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| Oxygen, RMB45 per can. Look like air re-fresheners? |
Among the 3 cities we visited, Lijiang was the coldest. It has an altitude of 3200m above sea level, which is 200m higher then Genting Highlands. The air was thin
and extremely cold especially during the nights, temperature went as low as 2 Degrees Celsius. Just in case of breathing difficulty,
our hotel provided cans of oxygen.
After breakfast, the first hightlight
of that day was Black Dragon Pool Park. It was built in 1737 way back during Qing Dynasty, also known as Jade Spring Park (yu4 quan2). No doubt it's a
famous tourist attraction. The pool itself was very limpid. According to a legend long time ago, there were ten dragons
living there, doing great harm to the people.
From the park, we could see Yulong Snow Mountain. The
scenery was just breathtaking.
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| A glimpse of the snow-capped mountain from Black Dragon Pool Park. Magnificent view. |
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| Glaring, but it was freezing. |
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Everyone decided to visit Yushanping before lunch. It
was located about 15km from Lijiang city and the objective of climbing this higher ground was to have a nearer view of the
ever glorious Yulong Snow Mountain, also known as Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
The summit of Yulong stands at 5596m above sea level.
Altogether, there are 13 peaks along the range, stretching a distance of 35km from south to north. The snow-capped range is
supposed to resemble a silver dragon with snow curling up its middle. Nevertheless, rich forest, animal resources and herb
thrive its slope.(Source: http://www.travelchinaguide. com.)
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| Closer look at Yulong, Yushanping. |
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| Never place Jian & Kor Choo in one cable car.Both scream. |
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We took cable cars from Yunshanping and climbed a long
stretch of wooden pathways up a spruce plateau overlooking Yulong. It was freezing, but only small patches of left-over frost
were in sight. Nope, no puffy christmas flakes. Didn't snow that hour, that level.
There were many stalls selling food, souvenirs and boiled
corns. Women with babies on their back were managing this business. I wonder what happened to their husbands.
Or rather, do they have one? In rural areas of Yunnan, we were told of this unique custom called "zou3 hun1". Interested?
The direct translation of "zou3 hun1" would be walk-away
marriage (Known as love without marriage). In isolated places deep in the mountains of Sichuan and Yunnan, this strange and
fascinating tradition of its minority called Mosua is still being practiced.
They are happening people. At night, local men and women
dance while fellowshipping in their secluded village. If a guy likes a gal, he’ll go to her and scratch her hand three
times. This is a signal showing his love for her. Even if they have mobile phones, calls and sms probably don’t get
through hilly areas with NEGATIVE reception,*lol*. Anyway, if it’s a two way chemistry…she’ll scratch him
back. No more, no less. 4 scratches probably mean scram!
Message received, the guy will then follow her back
to her house and make love. The next day, both go back to normal routine. No commitment, no nothing. If either party meets
someone new, the doing goes déjà vu.
What happens if she gets pregnant? The gal is expected
to raise her child alone and held responsible for her own household. No one should blame the guy.
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| Diligent mom, working hard. |
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Anyway, we tried on some costumes and had a great
time laughing. Dad started his typical jokes and yea, he's good! Mom chuckled till short of breath.
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| She finally accepted this one after 5 shots. |
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| Lijiang Old Town. I like this one. |
We had lunch at 1pm, then visited Lijiang Old Town.
Got this from the internet: " The Old Town is the only old city built without
a city wall and there is an interesting story telling the reason. Lijiang had been under the reign of the hereditary Mu family
for more than 500 years. If the Chinese character "Mu" (represents the governor of Lijiang) is put into a frame (represents
the city wall), you have the character "Kun" which means "siege" or "predicament". This would mean that the governing Mu family
and their descendants would always be trapped like a rat in a hole. Because of this symbolism, Old Town Lijiang was never
given a city wall." (Source:http://www.warriortours.com)
The area was very much bigger compared to Dali Old Town. There were
more shops, more people and more things to see. In the compound, an ancient network of waterways supplied by nearby mountain
springs flowed along cobbled streets. Bridges and houses made this place a picturesque spot, and very cozy indeed.
Before going back to the hotel, AGAIN we visited several
JADE outlets, had dinner and went shopping at a square market nearby.
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