Wenfeng Monastery, Lijiang

First, we will make a brief introduction of Lijiang's transportation. Located at the junction of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet, Lijiang has convenient road transport but no railways leading there. So people often choose to take a bus to entry and exit from Lijiang. Besides, people can also fly to Lijiang from another city. The airport of Lijiang is about 26 kilometers away from the downtown area and it takes 45 minutes to get there.

On the first day of your arrival in Lijiang, please find a local hotel to relax yourselves. Nothing will set for you the left of the day. You can arrange it by yourselves.

On the morning of the second day, take a bus at Lijiang old town to get to Wenfeng Monastery (Admission fee: 12RMB). The bus fare is between 2RMB to 5RMB. Or you can go there by taxi. The taxi fare is 25RMB. This temple was situated at the foot of Mt. Wenbi which is at a distance of 8 kilometers from the town. It was been constructed from 1739 to 1743. There are 17 camellias in the monastery. After been cultivated, one plant of them can bloom three different colored flowers. And another plant of them which looks like an umbrella can cover 8 tables at the same time. Return to the town in the afternoon. Then take the No. 13 bus in the town to get to Lijiang World Heritage Park. The park is open to the public from 8:00 to 18:00 and the admission fee is 100RMB. The park was built combining the modern gardening and many constructions there were small versions of the natural wonders and artificial sceneries in Lijiang.

Xiaozhongdian small village, Shangri-la

Tips of traveling in Lijiang: 1. Lijiang is a place with an average altitude of 2400 meters. Please do not do intense physical activities there in order to avoid altitude sickness. Drinking less and eating more fruits and vegetable is good for your body.  2. The best time of visiting Lijiang is September and October. Remember to take sun cream with you which can protect you from the ultraviolet ray.

On the third day, take a bus of Lijiang/ Zhongdian (also called Shangri-la) at Lijiang Passenger Transport Center. Get out off the bus at Xiaozhongdian. Xiaozhongdian is about 27 kilometers away from Zhongdian and 190 kilometers from Lijiang. There you can see the green meadows, the brilliant flowers, the quiet rivers and so on. Go ahead to Mt. Qianhushan (Admission fee: 20RMB) afterwards. The lakes spread in the mountain are of different shapes and styles and were surrounded by virgin forest. It is really a paradise on the earth. About the lakes in Mt. Qianhushan, there is a beautiful legend. It says long long ago, a fairy was making up here, but she broke up the mirror for her carelessness. The splinters scattered in the mountain and then shaped many lakes.

Since Xiaozhongdian is a small village and is a little far from the town, there are no hotels nearby. You have to stay at a local family's home. On the Fourth day, take a bus getting to Zhongdian to enjoy yourselves there.