Tag Archives: Story & Experience

How to spend a week in Lijiang? Enjoy your life in this Poetic old city in Yunnan

Lijiang is a romantic and prosperity old city in the northwest of Yunnan province near the Dali, it is the UNESCO Heritage Site and famous for the Old Town of Lijiang and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. This old city is every Chinese poet’s dream to live and write, every Chinese want to find love and meet the right person in this city. Today, when skyscrapers have seeped in throughout the entire world, but there remains something old, mythical and beautiful in this land, and I would say that Lijiang is the cherished old memory of China, this city represents the eternal ancient culture and romantic love.

Dayan-The Old Town of Lijiang

Dayan old town is the historical center of Lijiang City, which has a history going back more than 1,000 years. When you walk into this old town, which means you are walking into an ancient historical picture of the plateau. The ancient Naxi houses on the old street are surrounded by mountains and rivers, scattered and chic; the clear and transparent stream flows down the ancient bridge; the clear and bottomless river and the dust is not stained; The Yulong Snow Mountain in the distance towered into the clouds, standing tall and handsome. It such a beautiful town that attract billions of travelers from around the world visit, many students meet at this place and travel together, people come here to embrace nature and the love, this land is such a gift from the earth, It is the dream and happiness in my life, try to spend 4-5 days in this old town and feel the wonderful life in Lijiang!

The night in Dayan old town is also gorgeous when darkness has fallen and lights are on, we can see the sparking lights in a myriad of houses. The crowds flowed down the street, every seat in restaurants is taken by people, everywhere hung with red lanterns and decorations, which gives this town up and down a bustling and lively atmosphere.

LOCAL FOOD

Speaking of the local cuisine, the most famous one is Yunnan rice noodle, or we called the”cross-the-bridge rice noodle” which and has up to 30 tasty ingredients include the meat and vegetables, you can find the most authentic rice noodle in Lijiang! Moreover, I really recommend Lijiang Baba, which is a golden crisp and sweet local flour snack. For dinner or lunch pleasure, the Naxi Barbecue is the best choice for tourists, Naxi barbecue is a traditional dish in local with the main ingredient of pork belly, which can make for soup as well.

Mu Fu Mansion

There is a saying in Lijiang, you can’t know Lijiang without going to Mufu, Lijiang was under the rule of the Mu family native chieftains during the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. Today, Mufu become this most well-known tourist attraction where attracts tourists from worldwide and lets them visit the glorious history palace, and also a splendid architectural art garden. By the way, remember to bring the student ID or senior citizen pass, which can have a discount on the tickets.

Blue moon valley

Blue Moon Valley, which located the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the god mountain of the hearts of the Naxi people. The water in this lake is from the ancient ice and snow that originated from the snow mountain glaciers melted down the cliffs, and then converged into mountains and streams. Eventually, crystal clear and sweet rivers formed in the deep valleys upstream of the Blue Moon Valley. The water consists of white limestone thus looks extremely pure. On sunny days, the color of the water is blue, and the valley is crescent-shaped. From a distance, it looks like a blue moon inlaid at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, thus locals called it ‘Blue Moon Valley’.

I took many amazing photos with my sister here, we also saw many couples took their marriage photos here, they believe they will get the bless from snow god. Notice that the water in the lake really cold, so do not play water in a long time, due to that the water in Blue Moon Valley has copper ions in the water, so you cannot drink it although it looks pretty.

-IT IS BETTER TO SEE SOMETHING ONCE THAN TO HEAR ABOUT IT A THOUSAND TIMES-

-BEAUTIFUL YUNNAN IS YOUR NEXT DESTINATION-

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

-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-

Meet the “City of Angels”-Los Angeles

Los Angeles was the kind of place where everybody was from somewhere else and nobody really droppped anchor. It was a transient place. People drawn by the dream, people running from the nightmare. –Michael Connelly

Imagining you are walking on the Sunset Boulevard with palm tree and a breeze, feeling the warm sunshine and charming of Los Angeles. In this city, you can always find something fresh, different, and interesting after your exploring. Los Angeles is enthusiastic and passionate, it is also well-known as the historical city of the movie, if you are a crazy fan of Hollywood, just come and feel this culture! This week, I made a lovely LA travel guide list for introducing my favorite LA landmark sights. Now! follow me to this wonderful place in America and start this beautiful trip with me! when summer suns were glowing, you could not help but recall the cherished memory in Los Angeles.

Tips: Using Airbnb to book the hotel or BNB is really convenient and money-saving, besides, LA is much drier than Vancouver, water supplements are necessary. Moreover, because public transportation is not very developed in LA, so car rental travel is my relatively recommended choice!

Griffith Observatory

Astronomy and stars, past and today, everything exhibited in Griffith Observatory is about the mystical sky. As the most famous landmark in LA, which located right across from the Hollywood Hills and offer a great place to see the English letters “Hollywood” on the Hollywood Hills clearly when you standing on the top of the Griffith Observatory. I suggested that it is better for tourists to achieve here in the afternoon, parking cars would be more easily, and you can see different views between noon and night, sunset scene of the Griffith Observatory is very beautiful, and you can capture amazing sunsets in many places in this park. In addition, the night view is so romantic at night, you can look at the high-rise buildings and enjoy the bustling city night scene at the observatory, the lights of the Los Angeles’ family at night are like the twinkling Milky Way galaxy. Griffith Observatory offers three different planetarium shows each day, it is not free and you need to pay for tickets, but it is really worth to see.

Address: 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027 USA

Salvation Mountain

Salvation Mountain is a hillside visionary environment created by Leonard Knight in the California desert area, which favored by most instagrammers and tourists around the world, wearing your most beautiful cloth and photographing here, notice that this mountain is in the desert, photos sometimes are misleading, it is really hot!

Address: Beal Rd, Calipatria, CA 92233, United States

The Getty Center

The Getty Center, one of the most famous cultural and artistic center with rich collecting art in this world, and impressive modern design. The museum also offers spectacular views of Los Angeles on clear days. Recent travelers loved the museum for its value and beauty, One thing is really awesome, the museum of such a magnificent art in the Getty Center actually does not need tickets, only the parking fee-15 dollars without time limitations. Additionally, this museum can be regarded as a heaven for arts-lovers, here they will find Renaissance paintings, royal french furniture, 20th-century, modern photography, baroque sculptures and more, I was really lucky to see an exhibition of Egyptian culture, I am literally a big fan of archeology so it was really exciting and unforgotten for me.

Address: 1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049, United States

Hollywood Universal Studios

Hollywood Universal Studios- the amazing themed amusement park with a variety of exciting and entertaining facilities that attract billions of people come and play every year, every tourist can not miss such a wonderful place and enjoy a sense of joy in LA!

I really like the”City Tour”, which is a car cruise about 45 to 60 minutes. Here you can see a lot of Hollywood scenes and techniques details, including the world’s largest set studio built by Spielberg as a consultant. One of the most impressive scenes is the Bates Motel, the man chasing our car with a knife. Moreover, the Walking dead and Mummy are also my favorites, you can only experience them in LA.

Disneyland Park & Disney California Adventure Park

As the oldest Disneyland in this world which built-in 1955, it has become the classical theme parks in the world and has been hailed as the happiest place on earth. You can see the first Disney castle in LA, it is not big or exquisite than other places, but it is priceless for Disney fans. By thie way, never miss the firework show at night!

Moving to the adventure park, the Paradise Pier area included ‘Mickey’s Fun Wheel Ferris’ and ‘California Screamin’ is considered as the landmarks of California Disneyland, It is also the place where the fountain of water shows the world of color at night. Mickey’s Fun Wheel Ferris is not the same as an ordinary Ferris wheel, the baskets above are divided into two types: rocking and fixed, you can choose it by yourself, I chose the rocking one and almost spit out on it, I will never forget this feeling!

Hollywood walk of fame

Hollywood Walk of Fame has been recognized as a cultural and historical landmark by LA, no doubt that it is the must-see for visitors. In addition to more than 2,000-star medals with Hollywood celebrity names, there is also the famous TCL Chinese Theatre and the Oscar venue Dolby Theatre. To be honest, I actually hesitated to come here, because the online review is really bad. I heard that there are a lot of cosplayers who are forced to take photos and ask for money, but you know, how can I miss this place when I come to LA, I try my best to avoid them, the whole street was a little bit chaotic. I came to some street shop and bought some souvenirs for my family, overall it was an interesting experience, but I suggested that do not visit here alone.

Beverly hills

The name of Beverly Hills has long been known, It has the title of “the most prestigious residential area in the world” which represents wealth and fame. I have to say that this is my dream and I am a big fan of TV show-the real housewife of Beverly Hills, standing on the street will make you feel the charm of the world’s top luxury capital. After that, we went to the nearby Rodeo Drive, which is dominated by famous shops. It contains all the most expensive stores in Southern California, and each famous store has its own unique architectural style. All the famous jewelry and costumes are found here in the most gorgeous exhibition halls There is a saying here: “Don’t ask how much money, if you ask, which means you can’t afford it.”

Santa monica beach

Santa Monica is a famous seaside resort and one of the most lively places in Los Angeles evening, it is especially popular with local residents and tourists. The beautiful sea view is also favored by Hollywood directors, thus the pier frequently appears among major Hollywood movies. It’s already five o’clock in the afternoon when I arrive at Santa Monica Beach. I have enough time to step on the sand at the beach, played with water and take a leisurely ride to enjoy the scenery. In such a sunset, I forgot where it is and forgot what I was going to do later. There were only the boundless quiet and deep-sea level in the eyes, and the gradual sinking halo and the golden glow that was dyed in gold and red.

People cut themselves off from their ties of the old life when they come to Los Angeles. They are looking for a place where they can be free, where they can do things they couldn’t do anywhere else. –Tom Bradley

Travel guide to the insta-famous attractions for photo-shooting in LA

Los Angeles, a city of the Instagram-famous spots, there have many desirable walls (art background) that attract the worldwide Insta-fans come to take the photos! In Los Angeles, Melrose, downtown and Venice beach are the three main sites with those famous walls, today I will focus to introduce the guide of Melrose’s artistic wall.

Paul Smith-The pink wall

Paul Smith’s pink wall is undoubtedly the most popular ins-style wall in the United States, the oversized and all-pink wall is easy to frame and photographing, you can stand anywhere with a pink background to take a good photo (no need to worry about the crowd and the weather). You can even avoid the crowd and take photos around the corner, the works are still awesome!