Tag Archives: Nature

Take me to Dali: Experiencing the folk customs of Yunnan

If there is a touch of enjoyable spring scenery in this world, it must be colorful Yunnan. The beautiful Kunming, the soft ancient Lijiang, the timeless and peaceful Shangri-La and the venerable Dali. Yunnan, a beautiful and clear place in Chinese people’s hearts, we always remember the clean landscapes, unsophisticated ethnic minorities, bright national costumes …this old southwest land is known for its beauty, richness, and magic. It has always been called the “myth” by the people, which attracts tourists from all over the world. The feeling of Yunnan is like a colorful cloud chasing another one, which showing colorful auras, flowing with a variety of dynamics.
Colorful Yunnan, South of the Colorful Clouds, if it’s the mystery land in China you’re looking for, then Yunnan is a place you will not want to miss.

The first stop we come is Dali, the fanciest city in Yunnan, it represents Cang Mountain and Erhai Lake, which was the capitals of ancient Nanzhao. Dali Listed by the Chinese government as one of the first 24 national historical and cultural cities and it became the first of the top ten charming cities in China.

Erhai Lake

According to locals, we know that Dali has four major scenery, the wind, the flower, the snow and the moon.

Cang mountain represents the snow and Erhai lake is the one which represents the moon, that looks as bright and clear as the moonlight. It is an alpine freshwater lake in Dali, the name Erhai means “Ear-shaped Sea”, due to its shape as seen by locals in hundreds of years. Erhai was also known as Yeyuze in ancient times, which hears more poetic than today, the whole city of Dali is surrounded by this lake, Erhai is the life lake for all locals.

It’s hard to characterize the beauty of Erhai with a single word, When the lake is calm and under the sunshine, it looks like a blue gem inlaid on the ground of Dali. The breeze blows, the lake is glittering with gold and beautiful flowing waves, all these things make it become one of the most popular spots among worldwide travelers.

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Due to the reason that the Erhai lake as an important food source for the local people, until today, we still can see some fishing men in the boat in Erhai. Different plants decorated around the lake, which makes everything looks like an oil painting.

Many spots are around the lake, you can get one map of Dali and Erhai from your hotel or any city station, tourist can rent the car or bicycle to riding, also the lakeshore include Erhai Park and many islands include Erhai Parkcan be explored by hiking, many beautiful islands are available to visit for people, choosing where you like and take the photos in these place, remember to bring sun cream because Uv is very strong.

If you have enough money, I highly recommend you book the gorgeous homestay which nearby Erhai, you can not find a beautiful hotel easily like this in other Chinese cities, otherwise, for those who want a cost-effective price, the recommended homestay living area is nearby the Cang mountain.

On the road, we always see the crystal clear blue sky with clouds, what a breathtaking view! Green hills, fresh air, bright sunshine, beautiful white clouds, bright snowy mountains, dreamy blue water, just like a burst of poetic painting! I began to enjoy the slow life of Dali, our journey is just getting started.

Dali

Shuang long town

As well as Xizhou town, Shuang long town is one of my favorite old towns in Dali, which is the hometown of Chineses famous dancer- Yangliping, the sun and moon palace nearby the Erhai is her private house, but now it is changed to become a tea shop, tourist can sit here and enjoy the afternoon tea and enjoy a peaceful time on side of the lake. Shuang long town was a small fishing village, now become a hot tourist destination in Yunnan.

Sun & moon palace
  • Shuanglong town
  • Afternoon tea

By the way, do not forget to try some local hand-made flower yogurt, there are several flavors for you to choose from, it tastes really great!

Flower yogurt

Butterfly Spring

Butterfly spring is located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. It is about 7 kilometers away from the Dali old town and is a famous tourist spot in Erhai Lake. Butterfly Spring is a square-shaped spring surrounded by marble and has very clear water. The spring water looks like jadeite which presents a colorful light, there are many butterflies fly around the spring in the past but today it is infrequent to see. Moreover, you can wear folk cloth and take a photo with your friends or families, there are many beautiful styles you can choose, I picked my favorite Miao style dress with a gorgeous silver headwear.

Butterfly Spring
Wild Butterfly
My sisiter and I

Cang Mountain

Cang Mountain is located to the west of the Dali town and belongs to the Yunling Mountains. It has a rich variety of plants on the mountain, including the nineteen peaks and eighteen streams. The snow in winter is beautiful thus Cang mountain represents the snow in Dali. Tourists can take the ropeway or walk to the peak. In Chinese traditional legend, celestial beings are living on the peak of the mountain, when we stand on the top, it makes you feel that you are close to the fairyland and the gods.

Touch the sky
3920m

Visitors can see the whole Cang mountain and the Dali town in a ropeway, the view is awesome! Besides, there are many stores under the foot of the mountain that sell the oxygen bottle to alleviate the effects of altitude. If you come here in Winter, it’s better to rent a down coat because the top of the mountain is really cold.

  • Cang mountain
  • Ropeway

Dail old Town

Dail old town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Yunnan, known for its historical and cultural heritage, and vibrant nightlife. There are many bars, cafes, antique shops, tie-dye shops and galleries on the historic street. I highly recommend tourist come to shopping and eating in the old town, you never find a place like this which bring you into an ancient Chinese dream.

  • Dali old town
  • Ancient city wall
  • Ancient city wall

-Wandering among the beautiful mountains and rivers, or walking through the quiet alleys of the ancient city, or just sitting and feeling the ancient and mysterious breath of Yunnan-

Water you talking about?!

My dear friend Rosa (who also has blog!) recently recommended me to read a book called, The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto. She explained to me how Emoto is a Japanese scientist who discovered that the molecules of water are effected by our thoughts, words, and feelings. Essentially, his research involves saying different phrases and playing different kinds of music to water, then freezing that water and analyzing the kinds of crystals the it forms. I know… sounds crazy but bare with me. I made a mini resolution at the beginning of this year that I would read more books, but also read books that I would never think about reading. Following our conversation, I immediately ordered the book on Amazon and had it in my hands within a couple of days. Little did I know the magnitude to which this book would blow my mind.

As I explain Emoto’s work, it will slowly start to make sense how this relates to kindness. For over a decade now, Emoto has been taking pictures of frozen ice crystals. He began taking these pictures when he noticed in his research that water “expresses itself in a vast variety of ways” (p. ix). As he was taking these pictures, he researched why certain types of water created certain kinds of crystals, and that’s when he started experimenting with saying different phrases and playing different kinds of music to liquid water then freezing it to see what kinds of crystals it makes. His findings were absolutely remarkable.

Below are pictures of frozen water crystals when he had a group of children say “you’re beautiful” a few times and several times to two different cups of water. The third cup was ignored completely.

Image from: The Hidden Messages in Water (page 14)

Next are a series of pictures he took when people said “thank you” in various languages to different cups of water. As he notes in his book, they all resulted in crystals that were “beautiful and complete”.

Image from: The Hidden Messages in Water (page 7)

Finally, when words and phrases that indicated harm were spoken to cups of water, no crystals formed at all.

Image from: The Hidden Messages in Water (page 8)

You may be catching on now to how this all relates to kindness. However, let me explain even further. Emoto discusses in his book that the average human body is made up of 70% water. Based on his research then, the things that are said to us have a significant impact on our bodies and minds, as water absorbs the energy and vibrations from those words. He says that the key to living a happy and healthy life is to “purify the water that makes up 70 percent of your body” (p. xvi).

It’s quite evident that a huge part of kindness is how we speak to other people. We are taught from a young age that “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” however I think we’ve gotten that wrong. Sure, we can brush off negative things people say to us, but based on Emoto’s research, those words do effect us at a molecular level. I believe this quote from his book sums up how his research relates to kindness beautifully:

“In Japan, it is said that words of the soul reside in a spirit called kotodama or the spirit of words, and the act of speaking words has the power to change the world. We all know that words have an enormous influence on the way we think and feel, and that things generally go more smoothly when positive words are used. However, up until now we have never been able to physically see the effect of positive words” (p. xxvi).

Thank you, Masaru Emoto, for showing us the physical effect of words through the magic of water! For the sake of the water in us, go speak kindness and love into someone’s life today. 🙂

Whyte Lake

5.5 klicks


49°21’39” N, 123°15’32” W

Whyte Lake

Tucked away behind the sea-to-sky highway – just above Eagle Harbour – this popular West Vancouver trail is the perfect quick hike to get your outdoors fix. The winding path takes you through the old growth forest and up to a small lake, where in the summer some are brave enough to take a refreshing dip. Whyte Lake offers an easy hike immersed in nature’s tranquility, just 20 minutes outside of Downtown Vancouver. This local favourite is accessible and a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Escape the city

Whyte Lake offers an easy hike immersed in nature’s tranquility, just 30 minutes outside of Downtown Vancouver. This local favourite is easily accessible by car, and a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Layers

While the steady incline will make you break a sweat, the mossy rainforest canopy makes it hard for the sun to shine through. Make sure to bring a couple layers to stay warm, as you cool down quickly when standing still.

Round-trip: 2h
Elevation Gain: 178m
Highest Point: 295m
5.5 km – out and back

Open all-year round, this hike is fun rain or shine – or even snow! Although, be forewarned: if you choose to go up despite snowy and slushy conditions, be ready to slip at at least five times. And that’s not counting the times you’ll slip on the way back down. I would also be lying if I didn’t say it was part of the fun. The terrain is a mixture between roots and rocks, with a boardwalk surrounding the Whyte Lake to protect your feet from the marsh. The trail is clearly marked; however, once you’ve reached the top, the path becomes less obvious with the snow.

Stay on the trail – for your own safety, as well as for trail conservation.

These tall coniferous trees being to all look the same, especially once you loose sight of the trail. It is incredibly easy to get lost in a forest, and I wouldn’t underestimate the power that nature has against an unprepared day hiker. Even some of the most experienced hikers will recommend you don’t venture off in uncharted lands.

I was reminded of this when the trail I thought I was following was starting to get steeper and steeper. Turns out I was just following dog tracks and had veered way off course. Luckily, I was able to turn right around and retrace my steps.

Pros: Easy to get to, and short enough to fit into your morning or afternoon. If you’re a local, you’ll be sure to bump into somebody you know.

Cons: Very slippery with snow or rain. Can get pretty busy, so pick your day and time of day appropriately if you’re hoping to have the trail for yourself.

Have you completed this hike? Share your experience bellow!