I Left My Heart In…..Lijiang (sung to the tune of “I left my heart in San Francisco”)
Why did I leave my heart there? Well, upon flying from Chengdu to Lijiang (where our lively group of 4 traveling ladies was now complete), I stepped out from the small Lijiang airport. Suddenly, everything changed and soon, I realized that one could start to fall in love with the beauty of southwest China…
This is old town Lijiang—which travel books will tell you is a must-see and a must-stay in Yunnan. Old Town is pedestrian only so check your vehicle and bikes in new town (where ironically, many of the locals go). It is an escape from the city life; however, it definitely caters to tourists as the town is lined with shops and hostels.
The quaint town of old-town Lijiang boasts brightly lit red and pink bloated lanterns, narrow brick and stone quarters lined with shops/restaurants/bars, and buildings with traditional Chinese roofs---all surreally lit at night. In a slightly similar way, the town reminds me of the gothic quarter feeling of Barcelona, Spain. You can turn one corner and bump into the nightlife, then turn another corner and discover serenity---a temporary get-away from the bar and shopping scenes. The air is clearer and crisper here in southwestern China and everywhere you see the glowing bronze skin of the Naxi people, a minority population in China. Many, especially the elderly women, wear bright blue and white skirts and don traditional headwraps. Their flushed cheeks smile at you while you walk by, and you can even hear men humming tunes or singing in the streets.
We found a hostel to stay, which was recommended to us by a taxi driver we hired to take us around for the next couple of days. I have to include our trip’s bonus. Nancy spoke mandarin so we were lucky to have her do many translations and interpretations for us—although we did practice speaking every now and then, especially when we hit up the shopping! That late evening, we walked around the town, and in the distance, we heard bar songs being sung, challenging groups from the opposite bar to sing back.
As for our travel plans: the plan was to sleep one night here, and then in the morning embark for Shangri-La (also known as Zhongdian), which is the closest one can get to Tibet. There we would try to trek the Tiger Leaping Gorge. We would stay one night in Shangri-La and then head back to Lijiang sometime after that.
Wow, I just realized that it’s been 4 cities in 4 days for me. Until next time!
This is old town Lijiang—which travel books will tell you is a must-see and a must-stay in Yunnan. Old Town is pedestrian only so check your vehicle and bikes in new town (where ironically, many of the locals go). It is an escape from the city life; however, it definitely caters to tourists as the town is lined with shops and hostels.
The quaint town of old-town Lijiang boasts brightly lit red and pink bloated lanterns, narrow brick and stone quarters lined with shops/restaurants/bars, and buildings with traditional Chinese roofs---all surreally lit at night. In a slightly similar way, the town reminds me of the gothic quarter feeling of Barcelona, Spain. You can turn one corner and bump into the nightlife, then turn another corner and discover serenity---a temporary get-away from the bar and shopping scenes. The air is clearer and crisper here in southwestern China and everywhere you see the glowing bronze skin of the Naxi people, a minority population in China. Many, especially the elderly women, wear bright blue and white skirts and don traditional headwraps. Their flushed cheeks smile at you while you walk by, and you can even hear men humming tunes or singing in the streets.
We found a hostel to stay, which was recommended to us by a taxi driver we hired to take us around for the next couple of days. I have to include our trip’s bonus. Nancy spoke mandarin so we were lucky to have her do many translations and interpretations for us—although we did practice speaking every now and then, especially when we hit up the shopping! That late evening, we walked around the town, and in the distance, we heard bar songs being sung, challenging groups from the opposite bar to sing back.
As for our travel plans: the plan was to sleep one night here, and then in the morning embark for Shangri-La (also known as Zhongdian), which is the closest one can get to Tibet. There we would try to trek the Tiger Leaping Gorge. We would stay one night in Shangri-La and then head back to Lijiang sometime after that.
Wow, I just realized that it’s been 4 cities in 4 days for me. Until next time!
posted by RENEWED at
11:58 PM
