14 Days Ancient Tea Horse Trade Road Overland Tour from Jinghong to Lijiang and Shangrila

You’ll begin your journey to the diverse and captivating province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming. Upon arrival at the Kunming International Airport, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel.

You will take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. If time permits, you will have a Kunming city tour. Enjoy welcoming dinner of Yunnan Flavouring food with crossing Bridge Rice Noodle and Steam Pot Chicken/Qiguoji.

— Kunming is the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan province, a primarily agricultural province of 45 million. Kunming has a population of five million and is located in one of the world’s most geographically, ethnically, biologically and linguistically diverse regions. Situated at 1,900 meters (6,233ft) above sea level and 25° north of the Equator it has a rather unique and pleasant climate for a Chinese city.

You will drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. An old local saying says that ‘If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.’ Truly, the Stone Forest is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan. After lunch drive back Kunming to visit the Guandu Ancient Town which is a famous historical & cultural town in Kunming; it keeps the main architectural style of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.

— The Stone Forest is in Shilin Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 120 kilometers from Kunming and requires only a three-hour drive. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots. The Stone Forest has unique karst topography which is one of the best of its kind within China. There are six scenic spots in the Stone Forest: the Greater Stone Forest, the Lesser Stone Forest, the Naigu Stone Forest, the Zhiyun Cave, the Long Lake, the Da Dieshui Waterfall and the Qifeng Cave.

Take the flight to Jinghong, Meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel.
–Jinghong City is about 710 km from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, 110 km from Chiang Rai, 190 km from Myanmar and 680 km from PDR Lao. Jinghong is the capital city of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. It is a small city on the Lancang River with lush tropical and subtropical scenery and unique folk cluture. Jinghong is also home to 13 ethnic groups including the Dai, the Hani, the Jinuo, the Bulang, etc. and people of minority nationalities accounts for about 65% of the total population. They live together with the forests and colorful cultures. Among all the minorities, the Dai people take the lead. They are mild and very versatile. The Dai people believe in the Buddhism and the Buddhism temples are scattering over every village.

Start the trip from Jinghong.
Go along the Mekong to Ganlanba, a major residential area of Dai People, see a lively daily market where local people sell or buy food and other native products.
Drive to Yiwu, a small town once boomed due to tea trade in the history, see the old part of town and the stele erected in Qing Dynasty that recorded the trade situation at that time, pay visit to local families that are still producing Pu’er Tea the traditional way. Back to Menglun, visit the biggest tropical botanical garden of China, enjoy the nice view and quietness in garden. Stay at hotel in the botanical garden.

Enjoy morning freshness in the botanical garden, have a relaxing walk in rainforest zone for a short experience, leave botanical garden for Jinuo Mountain Area, visit Jinuo People uniquely belonging to this region, the last nationality classified by Chinese Government in 1979. See the ancient tea plantations around Jinuo village, which used to be part of cradles of famous Pu’er Tea, try Wrap- charcoaled Tea and Salad Tea Jinuo people prepare in their traditional way. Move to Simao, stop en route to get view of vast tea plantation near Dadugan. See the ancient tea caravan way that still winds its way on ridges of mountains, of which the paving stones are still telling people the former prosperity of tea trade on this way, pay visit to local family that used to run hostel specially for tea transporting caravans in the past. Further to Pu’er, a town that once was the tea distribution center of South Yunnan, after which Pu’er Tea was named by tea businessmen who gathered here. Stay in Pu’er.

Pay visit to Cha An Village and Mohe Town, former stops on the Ancient Tea Caravan Way, chat with local people to learn about their predecessors’ life with tea transporting caravans. Drive to Zhenyuan, then further to Jingdong Yi Autonomous County under the jurisdiction of Pu’er City.
Stay in Jingdong.

See Confucian Temple of Jingdong, drive to Weishan via Nanjian, tour around on Mount Weibao near Weishan to see Taoism temples built in Ming and Qing Dynasty, to experience the influence over local ethnic people’s life inflicted by Taoism from inland China.  Visit ancient town of Weishan, which used to be the capital of early Nanzhao Kingdom 1300 years ago, current old town was constructed during Ming Dynasty 600 years ago, layout of whole place still remains in the shape of Chinese chess board as originally planned, lots of buildings aged hundreds of years are in use all the same, feel atmosphere of primitive simplicity by walking along streets. Leave Weishan for Dali. Stay in the ancient town of Dali.

Dali is a town reputed with long history and profound cultural background, it became the capital of Nan Zhao Kingdom 1200 years ago, and was also the capital of later Dali Kingdom, till Yuan Dynasty, for over 500 years Dali had always been the political, cultural and economic center of Western Yunna. Tour around Dali, visit Xizhou, a town featured with traditional Bai dwelling houses and their original life style, take boat in Er Hai Lake for a short experience, visit the land mark of Dali — Three Pagodas, have a stroll in ancient Dali Town for assorted handicrafts, etc. Stay in Dali.

Early starting off for Jianchuan via Eryuan, visit Dian Nan Village on the way, a place famous for their traditional wood carving products. Drive to Shaxi, a famous countryside town that boomed because of busy tea trade and salt trade between Yunnan and Tibet in the past, reputed as the Only Living Market on Ancient Tea Caravan Way, buildings remain in original look, people are living traditional way, folk custom is well maintained. Leave for Mount Shi Bao, see the the most famous grotto in Yunnan, of which elaborate Buddhism sculptures demonstrated the art level of Bai people 1100 year ago. Drive to Lijiang, a beautiful World Heritage City. Stay in Lijiang.

Tour around Lijiang. Visit Shuhe Village out of town, a traditional Naxi Nationality Village famous for leather craft, used to be an important leather market on former Ancient Tea Caravan Way, to feel the relaxing atmosphere given by stone bridges, rivers crossing village and local people’s idyllic rural life. See the symbol of Lijiang, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, holy mountain in local Naxi people’s hearts. Further drive along countryside road to Bao Shan Stone Town, a village located by the upriver Yangtze, built on top of a protruding rocky hill. Stay at local guesthouse in village.

Have a walk in Stone Town, wander in narrow lanes to observe the authentic life of local Naxi people, to explore how they could built houses on craggy and rocky mountain to keep their homes from invasion in bygone days. Back to Lijiang, pay visit to Yu Feng Lamaism Monastery and Bai Sha Naxi Village. See Black Dragon Pond (Known as Jade Spring Park also), which is famous for assorted pavilions of Naxi style and its crystal water, in good weather, pavilions, arch bridge, willows growing on the bank, Jade Snow Mountain behind, together with their reflections in the water will compose a very beautiful view. Enjoy relaxing time in Old Lijiang Town. Stay in Lijiang.

From Lijiang, you’ll drive about 60KM to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, visit the Iron Chain Bridge,the Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument in the Shigu town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks. You will have an experience of the floating from the First Bend of the Yangtze River to Longpan Town, after one hour floating, meet the driver and trasfer to Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river. Afternoon, you’ll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is welknown as the paradise destination for every tourist.

Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys. Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India. You will be relax in Dukezong Ancient Town in the late afternoon and enjoy the dance with Tibetan people in Sifang Square around 7:00PM.

— Tiger Leaping Gorge is on the Jinsha River of the upper reaches of the Yangtze, located 105 kilometers south of Shangrila County. The gorge is 17 kilometers long with a drop of 213 meters. Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into three sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Hutiao. At the narrowest spot the river is only 30 meters wide. The mouth of the gorge is 1,800 meters above sea level. The river is flanked by Yulong and Haba snow mountains, with a height difference of 3,900 meters. It is one of the deepest gorges in the world.

In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias – ‘the little Potala Palace ‘, so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere.And afterwards you’ll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park Pudacuo National Park is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world. While the region comprises only 0.7 percent of China’s land area, it contains more than 20 percent of the country’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.
Visit Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town in the late afternoon, climb up to the top of Guishan Hill or tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel of the world and have a panoramic view of shangrila county and Dukezong Ancient Town. (Optional: Finally, you will have an option to visit a Tibetan’s family to experience the local life in the bonfire party with Tibetan dance and music and you will try Tibetan home-made yak and cheese).

–Shangri-La is the “Eden in dream”. Since it first appeared in British novelistJames Hilton’s Lost Horizon in the 1939, it has been associated withthe mystique of a place which could not possibly exist here on Earth. In Tibetan,Shangri-La means the “sun and moon in heart”, an ideal home only found in heaven.There the lofty and continuous snowy mountains, endless grasslands, steep andgrand gorges, azure lakes and the bucolic villages always leave a deep impressionon visitors.

Take the flight to Kunming and change the flight for returning.
Service ends.