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Day 1: Arrival of Chengdu (D) |
Arrive
in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan
province, the home town of Panda.
Picked up by the local guide at
airport and transferred to Cinliang
Hotel (3*) |
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Day 2: Chengdu – Dujiangyan
– Wolong – Siguniang
Shan 165km (B, L, D) |
In
the morning, drive to Dujiangyan
Irrigation System. The Dam was
first built for irrigation on
Chengdu plain in the year of 250
BC. Then we drive to Wolong Giant
Panda Natural Reserve, where about
50 giant pandas are bred in a
semi-natural environment. After
lunch at Wolong, cross the foggy
Balang Mountain and pass by the
Siguniang Shan (4–girls
mountain, highest peak 6250m).
It enjoys not only abundant precious
trees but also many kinds of animals
and up to 2300 kinds of birds.
Today trekking in Shuangqiaogou
(Double Bridge Gully) to visit
the valley, Sangozhuang (Three
hot stoves), Renshanguo Meadow
(Ginseng fruit Meadow), Sun and
Moon Mirror, which are surrounded
by 5 mountains. Over night in
Abi Mountain Hotel (2*). |
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Day 3: Drive to Danba area 150
km (B, L, D) |
In
the morning via Xiaojin County,
head for Danba County (1900 m).
Danba has long been acclaimed
as the kingdom of Thousands of
ancient town. Visit will be made
to the ancient block towers in
Suopo. They were made of clay
and block and look fine from outside.
In addition, visit the Jiaju Tibetan
Hamlet, 10 km away from the county
city, is one of the rare buildings
that has preserved complete Tibetan
style residences. More than one
hundred buildings keep the same
area with a complete and unique
character of Jiarong Tibetan residences.
Under the blue sky, the Tibetan
resident in red, white and black
are strewed at random but also
in order from the bottom to the
middle slope of the mountain.
Over night in Danba Hotel (2*). |
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Day 4: Drive to Tagong area and
visits 130 km (B, L, D) |
The
village of Lhagong (Tagong) lies
between Kangding and Daofu in
Kham in the shadow of the great
Shadah (Yallah) Mountain. Lhagong
sits at around 3700 m, so take
it easy your first couple of days.
The village has always been small
and surrounded by Nomads. Recently
with improvements in the roads
and facilities, much more tourists
are making Lhagong a place to
relax for a few days and breathe
in the Khampa way of life. Lhagong
Gompa Monastery means “Favourite
place of the Bodhisattva”
in Tibetan language. In the Gompa,
there is an enormous golden statue
of a 1000-armed Chenresig, the
Bodhissatva of Compassion, and
another of Jowo Rinpoche. There
are many beautiful murals depicting
various Tibetan Deities and a
great statue of Jampa in the small
room at the front if the Gompa
(just inside the gate). The monks
in Lhagong are from the Sakya
order (red hats). In laymen’s
terms Buddhism is taught wihin
the Sakva order is slightly different
from the Gelupa (yellow hats)
order. The Gelupa monks have to
learn the Sutra (philosophy and
the theory of Buddhism) before
they can learn Tantra whereas
the Sakya monks learn it all together.
Most agree that the differences
are not important and that the
same teachings are used in both.
At the back of the Gompa behind
a high stone wall are Chortens
(Stupa). Chortens are built to
house the bodies of very high
lama’s or holy relics. There
is also a Sakya collage not far
from Lhagong (an easy walk) with
its own Gompa.
It
is pleasant to walk a Kora of
the Gompa (walking clockwise around
the building). You will encounter
many of the villagers, all saying
their mantras and spinning their
own small prayer wheels. Close
to the Gompa there is also a giant
pile of Mani stones – each
one carved with mantra and prayers
for the wellbeing and happiness
of all living things. Night in
Tagong Hotel (2*) |
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Day 5: Trekking near Zhang Lhatse
Holy Mountain (B, L, D) |
Today,
trekking will be made from Tagong
to Bamei (29 km) in Zhara Lhatse
Holy Mountain, including a serious
pass of about 4200 metres elevation,
ascended lovely forested hills,
a river running wide and fast
below, crossed mile after mile
of flower-bedecked pasture. At
last come to the pass, marked
in Tibetan fashion by a cairn
of stones and strings of lungta
prayer flags. It would be optional:
if kids cannot finish the whole
trip, clients can ask the guide
to make call to the driver to
take them back to the hotel. |
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Day 6: Drive to Lithang 210 km
(B, L, D) |
The
road from Tagong to Lithang is
quite bumping but the scenery
on the road is magnificent. Crossing
over Mt. Gaoershi. Have lunch
at Yajiang, a small county at
the foot of the mountain. Upon
arrival at the High City –
Litang (4014 m), visit monastery
lying in the western suburbs of
the city. The monastery, meaning
Maitreya Holy Wheel Temple in
Chinese. As the most important
temple of Kham region, it was
originally under the control of
the Bon religion but converted
into a Gelug Sect monastery. Over
night Gaocheng Hotel (2*). |
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Day 7: Drive to Yading area and
starting point of trekking 3 hours
(B, L, D) |
Road
to Daochen (150 km) on driving
uphill on the zigzag road to Daocheng
which lies in an open valley,
then to Yading – last Shangri-la
(80 km). Natural Reserve and ascend
to Yading town which is about
1 hour driving away from Daocheng.
We will walk up to Chonggu monastery
(3 km). Once get up to the valley
of Chonggu Monastery (3700m),
the bending clear stream with
the background of the snow-mountains
are just like a painting. Keep
on walking 3 kilometers more to
Chonggu guest house and overnight
there. |
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Day 8: Trekking in Yading 6 hours
(B, L, D) |
Trekking
on the trail between Chanadorje
and Jambeyang (Manjusri, 5958m)
to Luorong yak-shed (4100m) for
the Five-colored alpine lake,
which has fabulous reflection
of Jambeyang and the Milky Lake
(4800m) on distance. Two and a
half hours later, you will be
standing on the top of Risa Mountain
Pass. From Rosa Mountain Pass,
we ascend along the stream originates
from the glaciers and snow. One
hour later, getting to Bayou yak-shed.
Noght in the guest house.
(You will meet cook, stablemen
and horses who will escort us
on the entire trek till getting
to Lugu Lake right from today) |
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Day 9: Trekking Luogong pasture
– Xialuoduoji – Geluo
village 6 hours (B, L, D) |
Luorong
Pasture (4100 m) - Xialuoduoji
Snow Mountain Pass (4735 m) –
Galu Mountain Pass (4300 m) –
Geluo Pasture (2950 m). Right
over the Galu pass, we can see
mountain Chanadorje (Vajrapanl,
5958 m) standing tall and upright
in front of us. Upon the green
grassland, the rocky mountain
with snow and ice raise up into
clouds with the background of
the blue sky. Today is the hardest
day for the whole trip. Over night
in the village home stay. |
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Day 10: Trekking Geluo –
Jinkuan – Sijiancun –
Ludu village – Dongla 7
hours (B, L, D) |
Trekking
Gelou (2950 m) – Jinkuan
– Sijiancun – Ludu
village – Dongl village.
From Jinkuang (Golden Mine) Mountain
(4450 m), we go further into the
valley followed White Water River.
One hour later, we walk by a local
family and start the three hours
descending. The trail is all straight
down. If weather permits, we could
see a snow capped mountain shows
up behind the near mountains.
About two and a half hour later,
a large Tibetan village presents
itself on a mountain slope. You
cannot imagine how such a large
village settles down in the big
mountains. It is just like a Shangri-la.
Dogs barking, yaks lowing, kids
laughing and it is so spry and
isolated there. We will settle
down on a meadow above the village
and come to visit the locals in
the rest time of the day. This
evening, we’ll join the
locals for a bonfire party with
singing and dancing after our
dinner in a local family. Night
in the village home stay. |
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Day 11: Trekking Dongla –
Tongtianhe 7 hours (B, L, D) |
Trekking
Dongba – Nongsha pasture
(3800 m) – Ludu village
– Tongtian River (2250 m)
– Tongtianhe village, entering
the Yi and Naxi area. Today, most
of the walking is on flat road
and trail.
Trekking hours ascending over
the pasture, one hour downhill
to Tongtianhe Village qhich located
right in Luoshui River Valley
and we can walk on flat road and
2 hours later, we’ll pass
by a primary school. After a soft
slope up, we get to a local family
where we’ll be invited to
the house by the host with hospitality.
We can have our lunch made on
a stove instead of bonfire. The
host also offers us Zhanba, the
cooked highland barley powder,
butter tea and Sulima, a tasty
local wine. Overnight at Tongtianhe
Village where a stream named White
Water River joins. Night in the
village home stay. |
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Day 12: Trekking Tongtianhe –
Dujia – Qiongyi 8 hours
(B, L, D) |
Trekking
Tongtianhe Village – Nongsha
pasture – Ka’er Pasture
land (3900 m) – Qiongyi.
Today it is on the trail again,
go descending right from Dujia
village. Then three hours going
uphill to Ka’er pasture
land. The yaks are quite alert
on us when we pass by while the
nomad hugged the Tibetan Mastiff
to keep it away from us. After
cross a stream on a solo tree
trunk bridge, we take the trail
apart from the valley and go downhill
in the afternoon, a snow-capped
peak shows up in distance. From
the bend, we began to go downhill
in dense forest. The 2-3 hours
ascending is exhausting dues to
the steep trail. We’ll take
a break on a meadow in the forest
before we get to Qiongyi Village.
Night in the village home stay.
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Day 13: Trekking Qiongyi –
Wujue village 8 hours (B, L, D)
|
Trekking
Qiongyi – Que’er Mountain
(3950 m) – Dakegu Pass –
Wujue village (2825 m). Ascending
to Que’er Mountain is breath-taking
but pays us back with the stunning
view of the lush valley and cloud-capped
mountains. On the southern slope
of Quer Mountain, you can never
describe the colors of the trees
and bushes in the fall. It is
just like an exquisite carpet
spread from the top of Quer Mountain
down to the valley, with bright
yellow, deep red, dark green,
and all colors between the three.
In the spring, it is a world of
wild flowers. From Que’er
Mountain, we start our 5 hours
downhill trekking. From Lido village,
the sandy and steep trail is a
hard part to cover till we get
to Wujue village. Night in the
village home stay. |
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Day 14: Trekking Wujue village
– Yongnin – Lugu Lake
6 hours (B, L, D) |
Trekking:
Wujue village (2825 m) –
Mountain Pass (3040 m) –
Mosha village (Yi minority people)
– Lijiazhui village –
Hot spring village – Yongnin
(2635 m). The dogs’ barking
and yaks’ lowing will wake
us up in the old Rongeland. After
breakfast, we depart for Mountain
Pass. After a big turn of the
track, a stunning view gives us
a big hug to our right, a valley
goes further down eastward with
a steep white cliff standing by.
The rough road is leading southwest
and we keep on walking two more
hours into the valley where we
reenter the area of Yi minority
people. We’ll depart the
road in the village named Shuiluoga
and restart descending on a track
till to Yongning.
Yongnin Town is the last spot
for supplement of stuff on trek,
met by te bus and unloaded trekking
equipment and gears up to the
vehicle and drive about 1 hour
to Luoshui village (2685 m), a
small village nestles to Lugu
Lake, night in Mosuo family hotel
(2*) |
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Day 15: Lugu Lake (B, L, D) |
Lugu
Lake (2635 m) is a wonder of nature
dues to a sink of earth surface.
In the morning, it will be leisure
after 7 days trekking. In the
afternoon, a visit will be made
to the Mosuo museum in Luoshui
village, followed with a short
cruise on the local sampan on
the lake. Enjoy dinner in a local
restaurant singing by the host.
Overnight at Mosuo Hotel (2*). |
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Day 16: Lugu Lake – Lijiang
(B, L, D) |
Today,
we drive 260 km, about 6 hours
on the country road to Lijiang.
On the way to Lijiang, Jinsha
River valley will be on your eyes
many times. Jinsha River is the
upper stream of Yangtze River.
Lijiang is the capital of a large
areas inhabited by Naxi minority.
Before conquered by Mongolian
Kublai Khan in the 12th century,
it used to be a prosperous kingdom
with very high culture, specially
their unique writing character’s
style. Night in garden like hotel
Sanhe (3*) in the Lijiang old
town. |
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Day 17: Lijiang |
Today
you will visit a traditional Naxi
village – Baisha, where
life has gone relatively unchanged
for hundreds of years. Visit Doctor
He, who is alive to learn the
knowledge of Naxi herb; Black
Dragon Pool, where the snow-capped
mountains seemingly shimmer as
they are reflected in the waters
of the lake and a Tibetan Lamasery
Yufeng are also on the agenda.
Enjoy the Naxi Ancient concert
in the evening. The rest of time
will be left for Old Town of Lijiang:
called Dayan town which was built
in the late Song Dynasty and early
Yuan Dynasty (nearly 800 years
ago). The old part of the town
has wonderful old cobbles streets,
meandering streams and views that
will take your breathe away. Over
night in the garden-liked hotel
Sanhe (3*) in the old town. |
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Day 18: Lijiang – Kunming
and departure |
Take
the early flight to Kunming (50
minutes). Visit the silk factory
and lunch there. Transfer to the
airport and departure from Kunming.
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| Other
trekking ideas in Yunnan: |
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|
Yunnan
Trekking Tours |
Dali
Trekking Tours |
|
Shangri
La Trekking Tours |
Xishuangbanna
Trekking Tours |
