Golden Horse and Jade Cock (Jinma Biji) Memorial Archways 金馬碧鸡

JinMaBiJi (Golden horse, Jade Rooster Archway) 金馬碧鸡

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

1. There are several public houses behind Golden Horse and Jade Cock Archways. The most famous one is Hump Bar. The place bustles every night, and it is a very good place to taste the local food.
2. It is a nice place to go since many fashion shops, fancy shops, restaurants, and health clubs, pubs, pleasure grounds, supermarkets and sight-seeing minibuses cluster in the Golden Horse and Jade Cock Pedestrian Street 

Opening Hour:  
7:00am-19:00pm (Tour 2 hours)
Admission Fee:  Free
How to get there:  
Bus No. 3, 4, 62, 73, 90, 98
Best Travel Season:
Map:

View JinMaBiJi 金馬碧鸡 in a larger map  

Brief Introduction :

The archways of Golden Horse and Jade Cock were built on an east-west axis, not far from each other. At 5 or 6 p.m. on the day when Autumn Equinox (September 22, 23 or 24 of the Gregorian calendar) and the Mid-autumn Festival (August 15 of the lunar calendar) of the year of cock (you year. There are 12 symbolic animals associated with a 12-year cycle, often used to donate the year of a person’s birth. One of the animals is cock) happened to be the same day (it happened once every 60 years), when the sun has set and the moon is rising, the shadow of sunshine on Golden Cock becomes longer gradually and the shadow of moonlight on the Jade Cock becomes clearer [Traditional Chinese calendar calculated the passage of years, months, days and hours by combining one Heavenly Stem (tian gan in Chinese. The 10 Heavenly Stems are jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren and gui) and one Earthly Branch (di zhi in Chinese. The 12 Earthly Branches are zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu and hai) to form 60 unique pairs in a complete cycle. In the lunar calendar in use today, only years and days are in such cyclic pairings]. Then the shadows of Golden Cock and Jade Cock draw near bit by bit and finally become one shadow. That is the splendid scene of the overlapping shadow of Golden Horse and Jade Cock.

It is said that the phenomenon of the overlapping shadow of Golden Horse and Jade Cock appeared during the reign of Emperor Daoguang (1821-1851). Once during the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1875-1909), the shadows of Golden Horse and Jade Cock nearly overlapped but disappeared when they were only several steps apart because the two archways were not rebuilt strictly according to the original size after being destructed during war. The present archways of Golden Horse and Jade Cock were rebuilt in the 1960s strictly according to the original size. It is hopeful that the spectacle of Overlapping Shadow of Golden Horse and Jade Cock will appear some day in the future.

The archways of Golden Horse and Jade Cock have long been the symbol of Kunming. People refer to Yunnan as the homeland of Golden Horse and Jade Cock, which are the pattern for the city emblem.

昆明是一個歷史悠久的城市，遠在三萬年前的舊石器時代就有人類居住。隨著歷史的進步和時代的變遷，昆明留下許多文物古跡和人文景觀，其中，金馬碧雞坊就是著名一景。該坊始建于明朝宣德年間，至今已有近四百年的歷史。金馬壁雞坊歷史悠久，民族特色突出，被譽為昆明的象徵。

金馬碧雞坊的獨特之處，在於某個特定的時候，會出現“金碧交輝”的奇景。就是有那麼一天，太陽將落未落，金色的餘輝從西邊照射碧雞坊，它的倒影投到東面街上；同時，月亮則剛從東方升起，銀色的光芒照射金馬坊，將它的倒影投到西邊街面上；兩個牌坊的影子，漸移漸近，最後互相交接。這就是“金碧交輝”。相傳，清道光年間有一年，中秋之日恰逢秋分。晴空一碧，萬里無雲。傍晚，許多群眾在三市街口等待，到時，果真兩坊影子見於街面，不一會靠攏相交，至此，日落月升，交輝奇景逐步消失。

據說，由於地球、月亮、太陽運轉的角度關係，這樣的奇景，要６０年才能出現一次。而這種奇景的設計，反映了古代雲南各族人民把數學、天文學和建築學有機地結合在一起的高度智慧。可惜的是，由於極左路線的影響，兩坊於１０年動亂中被拆毀。有希望的是，如今萬物復蘇，已定為昆明市徽，金馬碧雞坊將重建，金馬碧雞的雕塑也擬興立。秀麗的滇池之濱，奔騰奮進的金馬、象徵吉祥如意的碧雞將在雲南人民的心靈中閃射出新的光輝。

金馬壁雞坊位於昆明市中軸線的三市街與金碧路交叉口，高12米，寬18米，具有昆明民俗特色，雕樑畫棟，精美絕倫，東坊臨金馬山而名為金馬坊，西坊靠壁雞山而名為碧雞坊。北與紀念賽典赤的“忠愛坊”相配，合稱“品字三坊”，成為昆明鬧市勝景；南與建于南詔的東西寺塔相映，顯示了昆明古老的文明。

昆明市於1997年決定在改造擴寬金碧路的同時，恢復重建“金馬壁雞坊”，1999年4月下旬，“金馬壁雞坊”已建成開放，供遊人參觀。
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Jingxing Street Bird-Flower Market

Jingxing Street Bird-Flower Market (not JiaMeng Flower Market 佳盟花巿)

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

There is a popular souvenir in Yunnan, called water pipe, which is used to smoke tobacco by local people. There are water pipes in various sizes and styles, which are mainly made of metal and wood. You will also find many items unique to Yunnan’s very own ethnic style, making Bird-flower Market an excellent place to stock up on souvenirs for family and friends. It also provides an excellent snapshot of real, everyday life in Yunnan province. 

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there:  
Renmin Zhong Lu
Buses: 1
Best Travel Season:
Map:
Located on Yongdao Street of Kunming downtown area
Brief Introduction :
The Flowers and Birds Market is located in the Kunming’s downtown area, and is the city's biggest and most popular bazaar. Visitors can purchase all kinds of flowers and birds, as its name suggests, one can also find a wide array of knick-knacks, souvenirs, replica weapons, fish, turtles, rodents, and many other items on sale. The market offers the typical Chinese shopping atmosphere with bargaining shoppers and shrewd shopkeepers.

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Cuihu Park 昆明翠湖

Cuihu Park 昆明翠湖旅游指南

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

Early in the morning, hundreds of people, men and women, young and old, come to the banks of the lake to practice boxing, jogging, singing, and sword-dancing. It is full of life everywhere. In the evening, people come to have a stroll, to enjoy the scenery, or to chant antiphonal singing, amidst willows on the lake banks, feeling carefree and contented. 

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there:  
Bus: 101、133  
Best Travel Season:
In winter and spring, Kunming residents flock to the Cuihu Park to feed red-beaked gulls - there are tens of thousands of them, which descend upon the lake. This lovable scene, in which man, birds, and nature mingle in such harmony, has kept occurring over the last ten years. The love of the Kunming people for wildlife has added to the charms of the City of Spring.
Map:
http://www.meet99.com/map-cuihu.html

Brief Introduction :
Cuihu Park, covering an area of 210,000 square meters, is located in the northern part of Kunming's city proper. It was made a public park in the early 1910s.
The Cuihu Lake Park, situated at the western foot of Wuhua Hill, is a scenically beautiful park inside the city. By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it was still a swampy field for growing vegetables, lotuses and rice, hence the name "Vegetable Lake". The water-level of Dianchi Lake was then so high that it was connected with the Cuihu Lake. That is why we have the couplet: "Dianchi Lake spreads five hundred li; the Vegetable Lake merges with it."
As there were nine mouths of springs beyond the Bamboo Island in the northeast, the lake was also called "The Nine-Dragon Pond". It now covers fifteen hectares of land. Since 1985, the red-pecked seagulls from Siberia have been spending the winter months on Cuihu Lake.
The entire Cuihu Park is a green world, with willow trees swaying gently on the dikes, and the surface of the lake covered all over with lotus plants. All the year round the park is the venue of one sort of exhibition or another, and with its snug seclusion it is frequented by local residents who come here for a few hours of leisure.
There used to be a scenically beautiful island at the centre of the lake. In the year 1382, Mu Ying, the Garrison Commander, started building the capital of Yunnan Province in Kunming, and the Cuihu Lake was enclosed within the brick walls of the city. A military structure, called "the Liu (Willows) Barracks", was built, which was later changed into a villa for the Mu family. In 1692, Wang Jiwen, the provincial governor, built the Biyiting (literally Green Ripples Pavilion), commonly called Haixinting (a Pavilion in the Centre of the Lake).
The lake offers a scene of freshness, serenity, and beauty, hence the graceful name "The Cuihu Lake". The main attractions include lotuses, fish, willow trees and pavilions. Ling Shiyi, a Cantonese in the Qing Dynasty, wrote in a couplet: Fishes teem in the ten-mu lotus pond; over half the city poplars and willows are caressing pavilions." It is a superb description of the scenery.
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翠湖公園位於昆明市區的螺峰山下，五華山西麓，雲南大學正門對面，因湖東北有9個出泉水眼，古時稱九龍池，又有菜海子、洗馬河之稱。這裡最初曾是滇池中的一個湖灣，後來因水位下降而成為一汪清湖。翠湖水光瀲灩，綠樹成蔭，是昆明城內的一顆綠寶石，有"城中之玉"的美稱。
自明朝起的歷任雲南行政官員都曾在這裡修亭建樓。明朝鎮守雲南的沐英曾在翠湖建別墅。清初吳三桂填湖修築王府。康熙年間雲南巡撫王繼文在湖心島建"碧漪亭"，在北岸建"來爽亭"。1867年同治皇帝御賜"妙蓮湧現"匾額。正如淩逸在蓮花正式定名為翠湖後以"翠堤春曉"聞名四方。

　　翠湖公園四季碧水悠悠，春有萬千垂柳滴翠，夏有碧葉紅荷吐豔，秋有百花爭豔，冬有棕櫚青青。登舟暢遊，仿佛進入如詩如畫之境。夜晚，翠湖燈火五彩迷離，樹影婆婆。園內縱貫南北的是阮堤，1834年雲貴總督阮元撥款所築。直通東西的是唐堤，1919年由唐繼堯撥款所築。兩道長堤分湖為四。堤畔植柳，湖內種荷，荷柳相映，清翠秀麗。兩道長堤將翠湖分成五片景區--湖心島景區以湖心亭和觀魚樓等清代建築為主；東南面是水月軒和金魚島；東北面是竹林島和九龍池；南邊是葫蘆島和九曲橋；西邊是海心亭。

　　1985年冬季以來翠湖公園出現了一大奇觀--成千上萬的海鷗從西伯裡亞來到這裡過冬。白天海鷗彙集於此，夜間飛往滇池、撫仙湖等處。每年11月份它們飛來昆明過冬，第二年3-4月飛往我國東北及西伯利亞等地。每當這時，逛翠湖賞海鷗便成為遊人的一大樂趣。

　　到翠湖遊覽，可乘1路公共汽車在雲南大學站下車，或乘101路在翠湖下車，也可乘5路、23路、4路等公共汽車在小西門站下車步行前往。
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Grand View Park (Daguan Park )

Grand View Park (Daguan Park ) 大觀公園

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

Opening Hour: 
08:30 to 18:00
Admission Fee:   CNY 10

How to get there:  
Best Travel Season:
On every Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Cake Festival), Kunming locals normally go to Daguan Park to enjoy flowers and the full moon. Deeply immersed in thick moonlight, the park looks more enchanting than ever.
Map:
Daguan Park is located 7 kilometers west of Kunming . It is found within walking distance from the Western Hills and lies on the shores of Dianchi Lake

Brief Introduction :
Daguan, which means 'the grand view', is the most befitting name for the park and the pavilion which are on the terminus of Daguan Road in the southwest of Kunming city, Grand View Park (Daguan Park) and Grand View Pavilion (Daguan Pavilion) .
Grand View Park locates on the shore of Dianchi Lake and faces the Western Hills which are on the other side of Dianchi Lake. In 1682, a monk named Qianyin built a small temple here to give Buddhist lessons; eight years later, in 1690, the satrap of Yunnan Province Wang Jiwen was attracted by the beautiful natural views here and began to construct a whole park including many halls, pavilions, bonsais, rockeries, trees and porches. Grand View Park became an attraction from then on and the most famous spot among them is the Grand View Pavilion.
Like many other Chinese ancient buildings, Grand View Pavilion also had been in disarray, destroyed and restored several times because of the dynastic changes and the civil wars. The present-day square, three-storied pavilion was established in 1883. At the entrance there is the longest antithetical couplet which was written by a famous Qing Dynasty scholar named Sun Ranweng (also called Sun Ran); this couplet of 180 characters is one of the most valued cultural treasures in Yunnan Province. The first part of the couplet describes the beautiful and magnificent natural views before your sight, tell people to enjoy and treasure. The second part reviews the 2000 years' history of Yunnan,awakens to that no matter how successful or frustrated you are, all will be in nothingness in the end.
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Dukezong Ancient Town

Dukezong Ancient Town 獨克宗古城

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

Vernacular Dwelling

Ancient Architectures 

World's largest prayer wheel

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there:  
It is advisable to go by mini-public bus. The bus ticket is RMB1.5-2
Best Travel Season:
Horse-racing Festival held on the 5th of the 5th month of lunar calendar every year, is the big feast of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. 
Map:
Dukezong, a Tibetan town located in Shangri-La, situated at an altitude of 3,200m above sea level, and is 700km from Kunming, offers sanctuary to all those seeking refuge from the busy city life. 

View Dukezong Ancient Town 獨克宗古城 in a larger map  

Brief Introduction :

The authentic Tibetan dwellings in Dukezong, gilded prayer halls and pagodas, and lanterns of various shapes lighting the way along narrow, winding lanes are permeated with the grace as well as the mystique of antiquity that enchants visitors the moment they set foot in it. Dukezong was a key stop on the Ancient Tea-horse Road and a focal point for Han-Tibetan exchanges. It is the largest and best-preserved Tibetan city among China 147 Tibetan counties. It is also site of the largest ancient Tibetan community. There was human life in Shangri-La at the Paleolithic Age, and a tribal society inhabited it during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100-771 BC). It was in the 7th century that the Tubo Regime conquered Deqin, and then built Dukezong. As one of the oldest towns in the region, it is also known as the 'footstep of Shangri-La'. According to Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, there is a lost city called Shambhala in the Snow Mountains, shaped like an eight-petal lotus flower. The 1.6-square-kilometer Dukezong Town is also laid out in this design. All 1,084 of its houses radiate out from Turtle Hill at the center, arranged in conformity with Tibetan Buddhist geomantic theory.

The town has a history of 1,300 years, during which it has experienced both the flames of war and prosperity of frontier trade. Tibetans regard the shade of white as a sign of respect for their forefathers, the ancient Qiang people, who worshipped white stones. Shortly after the town was established, craftsmen found white clay in the region that could be ground down and used as paint. All dwellings were accordingly painted white. This is why Dukezong was named white stone city. On a clear night, the ancient town reflects a silver sheen. This has engendered to another epithet: moonlight city. Its counterpart is Niwangzong Town by the Naizi River, known as the sunshine city. The Sun and Moon cities gave rise to the song 'Sun and Moon in the Heart', which Tibetans have sung for more than 1,000 years.

The old Tibetan way of life, as well as dwellings, are well-preserved in Dukezong, as each barley wine-redolent lane testifies. Tibetan chess is played in local households as it has been for the past 1,000 years, and horse bells still tinkle along the ancient caravan path. Bonfires that are lit in the town square every night illuminate local musicians as they sing to and play traditional stringed instruments.

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World's largest prayer wheel

World's largest prayer wheel

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

The wheel measured 26.285 m (86 ft 2.84 in) in height and 10.22 m (33 ft 6.36 in) in diameter, and weighed  200 tons (440,92.45 lb). 

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
Map:

View Dukezong Ancient Town 獨克宗古城 in a larger map  

Brief Introduction :
This is a giant prayer wheel located at the top of a hill beside a temple in the "old town" of Zhongdian city, or "Shangri-La." Tibetan buddhists believe that each time a prayer moves, it floats up into heaven. Therefore, in addition to moving prayers by whispering or chanting them, Tibetans also hang them up on prayer flags that send the prayer to heaven with each gust of wind, write them down and store them inside prayer wheels that they can spin in their hands, carve them onto prayer beads that they can run through their fingers, or, in this case, inscribe them on a tower-size prayer wheel that spins by the casual effort of two dozen monks, or the full strength of five.
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Shika Snowy Mountain 石卡雪山

Shika Snow Mountain 石卡雪山景区

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

如今的香格里拉有了一道新型风景，那就是石卡山巅的雪景与索道缆车的结合。

全长4157米的旅游观光索道贯穿了整个景区，乘坐索道而上，首先可到达亚拉青波牧场，其西南面则是景区极富传奇色彩的灵犀湖。在海拔4449 米的石卡雪山山顶极目远眺，巴拉格宗、色纽雪山、哈巴雪山、梅里雪山、天宝雪山、白茫雪山、玉龙雪山等八大雪山构成一个庞大的雪山视野，为世界少见的奇 观。

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY240元（含索道）
How to get there:  石卡雪山景区距香格里拉县7.34公里，距香格里拉机场4.5公里，景区入口有一条四级油路与214国道相连，交通方便。从石卡雪山到天生桥只需20分钟。

线路1：索道大厅→（索道）（15分钟）钟亚拉青波牧场→（索道）（20分钟）石卡山顶→（徒步）（20分钟）→万亩杜鹃林→（徒步）（25分钟）远眺灵犀湖→（徒步返回）（30分钟）石卡山顶→（索道）（20分钟）亚拉青波牧场→（索道）（15分钟）索道大厅→ 该线路游览时，间约为4小时。

线路2：索道大厅→（索道）（15分钟）亚拉青波牧场→（索道）（20分钟）石卡山顶→（徒步）（30分钟）万亩杜鹃林→（徒步）（30分钟）强巴林卡→（徒步）（10分钟）情侣坡→（徒步）（20分钟）→灵犀湖→（徒步）（15分种）羊扎牧场→（徒步）（35分钟）长苞冷杉林，区→（徒步)（25分钟）崩苍牧场→（徒步）（40分钟）大果红杉林区→（徒步）（20分钟）亚拉青波牧场→（索道）（15分钟）索道大厅该线路游览时间约为6小时。

观光索道为单线固定抱索器，成组吊厢脉动循环式客运架空索道，是目前亚洲最大的脉动式索道。每小时 运载量为480人，索道分为两段：Ⅰ索长1970米，共6组吊厢，每组4个吊厢，每个吊厢乘坐8人；Ⅱ索道2186米，共8组吊厢，每组3个吊厢，每个吊 厢可乘坐8人，索道运行特点为时快时慢，最高速4米/秒，最低速0.4米/秒。Ⅰ索运行特点为三快两慢，运行15分钟到达中间站，Ⅱ索运行特点为四快三 慢，运行20分钟到达山顶站，吊厢每经过索道支架都会产生吊厢振动，吊厢速度越快，振动越大。

Best Travel Season:
Summer (April-June)
春绿夏花秋叶冬雪 
石卡山景区的自然景观是动态的景观。人们把它归纳为这样一句话：“春看绿草夏看花，秋观秋色冬观雪”。
　　高原之春，姗姗来迟。五月份，石卡山顶还是白雪皑皑，山脚坝子却开始变成一块碧绿的地毯，芳草连天，牛羊成群。蓝天、白云、雪山、草甸、藏房、炊烟、牛羊、牧童，大自然的造化，展现在你面前的是一幅“天人合一”的绝妙图案。
　　夏季是景区鲜花盛开的季节，开始是漫山遍野的杜鹃花，随之登场的是五光十色的草本花卉，有黄色的锡金报春和瑞香狼毒、红色的偏花钟报春和中甸海 仙花、蓝色的西南鸢尾和总状绿绒蒿等等。七、八月份，加申牧场等亚高山草甸又被叶似蕉叶的网脉橐吾和花色各异的马先蒿和所代替，冰蚀湖边则长出美丽的观赏 植物苞叶大黄，山顶的高山草甸却成了矮小奇花的天地。六至八月份的石卡山景区，草甸五彩缤纷，醉倒游人。
　　九月，当纳帕草甸被连片的狼毒花染成红色的海洋时，石卡山上却开始被成片的大果红杉林和桦杨柳树林染成金色的世界。仿佛在一年的收获季节，大自然刻意要给石卡山戴顶金色的帽子，给纳帕草甸披上红色的袈裟，庆贺一年的丰收，祈祷来年的祥和。
　　冬季降雪，石卡山成为梦幻世界。蓝天下，白色的云朵、白色的山峦、白色的草甸和白色的藏房，讲述着一个美丽的传说。石卡山景区生态景观的动态 性，还体现在面山立体气候的垂向变化上，从每年十月开始到次年五月近八个月的时间，尽管建塘坝演绎着“秋红、冬白、春绿”的高原印象，石卡山顶却是白雪皑 皑。也正是有了石卡雪山，才使建塘坝保持住了3个季节“雪山草甸”的香格里拉印象。而今，石卡山巅的雪景与索道缆车的结合，是香格里拉一道新型的风景线。 草青青，天湛蓝，林涛载水声，鸟语伴花香，漫步其中，你将心旷神怡，流连忘返。

Map:
Brief Introduction :
Shika Snow Mountain from the Shangri-La county only seven kilometers. A four Circuit Direct area, about 15 minutes by car. A total length of 4,157 meters tourism cableway from the bottom up, through the entire area. Survey of the Snow Mountain area, valleys and forests, lakes, display, meadow, and other characteristics of the natural landscape Shangri-La, biological and folk religion and culture.
石卡，是藏语译音，原意是有马鹿的山，而鹿在藏教中是吉祥的动物。蓝月山谷之名来自詹姆斯·希尔顿的《失去的地平线》一书，书中所描绘的神秘峡谷与香格里拉大峡谷如出一辙。当你走到山谷中部，仰望苍穹，蔚蓝的天空在周围高山峡谷合围之下形成一弯蓝月。
石卡雪山距香格里拉县城仅有7公里。一条四级油路直达景区，车程约15分钟。全长4157米旅游观光索道由下而上，贯穿了整个景区。景区汇集了雪山、峡谷、森林、湖泊、花海、草甸等香格里拉特色的自然景观和生物及民俗宗教文化。
乘坐索道，首先到达的是亚拉青波牧场。这个牧场因草质好，牦牛产出的酥油和奶渣品质优良而远近闻名。距亚拉青波牧场6公里处的西南面，就是景区极富传奇色彩的灵犀湖，湖水碧绿如玉。湖的四周树木葱茏，生态植被保护得极其完好，呈现出一派幽静神秘的景象。
上到海拔4449米的石卡雪山山顶，西北方向可见闻名中外的梅里雪山主峰———卡瓦格博。在她的左边还看到缅茨姆峰。同样名声显赫的玉龙和哈巴两 座雪山也出现东南面。此外，在石卡雪山主峰背后是被世人称之为蓝月山谷的峡谷，这是一个以险峻而著称的峡谷。登上石卡雪山山顶公园，远眺梅里、玉龙、哈 巴、稻城等著名雪山的雄姿，身临其境，坐看云起，壮美无边。 Gourmet美食：
迪庆居民以藏族为主，饮食多藏族风味。在这里可品尝到原汁原味的糍粑、酥油茶、青稞酒等。
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Reference:
北方有树 ; 紫色螢火蟲
 

Gedan SongZanLing Lamasery 噶丹松赞林寺

Songzanlin Lamasery - 'mini-Potala Palace' in Shangri-La  噶丹松赞林寺景点

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
The Gedong Festival is held in the late November each year. Buddhists around the region attend to worship. The Cham Dance is the climax, as performers put on masks and clothes that portray deities, ghosts and animals.
Map:

Brief Introduction :
The Guihua Temple is named the Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery in Tibetan. It is located at the foot of the Foping Mountains, 5 km north of Zhongdian County and occupies an area of 500 mu. The monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Yunnan Province, and also one of the famous monasteries in the Tibetan area. It now has over 700 Buddhist monks.
The Guihua Temple was built in 1679 under Emperor Kang Xi's authorization after the fifth Dalai Lama sent a report to him, who named the temple "Gedan Songlin".Emperor Yong Zheng granted it the name "Guihua Temple". The temple was made after the Potala Palace in Lasa, hence it has another name "Small Potala Palace". It has hundreds of small houses for Buddhist monks and living Buddhas. Besides the two main temple buildings at the top in the centre, there are 8 wing buildings around them. One main temple has 108 pillars in its main hall, which can hold 1,600 monks sitting and chanting scriptures
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First Bend of the Yangtze River

First Bend of the Yangtze River or Jinsha (Golden Sand) River 长江第一湾景点

Travel Tips 

Bring warm clothing

Attractions:

The spectacular view of the bend

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there:  
The First Bend of the Yangtze River is close to both Lijiang and the Tiger Leaping Gorge area. A lot of buses go there on the way to the Tiger Leaping Gorge area.
Best Travel Season:
The rainy season extends from June to September. So to avoid the rain and enjoy warm weather, come in May and in the early fall. 

Map:
Approximately 50 kilometers or 30 miles directly west of the Ancient City District of Lijiang on Highway S226. The town of Shiguzhen (石鼓镇) is at the bend.
Brief Introduction :
Most people go to the river bend on the way to Tiger Leaping Gorge. The scenery is interesting. The town of Shiguzhen (石鼓镇) is at the bend, and there is a market area where people come to buy and sell goods. The land around the river is passable on foot, but mountains block the region south and north of it, so it was an important route for armies marching through the region. It is said that Zhuge Liang (220-280) who was a famous strategist crossed here with his army. The great Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan’s army crossed at this point in the 13th century to attack Dali. In 1936, the Chinese Red Army crossed here during their long march, and there is a Red Army Memorial Hall in Shiguzhen. Besides shopping and visiting the memorial, there is some hiking in the area, and you can ride on boats.
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Spirulina Center 螺旋藻

Spirulina Center 螺旋藻

    

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
Map:

View Can-Nuo Spirulina Center in a larger map

Brief Introduction :
The Chenghai Lake of Lijiang is the top three regions of the world and the only region of China that produce the wild spirulina. The spirulina products produced in other regions are cultivated and their qualities are various. But the Lijiang spirulina has become popular in the whole world and turned into the best health-keeping food due to its balanced nutrition.

Its main effects include:

1. Strengthening the immunologic function of cells, delaying the senility of cells, anti-fatigue, anoxia tolerance, resisting radiation
2. The GLA contained in the spirulina is very helpful for patients of rheumatoid arthritis
3. It is a highly-nutritious alkaline food which can offer nutrition, change acidic body and adjust the metabolism. It has obvious effects for stabilizing the diabetes mellitus.
4. Adjusting blood fat. It reduces the cholesterol of the human body and therefore could lower the blood pressure and prevent the heart disease.
5. Most patients with gastric diseases such as the gastritis and gastric ulcer have excessive gastric acid. The spirulina is alkaline food and contains chlorophyll, β-carotene and abundant proteins which are very effective for recovering the mucosa of the stomach and intestinal tract.
6. It contains abundant iron and chlorophyll and is very effective for improve anemia.
7. It could provide high protein and high fiber for patients with liver diseases and therefore could alleviate their diseases.
8. Many metals and medicines harm and the kidney. The spirulina could remove the kidney toxic caused by medicines containing mercury, and therefore could clean the kidney.
9. It is helpful for weight-watchers, provides potassium and prevents high blood pressure disease from worsening.

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Reference:
Can-Nuo Spirulina Center 丽江康诺生物开发有限公司  

YuShuiZhai (Jade Water Village) 丽江玉水寨景区

YuShuiZhai (Jade Water Village)  丽江玉水寨景区旅游指南

Travel Tips

Attractions:

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
Map:

 

View Jade Water Village in a larger map

Brief Introduction :
丽江玉水寨位于丽江古城北12公里处，在玉龙雪山山下，海拔2500米。玉水寨是丽江古城河水主要源头之一，在举目是景的丽江，玉水寨的地位尤为突出，除了其秀丽不比其他景点差之外，更重要的是玉水寨还是丽江东巴文化的传承圣地和白沙细乐传承基地及勒巴舞的传承基地，丽江玉水寨有众多富有民族、地方特色的景观，如神龙三叠水瀑布群、三文鱼养殖生态观光、古树和玉龙雪山最大的神泉、东巴壁画廊、东巴始祖庙、白沙细乐展示、纳西族古建筑和传统生活展示、东巴祭祀活动、传统祭祀场、东巴舞展示、纳西族传统水车、水碓、水磨房、高山草甸风光等。
Reference:
http://www.yushuizhai.com/
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_56fa57e10101h7gt.html
Photo:
丽江玉水寨
Video:
合江人游丽江玉水寨

Dry Sea (Ganhaizi)

Dry Sea (Ganhaizi) 甘海子

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

Located on the east foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Dry Sea, with an elevation of 3,100m, is a highland meadow about 23km from the old town. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Dry Sea used to be a highland lake. However, when the water dried up, a vast meadow formed, hence the name "Dry Sea." Extensive and tranquil, the meadow is about 5km long and 2km wide. Today, many ethnic group villages, resorts, parks, racetracks, and golf courses have been built on the Dry Sea, which has become an important tourist spot for Lijiang. 

甘海子是玉龙山东麓的一个开阔的草甸，每年春夏之交，百花齐放，组成巨大的花苑，整个草甸充满生机活力。 

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee: Free
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
Map:

View Ganhaizi (Dry Lake) in a larger map  

Brief Introduction :
Dry Sea is a vast meadow with an altitude of 3,100 meters (10,171 feet). Just as its name implies, it had been a highland glacial lake before the 1940s and was formed after the water dried up. Dry Sea is located at the east foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and is only 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) away from Lijiang Old Town. Surrounded on all three sides by the superb mountains, Dry Sea is the closest, and the best, place to get a panoramic view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The 13 peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are covered by undefiled white snow. The name of the highest peak, Shanzidou (Fan Peak) originates from its shape. On the heavily forested Dry Sea, spring is a busy season, for the meadow bursts into colorful blooms and is full of energy. In the sunny days of summer, fantastic green glittering glaciers can be seen clearly through the telescope. When autumn comes, it brings a gentle breeze that kisses the meadow, turning the green leaves on the deciduous trees into bright yellow, orange, and scarlet. In winter, the pure snow covers this world, causing the meadow and the mountains to display a kind of holy beauty. Dry Sea is an abundant pasture; views of local herders, who intersperse their groups of grazing livestock (including cattle, goats, sheep, and domesticated yaks), are plentiful. Dry Sea is now a famous travel resort; many minority villages are built here and the establishments are self-contained. Tourists can take part in many kinds of activities by daylight, like skiing, grass sliding, gliding, and horseback riding, etc. When the moonlit night comes, visitors can enjoy the peace and harmony of the majestic snow mountains and the far-flung meadow or take part in the parties held by local people.
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Blue Moon Valley, BaiShui River 藍月谷, 白水河/白水台

BaiShui River

Travel Tips 

There are gorgeously-dressed yaks along the Baishui River, tourists can pay to ride on them, or take photos with them.

Attractions:

Opening Hour: 
Whole day
Admission Fee:
It is contained in the ticket of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
How to get there:  
25km north of Lijiang city, in the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Taxi (100 CNY).
Bus No. 7 (15 CNY) on the Xin Dajie, the bus starts from Lijiang and goes to all spots along this route: Ganhaizi, BaiShui River and the Yanshanping. The fare is 8 RMB from Lijiang city to the terminal at Yanshanping. 
Best Travel Season:
Map:

View Blue Moon Valley, BaiShui River in a larger map  

Brief Introduction :

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More Pictures 

Lan Yue Valley (Blue Moon Valley)

Blue Moon Valley in Lijiang 藍月谷

← →

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there:  
You can take the No.7 bus at the Hongtaiyang Square near the big water wheels.
Best Travel Season:
Map:
Blue Moon Valley is located near Lijiang, in Yunnan province China.
Brief Introduction :

Blue Moon Valley gets the water out of the melting snow that runs from the east of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and forms four lakes and a few waterfalls. The head of the valley is one of the main tourist sites and has natural white water terraces. the water often  appear as an amazing turquoise-blue.
The valley is in the shape of crescent seen from the distance, it is like a blue moon at the bottom of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. People call it Baishui River as the earth is white, and the water seems white when it is rainy
Reference:
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The Beauty of LiJiang BaiShui River Flows through Blue Moon Valley

Shuhe Ancient Town 丽江束河古镇

Shuhe Ancient Town 丽江束河古镇旅游指南

Travel Tips

Attractions:

1. A world cultural heritage site in China.

2. Vernacular Dwelling, Ancient Architectures.
3. Naxi customs in the town. 

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
Map:

Brief Introduction :
Shuhe, or 'Shaowu' in Naxi language, means the village at the foot of the high mountain.
Shuhe Ancient Town is located 4km to the northwest of the Lijiang Ancient Town. Its central part covers an area of about 5 square kilometers with a population around 3,000. In 1997, Shuhe was ranked as an important part of Lijiang Ancient Town which was already the World Cultural Heritage named by UNESCO.
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Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area 丽江玉龙雪山景区旅游指南

← →

Travel Tips 

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
Map:
Brief Introduction :
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Mountain) is the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Consisting of 13 peaks, among which Shanzidou is the highest one with an altitude of 5,600 meters (18,360 feet), Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
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Hei Long Tan (Black Dragon Lake) 黑龙潭公园

Hei Long Tan (Black Dragon Lake) / Jade Spring Park (Yuquan Park) 丽江黑龙潭公园旅游指南

Travel Tips

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
Map:

View Back Dragon Pool in a larger map

Brief Introduction :
Walking north from the Old Town of Lijiang, exactly at the foot of Elephant Hill, is the Black Dragon Pool (Heilongtan), an influx of limpid spring. Since the water of the pond is as green as a shining jade, the park of Black Dragon Pool, which was built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty, is also entitled the Jade Spring Park (Yuquan Park).
Jade Spring Park (Yuquan Park) occupies an area of 11,390 square meters and includes many distinctive and ravishing sites. Hiding in the lush trees or standing along the liquid pool is the antique and exquisite architectural pieces, which are in the style of Naxi (also spelt Nakhi or Nahi). Therefore, Jade Spring Park is a really good place to seek novelty and grasp beautiful scenes.
昆明黑龍潭位於昆明北郊龍泉山麓，相傳，為漢黑水祀故地，稱為"黑水祀"。園內山勢挺拔，古木參天，殿宇依山勢層層構築，氣勢宏大。山麓湧出一泉匯為潭，碧綠清澈，故名"黑龍潭"。其旁有一潭，水呈渾濁，有水口與黑龍潭相通，清、渾兩潭，面積共600平方米，而兩潭的魚互不越潭，成為一奇趣。潭旁還有明義士薛爾望之墓。元代建有"龍泉觀"，明、清以來建有祖師殿、玉皇閣、三清殿等道教建築群。園內環境清幽，古樹名花極多，擁有規模宏大的"梅園"，尤以唐梅、宋柏、元杉、明茶最為有名，稱為黑龍潭林木"四絕"。國內古碑林立，明代刻制的道符，看時凸現"萬物茲生"四字，人們習慣稱它為"凸字碑"。國內道觀廟宇，亭臺樓閣、清泉碧流、名樹古木交相輝映，風光秀麗，環境清幽，真如楹聯所謂：
兩樹梅花一潭水，四時煙雨半山雲。
黑龍潭大門外為著名的昆明植物研究所，栽培有眾多的奇花異木，成林成片；四季花香，是雲南"植物工國"的縮影。
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丽江黑龙潭照片

Impressions of Lijiang 印象丽江

Impressions of Lijiang 印象丽江

Travel tips

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY 190
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
Map:

View Impression of Lijiang in a larger map  

Brief Introduction :

Impression Lijiang is the second outdoor production of Zhang Yimou’s debuted open-air performance at the foot of Yulong (Jade Dragon) Snow Mountain in southwest China. Around 500 local people from 10 ethnic groups have been selected from 16 towns and villages in Lijiang of Yunnan Province to perform daily folk songs, dances and rituals for tourists. The performance entitled Impression Lijiang was innovatively staged in the morning that Zhang Yimou spent two years producing this one-hour outdoor performance. The performance began with more than 400 male performers in their traditional costumes of respective ethnic groups shouting to the sky "we are farmers, we are stars".

Unlike indoor or evening performances that can use lighting to cover up blemishes, an outdoor performance in full daylight allows no room for mistakes or "artistic decoration or artificial disguise". Actually, there is nobody dared to put an outdoor performance at daytime before Zhang Yimou made this decision after having wide-ranging investigation. This outdoor production has undergone hundreds of times of discussions and rehearsals before staged. All the songs and dances were artistically produced on the bases of folk people's daily life.

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Reference:
印象麗江片首
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Top via cable car

Lijiang Old Town 麗江古城

Ancient Town of Dayan, Sifangjie (The Market Square) 丽江古城景区旅游指南

Travel tips 

Attractions:

Opening Hour:
Admission Fee:  CNY
How to get there:  
Cars are not allowed in old town, walking or cycling is a better choice.
Best Travel Season:
The best time for traveling in the old town of Lijiang is autumn (September or October)
Map:

Brief Introduction :
As home to Naxi minority, Lijiang consists of two towns. The New Town and the Old Town are divided geographically by Lion Hill. The New Town was developed during the latter part of the 20th century and is rather like a boring urban sprawl. The Old Town was founded some 800 years ago in late Song Dynasty and is an architectural gem (although it looks like a huge ink stone, from which image it derived its name - Dayan or Big Ink Stone). The Old Town suffered serious damage in a 1996 earthquake, but is undergoing serious restoration with original Naxi style. With Sifang Street at the core of Dayan, the town spreads out in all directions and is crisscrossed by a labyrinth of streets and alleyways. Most of the dwellings are brick-and-tile structures with carved doors and painted windows. Although Dayan is a compact community, there is always space for a garden. Traffic across the rivers along the street is facilitated by a large number of tiny stone bridges. In 1997 it was included on the World Heritage List by UNESCO.
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Xizhou Village 喜洲 in Dali

Xizhou Village 喜洲 in Dali

Travel tips: Recommended time for a visit: two hours.

Opening Hour: Whole day
Admission Fee:  CNY 10
How to get there: There are buses from the Dali old town or Xiguan to Xizhou Village for about one hour.
Best Travel Season:
Brief Introduction :
Xizhou Village is located in the north of Dali, 18 kilometers far from Dali city, facing Erhai on the east.

Xizhou Village was a military stronghold during the Nanzhao Kingdom. The town is surrounded by rice paddies and Cangshan. It grew and flourished in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) along with the fortunes of Dali renowned tea merchants that traded to Tibet. Nowadays, it´s a farming town with some traditional Bai architecture.

At the entrance to Xizhou, a magnificent structure catches the attention of visitors. It is a two-storey building made of wood and brick. The second floor is an attic of horizontal inscribed board. The first floor is a corridor, leading you into an atmosphere of traditional culture featuring part-time study in the countryside. Not far away is a banyan tree with flourishing leaves and branches. Perched on the tree is a large flock of egrets. They lead a comfortable and luxurious life without anyone disturbing them.

Features :
Xizhou Village is not only a historically famous city but also a typical commercial center of Bai Ethnic Nationality. With a more mixed population and cosmopolitan background, it is now a "must" for the travelers. You can enjoy lovely ethical clothes, fairylike programs, decorative architectures, gifted garden parties and wonderful handicrafts there.

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Reference:
Photo: Dali Xizhou

The Dali Three Pagodas 大理崇圣寺三塔

The Dali Three Pagodas 大理崇圣寺三塔旅游指南

Travel Tips 

Attractions:

Opening Hour: 8:00-19:00
Admission Fee:  CNY112
How to get there: 
Best Travel Season:
With average annual temperature of 15 degree, Dali is suitable for travel all year around. But since many festivals will be held during March to April such as March Street (March 15 to March 21, lunar calendar) and Butterfly Meeting on April 15 (lunar calendar). Dali will breathe rich festival atmosphere and is dominated by flowers and green trees at this period. Besides, this golden period is not harassed by the endless rain.

Map:

Brief Introduction :

Photo:
Video:
Reference:
Three Pagodas From Wikipedia
The Dali Three Pagodas