" Close your eyes and the sky is full of stars. Open your eyes and the sun is shining on the golden mountains. I believe that after reading this travel note, you will fall in love with Lijiang, Snow Mountain and Puxiu like me. "
The whole article is about 5,900 words, and it takes about 15 minutes to read.
Pre-trip guide
Trip overview
Departure time: weekends at the end of May
Travel days: Six days and five nights direct flight from Shanghai
Accommodation and transportation: Airport car rental, Indigo and Puxiu Snow Mountain Hotel
Per capita cost: 4,500 yuan (including food, accommodation, transportation, and tickets)
Main attractions: Lijiang Old Town, all Jade Dragon Snow Mountain attractions, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shuhe Ancient Town, Puxiu Snow Mountain Hotel
Tour order
Day 1 Arrive at Lijiang Airport, pick up the car and go to Hotel Indigo Ancient City for a day tour of the ancient city
Day 2: Drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area in the morning, visit Glacier Park (Grand Ropeway) and Blue Moon Valley during the day, and return to the ancient city of Yuegulou for landscape photography and dining in the afternoon
Day 3: Go to Tiger Leaping Gorge (upper section) in the morning, hike in Tiger Leaping Gorge in the afternoon, and rest in the hotel in the evening
Day 4: Drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the morning, stay at Xueshan Puxiu Hotel, and participate in a lipstick making experience in the afternoon
Day 5: Take photos of Rizhao Jinshan Mountain in the morning, visit Ganhaizi and other small attractions in the morning, participate in tie-dyeing and tambourine activities in the hotel in the afternoon, hot pot in the landscape restaurant in the evening, and visit the starry sky theme science and technology museum in the hotel
Day 6: Visit Maoniuping (Middle Cableway) in the morning, return the car to the airport in the afternoon and return
Itinerary design
1. The pace of the entire trip is slow and it is mainly for leisure and vacation. Taking into account the epidemic situation, I chose to drive the entire journey by myself.
2. Xueshan Puxiu Hotel is a key part of the itinerary and is arranged in the middle of the week when there are fewer people to enhance the experience.
*At the end of the article, there is an introduction to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain attractions, recommended travel routes and suggestions for other attractions in Lijiang. It is worth reading.
**There are also links to other wonderful travel notes in Yunnan at the end of the article.
Day 1: First arrival in Lijiang Old Town
Regarding transportation, it is very convenient to rent a car at the airport. The distance to the hotel is less than 30 kilometers and can be reached in about 30 minutes.
The Ancient Tea-Horse Road originated from the tea-horse trade in the ancient southwest and northwest frontiers. It flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and was most prosperous in the middle and late World War II. There are three ancient tea-horse roads in China. The first one is the Shaanxi-Gansu Tea-Horse Road, which is the main road for tea from mainland China to travel westward and exchange horses. The second one is the Shaanxi-Kangxi Tibetan Tea Horse Ancient Road, which was mainly opened by people from Shaanxi; the third one is the Yunnan Tibet Ancient Tea Horse Road, which is Yunnan where this trip is located, and the design style of the Hotel Indigo we stayed in is Tea-Horse Culture.
hotel room There are not many rooms, about 7 to 80 in total, and they are mainly boutique. IHG Platinum offers room upgrades. There is a small courtyard behind the gate, and the style of the single-family house has unparalleled privacy. The service was very proactive. We said it was a bit cold at night, and in addition to blankets, they actually provided heaters, of course free of charge.
He secretly praised the room and prepared to go out for a stroll. The hotel is very close to the ancient city . You can go directly to the ancient city through the small door in the distance in the picture below. There is no maintenance fee now, and it is very convenient to come in and out for late night snacks and bars.
The hotel is very close to Zhongyi Market in the ancient city. The prices in the market are relatively cheap within the scope of Lijiang Old Town, and you can buy some fruits and the like.
In the ancient city, you can often see people wearing various costumes travel photography.
The ancient city has everything you need to eat, drink, and have fun. The weather is mostly sunny with few clouds, and the photos are beautiful no matter how you take them. It is recommended that you go out to play during the day, go back to the ancient city in the evening to eat, and continue clubbing at night if you are interested.
Due to the geographical location, it doesn't get dark until around 8 o'clock, and the moon can already be seen in the sky after 6 o'clock.
On the first night in Lijiang, I tried Black Goat Hot Pot. The service in the restaurant was very enthusiastic and the flower cakes that cost 1 yuan each were really delicious.
Although the ancient city is full of commercial atmosphere, it is still quite beautiful to take pictures when there are not many tourists.
The next day: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Internet celebrity Yue Gulou
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is called "Oulu" in Naxi language, which means "Tianshan". There are a total of thirteen snow peaks, winding continuously, like a "giant dragon" flying across the sky, so it is called "Jade Dragon". Because the lithology is mainly limestone and basalt, and black and white are distinct, it is also called the "Black and White Snow Mountain". It is the sacred mountain of the Naxi people and is said to be the incarnation of Sanduo, the protective god of the Naxi people.
Glacier Park is the largest attraction in the snow-capped mountains, and the weather determines which day is suitable for going to Glacier Park . I woke up early and found that the weather was perfect, so I immediately decided to drive to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area. It turned out that that day was the most suitable day to visit Glacier Park in the coming week.
For the glacier plateau with an altitude of more than 4,600 meters, if you have concerns about altitude sickness, recommends reading this article about altitude sickness. My 5-year-old child followed this method and climbed the mountain by himself without oxygen or discomfort. The link is as follows:
Altitude sickness | How to effectively avoid or alleviate it?
Taking a look at the scenic guide map, I found that before going to the big ropeway to Glacier Park, I will pass Matterhorn Style Park . Its origin is because Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Switzerland's Matterhorn have become friendly peaks.
Next, we will go to the Glacier Park. Before taking the cable car, we need to take the scenic bus to the 3356-meter Glacier Park. Transfer point .
Take the big ropeway for about 15 minutes to reach the Glacier Park viewing platform at an altitude of 4,506 meters.
Due to traffic restrictions, there are not many people on the viewing platform. No one took pictures of the haystack far away from the stone monument because there is a fee, remember it is 40 yuan/person.
According to "Altitude Sickness | How to Effectively Avoid or Relieve it?", we walked slowly along the mountain road and reached 4576 meters easily. The children had no other discomfort except that they were not as excited as they were at the bottom of the mountain.
As long as it's not windy or rainy, you won't feel cold wearing this kind of clothing. Of course, you still need to borrow a down jacket and keep it handy. The clothes are quite clean.
Viewing and taking photos on the snow-capped mountains all depends on the weather. When there is sunshine and blue sky, be sure to take more pictures, especially when the sun shines directly on the mountain peaks, the beauty is spectacular.
With the snow-capped mountains as the background, photos of characters taken during a trip here are definitely indispensable.
The weather was fine just now, but suddenly the weather will change. When wind and snow fall, the visibility will be less than 20 meters. At this time, be sure to walk carefully and slowly.
We stayed at an altitude of about 4,500 meters for more than 3 hours. We took a lot of fun before going down the mountain. This is something that a group tour cannot satisfy.
On the road, you can see the landscape of glacier segments . The differential melting of the glaciers has led to a rugged surface. The protruding ice bodies and fissures are staggered, creating a beautiful and rare snow mountain wonder: Ice Tallinn.
On the return ropeway, the children were still listless, but once they returned to 3100 meters, they were lively and active. I carried a tank of oxygen with me and never used it until the day I left. The little guy was very helpful!
After getting off Glacier Park, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon. We took the scenic spot bus directly to the second scenic spot: Blue Moon Valley. After getting off the bus, you can take pictures of the road and snow-capped mountains when you turn around, which is very beautiful.
Blue Moon Valley - Yuye Lake , when the sky is clear, the water appears blue due to copper ions, and the valley is crescent-shaped, like a blue moon embedded at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is a good place for travel photography, and there are Many people take wedding photos here.
The scattered flow of water in Blue Moon Lake forms a small waterfall , which feels like a scene in Journey to the West.
There is a small beach in front of the small waterfall in Blue Moon Valley. There are fewer people taking pictures and it is easier to take pictures.
There is a road to drive down the mountain Section speed measurement 60 kilometers, not fast enough.
Back in the ancient city, I was going to have dinner, which was a Internet celebrity attraction, Yue Gulou . According to the navigation prompts, walk all the way up from a small alley, and it will take about 10 minutes to arrive after looking at the signs. You can order a cup of coffee here and sit there all afternoon.
You can basically tell after looking at the pictures, they are all shooting spots. The seats in the restaurant were full, almost all of them were internet celebrities and photographers, so we took our mobile phones and took a group of photos to keep up with the popularity. We ordered a hot pot group purchase for dinner, leaving enough time to eat slowly and take photos.
This cradle has the most people taking photos, so it’s probably the easiest place to take photos. It’s almost empty until the sun goes down.
As long as you are brave enough, you can go to the house and unveil the tiles.
It was getting dark after 8 o'clock, and even the moon turned on the lights. I sat down and took the last photo of the day.
Day 3 Hiking to Upper Tiger Leaping and Middle Tiger Leaping
The destination of today’s trip is Tiger Leaping Gorge. It takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes to drive from Lijiang Old Town to Tiger Leaping Gorge Scenic Area. During the epidemic period, half-price admission to Shanghutiao Scenic Area is 22.5 yuan per person, and parking is free.
Tiger Leaping Gorge is located at the junction of Lijiang and Shangri-La. It is one of the deepest canyons in the world. The canyon is 23 kilometers long and consists of Upper Tiger Leaping, Middle Tiger Leaping and Lower Tiger Leaping. The narrowest part of the canyon is only 20 The altitude difference between the bottom of the gorge and the top of the mountain is 3,900 meters. The high-road hiking route is known as "one of the top ten classic hiking routes in the world."
Tiger Leaping Stone is located at the narrowest point of the Shanghu Leaping River, which is only more than 20 meters away. According to legend, tigers rely on this stone to travel back and forth between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain, hence the name.
This tiger doesn’t look very good. Take a closer look at the stone.
The upper section of Tiger Leaping Gorge is characterized by the spectacular rushing of the river, which is in sharp contrast to the middle section behind it.
Ordinary tourists are advised to only visit Shanghutiao, which is a maturely developed scenic spot with multiple environmental platforms and artificial wooden stairs where you can appreciate the first fjord of the Yangtze River.
Next, go to the middle section of Tiger Leaping Gorge and drive from Shanghutiao parking lot to Zhonghutiao parking lot for about half an hour. From Shanghutiao to Zhonghutiao, you will first pass through a small tunnel. There is a warning sign at the door. There are two general meanings: buses are prohibited from passing, and the scenic spots behind are risky and you must bear the consequences.
Going forward along the road, it was obvious that the road here was in tatters. From time to time, rocks fell onto the roof of the car on the mountain on the left, and there was a cliff on the right. Don’t stop in the middle and drive carefully.
Zhonghutiao Scenic Area is not an officially maintained scenic spot. There is an old woman who charges 10 yuan per person and then shows you the way down the mountain. She tells you that you can reach the bottom of the fjord in half an hour. I walked for 45 minutes.
Passing the blue sign below is the best shooting point for the panoramic view of Zhonghu Leaping Gorge: Yixiantian .
Climb to the bottom of the fjord and cross the suspension bridge to see the flowing water waterfall and the stone monument of Zhonghu Leap. The river here is obviously gentle.
On the return trip, you can choose to return the same way, or you can choose to climb the ladder . You can choose according to your physical strength. I rested while walking. It took about 60 minutes to get back to the starting point. On the way, I asked the mountain people to buy a bottle of energy drink to replenish my water. The hiking trail is basically as shown in the picture. You can't find good stone steps. Zhonghutiao is a state of hiking and climbing, so you need to do what you can.
Since we hiked for more than an hour that day, we didn’t have many activities planned in the evening. We mainly focused on resting, and we would continue hiking up the snow-capped mountains tomorrow and the day after.
Day 4: Visit the snow-capped mountains again, unforgettable Puxiu
Jinmao Puxiu Snow Mountain Hotel provides free mountain entry pass, which allows free entry and exit during your stay. You can get it at the front desk of Jinmao Hyatt Regency Hotel before entering the scenic spot. In addition to self-driving, there is a scheduled shuttle bus to and from the Hyatt Hotel and Puxiu Snow Mountain Hotel, which takes about 40 minutes. Shift is subject to actual conditions. The following information is for reference only!
Hyatt to Snow Mountain:10:15/13:25/16:20/19:15
Snow Mountain to Hyatt: 08:30/12:00/15:00/17:30/20:15
Before going up the mountain, we drove to another nearby ancient town: Shuhe Ancient Town . There are much fewer people than in the ancient city, but it still provides various travel photography services.
When I first arrived in Puxiu, it was obviously faster to enter the mountains in the afternoon than in the morning. Although every room in the hotel is facing the snow-capped mountains, I still asked for a room with a better view when I was in CI for taking pictures. Remember to ask the front desk for one. Hotel activity schedule, rich activities are arranged almost from morning to night, and only some fees are charged, which is quite reasonable. The hotel provides guests with 2 bottles of oxygen every day, which is not really needed at an altitude of 3,100 meters.
The living room and bedroom of each suite face the snow-capped mountains . Even if you don't go out to the hotel, the scenery is unparalleled. The hotel I have longed for, Puxiu is worth it! Jinmao’s high-end brands reflect brand value in every detail.
Whether it's the balcony or the bedroom, lying down or sitting, there's no problem in making a pot of tea and staring at the beautiful scenery in a daze for a long time.
After putting away my luggage, I took a look around the hotel environment. The price of 2388 for two nights including breakfast and afternoon tea is really a great value. In addition, booking through the CMB Classic Platinum Card with 300+ benefits is also quite cost-effective.
In the snow-capped mountains, you are reluctant to sleep in. The lady at the front desk will tell you the sunrise time of the next day every day. As long as it doesn't rain, you can see the sunrise on the Jinshan Mountain from the balcony of the room every day. Walking from the passage in the picture above to the yoga room is the best place to shoot "Rizhao Jinshan" in the morning. The effect is better than the sky realm, rememberThis information is very important.
In the afternoon, I participated in a plant essential oil lipstick making experience , which matched well with the colorful Yunnan silk scarves.
If you want to take it away, you need to pay 90 yuan per bottle. If you want to simply experience it, it is free.
The Xuejingge restaurant has a view facing the snow-capped mountains. Come and enjoy a delicious yak hot pot.
Dining indoors is definitely not as good as dining outdoors, so decisively ask the waiter to help move it out.
After-dinner entertainment activities include chess, table tennis, table football, etc. There are not many guests, so everyone can play them one by one.
Day 5 Rizhao Jinshan, the essence of Snow Mountain Hotel
I woke up at 5:55 in the morning and saw that there were not many clouds. I was more than ready to take photos of Jinshan in the sunshine. If not, there would be another morning tomorrow.
Went to the yoga room at 6:05. After trying various shooting angles, we waited for the sun to shine on the golden mountains. The sky was getting brighter and I was looking forward to it!
At 6:10, the silver-white snow-capped mountains (pictured above) were still there. In just a few minutes, the clouds in the sky took on color.
The climax was reached at 6:27 in Rizhao Jinshan (picture below), the most beautiful photo of this trip, bar none. There were only two friends and I in the early morning yoga room. We were lucky enough to see and take photos of Rizhao Jinshan, which was quite exciting.
The mountain color looks particularly charming under the golden light. Just take a photo and it will be a blockbuster. The Puxiu Snow Mountain is so worth it!
Around 7 o'clock, the golden light gradually faded ; after 7:30, there was no more golden light. After the Yinshan Mountain returned to its appearance, we returned to the Snow View Pavilion for breakfast. Here is a method of photographing the reflection of the Jinshan Mountain in the sun. Of course, squatting down will do. This The two of you worked so hard, see the picture below for details:
As planned, we will visit Ganhaizi in the Snow Mountain Scenic Area in the morning. There are some scattered lakes, cattle and horses, and meadows with the snow mountains as the background. The consumption has been relatively high in the past few days, so it’s better to take it easy.
There are animals nearby and snow-capped mountains in the distance, which is full of layers.
Tambourine experience, I went back to the hotel for afternoon tea in the afternoon, and started to participate in hotel activities. A local teacher taught me how to play drums. It has three notes: high, high and low. It is quite simple and easy to learn.
Yunnan specialty tie-dye , the teacher will introduce the background and principles. You can choose the pattern, dye and clean the tie-dye yourself. It is so beautiful that you can take it home.
I participated in the hotel observatory activity . Unfortunately, June is not a good time for stargazing. I could only see the moon that night, but also the cloud conditions.
The evening stargazing activities at the observatory are worth going if the weather is good, because private cars are not allowed to enter Blue Moon Valley at night, but hotel cars can, and Blue Moon Valley is the first choice for starry sky photography .
Unfortunately, the clouds were too thick, so after listening to the introduction of the observatory, we chose to drink tea and chat in the room at night...
Day 6: Maoniuping, return trip
On the last day of the trip, I chose Maoniuping . It takes a long time here. It takes an hour and a half for the bus and ropeway to go back and forth. Since we have to go to the airport in the afternoon, time is tight.
The attraction is not fully developed and there are fewer tourists than the other two ropeways.
The light in the morning was average, and the plank road was in tatters, but it was more suitable for hiking. I met a dozen hiking enthusiasts along the way, and it was no problem to walk here all day. Dandelions are everywhere.
Snow Flower Temple is probably the largest attraction on Yakniuping.
After walking for an hour, I didn't find a yak, so I had to take a photo with the horses.
There are thick clouds in the sky, and snow-capped mountains can occasionally peek out. The meadows and pastures are in the foreground, with clouds and snow-capped mountains behind. It is also extremely beautiful.
The flight was at 15:20 in the afternoon, and I caught the first return bus and started the return trip at 11:45.
The weather started to get better at noon, and visibility and color saturation improved.
Important reminder: If you like hiking and have enough time, Yakniuping is an option, but you need to be careful of horse crickets and don't wear shorts while walking on the grass.
There is a restaurant in the Snow Mountain Market in the scenic area. It is recommended to dine here during the day. It will be closed in the evening. You can choose to dine in the hotel at night.
After checking out of the hotel, we headed to the airport. I was very satisfied with the entire trip and the weather was also great. Full marks!
write at the end
1. Introduction to the main attractions of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain:
1. Glacier Park, Take the large ropeway directly to the 4506-meter platform. If the weather is good and the road is not closed, you can go all the way to 4680 meters and have a panoramic view of the mountains. The journey is not long but it tests your strength and physical condition, especially altitude sickness caused by low blood oxygen saturation.
2. Maoniuping , accessible by bus + cableway. Compared with Glacier Park, it is wider and is a good place for hiking (3800 meters). There are leeches on the grassland, so try to walk on the wooden floor. When entering the grassland, remember not to stay still for a long time.
3. Yunshanping , which can be reached by taking a small ropeway. It is called "Youwu Pavilion" in local dialect, which means "the place where love dies" and is also known as Jinxiu Valley. It is 3240 meters above sea level. It is a huge lawn hidden in the original spruce forest. . It is less likely to cause altitude sickness at lower altitudes, and you can also see snow-capped mountains and yaks.
4. Blue Moon Valley, Yuye Lake, when the sky is clear, the water turns blue due to copper ions, and the valley is crescent-shaped, like a blue moon embedded at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Generally, you can stop by the big ropeway and have fun on the way, and there is no need to buy additional tickets.
5. Matterhorn Style Park in Switzerland , Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Matterhorn have formed friendly peaks. The two places jointly built this park to showcase the Alpine style.
6. Ganhaizi is not a big attraction. There are some scattered lakes, cattle and horses, and meadows with snow-capped mountains as the background.
2. Tour routes and time consumption in Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area:
1. The choice of most people, Glacier Park + Blue Moon Valley, after all, is the signature of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. You can visit these two main attractions by scenic bus by purchasing a large cableway ticket. The whole tour time is about 4 hours, of which Blue Moon Valley Moon Valley 1 hour.
2. People who like hiking in the wild will more likely consider choosing Maoniuping, which is more original. It takes 1.5 hours to go back and forth between the bus and the ropeway. Generally speaking, the longest time to play is more than half a day.
3. Tourists with average physical fitness and physical strength should choose Yunshanping + Blue Moon Valley. They can take into account the main attractions and the tour time is about 3 hours.
4. If you have plenty of time for a self-driving tour , you can go for a walk around Ganhaizi, take photos and take a walk. Be sure to park in the checkered parking spaces on the roadside, as there are often police patrols. The Matterhorn Scenic Garden is located near the visitor center and can be seen by anyone passing by. There are not many people there and it is generally used as an additional attraction.
3. Fees for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area:
The entrance ticket to the mountain is 100 yuan, the large glacier park cableway is 140 yuan, the Maoniuping middle cableway is 65 yuan, the Yunshanping small cableway is 60 yuan, and the oxygen tank is 50-60 yuan. During the epidemic, tickets to the mountain are half-price, and reservations for the ropeway must be made on the article one day in advance.
4. Other wonderful travel notes in Yunnan:
1. Foreign land : Xishuangbanna｜A classic route that must be played for the first time
2. Internet celebrity : Yunnan Maitreya｜"Provence" in central Yunnan is played like this
3. Parenting : Famous ancient city in Yunnan｜Colorful Yunnan is a great place for baby walking
5. Other attractions in Lijiang:
1. Shuhe Ancient Town is quieter than Lijiang Ancient City and close to the snow-capped mountains. You can consider having lunch in the ancient town before going up to the mountain. Those who have been to the ancient city can also choose to stay here.
2. Lashihai, a well-known scenic spot for horse riding and boating, is suitable for taking pictures, but remember to distinguish the authenticity and negotiate the price in advance.
3. Lugu Lake , it takes about 4-5 hours to drive from Lijiang. Jingmei Road is also far away. If you have enough time, you can consider staying there for one night.
4. Tickets for various performances are not cheap and the price/performance ratio is not high. The choice depends on personal preference.