Yunnan Insight Tour from Hong Kong

Before 1840, Hong Kong was a small and isolated fishing village. After the Second World War II, Hong Kong’s economy grew rapidly and became not only one of the "Four Little Dragons of Asia", but also one of the world's major financial and trading centers.

Hong Kong can be roughly divided into three parts: the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong Island, and the New Territories.

Our Hong Kong tour will mainly focus on Hong Kong Island which is the most important commercial and political center in Hong Kong, with bustling shopping streets, luxury commercial buildings, and high-class residential areas abounding.

Your guide will hold your name sign and wait for you at the arrival hall in the Hong Kong International Airport. Then you will be transferred to the hotel in a private car. If you have any questions, feel free to ask your guide on the way to the hotel.

It takes about 1 hour’s drive from the airport to the hotel. The rest day would be your free time to discover the surroundings.

After breakfast, we will first visit Victoria Peak which is the most prestigious luxury residential area of Hong Kong Island.This is the ideal place to have a bird's eye view of the magnificent harbor and the splendid city. It is also the highest mountain in Hong Kong. People who live on it can overlook the beautiful night view of the whole Victoria harbor. So, a lot of rich people love to settle their luxury homes on Victoria Peak.The price of luxury houses on VictoriaPeak is no less than12,000 USD per square meter.

Strolling along the scenic hilltop walkway, you can see the towering skyscrapers, the world-renowned Victoria Harbor, and the refreshing green hills, while the view of Victoria Harbor from the top of the Peak lookout point is breathtaking.

Then we will drive about 30 minutes to visit Repulse Bay which is located in the southeast of Victoria Peak. Repulse Bay is a beautiful, quiet and peaceful place where young people stroll around in their swimsuits. It is the second expensive residential area in Hong Kong comparing to Victoria Peak, with many luxury villas spreading out on the slope of the hill facing the sea, including the mansions of Hong Kong tycoon’s Li Ka-Shing and Pao Yuk-Kang.Here, with 1,300,000 USD, you could only buy a 50 sqm apartment. And this is the price without tax. The most expensive house at Repulse Bay values more than 95,000,000 USD.It is said that the sand in Repulse Bay is bought back by the rich from the beaches of Sanya. Because the sand there is much finer and softer, it is more comfortable to step on.Feel free to enjoy some time on the beach.

Then we will drive about half an hour to Stanley Market which is in the south of Hong Kong Island. Stanley Market refers to the area around Stanley New Street and Stanley Market Road. Since the first boutique store opened in 1973, the market has gradually developed into a popular local bazaar. in Hong Kong, with a wide variety of vendors and stalls and a wide range of products, including Chinese handicrafts, souvenirs, Oriental clothing of various materials, traditional flower and bird paintings, Western oil paintings, etc. What's special about the Stanley Market is that some of the main streets have been roofed over, so even though it's hot outside, it's still very cool inside the Market as the air conditioning blows in from the shops.

Enjoy some free shopping time. Then we will go back to the hotel overnight.

Repulse Bay

Stanley Market

After breakfast, you will go to the airport and take a flight to Kunming.

Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, is located in the southwest of China. It is also known as the "Spring City" because it is warm in all seasons. Unlikemany large cities,you will feel more relaxed than other cities with flowers blooming throughout the seasons. Itfeels like a large urban garden, in addition to the well-connected city traffic and tall buildings. Several scenic spots combine the city and nature in a very clever way. Of course, the food in Kunming is also an important reason to attract tourists, surprising them with rice noodles, mushroom hot pot and so on.

The Kunming local guide will wait for you at the arrival hall with your name sign. They won’t leave until your appearance. The guide will take you to the hotel for a rest.

Our Kunming tour starts from the Flower and Bird Market. This is a pretty interesting place with some very old Ming and Qing Dynasty(1636-1912) buildings and vendors selling flowers, birds, fish and insects, and antique jewelry filling up the entire street. This is the best way to understand real local life.

Then we will head back to the hotelto rest.

Flower and Bird Market

Flower and Bird Market

After breakfast, we will drive about 1.5 hours to Stone Forest which is located about 80 kilometers east of the Kunming city area. It is the essence of the world’s karst landforms formed 270 million years ago. Stone Forest is “the world’s first wonders of karsts landforms”. The scenic area is composed of stone forest, black pine rock, flying dragon waterfalls, long lake, GuiMountain, Yuehu lake, Qifeng Cave, etc.

There is a beautiful story about the Yunnan Stone Forest. According to the legend, a long time ago, there was a beautiful and kind girl named Ashima in the Stone Forest area. Her hair is long and black, her lips are red as blood, her skin is white as snow. And she danced gracefully and sang loudly and clearly. At the annual Yi Torch Festival, she falls in love with a young hunter named Ahei. They get married quickly after. One winter, Ahei went to the far south to hunt, and a rich man named Zhebbala took the opportunity to abduct Ashima. The villagers sent a letter to Ahei to inform him of this message. Ahei came back home quickly. He fought with the Zhebbala and won. He took Ashima home.But the evil Zhebbala didn’t want to give up. He got help from an evil god and flooded the village. Ahei and Ashima were separated during the flood. With the help of the villagers, Ahei finally drove away the devil and the flood receded. But Ashima disappeared and only left behind a tall stone pillar, which was very resembled Ashima. Villagers believed that stone is Ashima. Later, every year at the Torch Festival, the villagers held torches to guide her spirits back to her original village and reunite her with her parents.

Everyone in Yunnan knows about this story. The guide will tell you more details of the story if you are interested.

Our lunch will be at a local restaurant near Stone Forest.

Then we will drive about 2.5 hours to Jianshui which is located 210 kilometers south of the Stone Forest.

Upon arrival, the guide will take you directly to the hotel overnight.

Stone Forest

Stone Forest

Today, we will start our Jianshui tour from Shuanglong Bridge.

Shuanglong Bridge is located 3 kilometers west of Jianshui Cityon the confluence of Lujiang River and Tachong River which also known as the “Seventeen Holes Bridges”.“Shuang” in Chinese means two, “Long” means dragon. So, in Chinese Shuanglong Bridge means double dragons bridge. Because there are two stone carvings of a dragon's head and a dragon's tail on each side of the bridge.The dragon's head is above the stream, and the dragon's tail is below the stream. It is said that when the bridge was not built, whoever wants to pass the river needs to take a ferry. But the ferry was very expensive.

By the Lujiang River, a mother and son lived there. The mother was very kind. One day she got very sick and held her son’s hand and said:” Do good things. In the future, try everything you could and build a bridge over the Lujiang River for the people.” The son buried his mother in tears, remembering her dying wishes. But it takes a lot of money to build a bridge. Where to get the money? He decided to ship people across the river first to make money, and then build a bridge when he had enough money. He shipped people across the river even free for poor peoplein many years. His action moved the Gods. So, God send two dragons to give him a lot of money. That’s how he built the Shuanglong Bridge in the first place.

After saying goodbye to the bridge, we will continue our tour to the Temple of Confucius. Temple of Confucius in Jianshui was founded in the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368), with a history of more than 600 years. It is the largest Confucius Temple in south China. There is a 45-acre pond in front of the Temple of Confucius, called the "Sea of Learning", meaning that the knowledge of Confucius was as large as the sea. Chinese parents love to take their beloved kids to the Temple of Confucius. They wish their kids could get blessings from Confucius and get good points on the exams.

If we are visiting during weekends, we may have a chance to watch an “ancient music performance” host by the Temple of Confucius.

After lunch, we will visit the Jianshui Zhu Family Garden which is located in Hanlin Street, Jianshui County. It is a family residence and ancestral hall built by the Zhu brothers. The building area of the garden is more than 20,000 square meters. Although the Zhu Family Garden is not small, but cannot fully show the Zhu family’s 100-year history of rise and fall.The guide will share with you some interesting stories.

This is our last stop for today. After we will go back to the hotel.

Temple of Confucius

Shuanglong Bridge

After breakfast, we will drive about 30 minutes to the west of the Jianshui County and visit another family garden in Jianshui, called Zhang Family Garden. Compared with the Zhu Family Garden, the wood carving here is even more exquisite. At the ancient theater in Zhang Family Garden, there are daily performances of Bai folk songs and dances, as well as a wonderful performance of tea art. Visitors can enjoy watching the performance while drinking Bai tea. Right now, the Zhang Family Garden still plays the role of a dwelling. But there are different families scattered in various courtyards of the Zhang Family Garden, no longer live as a large family in the past.

Then we will have a simple lunch before we drive to Yuanyang. It takes about 3 hours to Yuanyang which is located 130 kilometers south of Jianshui County.

Yuanyang County is full of high mountains. All the rice terraces are built on mountain slopes, and the slope degree of the rice terraces ranges from 15 degrees to 75 degrees.

On some mountain slopes, you even can see 3,000-layer rice terrace from the mountain foot to the top. One terrace layer is higher than the other. It looks unbelievable. How the local farmer does farm work?  It is a tough job; the local farmer only uses their shoulder and buffalo to carry grain and fertilizer. There are three main scenic spots in the Hani Terraces of Yuanyang: Bada Rice Terraces, Laohuzui Rice Terraces and, Duoyishu Rice Terraces. The total area of these terraces is over 20,000 acres. Such a large number of terraced fields constitute a magical and magnificent landscape under the cover of the diffuse sea of clouds.

Upon arrival, we will go to the hotel to rest.

Zhang Family Garden

Zhang Family Garden

This morning, we will leave early to visit Duoyishu Rice Terraces to watch the sunrise. We will drive as close as we could, then you will walk to the Duoyishu Rice Terrace Observation Platform. The terraces here are like paintings with changing colors, spectacular and beautiful, especially at sunrise. The mist of rain and smoke makes you feel like entering a fairyland.

Then we will drive to Jingkou Village which is composed of 5 Hani villages, 4 Yi villages, and more than 6,000 acres of rice terraces. At the bottom of Jingkou Village, there are thousands of terraced fields, which provide food for the village people to survive. The village is made up of old-fashioned mushroom-shaped houses, and the whole village is surrounded by layers of terraces. The forest, the village, the terraces, and the clear stream make up a beautiful idyllic landscape painting.

After lunch, we will drive to Laohuzui Scenic Area. With more than 850 hectares of rice terraces, LaohuzuiRice Terraces is the most precipitous and magnificent terraces in Yuanyang, which is called the "Earth Sculpture". You could choose to stay on the high platform by the road to take a whole picture of the rice terrace, or you could go down the road to the viewing platform, which is located on halfway up the mountain for a closer view.

Then we will drive about 5 hours back to Kunming which is located 330 kilometers north of Laohuzui Scenic Area.

Duoyishu Rice Terraces

Laohuzui Scenic Area

This morning, we will take an estimated high-speed train D8673 09:04/11:26 to Dali.

Dali is located in the central and western part of Yunnan Province and was also the capital of the ancient Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms.It played the roleof the political, economic, and cultural center of the ancient Yunnan region for more than 500 years.Dali has more than 100 unique and attractive scenic spots. There are the famous Cangshan Mountain and ErhaiLake, the majestic Three Pagodas of the Chongsheng Temple of the Tang Dynasty, etc. Many experts and scholars have praised Dali as "the ancient capital at the crossroads of Asian culture".

Upon arrival, the guide will take you to visit the Chongsheng Temple and the Three Pagodas. It covers an area of 1,000 acres and is divided into two major parts: the front area is centered on the Three Pagodas, with attractions mainly including the Three Pagodas, the Nanzhao Great Bell, and the Rain Copper Guanyin Hall; the back area is the Chongsheng Temple, which is known as the first temple of Han Buddhism. The three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple have undergone thousands of years of erosion from wind and rain, as well as more than 30 strong earthquakes. Although they have deviated from the vertical line to varying degrees.In other words, the three pagodas have been tilted for more than 400 years, but they are still standing.In the earthquake of the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), most of the houses in Dali Old Town collapsed and the largest pagoda cracked from the bottom to the top, but it was miraculously recovered after ten days; in the earthquake of 1925, 99% of the houses in the Dali city collapsed, but only the rooftop tiles fell down from the largest pagoda. This is undoubtedly a miracle for the three pagodas built directly on the soil-base instead of stone foundation. This makes the three pagodas more sacred in the hearts of local people.

Then we will have our lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, we will go to Dali Old Town.

Dali Old Town covers an area of around 100 square kilometers. There are four city gates and four corner buildings. There is a moat outside the old town. Next to the north gate, there is a March Street. It is said to be the place where the Bai people of Dali have their market in March. Every year in March, everyone would bring their things here for exchange, so the name March Street.

Dali Old Town is bigger than Lijiang Ancient Town, and the streets are longer.You can have a different experience when you stroll around one by one street. Have some fun free time.

After visiting, the guide will take you to the hotel for a rest.

 Chongsheng Temple and the Three Pagodas

Dali Old Town

This morning, we will take an Erhai Lake Boat tour to enjoy the view of Erhai Lake. Sitting on the boat, looking at the Cangshan Mountain by Erhai Lake, looking at the lake’s shimmering, as if you were swimming between the sky and the sea. This is an experience you shall never miss.

We will disembark at Xizhou Village. Xizhou Village lies in east of Erhai Lake and west of the Cang mountains. Zhengyi Gate is the west gate of XizhouVillage.From here, you could see the old street of the village. A few hundred meters inside the west gate, there is a 500-year-old banyan tree, so thick that it takes several adults to hug it, which is considered the symbol of Xizhou ancient town.Not far into the town, there is a Ziyunshan Temple, the existing building was built in the Qing Dynasty(1636-1912) and looks quite dilapidated. There are often some local elderly people hanging around here, chatting the old stories with their neighborhoods.Keep walking, you will see a small square surrounded by many stores and this is the center of the town. The main street is called Sifang Street which is the origin of the famous snack Xi Zhou Baba. It tastes really good. Try one if you are interested. We will give you some free time to wander around.

Here occasionally, you could hear the shouting from the street vendors and the sound of sewing machines in a tie-dye hat shop. It is a quiet and beautiful village.

After lunch, we will drive to Lijiang which is located 180 kilometers north of Dali city. It takes around 2.5 hours.

Upon arrival, we will first visit the Lijiang Ancient Town. It is an ancient city without walls. If the Dali Ancient Town is a beautiful young girl, the Lijiang Ancient Town is a bright and passionate lady. The buildings on both sides of the street are completely hand-built adobe houses with hollowed-out doors and windows, from which you could see flowers everywhere. The ubiquitous small bridges and flowing water in the old city are exceptionally beautiful against the backdrop of the flowers that bloom throughout the seasons.Walking down the streets, you will notice that the shops in the ancient city are bustling with a wide variety of goods. There is silverware, shawls with novel patterns, small and exquisite ethnic dolls, and Lijiang snacks with a wide range of colors and flavors. It has also become a beautiful scenery in the ancient city. We will leave you some free time here.Maybe you could find something as souvenirs for your family and friends.

After the tour, we will go back to the hotel overnight.

Xizhou Village

Lijiang Ancient Town

Take a thick coat with you, today we are going to visit the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain which is located in the north of the Lijiang Ancient Town. It takes 30 minutes’ drive. The main peak of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is 5,596 meters above sea level, the summit of which is covered with snow all year round, and there are often clouds and mist on the mountainside. Unpredictable weather is also the reason why until now there’s no one step foot on the top of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

When we on the mountain,it is very cold and windy, generally need to wear a jacket or coat. Also, be sure to bring gloves. Otherwise, you really might not be able to hold your phone and camera steady. We will take a cable car up to the Spruce Meadow. Legend has it that on the autumnal equinox (September 23rd), the gods will bestow the most perfect sunlight of love on earth. Everyone who is touched by the sunlight will get the holiest and beautiful love. When you stand on the snow-capped mountain of more than 4,600 meters, the clouds float past in front of your eyes, as if you can reach the blue sky with your hands. That will be a lifetime experience.

After we will have lunch at a local restaurant. On the way back to the city, we will visit the Shuhe Ancient Town.

Entering the Shuhe Ancient Town, you could go straight to the Shuhe market which is a square covering about 250 square meters. This square is exceptionally lively during the market days. It used to be the Lijiang fur trading distribution place. Enjoy some free time walk around, maybe you could find something surprisingly interesting.

Then we will drive to the Black Dragon Pool Park, which is located at the foot of the Elephant Mountain in the southern part of the Shuhe Ancient Town, where you can take pictures of the most beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.There are many national treasures of the ancient buildings in the park.

At the end of the day, we will go back to the hotel.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Black Dragon Pool Park

Today, we will drive to the Shangri-La which is located 180 kilometers north of Shangri-La.

After driving for about 1 hour, we will reach will the First Bend of Yangtze River on the way to Shangri-La. The First Bend of Yangtze River is located in Shigu Town, Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County. The Yangtze River flows out of Qinghai(a province located in the north of Yunnan), enters Yunnan through Tibet from Deqin County, continues to flow south in the Hengduan Mountains, and turns around sharply to the northeast when it reaches Shigu Town, forming a huge "V" shaped turn, which is known as the "First Bend of the Yangtze River".Here the river is as gentle as a mirror, both sides of the river are the green hills, farmland, and villages, you will be surprised by this amazing view.

Lunch will be simple on the way.

Keep driving for another 1 hour we will reach theTiger Leaping Gorge.

The Jinsha River, which originated from the snowy mountains of Qinghai, ran thousands of miles to this place, and suddenly encountered the blockage of two snowy mountains, Yulong and Haba.The originally calm and peaceful river suddenly became unstoppable, tearing a road in the middle of two mountains, and plunging down to form a 17-kilometer-long canyon with a drop of more than 200 meters.It is the legendary place where birds dare not to fly! That would be a lifetime experience to watch the water lap the tiger-jumping rocks in the heart of the river.

After, we will drive another 2 hours to reach Shangri-La. Upon arrival, we will go to the hotel to rest.

First Bend of Yangtze River

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Today, our Shangri-La tour starts from the Songzanlin Monastery.

The building of the Songzanlin Monastery is staggered and orderly, cascading up the hill. When we get close, it looks tall and solemn. When you enter the temple, there is a long staircase in front of you, according to the locals, you can't turn back until you have completed the 147 flights of stairs.

Then we will have lunch at a local restaurant before we continue the tour. The next stop is Potatso National Park which is located 30 kilometers from the Shangri-La. We will drive about 1 hour to the east of the Songzanlin Monastery.

The two main lakes in the Potatso National Park, Shudu Lake, and Bita Lake, are located on the north and south sides of the Park. Between two lakes, there are several attractions such as Luorong Village and Militang Grassland. Usually, we will take a sightseeing bus and visit according to the driving route.

Before it gets too late, we will go back to the hotel.

Songzanlin Monastery

Potatso National Park

After checking out from the hotel, the guide and driver will take you to the airport. You will take a flight to Shanghai.

Every city has its own label. And for Shanghai, it would be diversity. This city is always at the forefront of trends, with its fairy-tale Disneyland, luxury brand shops, Michelin restaurants and so on.You could also admire the old-fashioned universal architecture on the Bund, view from the highest skyscraper in Lujiazui, visit the most delicate garden surrounding by old streets.

Shanghai is the only city in China mainland on Lonely Planet magazine's list of the best travel destinations in Asia. This is Shanghai, where people from all over the world stop by and where vintage and fashion blend. This amazing city is waiting for you to discover.

If the time allows, we could have a short bus tour to the Bund when we arrive in Shanghai.

The 52 buildings of different styles on the Bund of Shanghai are known as the "Universal Architecture Complex".These classical and modernist buildings have become the symbol of Shanghai.It is said that "the story of the Bund is the story of Shanghai". The guide will share some interesting stories with you about the Bund on the way to the hotel.

the Bund

the Bund

This morning, we will visit the famous Garden in Shanghai – Yu Garden.

The Yu Garden is a private garden of the Ming Dynasty, which has a history of more than 400 years. It was built by Pan Yunduan, who was a former minister of Sichuan province. He wanted his father to have a happy and peaceful life after his retirement. So, he built this Garden and named it Yu Garden. Yu in Chinese means “making the parents happy”.

We will leave you some free time around Yu Garden Streets.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we will drive through the tunnel to the Shanghai Tower. The 119th floor of the Shanghai Tower is called the “Top of the World”. It is a functional experience area that includes a city observation deck, entertainment, a VIP bar, food and beverage, sightseeing, and other functions. That would be a special experience to look down the whole city from the highest point in Shanghai.

Then we will take you to the AP MALL. This is a paradise for the shopaholic. It is a large travel shopping market with clothing, bags, watches, fabrics, and pearls all in one. There are over 1,000 shops in the market. Enjoy your free shopping time.

At the end of the day, we will drive back to the hotel.

Yu Garden

Shanghai Tower

The guide will take you to the airport according to your flight. Your memorable China tour is about to end. The guide will help you with your luggage and say goodbye to you before the departure hall.

Our service will end here.

Editor: Lexie Jia