowntowest.(See Sh the nature of (J Gold Mountain reserve of theBinandNanleiRivers andthroughout theriverand themistsrollingthrough valleys of ofbecause itsheadydose minorityculture, ǐ ī ngzh dìng leave twiceaday(Y11,7.20amand ; B Frequent fromtheminibuscen- minibuses If you’re headedforJ ā artists Mènglián isabigdrawforChinese Of its 16 minority groups, Dai and Lahu Of its16minoritygroups,DaiandLahu 0879 /pop12,973 n; also known as Dragon Mountain), ris- n; alsoknownasDragonMountain), ā ǎ ji osh ǎ o Tíng;admissionY10) ē ě n ā ngh ě n andiftheroadsare washedout 景真 ngh ě nghùn. Ifyoumissthebus nghùn. ǎ 孟连 i goviaJ ǎ i, isthe ǐ ngzh ǐ nghóng andtheB nghóng , first builtin1701.The ē Jatatka, ǐ Octagonal Pavilion Octagonal ǐ n, about 14kmnorth- ngzh nghóng fromDéhóng nghóng ā ē lonelyplanet.com ng tothenorth- n (Y11). thelife history ī shu ā ǎ ngb osh ( 八角

ǎ ā nnà. ī n or n YÚNNÁN

339 central 872 8895; 872 8895; Shàngchéng % , a Dai tem- máo and its rulers, máo and its rulers, ī 872 3591; admission Y5; 872 3591; admission Y5; (admission Y4) % (Peacock Hotel; (Peacock ; ǔ n ǎ ; r per person Y30, without bathroom sh ī NNÀ REGION •• Mènglián •• REGION NNÀ S Ǎ ngu ǔ , the largest and best-preserved , the largest where the roadway is lined with roadway is the where ī Once a solid budget stand-by, stand-by, Once a solid budget nf máo now holds sway over the the over máo now holds sway ā . This place is the most active tem- . This place is the most active ngchéng Fósì ī NGB ō 海关路 Ā n Sì Menglian Museum House Dai People’s Zh ǎ is worth a look, especially during the market ngquè B SHU Ī ǒ 9am-5.30pm) At midrange places, always but always ex- At midrange This structure was originally built in 1289 was originally This structure Now walk west along Menglian Dajie and Dajie along Menglian Now walk west you’ll through you head up the village As K Further uphill (take a right just before a rightFurther uphill (take just before town, the large of Back in the centre From here, head back to town and to a and to a to town head back here, From attraction in the old town though The real pect a steep discount (we got around 75% pect a steep discount (we got around 75% outside holidays a sweat) without breaking and ‘busy’ season, whenever that is. Haiguan Lu; Y10, d Y50-100) this place has faded but at least it’s dirt-cheap visiting dignitaries. the museum) is the three-storey Lóngmi ple in town, with two golden pagodas to the side. market days. held every five weekly market, Sleeping digs, exit the bus station onto For the cheapest got you’ve cross the street; Lu and Haiguan about 20 places to stay in either direction. clean, a few quite are your pick; there Take decent ones. (Mènglián Xu h ‘clan Yúnnán’s 18 traditional minority of and meeting houses’ and used as a residence and high officials. hall by the group’s elders Though S S predating Dai culture, gifts on the Dai leader who once lavished in Mènglián. during the Yuan dynasty and held 28 genera- It has since been turned Dai rulers. tions of into a museum and the upper floor now fea- ranging from guns historical artefacts tures to court clothing and Dai manuscripts. A side for was once usedroom and shrine as quarters small Dai and Wa farmers. Hani, Virtually any alley leading cross the bridge. you past this point will take up the hill from It’s mud or wood homes. earthy, traditional the new of surprise the tedium after a lovely town. the see is the county, Mènglián was once the centre of of once the centre county, Mènglián was ple with some pretty gold-leaf designs. ple with some pretty n; ǎ 9 3 B2 B2 B2 B1 B2 B1 B2 B1 B1 B1 B2 A1 A2 A2 A2 15 igu 7 8 9 3 2 1 4 5 6 ē 7 10 11 12 13 15 f 14 ... ā

Padang Lu K ě S¸máo (235km) 12 10 J¨nghóng (230km); X B To Láncƒng (58km); . You’ll find Customs House

Haiguan Lu Haiguan Lu Lianhua 13 ᄳ䖲ᅷᡮৌ㕆 (Liúlàngzh ...... Baixiang Jie 2 1 8 ......

...... (see 13) Dajie ......

...... Jianshe Lu Jianshe ......

...... Menglian 14 ...... , where the irrepressibly the irrepressibly , where ...... Ϟජ啭㓙ᇎ 00 300 m 0.2 miles

⚻⚸ੇٷ Binhe Lu ᆊᐌੇ佁ᑫ 䗮ܼᆒ佚 Wanderer Café ᄨ䲔ᆒ佚 ᮄढкᑫ Ёජԯᇎ ...... ওᅶ䖤キ ᅶ䖤ᘏキ ᒋ⽣ᆒ佚 ⌕⌾㗙੪ଵ佚 ⌕⌾㗙੪ଵ佚 བᛣ໻䜦ᑫ A (Golden Pagoda; admission Y3) (Golden Pagoda;

...... 6 ǎ 䲚䌌Ꮦഎ

Approximate Scale Approximate n T 䞥ศ 4

5 ī J

872 5233; Haiguan Lu)

Old MÈNGLIÁN Town 2 1 Tōngquán Bīnguǎn Tōngquán EATING Vendors Barbeque Dai Jiāchángwèi Fàndiàn Shàngchéng LóngMiǎnsì Kǒngquè Bīnguǎn Kǒngquè Menglian Dai People's House Museum Menglian TRANSPORT Local Bus Station Station Bus Main Zhōngchéng Fósì SLEEPING Kāngfú Bīnguǎn Rúyì Dàjiǔdiàn Market Wanderer Café Wanderer SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Jīn Tǎ Xinhua BookshopXinhua INFORMATION INFORMATION Café Wanderer To M›ngm† (30km) the the lower section of town, in the far southwest, is lower section of Sights Sights Mènglián has an old town up in the hills and town built on a grid a new, soulless part of and sleep. In this you’ll arrive where pattern, help is at the Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book cheery Han Qing and staff can likely figure Qing and staff figure can likely Han cheery out what to do. % a Buddha statue, other statues, and Dai and Burmese script on the walls. YÚNNÁN 路 service. smart complex,withnewroomsandsuper noon ablock westof butit’sall the busstation Dai barbecue vendors congregate after- every there’syou, though noEnglish menu. goodfoodandwill trytoaccommodate serves Y5) awesome music. Y20) overlooking alotuspondandlisten to tuary out.Sipyourfresh-brewed coffee (from thissanc- as shepedalsaround;ifnot,doseek superfriendly Wawoman,willlikely findyou or sobefore ourvisit.OwnerNanQing,a find thisplace,which hadjustopenedaweek Haiguan Lu; Café Wanderer Eating 当路 rate here –youcanget great deals. foreigners. thinkof Donoteven paying rack were cheerying upwell.Staff ifamazedtosee vated only afew years ago,thisplaceishold- nothing flashbutperfectly adequate. rooms withsquattoilet.Samedealhere – thisplacehasclean,smart from thebusstation, 大街 accustomed todealingwithforeign guests. withinterestedand staffed workers whoare 340 This friendly eatery next to the bus station Thisfriendlyeatery nexttothebusstation ; Mènglián alsohas somefinestreet food. Ji Rúyì Dàji K T by neglecting toofferby neglecting cigarettes tograndmatoo. havesons. always beenfamousforissmoking. Ifyou’re ButwhattheLahu aguest,don’toffend tuft ofhaircalledtheir‘soul’.Womenusuallywrapheadsinametre ofblackcloth. toned ontherightandloosepants. Menandwomentraditionallyshave theirheads,leavinga withahighslit,silver ballbuttonsandnobelt.The menwearanecklacecoatbut- wear askirt and Burma(Myanmar).They weren’t pacifiedbyChinauntiltheendof19thcentury. presence knowntohumans,threatening Luang PrabanginLaos,andborderregions ofThailand intheearly18thcenturyalsomadetheir Notlimitedevery toanimals,theLahu animaltheykill. buried byfamilieswhentheydie. Hunters stillputtuftsofhairorfeathers ontheirweaponsfor housesallcontainshotguns andcrossbows;huntingdogsareLahu stillrevered, andare even is oftheSino-Tibetan family; called ‘Tiger andlackoffear. prowessattracking Hunters’ fortheirone-time language The Lahu the MekongRiver. Though are they’ve adopted still throughtheHan,Lahu agrarianpractices The peopleoccupyanarrowbeltoflandbetween theWaandDaipeople’sarea, alongLahu THE LAHU

ō s &dY180-288,trY240; ā ā ngquán B ngfú B ngfú chángwèi Fàndiàn ; s/dY60/80) 18 X Customarily, amanlives withhiswife’s familyafter marriageandthere’s nopreference for China. distinctive areas dressThe The ofnorthern Lahu’s women issimilartothatincertain Ī 号 SHU 海关路 ; s&dY240; ī Ā ǔ ngu NGB diàn ī

ngu Found byexitingthe ǎ (Liúlàngzh n Ǎ

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( N EIN • rudMnlá NNÀ REGION••AroundMènglián ( ǎ % % n a ( (Haiguan Lu; % 872 1243; Menglian Dajie; 872 1243;Menglian 822 3888;18Padang Lu; a ) ě 872 6669;Padang Lu; Tops intownisthis K ā ) f Completely reno- ē igu Whatatreat to 海关路 la ǎ n; means‘tiger’and % other ; dishes from ; dishesfrom 872 5233; 帕当孟连 exit 帕 11.30am and12.30pm. leaveReturn buses at8am,9.30am,10.30am, at 8.30am,10am,11am,11.30amandnoon. leave hours) forMènglián(Y44,sixtoseven inJ fromtheNo2busstation Buses Getting There&Away Lóng Mi intheoldtown,nearShàngchéngtaurants acoupleof smallDaires-for Y5).You’llsee milk insweetened condensed hot anddoused vendor selling alloversausages town,andtheoddBurmese over localdried byaround6.30pm.You’llsee of the town. XiàngyáT M ming andtoexplore caves nearby. the NanleiRiver. It’salsopossibletogoswim- rented (aroundY10)forriverside tours on About 5kmfromMènglián, boatscanbe AROUND MÈNGLIÁN is notopentoforeigners. leading totheoldtown.Theborder crossing nearthebridge busstation from asecond at M tions, includingtoFùaiandtheborderarea transport iseasier. forlocaldestina- Buses 6.30am to6pm),fromwhere long-distance backuptoLánc buses to 14hours) at8.30am. hu ě West of Mènglián intheDaivillage of One busdailyleaves forXiàgu The Mènglián bus station alsohastonsofThe Mèngliánbusstation means‘toroasttigermeatwithflavour’. ngm ě ngm ǎ ǎ ǎ there isanotherfinepagoda, the , andawaterfall about 10kmsouth nsì. ǎ Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com ( 勐马 palatar ) andM (Burmese crepe served crepe (Burmese served ā ng (Y12,onehour, ě ng’ ā ( ā 勐阿 n (Y165,12 ǐ nghóng nghóng ), leave YÚNNÁN n ā ng sh- ī ā 341 osh ǎ nghóng and its ǐ ; Y20, four nghóng. nmíng to nmíng to ǐ , set among ū máo was X 西盟 N REGION ī Ā n you really mean n you really Caiyang River Nature OSH ā ng (Y51, eight to nine Cuiyun Resort Ǎ ā méng ( ī osh ǎ nghóng is not exactly a ǐ nghóng you’ll see plenty of ǐ N REGION N REGION máo is the máo is the ī Ā nnà scenery anyway. Manzhongtian Hot Spring ǎ ng, with its residual – less and less ng, with its residual máo and J 思茅 ng still can be, as it always has been,ng still can be, as it always a ī but apart from that, the scenery be- ō nnà’s air link with the outside world. nnà’s air link with the outside nghóng, buses leave hourly or so from hourly or nghóng, buses leave nghóng and only the has an airport ngb ā ǐ ǐ ǎ ā OSH 0879 / pop 7500 If you do get stuck here, however, east of however, east of stuck here, If you do get South of S South of Note that the twisting road from Lánc Note Ǎ The eponymous capital is nice enough, To Mènglián there are buses every 40 min- are there To Mènglián To J Buses for Línc depart n g b shu MÁO máo (Y390) to do the final leg to J máo (Y390) to do the final ī Ī ā ī 保山 Reserve X by bus if they can’t get a flight to J by bus if they can’t get Téngch but when you say B but when you say and – old quarters but enough to hold interest with minor- especially its environs, peppered lie in and around the ity groups whose villages on the other mountains. Located ancient fire town is the Most Chi- grassland. of hectares of hundreds nese tourists come for formations and grottoes,oddball karst 54km town. southwest of B Hiking dormant volcanic peaks, dipping in hot Thatsprings, peeking about traditional villages. that was sums up this prefecture much pretty – at least until the decadent ignored heretofore began to (in Déhóng Prefecture) Ruìlì star of wane (and transport became doable). (Y148, 20 hours) around 3pm. around (Y148, 20 hours) S % S little town, An uninteresting u Now J flies from K occasional traveller S tween S fur- travelling Sumatran jungle, and if you’re ther afield from J utes from 6.30am to 6pm (Y10, one hour). To hour). To (Y10, one 6.30am to 6pm from utes X the Wa settlement of buses a or four times three are there hours) bus stations.day from all six hours). to (Y34, five 6.30am to 5.30pm is a sleeper B bus to there and hours) to Línc bit brutal,during the rainy season. especially border agents it worse, hyperactive To make search buses a lot. i ě ng, ā 722 3567; % ; B , near the bor- i have markets i have ǎ ě i at 4pm, which 722 5568; Menglang ě ng has three bus bus ng has three % ngm ā ; ě 顺西苑宾馆

( Exiting the bus station n ǎ ; s & d Y60, with bathroom Y100-280; ng, leading to Déhóng andng, leading to Déhóng nghóng leading to Línc ā ǐ ngu 射鑫宾馆 ī (

n ǎ 澜沧 s/d Y20/30)

; 勐郎街 yuàn B ngu ī ī NG n regions. If you head south to Mènglián n regions. -bound bus (Y5, one hour) just to sniff (Y5, one hour) bus -bound ng is dissected into a Y-shape by the into a Y-shape ng is dissected Ā ā ng is a cheerful if not aesthetically pleas- if not aesthetically ng is a cheerful ā

ā n B ā ī Cross the street to better digs here, with digs here, to better Cross the street ng 0879 / pop 7886 ) 勐郎街 If you arrive on a Sunday, make sure it’s sure make on a Sunday, If you arrive osh

Shùnx If nothing else, travellers can hop on a on a can hop else,If nothing travellers ě máo and Línc ǎ ī would involve staying the night.would involve der, has sizable numbers of Lahu, of numbers der, has sizable while Wa are west or Làl in Fùai to the mostly encountered Làl to the south. Both Fùai and

the main bus station is 100m southeast. De- buses, in all sorts of to everywhere, partures from here. leave Getting There & Away Getting There & Away To confuse things, Lánc stations. From the statue at the crossroads, Menglang Jie; a

first intersection and you’ll get to this de- and you’ll get intersection first the staff cent place, where will be amazed to they’ll bustling about, see a bit of you. After you a decent, cheap out how to give figure room. Sleeping & Eating Sleeping & Eating Shèx Mènglián. In the middle sits a large statue – Mènglián. In the middle sits a large use that for your bearings. highway from J and by the highway south to Myanmar via Orientation Orientation Lánc S B buses to switch here. have you’ll often is fairly populated early, as the town market and energetic. Lánc betweening town, a crossroads Mènglián, LÁNC % When a bus arrives, one leaves. There should be should There one leaves. When a bus arrives, bus to Làl a single afternoon every five days. Buses depart from Mènglián forevery five 11am and 4.30pm.Fù’ái (Y7, one hour) at 8am,

Of the 16 minority groups, you’ll mostly encoun- groups, you’ll mostly Of the 16 minority Dai, Lahuter M and Wa. Minority Villages Minority Villages around (but not cross!) the markets around not cross!) the markets around (but the border area. M Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book smart rooms and an attentive staff.smart rooms and an attentive main entrance, head right, turn right at the Jie; ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ

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; s & d Y100-360, without bathroom from Y30; (Yìluó Chí), also known as the Dragon ū Ǎ Destination K Price (Y) Duration (hours) Frequency Departs Ruìlì 47-54 6 hourly 6.30am-2.30pm Liùkù 6 hourly Ruìlì 47-54 Téngch 29 3-4 every 40 min 6.50am-2.50pm Xiàgu osh B There are paths in the park heading north, paths are There

Huálì B Continuing to the south you will reach Continuing to the south you will reach Just before you head up the steps leading you head up the steps Just before ǎ ever wish to stay in a common room, but with some nudging they’ll let you. Expect a discount on a room with a bathroom. place is set Staff back off the busy main street. would foreigners amazed (appalled?) that are 东路 this options, A bit nicer than most cheaper all of which really seem to roll out the really ready which all of guest. carpet for a foreign red ing budget places to stay in B ing budget Chinese-style hotels, a few Donglu are Baoxiu Sleeping Sleeping no problem whatsoever find- You’ll have Pond Spring Pond (Lóngquán Chí), with a view of as the pagoda known the 13-tiered a very mediocre zoo (best keep walking). zoo (best keep mediocre a very west and south. The northern path doubleswest and south. The northern you pastback to the south and eventually takes right. At the top of the steps is the small park the steps right. At the top of and the Wuhou was the nice garden and teahouse. Liang in Zhuge to Prime Minister title given Kingdoms period in the kingdom the Three Shu. of Yuhuang Pavilion Yuhuang tached up the hillside you’ll see the Ming dynasty tance of the centre of town is of the centre tance of its surrounding few spots, dotted with traditional homes, homes, with traditional dotted spots, few long since gone. though city walls have the sight dis- within easy walking The major Sights Sights B Lu, north of bus station) for Y3 per hour. Lu, north of (corner Shang Xiang Jie and Zhengyang Nanlu; Jie and Zhengyang Xiang Shang (corner and Lancheng Xia Xiang Jie corner Jiulong Lu; Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book YÚNNÁN volcano. inthevicinity With20volcanoes word thatmeans –asinthe Chinese tain’ Téngch Say % TÉNGCH and backfromB cle withsidecarcantake twopeoplethere or hire amicrobus fortherest. Amotorcy- interesting village of ally northof tothe –themainbusstation offrom stands drivers lurkingnear–usu- damaged duringtheCulturalRevolution. cave totherear of thetemple area, wasseverely history of 1200years. Thereclining Buddha,ina temple dates backtotheTang dynasty,andhasa nearB historicalsights important Reclining BuddhaTemple) isoneof themost Just 17kmnorthof town,the AROUND B centre. dence of bicycle-hire stands. aroundB sights A bicyclewouldidealtoget tosomeof the B Getting Around and theywon’trunanyfaster. buttheinsidewon’t, ter onthepricierbuses, J overnight andcontinueontoMèngliánor 10.50am) toLínc are three (7am,9amand morningbuses you wanttobreak thetriptoJ Dàl ride andmosttravellers opttotake thedirect J going. to increase aslotsof roadupgradingison- shì. FortheNujiangValley expect thespeed are alsoacoupleof departures justtoMáng- Mángshì andW pass through much everywhere toRuìlì inYúnnán.Buses prettytion hasbuses much alwaystopretty The sprawlingB BUS south of town. facing LongquanLu.Theairportisabout9km 344 around Y80. ǐ ǐ ǎ nghóng (Y180, 20 hours), though it’s a rough (Y180,20hours), it’sarough nghóng though nghóng. To get tothetemple take amicrobus(Y2) Taxis costY5foranyridearoundthetown The outsideof thebuswillalways lookbet- There at6pmto isalsoadailysleeper osh 0875 /pop13,472 ǐ –J B ā Ǎ ǐ nghóng busorreturnnghóng toK n can be comfortably exploredn canbecomfortably onfoot. OSH Ō NG Ā ō Ǎ N REGION••AroundB ng and Chinese think‘fireng andChinese moun- OSH 腾冲 ǎ ǎ osh osh ǎ ā Ā ng (Y52)where youcan osh N ā ā B n long-distance bussta- n long-distance n butthere isnoevi- ě ā imiào n forY40.Taxis ask Wòfó Sì ( 北庙 ǎ ǐ nghóng therenghóng nd ǎ osh ū ǎ ī ) ng. There nmíng. If ( osh

and walk 卧佛寺 ā n. The n. The ā n ; Can helpwithvisaextensions. Yingjiang Xilu; Zh There’s alsoanATM here. Yingjiang Xilu)Willchangecashandtravellerscheques. backstreets Yingjiang runningoff Xilu. The bestplacesforarandomwanderare the lain dormantbutare nowbeingrenovated. some funkyoldtemples thathadfordecades somefineeyecandy,including and youwillsee bulldozedbutpoke been aroundlongenough Much of thecity’sgrandoldarchitecture has Sights &Activities Bureau Public Security café Internet China Post&Telecom Bank ofChina Information themout. seeking somepatiencewhile so you’llneed however, struction isencroaching onthemquickly, in manytownsandcitiesYúnnán.Con- architecture tobecommonplace thatused are stillpacked withthetraditionalwooden bizarrely, inthemidstof itall,somelanes it’s aratherdrab,grey provincial town,but Forthemostpartworth aquicklook-see. (Sorry.) a problemifyou’re lookingforahottime. and lotsof hotsprings( p347 ) there won’tbe Temple There are lotsof furtherhikingpossibilities. the summitwhere apagodaoffers fineviews. (Láifèng Sì)ormake thesweatyhike upto lushpineforeststhrough to G ParkShan NationalForest no wordonwhenitwastoopen. on yourright. duce market Xilu andyouwillcomeacrossalarger process. WalkeastalongYinjiangthe carving ered produce market Lu, thefirst sidestreet onthelefthasasmall ings. WalkingalongFengshan LufromFeicui plenty of colourandactivityinthemorn- ō ō ngyuán; admissionY20; The townof Téngch In thesouthwestern suburbsof town, A new There are acoupleof smallmarkets with On thewestern edge of townisthe isalarge,Further downontheright cov- ngguó Diànxìn;Fengshan Lu). jade market

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Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book

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zhàn, is the most accessible zhàn, is the (admission Y20) ng. Over 1000 airmen died 1000 airmen died Over ng. ǎ ā features a couple of outdoor hot outdoor a couple of features 热海黑空山 ( i; adult/student Y30/20, with pool access Y100;i; adult/student Y30/20, with pool n ǎ ā volcanoes N REGION •• Around Téngch •• Around N REGION (Beautiful Lady Some of instead. Pool) Ā (Rèh

Chí ng Sh ǚ ō Around 22km to the north of town, near town, the north of 22km to Around OSH nmíng and Lìji 7.30am-11pm) in Minibuses run frequently to M Minibuses run frequently The site is a popular local resort and there and there is a popular local resort The site ik Ǎ ū ě ē the village of M of the village from along Huoshan Lu, or take a Gùd or take from along Huoshan Lu, bound minibus. From M minute walk or take a motor tricycle (Y5) to walk or take minute the volcano area. can haul yourself up the steps for views of the of for views up the steps can haul yourself fields (long dormant). lava surrounding Sea of Heat Sea of Heat and hot springs, geysers of This is a cluster Téngch about 12km southwest of streams the indoor baths, In addition to the usual swimming pool.springs and a nice warm-water puts you off swimming,If the steep entrance fee then you can pay Y30 for a quick dip in the M 102°C. of temperatures reach the springs here several hotels. are cluster of of cluster is known as tral volcano it sums much pretty which Big Empty Hill), of it is the black crater left of up, and to the H of Heat h ng ē ng. ; Sad- ā 鲁祖大雄 ( ( ng (Y6) ō Diàn odiàn ǔ 马鞍山 z ǎ ( ǔ L n ā n Sh ā n section was built from 1934 to 1935, and in 1937, 200,000 labourers n section was built from 1934 to 1935, and in 1937, 200,000 labourers ’ Dàxióng B ā ǎ M ng to take you on a return you on a return ng to take ō B ng to Assam and US Army engineers went as far as enlisting Joseph Rock’s help in Rock’s help in went as far as enlisting Joseph and US Army engineers ng to Assam ā nmíng–Xiàgu ū ng County is renowned for its volca- for ng County is renowned ō n and get off at the turn-off to Yúnf off at the turn-off n and get ā The K The In 1942 the Japanese overran Burma and cut the Burma Road and the allies were forced to forced to and cut the Burma Road and the allies were Burma In 1942 the Japanese overran A short-term stopgap was an air supply line, which ran over the Hump from British India, the Hump from British India, stopgap was an air supply line, which ran over A short-term The importance of the Burma Road diminished after WWII but is enjoying somewhat of a importanceThe WWII but is enjoying somewhat of a of the Burma Road diminished after ), a temple at the summit. at the ), a temple nmíng, which rapidly became a major US air base. ū THE BURMA ROAD ROAD BURMA THE Kuomintang government When Japanese troops occupied northern China in 1937, the and eastern Allied they looked through which to receive for supply lines As inland to Chóngqìng. retreated with Burma and India, trade routes they turned back to the ancient overland reinforcements, by Marco Polo. road, once travelled namely the Southwest Silk Road and the old Ambassador’s (‘coolies’ in the parlance of the day) were drafted in to build the section from Xiàgu drafted (‘coolies’ in the parlance of the day) were and then on to Mandalay in 1940 via the railhead of Lashio in Burma’s Shan state. By February By February of Lashio in Burma’s Shan state. and then on to Mandalay in 1940 via the railhead being transported by boat to Rangoon,1939, Allied supplies were by train to Lashio in northern Burma and then trucked across the jungles and mountain ranges of Burma to Xiàgu build another road, from Ledo in northeast India to Bhamo. At one point there were even plans plans even were one point there At in northeast Bhamo. India to build another road, from Ledo to link Lìji General Joseph became known as the Stillwell Road, after road from Ledo The mapping the area. and India from his base in K Stillwell, who led the Allied forces in China, Burma K and over the Himalayan Hump into the airfieldsand over of K was finally finished in 1944 and disused in 1945. was finally finished in 1944 and disused in 1945. revival, though jade, teak, opium and heroin has replaced the military hardware. the military opium and heroin has replaced though jade, teak, revival, crossing the Hump, lost in territory so remote and wild that many bodies have still not been still not been and wild that many bodies have remote so crossing the Hump, lost in territory as the suspected Tibet in far eastern sites two investigating US Army is currently The recovered. from India. of a C-46 plane that crashed in 1946 en route site To get to the mountain, to the Lu go to Huoshan To get ), the temple second), the temple from the top, serves up dle Mountain), around 5km to the northwest. the main road to Yíngji It’s just south of that they won’t always continue to do so. The that they won’t always continue to do so. closest one to town is noes, and although they have been behaving noes, been behaving and although they have for many centuries, the seismicthemselves indicates in the area activity and geothermal Téngch trip will cost about Y300. trip will cost about Volcanoes villages just before the mountain. the a ve- Hiring just before villages hicle from Téngch hitch, or you can choose to take the lovely the lovely or you can choosetake to hitch, Hépíng to the pretty of walk past the village and then a microbus from here to the turn-off to the turn-off here and then a microbus from to either (Y2). From the turn-off you have where you can flag down a bus to Ruìdián or flag down a bus to Ruìdián you can where Diánt a bus to Gùd take (Y8). Alternatively, walk down but it can be hard on the knees. it can be hard on the walk down but 殿 It’s a quick food at lunchtime. vegetarian great it’s a 20-minute walk to it’s a 20-minute 宝殿 and monastic retreats. Most people take the take Most people retreats. and monastic from where Y30/50), (one way/return cable car lonelyplanet.com YÚNNÁN 招待所 This placeistotheleftof theparkentrance. pool (notsuch it). abonusonceyou’ve seen come withfree access tothehotel’s bathing heavily populated bydistinctive minority X Jingpo AutonomousPrefecture), like the region see theboxedthe region see text, p327 . formation onetiquette forvisitingtemples in against theMyanmargovernment). Forin- a minoritylongengaged inarmedstruggle Jingpo (knowninMyanmarastheKachin, in theirtraditionalsaronglike Déhóng are (normallydressed theBurmese so becareful ifyougowanderingtooclose. crossings, someof themalmostimperceptible, border withMyanmarispunctuated bymany other items are spirited over theborder. The jade isapopularcommodityandcountless the townsof RuìlìandW the tradefromMyanmarthatcomesthrough X is definitely trackthan more off-the-beaten groups. It’sinthefarwestof Yúnnánand Déhóng Prefecture (DéhóngZh 德宏州 DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE south of town. full fromtheDongfangLuturn-off inthe entrance. the parkandotherjustoutsidemain % 348 ī ī Rehai GrandHotel Rehai shu shu The mostobvious minoritygroupsin touristsinDéhóngareMost Chinese here for of leave HeatMicrobuses forSea (Y5)when The basicroomsat Bus services fromMángshìincludethefollowing: Bus services MÁNGSHÌ BUSTIMETABLE 515 0366;dY280) Yíngji Xiàgu Téngch Lìji K J etnto Pie() uain(or) rqec Departs Frequency Duration(hours) (Y) Price B Destination ǐ ū ǎ góg29 4 al 11.30am daily 24 nghóng 239 DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE ••Mángshì(Lùx DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE osh mn 1010 0 al 10.30am,6.40pm,9pm 3daily 10 160-180 nmíng ā ā ā g13 4 al 5pm daily 14 ng 133 ngb ngb ; ā ā ā % 09 7 2 11am, 7 daily n 80-90 8pm ng 25 3 every every 7.30am-4.50pm 40min 3 ng 25 5 11 7.20am-3.30pm daily 4 n 35 ō g2 3 8diy 7.40am-4.20pm 8 daily 3½ ng 22 ǎ ǎ 515 0306;d&trY80) nnà. nnà, borders Myanmarandis hastwobranches, onewithin

( 热海大酒店 Rèh are abit dampbut ǎ ǎ nd i Zh longyi ī ā ng – Burmese ng –Burmese ; Rèh odàisu ǎ ), Daiand ō i Dàji u and ǒ

( 热海 ǔ diàn; ī ) oe interesting more 1674 butisn’ttooimpressive nowadays. Sights onWeiminLu. southern busstation ATM machine aroundthecornerfrom cash advancesoncredit cards.There isan changes cashandtravellers cheques andgives The Information you occupiedforanafternoon orso. therein which case are thingstokeep enough havethen youmight overnight tostay here, south. bet istojumpintooneof andhead these from K ontheirwaytoRuìlì.Ifyouflyin through here.little tosee Mosttravellers simplypass world. It’salarge, sprawlingtownandthere’s Mángshì isDéhóng’sairlinkwiththeoutside % MÁNGSHÌ (LÙX plain-clothespolice. and Chinese young bloodswithwadsof foreign currency, papier-mâchéThailand, Burmese furniture, Indianjewellery,tinnedfruitsfrom can see getting rich ontrade–inthemarkets you DaiandEnglish. Thisisaborderregionmese, still worth a visit, as much for the mischievous still worthavisit,asmuch forthemischievous It’s getting more andmore sprucedupbutis a tree wrappedinthread toformaspirittrap. Next tothetemple there and isawater tank aheaddownamudtrack. is foundstraight Temple out. temples stand Downtown, several direct fromtheairporttoRuìlìandyourbest Continue on to the next road crossing; the Continue ontothenextroadcrossing; If you’re planningtoflyoutof Mángshì Around Déhóngare Bur- signsinChinese, 0692 /pop15,057 Bank ofChina

(Pútí Sì;ZhenguanLu; admissionY2) ū nmíng there are running minibuses Five CloudsTempleFive Ī

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(153km) is in the (149km); Fapa Hot Fapa TéngchŸng To B†oshƒn Zhenguan Lu DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE •• Mángshì (Lùx B 8 4 market Nationalities Banguo 11

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ὈὈ ὈὈ (F ng Sì 15 2 ā To Fapa Hot Springs (7km) To F‰ngpíng Fót† (9km);Airport (10km); W†nd¸ng (83km); Ruìlì (96km) Minority Sq About 7km south of town are the town are 7km south of About Not far from the south bus station is the Not far from the south bus station is the The town’s most interesting The town’s most interesting Halfway along Youyi Lu, tucked down down along Youyi Lu, tucked Halfway

Dongfeng Lu 13 MÁNGSHÌ (LÙX¹) MÁNGSHÌ 2 3 1 cluster of stupas. of cluster buildings. buildings. Springs full of elderly Chinese practising their taichi. Chinese elderly their taichi. practising full of on nation- small exhibits a few are There Dai reconstructed alities and a couple of Nationalities Cultural Palace admission Y3) north of town, opposite the Jiànguó Fàndiàn, the Jiànguó Fàndiàn, town, opposite north of west of just is another market though there the main square. ticket. ing tree. It’s only worth a look from a distance, ing tree. otherwise with an ‘admission’ you’ll be hit admission when anyone is around Y2) has fused it with the surround- the years over a side street leading to a primary school, is leading to a primary school, a side street the 200-year-old gang of oldsters that set up in front of it, as for that set up in front of oldsters gang of itself.the temple Back at the crossroads a left to the metres hundred you a few turn will take Fógu Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book YÚNNÁN merous stands dottingthetown. merous stands juice (large/small Y3/2)fromoneof thenu- hauled before panels andthen sentencing B life. Thelocalgovernment, with helpfrom become partofand trafficking everyday quantities of drug-taking heroin, which saw return forthelatter, Chinareceived huge thing fromrawgoodstogems and arms.In became ahotbedof trade,handlingevery- 1990s butnosoonerhaditopenedthan Ruìlì The borderonlyopenedforbusiness inthe and lustwaseveryone. Who thehellknew,sofuelledbydope,drink, theywere thought least everyone gangsters. gangsters mingled withreal gangsters, orat to check outthe‘action’intown.Wannabe Yúnnánwas anyone livingin/passingthrough Arite ofin-Ruìlì-stays-in-Ruìlì’. passage for that‘what-happens- by theimplicitpromise with moneywouldheadhere indroves, lured the ‘it’placesinYúnnán,andyoungpeople Pity poor Ruìlì. Ruìlìwasconsidered oneof % RUÌLÌ when fullsobeprepared towait. leaveand Ruìlì(Y20,7amto8pm).Minibuses most frequent departures toW southwest of hasthe thesouthernbusstand trudge alongtotheother. ablock Abusstand schedules. Ifyoudon’tfindyourbusatone, offer similardestinationsatpricesand north of townandthesouthernbusstation inthe busstation Both thelong-distance There inMángshì. are busstations several BUS departures.flight fortheairportaroundanhourbeforeoffice Hángk leaveBuses theMángshì ally waitattheairportforincomingflights. the airport(Y20toY25). choice sharksat but to negotiate withthetaxi airport tothetowncentre soyou’llhave no (Y790). There are fromMángshì nobuses MángshìandK between daily flights The airportis10kmfromthecity.There are AIR Getting There&Away 350 ě Trade withMyanmarfuelledthe boom. Make sure youtryafreshly lime squeezed Minibuses toRuìlì(Y30,twohours)Minibuses usu- ij 0692 /pop13,299 ī ō ng, retaliated anddrugdealers were ÉÓGPEETR • Rìì ••Ruìlì DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE ng G 瑞丽 ō ngs ī ; WenhuaLu; h Yunnan Airlines 8.30am-noon &2.30-6pm) ǎ nd ī ng (Y20) ū (Yúnnán (Yúnnán nmíng sterile. Thedance hallsandgambling densare hot anymore. too didn’tseem hotnights suddenly allthose money flowedtothe nexthottradezone,and executed. Thentradebeganexpanding, the China Eastern Airlines China Eastern TRANSPORT Long-Distance Bus Station Station Bus Long-Distance Bank of China China of Bank INFORMATION China Post & Telecom & China Post Bobo's Cold Drinks Shop DrinksShop Bobo's Cold DRINKING Minibus Stand Dielai Photograph Centre Night Food Market Hotel International New Kaitong North Bus Station BusStation North Xinhua Bookshop Xinhua Bookshop ...... (see 8) Company Travel Ruili Overseas PSB Internet Café Jade Market Market Jade ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS Market Kūnmíng Guòqiáo Mǐxiàn Huafeng Market Burmese &Cantonese Restaurants EATING Bīnguǎn Lìmín SLEEPING Ruby Hotel Ruby Hotel Ruìlì Bīnguǎn M 1 2 e RUÌLÌ

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These daysRuìlì is,quite honestly,almost These gmao Mengmao Luchuan Lu Luchuan River Ji›dŸng (4km) To M›ngm†o(300m); ݀ᅝሔ 14 Ꮦഎ 7 9 Ꮘ⷇䜦ᑫ ......

⦴ᅱ㸫 Lu ...... 㔥৻ ⨲Бᆒ佚 A Ё೑䫊㸠 2 ЁᏈ䔺キ ߽⇥ᆒ佚 5 ढЄᏖഎ To GoldenDuck Ji›xiàng (20km) ᅶ䖤࣫キ ᮄढкᑫ Pagoda (5km);

Maohan Lu ...... Ji›gào (7km); 11

໰Ꮦ Renmin Lu

Nanmao Jie ...... 16

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Tuanjie Dagou ......

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...... Jiegang Lu 16 17 15 14 11 10 18 19 20 13 12 2 8 4 7 5 9 13 3 1 6 (21km) A2 A1 A2 A1 A1 A2 A1 A1 A2 A2 A2 A1 B2 B2 B2 B2 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 B1 YÚNNÁN

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( nhuá Sh ī (X i market 414 1880; 27 Nanmao Jie; 27 Nanmao Jie; 414 1880; ; dm Y15; % 号 ; 4 ī 415 3924; www.mandalaygarden.com; 4 Mangsha Lu; Tourism and Traffic Map of Ruili Tourism and Traffic All vehicles, including buses, leaving Ruìlì including buses, leaving All vehicles, At the other end of town, Ruìlì’s At the other end of Mandalay Garden ngs ō son: Moe, those the Burmese owner, is one of who brings travellers hosts laid-back utterly back to his place just to hang out. It’s just the of atmosphere and soak in the place to chill information from travel town (and the tons of and the staff).other travellers also There’s but it’s a bit expensive on site; a restaurant people from nearby minority villages, Burma people from nearby minority villages, Pakistan. and far flung places like the best locations for is a hoot and one of Ruìlì’s sights are Most of people-watching. ), and you’ll need a p353 outside town (see out and seebicycle to get them. Sleeping some good deals to be found in are There is and all the accommodation Ruìlì’s hotels, the main bus within easy walking distance of station. % 沙路 Place, that’s its de facto name for good rea- are searched. Authorities are usually more usually more searched. Authorities are are often are in locals, and foreigners interested for ID. and not even asked ignored completely epic reported have However, some travellers farcical. grillings bordering on the Sights people- atmosphere, Ruìlì is about A visit to and aimless wandering markets watching, rather than formal sights. It’s small enough it in an hour or most of that you can cover The huge so. most colourful by day, especially in the morn- lined with Burmese ing, when the stalls are snack wrapped in banana leaves, tofu smokes, also whir of sellers. There’s stalls and charcoal Ruili Overseas Travel Company Xinhua Bookshop Annoyances Dangers & die old problems Ruìlì’s new look, Despite an enormous hard and prostitution remains to look very have industry in Ruìlì. You don’t hard to see the evidence: disguised brothels as fill the town. hairdressers the English. G 2.30-5.30pm & 7.30-10pm) If it happens to be staffed, you staffed, 7.30-10pm) If it happens to be 2.30-5.30pm & area. get information on the local should be able to n; ī yuán; ā ngx ō DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE •• Ruìlì ng Zh ǐ njú; Jianshe Lu; njú; Jianshe Lu; ā ; Màndélì Hu ng ō (Diélái Shèy ngguó Yóuzhèng & ō (PSB; G (Zh ; Nanmao Jie, cnr Jiegang Lu; per ; Nanmao Jie, cnr Jiegang Lu; ā 曼德丽花园 ngguó Yínháng; Nanmao Jie) Pro- ( ō nnà, and it’s worth getting a nnà, and it’s worth getting ngb ǎ ǎ (Zh (w ) The place to head first if you need informa- ngb n, 500m north corner of Nanmao Jie and of the ā 号 ǎ 24hr) 4 shu ngu

h ī ī 415 3924; www.mandalaygarden.com; 4 Mangsha Lu; 8.30-11.30am & 2.30-5.30pm) Just up the road from ngguó Diànxìn; cnr Mengmao Lu & Renmin Lu) Despite Despite ngguó Diànxìn; cnr Mengmao & Renmin Lu) Lu Another draw for travellers is Myanmar, Another draw for travellers But despite the clean-up, Ruìlì has a great clean-up, Ruìlì has a great the But despite

About the raciest thing the average traveller traveller raciest thing the average the About ō % 芒沙路 tion on local travels, tours, bike and especially rentals, those pesky Myanmar overland visas. h Ruìlì B Public Security Bureau Mandalay Garden Internet café Dielai PhotographCentre

China Post & Telecom Information Information Bank of China lay, making what had been a horrible five-day lay, making what had been a horrible five-day travellers sane. Foreign more journey much the ‘South- to re-create may one day be able Ruìlì and Mandalay which of ern Silk Route’, a part. were border area is becoming easier (see p353 ). ). p353 is becoming easier (see border area New highwaysto facilitate border trade laid all the way from the border to Manda- stretch permits to take you through the sensitive you throughpermits to take the sensitive in X to explore. bicycle and heading out away from kilometres lies only a few which begin- are restrictions Ruìlì. Border-crossing and although individual tour- ning to relax still not allowed to cross, organising ists are villages nearby are also reason to come; the to come; also reason nearby are villages than those condition better in much stupas are traders hawking jade, lively local markets and local markets hawking jade, lively traders The minority feel. Asian Southeast a laid-back mix of Han Chinese, Burmese minorities and Han mix of little overenthusiastically adjusting his sarong. adjusting little overenthusiastically of all gone, lasses(Well, those haven’t pretty course.) will encounter these will encounter a days is the odd trader gone and shiny shopping malls and modern malls and shopping shiny gone and stand place. in their hotels Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com online at accommodation Book vides all the usual services and will let you cash travellers headed to Myanmar. cheques for US dollars in case you’re Nanmao Jie) Burns CDs for Y10 per CD. Keep an eye out for the big yellow Kodak sign. (or perhaps sending because?) of its border location, any kind of package abroad from this branch is a full-on more For anything if not completely impossible. nightmare complicated than buying stamps or making international calls, wait until you move on from Ruìlì. Zh Renmin Lu. hr Y2; YÚNNÁN discounts which make itaworthwhileoption. original luxuryhotel inRuìlìanditoffers good go forthecheaper ones.Dormroomscanget aswell the singlesanddoubles,soyoumight one atthe topof the northwestern corneris JiegangLu.The inasmallalley off taurants For good food,thereBurmese are res- several Eating &Drinking feature andisopen tononresidents forY10. The outdoorswimmingpoolisperhaps thebest 路 Dàji have gotten roomsforless. for more deftbargainers thanY100,though average. Outsideof holidays,rooms rarely go this placehasnofireworks butiscomfortingly d Y200) with itsthatched hutsandfloorcushions. atmospherethan enough attheterrace bar are aminor letdown.Nomatter, there’s more wall panels,thevery plainrooms,whileclean, and thehallsbedecked withpebble-encrusted Y80/180) better than others sohave alookatfew. You canrent bicycleshere butsomeof themare expectlittlefromthestaff. noisy. Andcertainly andtheshared hot andstuffy bathroomscanbe Y20, s&dY40-80; local schoolkids. range cookinglessonsorhookyouuptoteach Japanese andWestern ar- food.Itcaneven minority,Indian, Burmese, excellent, serving 352 2 New Kaitong International Hotel International New Kaitong Ruìlì B Lìmín B Ruby Hotel Ruby Hotel mess aroundiftheycatchyou. to possessor–even bewellaware more thattheofficialsdonot insanelystupid–transport, searches are aimedatthoseattempting strictly tosmuggledrugsandifyou’re dumbenough were seized, andnewcasesofHIVinfection have droppedby30%since2004. with Myanmar. Andithadaneffect: inthefirstmonthitwasinstituted over 1.8tonnesofdrugs and by1999theprovince reportedly had44%ofallAIDScasesinChina. in 1989(obviouslythegovernment wasamite slowinacknowledging themere existence ofHIV), China’sfirstAIDScases(146)weresibling AIDS.AccordingtoUnescoreports, reported inYúnnán problem intheDéhóngregion inHIV anditspernicious inthe1980sandearly1990s,aspike an entrypointforBurmeseopiumheadedtoHongKong. This resulted inaseriousIVdrug-use A majorproblemforthepasttwodecadeshasbeenofpoppy-derived variety,Ruìlìbeing PAYING THEPRICE ǔ 号 diàn; ÉÓGPEETR • Rìì ••Ruìlì DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE This isnot,ofcourse,tosaythattheproblemhasbeensolved. Those yawn-inducingbus The province, withB Across thestreet fromtheRubyHotel, ; dY360,discountedY180; After taking in the bright green inthebright After exterior taking % ī ngu ī ngu 415 777;fax6190;2BianchengLu; ǎ ( ǎ n % a n

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% % 419 9088;NanmaoJie; ) There islittle todistinguish 410 0555;NanmaoJie; 414 2249;NanmaoJie; ě ij ī ng’s help, poured millions of yuán into antidrug efforts alongtheborderng’s help,poured millionsofyuánintoantidrugefforts as

ī ) This is the Thisisthe n K 南卯街南卯街南卯街 ǎ it ō ng Guójì ng Guójì 边城 ; s/d ; dm ; dm ; s& 岗路 Xiang; drinks fromY3) Xiang; drinks go to quaff a beer (ornon-alcoholic drink) abeer go toquaff stitution foreats,thenBoBo’sisthe placeto outdoor foodcourtwithanincredible se- market, where you’llfindahuge, thriving ler’s culinaryinstitutionisthisbusy-busy and Biancheng Lu. BianmaoJie Xiangbetween up onBaijiang here. asmallbutlively Atnight market sets See See p350 You canbuytickets fordetails. at via Mángshì, which isatwo-hourdrive away. connectionstoK Ruìlì hasdailyflight AIR Getting There& Away with low-key commotion. eatingareasmall mealsinabright buzzing excellentfresh fruitjuicesand guys. Serves and chat idly withthe inback. with outdoorseating checked tablecloths. There’s alittlegarden its darkwoodfurniture andblue-and-white in K the-bridge noodles mao Lu) offer. some Western andeven dishesonChinese lection of food,includingThai, Burmese, water andice. Thai-stylewithsoda Mekong whisky,served patrons. ThisisalsothespottogoforThai alotof Burmese particularly goodandsees There are restaurants alsolotsof Cantonese K Huafeng Market Bo Bo’s Cold Drinks Shop Bo Bo’sColdDrinks ū ū nmíng Guòqiáo ; dishesfromY4) nmíng, butthisplaceischarming with Youmayhave hadyourfillof across- IfHuafeng Market isthein-

Ruìlì’sversion of atravel-

M (Huáf ǐ xiàn (guòqiáo m ē ng Shìch ( (Bùbù L longyi 昆明过桥米线 lonelyplanet.com ǎ ě -clad Burmese -clad Burmese ng; JiegangLu; ngy ǐ xiàn) ǐ ndiàn; Baijiang ū while ; Meng- nmíng 姐 YÚNNÁN ) o. ǎ ǎ T ā 353 xiàng ngm ny ě ī ě n J ā Tourism and nmíng at the Myan- nmíng at the ū 弄安金鸭塔 shows the major roads shows the major o; on the way are a number of of a number o; on the way are ǎ The shortest ride is to turn left at the corner The shortest the main road, this pagoda (Nòng’ stupa set courtyard. in a temple is an attractive a pair It was established to mark the arrival of golden ducks that brought good fortune to of marshy an uninhabited what was previously area. Temples is a crossroad Just past Golden Duck Pagoda The road to the and a small wooden temple. Ji of right (west) leads to the villages and Nóngd mar consulate (see p470 ). p470 (see mar consulate AROUND RUÌLÌ the sights around Ruìlì can be ex- Most of It’s worth making easily by bicycle. plored down the narrow paths detours frequent to visit minority the main roads leading off are friendly, and there The people are villages. opportunities. The photo lots of Ruili of Map Traffic the out of and continue the post office north of M of town proper into the little village scattered temples half a dozen Shan are There about; the fun is in finding them. Golden Duck Pagoda town to the southwest, on In the outskirts of group travel. Remember it’s not possible to not possible it’s Remember travel. group a visaorganise and you in Ruìlì for Myanmar to do this in K will have Getting Around seenRuìlì is easily all the most on foot, but Ask a bicycle. require day trips interesting place for the best at your accommodation for a taxi ride inside A flat rate one. to rent for negotiation be Y5, and up the city should motor and also cheaper are There from there. cycle rickshaws. and villages. ; ī ng ē yuán; ngs ā ō gào in ngf ě ā ng (Y5), ng G ī . Shuttle . Shuttle ō nd 0871-313 7555; 0871-313 7555; ǎ ; Màndélì Hu % gào (Y5), and the ng Hángk ě ā 8.30am-6pm) ngf ō h (D

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( o (Y8). Buses to Zh ǎ DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE •• Around Ruìlì nmíng) ū Your best source of up-to-the- Your best source of ) ng 25 5.40-10.40am 40-50min 6 every ō n 45 6 every 30-40min 6am-2.30pm n 45 30-40min 6 every n 116 12 hourly 4-8pm 号 ā ā 4 nmíng 190 16 hourly 8am-8pm osh nghóng 195 25 daily 8.30am ǎ ū ǐ Destination B Price (Y) Duration (hours) Frequency Departs J K Téngch Xiàgu 411 1111; Renmin Lu; Renmin411 1111; Lu; 415 3924; www.mandalaygarden.com; 4 Mangsha Lu; Buses from Ruìlì long-distance bus station: RUÌLÌ BUS TIMETABLE RUÌLÌ BUS TIMETABLE Ko Wai Lin Travel Ko Wai Lin Travel Mandalay Garden For local destinations, minibuses and vans (Y10, one hour) leave from Xinjian Lu. (Y10, one hour) leave [email protected]; Room 221, Camellia Hotel, 154 K Dongfeng Lu, minute information. minute % 芒沙路 China to Hsipaw in Myanmar, an eight-hour China to Hsipaw drive from the border. Once you reach Hsipaw Hsipaw Once you reach from the border. drive good bye to your guide and are you can wave own further south to on your to travel free RangoonMandalay, and so on. and be part of an official ‘group’. The group, and be part of yourself and of mightwhich consist entirely no-one else, from Ji will be escorted To cross from China into Myanmar, travel- permits visa, travel the correct must have lers TO MYANMAR TO MYANMAR the border checkpoint at Ji the border checkpoint Nóngd of village street. Destinations include W Destinations include street. leave from the minibus stand from the minibus the jade near leave can just flag one down in the or you market, you’re better offlong-distance going to the better you’re station. to get to Mángshì (Y20-25, 1½ hours, last bus to Mángshì (Y20-25, 1½ hours, to get for everything when full); else, 6pm, leaves the north bus station at the top of Jiegang Lu. the north bus station at the top of trying to the north bus station if you’re Head There are two bus stations in Ruìlì, the long- are There town and of distance bus station in the centre BUS BUS buses leave daily from the office, three hours hours three daily from the office, buses leave flights also (Y60). You can scheduled before and reconfirm office to book use the ticket flights is an in- – do so early as this return flight. popular creasingly China EasternChina Airlines lonelyplanet.com % YÚNNÁN Y30. Buses continueuntillate atnight. Y30. Buses Y5 oryou cancharter oneforaround Y25to when fullfor busstation Ruìlì’s long-distance 7km fromRuìlì( p353 ). Ruìlì Ji Duck Pagoda, cross theMyanmarbridge over here, aheadfrom Golden continuestraight andcheapstands electronicshops. Toget other densof iniquityreplaced bylemonade itspopular casinosand this placehasseen stream of As cross-border traffic. withRuìlì Ji On athumbof landjutting intoMyanmar, sides of the–quite literally –bamboocurtain. sorelaxed seems at howeverything onboth Bi There’s notmuch atthischeckpoint (Ji 姐告边检点 Jiegao BorderCheckpoint minibuses. you canreturn toRuìlìononeof thefrequent hotel intownthathascheaptary doublesor around 29kmsouthwestof Ruìlì.There’s asoli- temple surroundings. with pleasant D DenghannongZhuangTemple cycle here fromGoldenDuckPagoda. In all,itshould take youabout 50minutes to your bicycleforthelastascenttostupa. topushvillage, path.You’llneed take theright to market crossroadsatthecentre of themain acoupleofthrough Daivillages. Whenyouget andDaipointingtheway written inChinese bluesigns thefields.Youwillsee through thatcuts view, take thenextpathtoright of theRuìlìarea. Oncethestupacomesinto grounds of views thestupaaswellfantastic of theTang dynasty.There’s anunnery inthe Ruìlì’s oldeststupa,datingbacktothemiddle Thisis to theright. road, lookoutforawhite stupaonthehillside village isinteresting. sign markstheturn-off. ThesurroundingDai alittleoff theroadandagreenIt’s set tourism wooden structure withafew resident monks. Temple there are often markets nearthetemples. butthevillagespectacular life isinteresting and small temples, villages andstupas.Noneare 354 ě ě ā Microbuses shuttle between theborderand shuttlebetween Microbuses It’s possibletocycleallthewayNóngd About 2kmpastthetownof Ji Another 20minutes orsofurtherdownthe The first major Daitemple is gào isthemaincheckpoint forasteady ngh nji ÉÓGPEETR • Aon ul ••AroundRuìlì DÉHÓNG PREFECTURE ǎ ( ā ǎ n Di 喊沙庄寺 ng andyouwillcometoJi nnòng Zhu ǎ n) but border fanatics will marvel n) butborderfanaticswillmarvel ; H ā Léizhu ǎ ng Sì),awoodenDai nsh ā ǎ Zhu ngxi ( 等喊弄庄寺 ā ā Hansha Zhuang ng ng Sì),afine ě ( ě gào, about 雷奘相 xiàng is ě gào ǎ o, o, ), ; on aboatwithlocals.Take aminibusinthe around Y50perperson. pants, butyoushould beabletodoitfor vary dependingonthenumberof partici- barbecue lunch inaminorityvillage. Prices vide informationon ordead. asleep unidentifiable ballof furthatwaseitherfast chotic monkeys, acoupleof peacocksandan ant walks.Avoid thezoo, hometothree psy- S Reserve Wanding Forest to take alookandspendsometimeatthe chuckle at your request. here thattheylookbored tohave enough a so underwhelmingisthebordertradezone they are accommodating.Besides, otherwise they willnothelpyousneakintoMyanmar, quite easy-going, andalthough point, seem bordercheck-just acrossfromtheChinese you’ve and say been. minute drive here justsoyoucantake aphoto borderholic thenit’sworthmakingthe30- interesting asJi Myanmar. It’snotasbusyhere, norisitas checkpointZhàn), asecond forcrossinginto ofEast RuìlìliesW 畹町边检站 Wanding BorderCheckpoint village of Ji a suburbof Ruìlì. After 4km, justpastthe of Ruìlì,pastthe oldtownof M Another possiblecyclingroute takes youwest Bàngmáhè years. J road toW A few kilometres totheeastof Ruìlìonthe Pagoda Golden isrequiredous haggling forboattrips. back toRuìlìorW toRuìlìandthenhitched bridge closer second road. Travellers have boatsbacktothe caught that connectswiththemainRuìlì–Mángshì direction of Mángshì andget offatthebridge when full,andviceversa. small waterfall nearby. Bàngmáhè village, with a aJingpo settlement ī ē nt nlín G It’s worthclimbinguptothenorthof town attheforeign of office affairs Staff thePSB, Alternatively, itispossibletocatch alift beable topro- might Local placestostay Minibuses forW Minibuses ǎ ), afinestructure thatdates back 200 ō ngyuán; admissionY2) ǎ nd ě 棒麻贺 d ī ō ng istheGoldenPagoda (Ji ng, aturn-off northleadsto ě gào, butifyou’re aserious 姐勒金塔 ǎ ǎ nd nd ǎ nd (

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