Minority Experience from Kunming, Dali to Lijiang for 8 Days

We'll take an early bullet train from Kunming to Dali. It is only 2 hours of the ride, thanks to the high-speed train. The Dali Ancient City is widely acknowledged as "Backpackers' Paradise" in China. Foreign visitors like to stay in Dali ancient city. Some of them live there for months or even years, to observe and study the fascinating culture of Bai nationality. In the so-called " Yangren Street (foreigner's street) " in the heart of the ancient city where is always full of foreign visitors, there are several dozens of cafes, western-style restaurants, and clothes shops offering services to international guests. And it seems that every one of the local Dali Bai people in Yangren Street is a multi-linguist.  

We'll walk through the local streets. The local customs and architecture are distinctive. A stroll through the ancient city with its stone-paved streets, traditional-style houses, and numerous gardens is an exciting excursion. Later, we'll head to Xizhou Old Town, which will give you a chance to experience the Bai minority's life.    

Overnight in Dali in a cozy boutique hotel. 

Spend the day exploring Erhai Lake, whose shores are lined with fishing communities, Bai farming villages, temples, and historic towns. Visit villages and temples, then continue to Jinsuo Island, also known as Golden Shuttle Island. Learn about Bai culture while enjoying views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Overnight in Dali near Er'hai. 

Travel along the old Dali–Lijiang road to Shaxi in Jianchuan County. Set in a mountain valley at an elevation of about 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), Shaxi was a stop on historic trading routes. Its architecture, artwork, and nearby sites reflect the cultural exchanges those routes supported.

Shaxi once played an important role as a bustling trade station on the Tea and Horse Caravan Road, an important branch of the Silk Road. Just over one thousand years ago, this ancient trade route connected Tibet with Eastern China. In exchange for teas from Yunnan, Tibetans traded their famous breed of horse to Song Dynasty officials in eastern China, who were busy defending their territory from invaders from the north. Thus the Tea and Horse Caravan was born. Shaxi became the main trade station along this route. The several ethnic groups in the region also have a mixture of Asian influences in their cultures. 

Explore Shaxi’s old town, riverside setting, Xinjao Temple, and historic courtyards. Stay overnight at the Tea Horse Caravan Hotel.

Take a day trip to Shibao Mountain, where wooded trails connect Haiyun, Baoxiang, and Shizhong temples. Explore Buddhist rock carvings dating back more than 1,300 years, including images of Guanyin. Hike through the forest around the temple grounds and watch for monkeys along the way.

After our visit to Shibao Mountian, we’ll return for the evening to Shaxi.

After breakfast, we’ll take a bus to the town of Lijiang, Lijiang is a town that is an enclave of ethnic minority cultures, and the Naxi ethnic group is especially prevalent here.

On arrival in Lijiang, stroll through the old town. Its historic districts preserve Naxi and Han architectural influences alongside local crafts and cultural traditions. Once a trading stop on the Tea Horse Road, the old town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

We’ll next learn more about the Naxi people at the Dongba Museum. The museum is built entirely according to the traditional lifestyle of the Naxi Minority. You can feel the traditional atmosphere of national culture from the layout of its yard, manufacturing facilities, tools, and details of life.  

For the evening, along with dinner you will get to enjoy a traditional performance of Naxi music and dancing at the Dongba Palace.

After breakfast, explore Baisha, one of Lijiang’s earliest Naxi settlements. Visit Ming dynasty buildings, including Dabaoji Palace, Liuli Temple, and Wenchang Palace. View the Baisha murals in Dabaoji Palace, then walk through streets lined with homes and small shops, where clear streams flow through the village.

Visit the Baisha murals, which depict stories from Taoism, Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism. The paintings combine artistic influences from Naxi, Tibetan, Han, and Bai communities. Images of Guanyin and Shakyamuni are among their notable subjects, making the murals an important record of regional art and religious history.

Continue to Shuhe Old Town to explore its traditional streets and Naxi heritage. Enjoy regional food beside the river, then stay overnight at a local inn.

 After breakfast, we’ll head on over to the village of Wenhai. Nestled in the valley at the foot of the mountain, this small community of Naxi farmers, along with their goats, pigs, horses, and cows, lives on the lush green fields around the lake that fronts their village. A lack of decent roads has kept Wenhai relatively free from the tourist hordes, though in addition to the local Naxi dialect, some people do have a smattering of Mandarin.  

Learn about Wenhai’s Naxi communities and the Tibetan, Han, and Bai connections within local family histories. North of Wenhai, visit Xuehua Village to learn about the traditions and daily life of its Yi residents.

For the night, we will stay at the Wenhai Eco-Lodge, owned and run by 56 local families, each of whom has shares in the business and contributes a percentage of profits to community development.

Drive back to Lijiang early in the morning and take a short flight to Kunming. Connect with your onward flight, bringing your tour to a close.