Yunan to Tibet Route

Kunming enjoys a pleasant climate and does its best to live up to its title of 'the City of Eternal Spring'. Whenever you are planning to go, the temperature is always pleasant. With its convenient transport links in and out of the city, Kunming welcomes and sees off tens of thousands of tourists every day.

For first-time tourists Kunming city center is an attraction with its two squares and five interlaced roads - Jinma Biji Square, Dongfeng Square, Dongfeng Lu, Jinbi Lu, Zhengyi Lu, Renmin Lu and Qingnian Lu, among which Jinbi Square has the most eye-catching architecture. Qingnian Lu, Zhengyi Lu, and Renmin Lu are the main commercial areas in Kunming; the most popular pedestrian streets are Nanping Jie, Jingxing Huaniao Shichang, and Jinma Biji Fang.

Kunming is the focal point of Yunnan minority culture. Some 26 ethnic minorities such as Yi, Bai, Miao, Dai, Hani and more inhabit the region. Each group has its own featured festivals such as the Torch festival of Yi people, the Golden Temple Fair and so on. The hugely successful 1999 International Horticultural Exposition enhanced Kunming's influence in the world resulting in a snowball effect upon tourism as more and more foreigners come to discover this enchanting part of China.

Its alluring highland scenery, bewitching karst landform, varied and exotic habitats and customs and places of historical interest can be found at major scenic spots such as Dianchi Lake, Stone Forest , the Village of Ethnic Culture, Grand View Pavilion, etc.

Kunming has more than one hundred star rated hotels and a variety of a thousand or so guest houses. These provide tourists a wide choice of somewhere to relax after whole day's tour.

Kunming is also renowned for many delicious local dishes; the most famous ones are Across Bridge Rice Noodle and Xuanwei Ham. You can enjoy them both at local famous restaurants or the night market. In the night markets you will find many pubs, bars and cafes that serve good quality meals.

Lastly, do not forget to buy some locally produced souvenirs for your friends or family when you visit Kunming, such as ivory or wood carvings, minority tie dyings. You will find a variety of stores to meet your specified requirements.

Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake are praised as Dali's leading scenic areas. Most attractions in Dali lie between these two landmarks, such as the Butterfly Spring, and the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple. Ethnic minorities have inhabited Dali for generations, with the Bai Minority making up the majority of Dali's population (65%). The customs of the ethnic minorities bring charm to daily life in Dali. Each spring, celebrations and festivals bring the city to life. Celebrations such as the March Street Festival and Butterfly Fest provide excellent opportunities to learn about local folk customs.

As early as 4,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Bai people settled in the Dali area. In the Second Century AD, it was brought into the territory of the central government of Han Dynasty (206 BC-220AD). Two ethnic states, the Nanzhao State (738-937) in Tang Dynasty (618-907), and the Dali State (937-1253) in Song Dynasty (960-1279), were once established here as well. Throughout the ages, Dali remained an intermediary area linking economic and cultural communications between ancient China and other countries via India. The remains of Dali Tai He City and the Dali Ancient City bear witness to thousands of years of historic changes in Dali. Together with the Xizhou Town and the Zhoucheng Village, the ancient towns in Dali show the best of historic customs of daily life within the Bai Minority.

Present day Dali is a city that combines history with modern convenience. It is divided into two areas- the Ancient City and the New District (widely known as Xiaguan). The Ancient City is centered around the ancient city of Dali, first built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ancient buildings, city walls and the old city moat are the sites most frequented by visitors. The famous Foreigner Street in the Ancient City attracts visitors with its handicrafts, and local culinary delicacies. Xiaguan, located to the south of the Ancient City, home to the government of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. Here hotels, public squares, and shopping centers add modernity to the otherwise historical city.

The whole district is comprised of four counties: Lijiang Yongsheng Huaping and Ninglang. Lijiang's weather is remarkably pleasant. Spring there lasts as long as 241 days and there is no hot summer.

- The Old Town of Dayan Lijiang
Which is referred to by Western tourists as the ??Oriental Venice??? The Old Town was founded some 800 years ago and is an architectural gem. It survived serious damage in a 1996 earthquake and was undergoing serious restoration. 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. Traffic across the rivers along the street is facilitated by a large number of tiny stone bridges.

All these natural sceneries and these cultural treasures of the minority peoples such as Dongba Culture Naxi Classical Music Baisha Murals and Mosuo Customs have been continuously drawing tourists from all over the world and have recently vote Lijiang as one of the favorite destinations in China.

. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan)
Harboring a string of marine glaciers the only one of its kind in the southern end of the Northern Hemisphere the mountain range with snow accumulated over ages extends unbroken for 35 kilometers forming the "Jade Dragon" dancing in clouds.

In 1997, China Daily reported that based upon the many geographic similarities between James Hilton's city of Shangri-La (featured in his book "Lost Horizon") and the town of Deqin, they concluded that they were one and the same. To date, no one, including the Hilton estate, has refuted this claim.

The mountain pass into Deqin valley lies at the snowline and the surrounding snowcapped mountaintops are blinding in the sunlight. The lower mountainsides are brown bare rock, too poor to host anything more than occasional scrub except for the few squares of cultivated fields of rice. Nevertheless, they are majestic and indescribably beautiful. In these mountains, mundane thoughts fall away and what remains borders on the spiritual. It is perhaps for this reason that the Tibetans build their monasteries in these regions, away from the material trappings of society.

In 1206 Genghis Khan broke through the Great Wall of China and in 1252 Kublai Khan rode into Yunnan. These mountains and the resistance of the fierce minority kingdoms cost him 27 years before subduing Yunnan and bringing it within the proper borders of China.

Deqin lies in a green valley, like an emerald in a strata of rock, but down in the town the three streets were dirty and shabby like a million other streets in a million other towns

. Meili Snow Mountain
Meili Snow Mountain, also known as Prince Snow Mountain, is located 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) northeast of Deqin County of Yunnan Province. The mountain sits on the border of Yunnan Province and Tibet, where the three famous rivers, namely the Jinsha, Mekong (Nu) and Salwen (Lancang) flow.

Known for the grandest view in Yunnan Province, Meili Snow Mountain boasts numerous snow-clad ridges and peaks, thirteen of which exceed 6,000 meters (19.685 feet) above the sea level. The most splendid view is of the Kawagebo Peak, the highest in Yunnan Province rising about 6,740 meters (22,112.86 feet). It is still a 'virgin peak' for no one has ever reached the top. Thus, Meili Snow Mountain is a challenge for all mountain explorers from home and abroad.

Visitors are treated to spectacular view from all vantage points. The continuous mountain ridges feature snowy peaks and the sun throws golden lights on the low-floating clouds which form various extraordinary shapes, affording yet another splendid view! But mostly, the mountain presents itself as mystery when dense fog and clouds made it a gleaming sight to see and you could hardly resist the temptation to unveil it. You can have a panoramical view of the thirteen towering peaks from the Feilai Temple which is in the west of Deqin County.

From the foot of the Kang Karpo Peak, you see the peculiar low-altitude glaciers formed in modern times. Strong updrafts collide with cloud airflow from the inner continents in this area producing frequent dense fog and heavy snow. The resulting topographic extremes include hanging glaciers, icefalls and snow slides. The Mingyong Glaciers, in particular, rushes from an elevation of 5,500 meters (18.045 feet) down to the forest zone 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) above the sea level in rainy seasons. From afar it looks like a huge white snake wriggling its way among the verdant mountains. On the south side of the peak, a waterfall named 'holy collapsing rain' falls from thousands of meters high. Pure water splashed from snow cracks and with the help of the sunlight, rainbows are often seen hanging above the fall.

Owing to its high altitude, the mountain owns several climatic zones with a diversity of plants, vast expanse of grassland and rich fungi species that are vertically distributed. The types of vegetation here range from the Torrid Zone to Frigid Zone vertically. From the altitude of 2,000 meters (6562 feet) to 4,000 (13123 feet) meters, forests flourish with varieties of spruce. The depth of the forest is an exotic world of rare birds and animals. The meadows surrounding the forests are embellished by countless flowers which add more vitality and charm to the mountain.

The road into Nyingtri passes through Takste township. Just above the town is this monastery. There is a Takste Yungdrungling Bon Monastery.

Differing from the inland cities and other places in Tibet, Lhasa is unique with an allure all of its own. In the Tibetan language, Lhasa means the Holy Land or the Buddha Land. It is the center of Tibet's politics, economy and culture. The city has also been appointed as one of the 24 historical and cultural cities of China. The splendor and grandeur of the Potala Palace in Lhasa remains a world-famous symbol of the enigmatic power of politics and religion in this region.

As the beautiful capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa is situated in the South Central part of the region, on the North bank of the Kyichu River (Lhasa River) in a mountain-fringed valley. This ancient sprawling city, settled 1,300 years ago, covers 30,000 square kilometers (11,583 square miles), with a population of 400,000, of which 87 percent are Tibetans. The urban population is 180,000.

Generally the period from March to October is the best time to visit Tibet. Since Lhasa is located at such a high altitude it is wise to be prepared before starting your journey. Generally speaking, due to the large temperature differences during any given day in Tibet, warm clothes should be taken to keep away the cold. However, because it also receives a great deal of sunshine, sunglasses, suntan oil, and a sun hat are indispensable items if you're traveling anywhere in Tibet.

Although there is a gradually increasing tourism industry in Lhasa, it is a city with many difficulties yet to be overcome due to its unique location and geography. Please bear in mind that traveling in Lhasa, as well as in Tibet on the whole, is more challenging than in any other part of China.

When the ice melts in late April, the lake is a miraculous shade of turquoise and there are magnificent iews of the nearby mountains. The wide opend spaced dotted with the tents of local nomands are intoxicating.

After you adapt the high altitude from Lhasa you can make a trip to Namtso for 1-2 day.