100% customisable travel idea
Encountering Yunnan On the Tea and Horse Road
China - Yunnan
100% customisable travel idea
China - Yunnan
100% customisable for you
Night on board, arrival the next day.
Private transfer and night accommodation for two nights in the centre of Kunming. The glass façade hints at beautiful views over the city. The style of the facilities is strictly international. Here and there, however, there is something Chinese. The rooms are immaculate. Impeccably maintained and comfortable. The bed linen is excellent. The shades range from beige to light grey, with patches of pastel colours. At the restaurant, the cuisine is also international and professional. The gym, well equipped with machines, looks out over the outdoors. In short, all the facilities of the establishment are satisfactory.
Scheduled - the Western Mountains. Xi Shan, on the western shore of Lake Dai, is a group of hills where, for many centuries, Buddhist and Taoist monks have withdrawn from society to seek refuge. There you will find temples - the oldest founded at the beginning of the 14th century - and ancient hermitages. From the heights, these intellectuals gazed with perplexity and compassion at the bustle of the city below. In the grand hall of Huating Temple, the statuary is especially impressive: Buddhist deities and five hundred sages. With a private guide, you’ll hike from one viewpoint to the next, and from the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings to the Guanyin Chapel.
Private transfer to Yuanyang. On the way, you’ll stop at the Naigu Black StoneForest. This impressive karst formation, with its many closely packed dark rocky peaks forming a giant labyrinth, is a geological marvel. On arrival, you’ll settle in for two nights among the rice fields. The property is simple but well laid out. Large picture windows let you watch the day break over the terraces, with a soft sun, a blanket of mist and the shimmering sparkle of the plots reflected many times over. You’ll reach the house on foot, as the car park is about a fifteen-minute walk away over uneven ground. Porters will take visitors’ luggage off their hands. The atmosphere on site is relaxed and easy-going. The owner speaks English, which makes discussions easier. As for the food, it is homestyle, hearty and well prepared.
Scheduled - The Yuanyang rice terraces. The Hani and Yi farmers, who have shaped the Yuanyang County rice terraces for more than a thousand years, have truly earned their place in human history. This landscape, kept productive through extraordinary perseverance, amazes with its immense winding curves, the strength of its lines, the shimmering waters from November to March, fresh greens from April to September and the intense yellow of ripe rice in October. From morning to evening, in every light of the day, it is a lesson in both landscape design and agriculture. A hike through the villages, accompanied by a private guide, lets you follow closely.
Private transfer to Jianshui. Overnight stay in a traditional-style residence, not far from the Zhu family’s garden. The buildings frame peaceful courtyard gardens. They are single-storey, sometimes with an upper floor with a gallery. The grey tiled roofs jut out above the flowerbeds. The carpentry work is splendid. Rooms and common areas are arranged in a simple, modern style. Life here is very pleasant, moving at leisure and smoothly from one atmosphere to another. Breakfast is served on site. And the immediate surroundings offer plenty of dining options. Scheduled - Old Jianshui. Although Jianshui is no longer the capital of Yunnan, it still preserves eloquent reminders of its former grandeur, such as the Old Gate, the Confucius Temple founded at the end of the 13th century, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and opulent merchants’ houses. The old neighbourhoods are highly evocative of bygone China, which so intrigued Europeans. Visit with a private guide.
Private transfer to Kunming. About 15 km (9 miles) from Jianshui, take the time to stroll through Tuanshan, a village that has miraculously remained in its original state. A sense of authenticity that, for once, is shared by the few souvenir shops.From Kunming, train to Dali and private transfer to Xizhou. You’ll settle in for two nights in Sili, a village in the commune. The courtyard house is a listed building in the Bai style. Fans of fine woodworking and wood carving will be delighted! The restoration was meticulous but not constrained by historical character, with contemporary elements providing perspective and ensuring every desired comfort. The shades of greige, taupe and faded pink beautifully highlight the building. Silk screens, ceramics and embroidery evoke the ancient art of living. At the restaurant, the chef offers modern Bai cuisine that is flavourful, healthy and focused on seasonal ingredients. And there’s cheese - a Mongolian legacy.
Scheduled - Weishan and Weibaoshan Mountain. Weishan, on the ancient tea route, developed under the Ming dynasty. Today, it is a surprising showcase of classical architecture. One of the highlights is the Gongchen Tower above the north gate; it dates back to the 14th century. The same goes for the elegant Xinggong Tower. The low houses lining the main street of the old town are typical of historic urban dwellings. Mount Weibao is linked to the origins of the Bai kingdom of Nanzhao from the 8th-10th centuries. It is also the cradle of the Yi. It remains one of the most famous Taoist mountains. To end this day spent with a private guide, you’ll visit the Hui village of Donglianhua. The Hui are Chinese Muslims. This community has preserved its surroundings and the most significant aspects of its culture and religious practices. Optional - A tea plantation.
Scheduled - Before leaving Dali, you’ll visit Chongsheng Temple, marked by its three pagoda towers from the 9th and 10th centuries. Local legend has it that they were built to appease dragons who frolicked in a nearby marsh and were not inclined to tolerate human presence. In any case, these buildings are exceptional for their style, scale and elegance. Private transfer to Shaxi. You’ll stay for two nights in a small accommodation in the village, set in a touchingly restored traditional house. The rooms with their simple yet tasteful décor overlook, as they should, a large courtyard at the centre of which is a pool. The gentle sound of flowing water is relaxing in itself. Here, you’ll feel as if you are at the end of an empire, while still enjoying modern comforts. In any case, this feels like what we came to China for.
On your itinerary - Shibaoshan Caves. Trade flourished in the former Nanzhao kingdom in the 8th-9th centuries in the Erhai Lake region. The southern Silk Road, also known as the Tea and Horse Road, passed through here. Just as ideas travel with goods, Buddhism then spread to Bai country. This is still evident today in these caves filled with statues of Indo-Tibetan inspiration. As for Baoxiang Temple, built in the 13th-14th centuries during the Yuan dynasty, you’ll reach it by climbing a flight of a thousand steps. In addition, still with a private guide, you’ll cycle through the Shaxi valley, where the natural landscape seems untouched. It is now rare to cycle in China through landscapes that have kept so much of their original character. An outing in the countryside - a rare opportunity these days.
Private transfer to Lijiang.Scheduled - the old town of Lijiang. Upon arrival, you’ll visit Dayan, the old town of Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage site. You’ll discover a flexible urban design where Han, Bai and Tibetan architecture coexist in harmony. The many canals have made Lijiang a city of bridges out of necessity. Tourism is very present, but it has not yet drowned out the beauty of the site. Which, it must be said, everyone is entitled to. And here, for two nights, you’ll stay in one of the two traditional-style houses that make up your accommodation in the city. The extensive use of wood has created a unique atmosphere and a legacy of forms. In this rather timeless setting, the contemporary furniture and amenities fit in with ease. The rooms are completely comfortable. The restaurant serves Yunnan, Chinese and international cuisine. It’s very well done in every case. A café and a tea room complete the offering. There is also a pleasant courtyard garden.
Scheduled - Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Zhiyun Temple. The Yanzi Jiang flows here between the Yulong Xue Shan and Haba Xue Shan mountain ranges, both rising to over 5,000 metres. The river flows through a series of rapids at the bottom of a vertiginous gorge. The jumble of steps you have to climb up and down is a small price to pay for the thrill of a major viewpoint. Through the scale of its elevation changes, this landscape brings home the incredible power of the Himalayan terrain. Next, the peace that emanates from Zhiyun Monastery will help to relieve stress. It is the first of the five great Tibetan lamaseries in Lijiang. It was founded in the 18th century. Different types of trees shade the main courtyard: cherry trees, plum trees, Japanese pagoda trees, mulberries and ginkgo bilobas. The ornamentation reveals the diversity of vernacular styles. Day with a private guide.Optional: a Naxi cooking class.
Private transfer to the railway station. Train to Kunming. Another private transfer to the arrival hotel, where you’ll spend the night. What we have not yet had time to do is now possible: stroll through the capital of Yunnan; visit the flower and bird market or the Yuantong Temple, founded at the end of the 8th century; enjoy the city’s southern atmosphere. Or try a dish of Yiliang duck, the southern counterpart of Peking duck. It was in Kunming - then known as Yunnan Fu - at the beginning of the 20th century that Consul Auguste François filmed some of the very first Chinese newsreels. Optional - the Dynamic Yunnan show.
Private transfer to the airport and international return flight.
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