Exploring ShangriLa (Diqing) in One Night

The whole crew was going out for hot pot dinner at a halal restaurant nearby and I just said byeee. Ditch my bag in the room and a quick charge of phone for battery and I was out running to grab a taxi. Taxi to the ancient city of Shangrila was 10 RMB for 4 km and I paid it to save time so I could actually see the Little Potala Palace.

To Little Potala Palace

Little Potala Palace Entrance

I was worried it was closed but alas it was still open and I walked in to make a prayer for mom. I ended up hanging around the temple ground so long just walking around, observing people and of course pulling the humoungous tibetan bell. 

Large Tibetan Prayer bell at Diqing Shangrila

There was so many people everywhere at the temple althought It was already so late. I kept alternating observing the temple architecture, detailing sculptures and people. The local tourist here were similar to Dali, they all dressed up beautifully in minority tribes costumes and go all around the temple ground taking photos.

No dinner, no problem, I was willing to sacrifice dinner for exploring and by 10 pm I headed down from the temple to the old town to see the other part of Shangrila. The tourist part. 

Everything was already starting to close up. In away they could tell that once the temple close at 10pm, the people slowly drift outwards and onwards. I could not help looking of course for the tourist part of town was still very picturesque and the trinkets were facinating in their own way. 

Diqing Ancient Town

Diqing Ancient Town

Of all the suvinear shop selling tibetian trinkets only one caught my eye, the bell shop and there I spend nearly half an hour hearing different bells before settling on one that I like. 

How much I asked, and of course that one would be the expensive one. I was looking for a deep tone ... and deep tone means larger bell hence a higher price. Quick negotiation and I bought the bell and it was already 11pm. Shop all around was closing down fast now.

Bell Shop in Diqing Ancient Town

Bell Shop in Diqing Ancient Town

By luck I managed to find dinner at 11pm. No hotpot for me but still ordering for one person without defaulting to fried noodle or fried rice was a challange. Ended up having too much food but still I was hungry and it worked. By the time I reached back the hotel via taxi, it was already 1am

ShangriLa was a blast but too short. I would have loved to really immerse into the city. Another sleep deprived day tomorrow .....

Finally Dinner ... 

Traveled on: Jun 2023

The Heart of the Ride – Lijiang to Shangrila (Diqing) via Tiger Leaping Gorge

We started the journey early again and I by now have been 3 days of sleep deprived getting about 5 hours a day. I know the signs and my body is screaming but I also know how much I can pump the body with red bull, energy bars and coffee before it gives out ... rest day is on day 5 and 6 and I’ll be dammed if I dont make full use of the time to explore.

I initially wanted to skip the Yulan Snow Mountain coz it would be time consuming to go up the cable car to the top and with Jazz previous day altitude sickness, there was a high chance another attact could happen as cable car just climbs up fast and no ability to stop the car midway. Mid morning discussion and the plan had change, to Yulan Snow Mountain base, snap a photo and run. I guess that was reasonable since its just a photo. Midway we encountered a tourist toll gate.

Toll Gate to Yulan Snow Mountain Scenic Spot

This was new Bing said and they were charging 100 yuan just to pass the road regardless if anyone go up to Yulan mountain or not. Weather was super cloudy obscuring everything and I told them it's a fat chance to get a photo of the snow cap mountain. 

Once the big bike arrive, everyone agreed and we all made a turn but consolation prize was we did get to stop nearby to take some photos with horses and be on our way again to Tiger Leaping Gorge

Photos with Horses along the road ... 

The trip really started this day I feel, ride to Tiger Leaping Gorge was through the old road ... not even national road but smaller than that. Base on videos and even Bing and Faz experience, it was no barriers at the edge where one can just roll off the cliff into the gorge. China made full use of 2020 to 2022 it seams and put up the entire barrier along this popular road trip trail, or at least almost all of it.

Tiger Leaping Gorge Ticket Entrance 

Tiger Leaping George Scenic Area 

The Narrowest Point of Jinsha River where the
Tiger is supposely cross the river by Jumping on the Rocks

Tiger leaping Gorge was beautiful and we even found some new monument along the way to get great photo shots. At the Tiger monument was a van selling coffee and tea. A couple that was travelling China in their wan and selling coffee along the way for some pocket money. It was an amazing idea and one that I would have done if Malaysia had been as big as China. 

New Tiger Leaping George Monument along the road 

The road behind Yulan Snow Mountain

The road towards Shangrila 

Good stop, good coffee and of course everyone brought out their cooking kit for lunch. Some road trip locals from other parts of China all seam very interested in our bike group and came to take picture and I got cornered for translation and answers once they knew I could speak .... barely.

Travelling Van Selling Coffee 

I was getting better at this for standard new tourist couristy always go around the same questions like where you are from, what you are doing, where you are going, how come I could speak mandarin etc. Keep repeating the same answers in different manner and my Mandarin was improving remarkably.

After the monument was the climp up to Shangrila. One word ... beautiful. Is all that could describe it. Me and Azu being the last two keep stopping for smoke breaks with Bing just taking a few photos then everything was kept and we just enjoy the scenary.

Riding into the Clouds & Mist 

The distance today was short ... only about 300km but due to the many many and so many stops we had, just soak in the enviroment and take photos, we reach ShangriLa late around 830pm. Partially also due to going up mountains we were passing rain clouds and mist and the terrain was an amazing riding journey

When we reached ShangriLa, I immediatly ditch the crew. Checked in the hotel, said Hi to my roomate, chucked my bags and was out the door .... ^^

Traveled On: Jun 2023

The Ride From Dali to Lijiang via old National Road and a Little Scare at the end of the Day

With the mopeds done with prayers and me having a quick run around Dali Ancient City, We regroup around 5pm and it was a group decision time after taking photos of Dali South Gate. 

Ride the national road or the highway to Li Jiang. So far up to this point in China, we had always used the highway and never the national road. The rumour is that the national road is slower but the view is amazing and you get to see the people’s life more up close. The highway is beautiful but boring.

The Start of National Road from Dali to Lijiang.
Just look at that windmills which we rode up to and zig zag around them over the mountain 

I personally wanted to do national road ... it's something new and mysterious which I do not want to be stuck riding highways everyday in China no matter how great the road is. I persuaded them to run half half. 

First half national road and second half highway. Best of both worlds, national road while there is still light then hit the highway once the sunset. I enjoyed every moment of it and just like that it ended.. 60km of national road and we were at the next highway tollgate back on the highway to Li Jiang.

China National Road from Dali to Lijiang 

View from National Road from Dali to Lijiang

View from National Road from Dali to Lijiang

We reach Li Jing earlier than Kunming, around 9pm ... looks like the moped group is getting faster. All of us checked in to this amazing historical building inside Lijiang Ancient City converted into a hotel. I notice Azu was outside just waiting. I had a smoke with him and chatted about mom's condition and then I asked why has he not go into his room yet. 

Liwang Hotel in Lijiang

Azu told me he was waiting for Jazz who was in the room but there was no answer on door knock or phone or anything. I fearing the worst ask the reception to open the door with a spare key. Jazz was lying in bed, apparently collapse the moment he arrive Li Jiang and was hit by altitude sickness. The rest of the gang came and quickly we gave him some altitude medicine for sleep.

Apparently he had the altitude sickness symtoms during the national road ride but did not say anything ... a dangerous ride this is turning out to be but somehow we made it. The next morning Jazz was all good, feeling ok and full of spirit. 

I told him ... keep talking today ... thats how we know you are ok ....

Ancient City of Lijiang

Ancient City of Lijiang

Traveled on: Jun 2023

Riding from Kunming to Lijiang with DETOUR to Dali

Starting off early in the day, Captain gave the coordinates for the pit stop in Dali. The plan was to reach Dali for lunch, take a photo of the Grand South Gate then head off to Li Jiang for the night. Naturally the small bike gang spilt off from the big bikes and with us Bing, Drive-China tour guide.

Grand South Gate at Dali Ancient City

Bing brought us on a new highway a shorter and lesser traffic road which was still not on google maps. I doubt it will ever be on google map since they have stopped updating for a while now. Local nagivation in China uses AMAP but one must know how to read in chinese so almost useless to us without the guide. Naturally the big bike ahead of us not knowing this info went on the old main highway still on google map.

The Moped Gang 

At the first rest area where we stop for water break and toilet break, I could see a bunch of police setting up booth and banners. Going back to the bike from the main building, I was flanked by the police like a sheep slowly herded into the pen.

They cornered me slowly and a friendly face with a bag of brochures started rattling off the campaign they were organizing at this rest stop. I could not get any word in for a good 20 seconds and when I finally do .. it was ... I do not speak chinese very well.

Highway Rest Stop between Kunming & Dali 

I think that was a wrong answer ... as the guys face light up smiling even more widely happy that he had caught a foreigner which was a rare species. Simple plesentries was exchange and the police now know we were from Malaysia riding towards Dali and all these while my photo was being taken by some photographer for their campaign.

Their campaign was, safe driving/riding campaign for the month .... “internal facepalm” .... so I was slowly brief in mandarin, mimed carefully so I could understand that the speed limit was 80 for bike, or maybe it was it is safer to ride at 80km/hr for bikes at the right most lane. 

I held myself back from asking about the speed limit sign of 120km/hr which I saw along the way ... nodded my head like a good citizen or tourist. Listen on while he told me to turn sideways and smile for the camera while internally panicking on how to run away from this awkward situation.

Road Safety Campaign at Highway Rest Stop 

Then came the question, do I have a pillon riding with me? No ... I do not have a pillion riding with me was my answer and immediately choose that time to excuse myself speaking faster with my most fluent mandarin that we need to go to reach Dali and Li Jiang before nightfall. I did not give the officer time to ask another question, fearing if we had broke any law without knowing. Best to leave while still having the mindset that we were all good.

We tried to make a quick dash to Dali, but small bike are still small bike; so after many petrol and rest stops, we reached Dali around 2pm. The big bikes had all already arrived, ordered and finished their lunch. So we had ours ... and with me an Bing doing translation it was more interactive with the local halal restaurant owner. They asked us so many question that they could not ask the big bike group, since all they could do was point at the picture and ask for the food.

Lunch at Dali Ancient City

Finished lunch late afternoon and the gang asked if there was a prayer room they could borrow at the restaurant. The lady explained that they could go to the mosque down the street. Another bonus of travelling with Bing and me was, we could translate ... so the big boys missed out going to a ancient mosque at the ancient city of Dali to do their prayers.

Our gang decided it was worth arriving Li Jiang late for the experience. The three mopeds went into Dali ancient city with me and Bing to find the mosque and once there I headed out to explore Dali for an hour while Bing stayed by the bikes to make some work calls.

Entrance to Mosque inside Dali Ancient City

Old Mosque inside Dali Ancient City

It was the most fruitful detour in the trip that I could attune with.

I had a glimpse of Dali Ancient city and it was beautiful despite the fact that all the old building has been modernized to take in the mass hoard of local tourist flocking the city everywhere.

The Red Dragon Well of Dali 

Local Tourist Dressing up in Ethnic Costume with Photographer

So many Tea House Shop in Dali Ancient City

Stream passing through Dali Ancient City

More Local Tourist with Dali monuments 

Tourist tourist everywhere is not an exaggeration espescially when all the tourist are 90% from China. Souviner shops is lined up everywhere and professional photographers and make up artist line the streets to make the tourist beautifual like a minority tribe in China for photoshoot. A little taste, for now I know what to expect when exploring China in future.

Traveled on: Jun 2023