We packed our way up from Hanoi to Yunnan, China in 9 days to visit the notorious old town of Lijiang early June 2007.
Green with vegetation and flowers, Yunnan is a great destination for tourism, especially easy from Vietnam. The province in the South of China is inhabited by many minorities which still remain many strong cultural identities
From Lao cai in Vietnam, after crossing border into China, you will need to pass 500 km before reaching Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan. On the way, chance to see the famous Shi Lin (Stone Forest) which lays 80 south of Kunming. The road is ok but winding most of the time. Transfer can be day trip bus or night bus which is fairly comfortable. Smoking inside the bus is quite often
Dali and Lijiang were the highlights of our trip. Being the old citadel and towns, they conjure the images of China hundreds of years ago, well maintained and organized. The Bai minority (in Dali) and Naxi minority (in Lijiang) are those that are dominant in the areas
