During our recent trip to Hokkaido, Japan, we get a chance to try out the snow mobile. The rental fee for one hour was 15,000 Yen which work out to be around RM 500 for two person. Riding the snow mobile through the small jungle was funs but very cold at a temperature of -10 degree C. No snowing at that instant.

A visit to Stone Forest is a must if you travel to Kun Ming, Yunnan. The Stone Forest is located in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 100 kilometers from Kunming and requires only a three-hour drive by bus. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots.

We were there early in the morning at 8:00am and the local guide is a girl from Yi minority race. The guide is required by China government to wear their colourful costumes. The sky was cloudy and the weather was cold and we enjoy walking for nearly 2 hours seeing many piece of magnificiant stone which was once part of the sea some 270 million years ago.

Geologists say the Stone Forest is a typical example of karsts topography. Approximately 270 million years ago – during the carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era – the region was a vast expanse of sea. Over time, the movements of the lithosphere gradually caused a retreat of the waters and the rise of the limestone landscape. Due to constant erosion by the elements, the area finally developed into the present-day 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

Visit to Kun Ming, Yunnan surely include a visit to the local tea house. Visited one of them and was greeted by a nice lady from Yi minority race who explained to us various tea produced in the area of Yunnan. We were also given the chance to taste all of them throughout a period of about 1 hour.

The highlight was of course on Puer Tea, a very popular products of Yunnan.

Pu-erh Special Tea, known as Pu-erh Tea by people outside China, has the features below:

Pu-erh tea is moderate in taste, not as strong as black tea. It can cut grease, help digestion, warm stomach, help produce saliva and slake thirst, dispel the effects of alcohol and refresh one’s mind. Pu-erh tea has functions of lowering the triglyceride, cholesterol, hyperuricemia in the body

Pu-erh tea is processed through special fermentation by using the semi-made green tea of Yunnan large leaf tea. It is black or brown in colour. The aged Pu-erh tea is mellow and gives a sweet taste in mouth after drinking. It is an ideal health drink for both young and old people.

Pu-erh tea can be kept for a very long time, the longer you keep it the better it tastes and the higher its quality becomes. But it can not be stored air-tight or put in the moisture or close to goods with peculiar smell. It will taste best if brewing with spring water and in a Zisha (purple clay) teapot.

Quoted from http://www.pu-erhtea.com/Pu-erhTea.htm

The processed Puer Tea are mostly compressed to various shape for storage. The longer it is been store for usage later, the better it is. We purchased a 15 years old Puer to try it out (as below).

Earlier post on Lijiang Old Town

Despite the highways, the airport, and the brand-new buildings, the city of Lijiang still feels a lot like the legendary lost paradise. Set on a beautiful lake, surrounded by ancient villages, and inhabited by the Naxi people, the essence of this corner of Yunnan province has barely changed in the past century. Lijiang has becomes China’s biggest cultural attraction

This picturesque town is the historical capital of the Naxi civilization, a Chinese minority that numbers 300,000.

Lijiang is at about 2,000 m above sea level. Local resident are darker as they are exposed to more UV light than those staying near the sea level. I was at Lijiang sometime back for 2 days travelled from Dali. Journey from Dali to Lijiang by road was about 200km but it took nearly four hours through mountainous winding road.

The main attraction at Lijiang was no doubt the visit to the old town of Lijiang which as more 800 years of history. In this old town, everything was kept old style. The narrow road meant for only pedestrian was made of cobblestone. No cars, bike and just pedestrains.

Walking through the old town require at least half a day. At 2000 m above sea level, weather was cooling and I enjoyed so much here as there are so much to learn about this city and especially the culture of the chinese minority of Naxi people.

At the top of the hill is a park with a fancy pagoda and lots of big trees. I was told that pagoda is the tallest pogado in China erected totally with 100% of wooden material and stand at 33m high.

There are three old town at Lijiang and only one is opened to visitors and tourist.

I was at the old town the who of one afternoon and after dinner, I went back to the old town again and enjoy the night view of the area. Red lanterns hang everywhere and they are so beautiful at night.

“Old Town of Lijiang” was added to Unesco’s World Heritage List in 1997

I would love to be back to Lijiang in the future and hopefully have a chance to visit the Mosuo minority and pay a visit to the nearly Shangri La.

Some of the pictures taken during the visit to Lijiang are as follow:-

All pictures were taken with a Canon G6 Digital Camera.

Yunnan Province in Southern China is the home for 26 minority races. The most interesting minority race is the Mosuo Minority in Lugu Lake. I have never been to Lugu Lake but I got to Lijiang which is not far away from the place where Mosuo people orginated.

The people of Mosuo practice zouhun (èµ°å©š) – walking marriage (a commitment made between two individuals without legal restraints) – that makes this community noticeable as a lakeside love haven. Men and women never get married. Children only know who is their mother and do not normally who their father are. Children will stay with their mother and in such way, their family and get pretty big. Women are the boss in this Mosuo Minority where all decision are made by women. When a man and woman fall in love, the man visits the woman in the night and then returns to his mother’s home in the morning. They never formalize the arrangement to create a new family group, although some couples remain committed to each other throughout their entire lives and often have many children together. It is also normal for a man to have several lovers.

I had a chance to meet a Mosuo gentlement at Lijiang and spoke to him at length and happy to learn a lot about the Mosuo people.

One of the book that I have purchased and read is as shown below:

The Southern part of China is so rich is culture and I do hope to visit Tibet in the not too distant future.

A visit to Xan years back and taken several photographs at Pit 1 of the Terracotta Muzeum. The Terracotta Warrior was found by a group of farmer who were digging a well at the tomb area in 1974. The farmer who found the Terracotta Warrior now work for the Terracotta Muzeum.

The Gentlemen who found the TerraCotta Warrior

The pictures were taken using Canon G2 Digital Camera in year 2003. No flash allowed in the Muzeum area.