14 Days Yunnan Ethnic Minority Educational Tour

Arrive in Kunming and meet your private guide and driver at the airport before heading to your central located hotel. Check in at the hotel. Use rest of the time to adjust to jet lag or explore the surroundings.

• Hotels: Cachet Boutique Kunming Artime, Intercontinental Kunming, Crowne Plaza Kunming City Centre

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Following your breakfast, take a 1.5 hour drive to Stone Forest. It is a massive exotic landscape of karst formations over 270 million years old. Stroll the area to admire those otherworldly structures while learning some geography knowledge about this type of formation. Return to city area and take the rest of the time to explore on your own.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

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Enjoy your breakfast at your leisure and start the day with a visit to Cuihu Park. Appreciate the beautiful scenery here and if you are visiting during winter, there’s an opportunity to see great numbers of migratory seagulls in the park. Feel free to spend some time for bonding activities in the park. Walk the nearby Bird and Flower Market hidden in a narrow lane among high-rise buildings. This market was opened in 1983, with vendors selling flowers, potted plants, fish and birds. Wander around this market and get a taste of local life. Next, tour Haigeng Park for its tranquility. Dianchi Lake in the park is the largest lake in Yunnan and another place for bird viewing. In the late afternoon, drive south to Jianshui County. Arrive at your hotel and spend the night strolling the area on your own.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Ting Zi Yun Resort Jianshui, Jianshui Hanlinyuan Boutique Hotel

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Today, we’ll tour the ancient city of Jianshui, now center of Jianshui County. Jianshui Ancient City, first built during Tang dynasty, has a history of more than 1,200 years. Explore many of its well-preserved ancient architectures, with Zhu Family Garden being the highlight. This group of Qing dynasty residences is filled with a large pond, rockeries, pavilions, ancestral halls and exquisite buildings. A wonderful place to observe Chinese architectures of southern style and to know the rise and fall of this family in the turbulent period of late Qing dynasty. Jianshui pottery has about 3,500 years of history, dated back to the Neolithic Period. In the afternoon, try your hand at making purple pottery with a local artisan. From here, we’ll drive to Yuanyang. Check in at your hotel in Yuanyang and have the evening to explore the place on your own.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Oness Resort Yuanyang Terrace

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Cut into the hillsides and rise like giant steps, the rice terraces of Yuanyang are a stunning sight at any time of year. But the landscape is most stunning in spring when terraces are flooded in water, shimmer under the sunlight, especially at sunrise and sunset. For centuries, local Hani people have a close relationship with the landscape they live. Learn about their unique culture and settlement while hike through this sublime scenery. Appreciate those special mushroom shape housings in Qingkou Hani Ethnic Village. Return to your hotel at the end of the day.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

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This morning, wake up early to catch the first ray of sunlight casting over Yuanyang Terrace. Return to your hotel for breakfast before explore the terrace further. Enjoy your lunch at a local restaurant and take a four hour drive back to Kunming. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening on your own.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

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Following your breakfast, catch the train to Dali. We’ll start from Dali Ancient City sandwiched by mountains and Erhai Lake. Dali Ancient City was built during Ming dynasty in 1382, though this place had been the political center of Yunnan since 739 AD in Tang dynasty before it was destroyed during Yuan dynasty. Climb the city wall for a satisfying view of the area. Then, head to Chongsheng Temple for its stunning Three Pagodas and historic atmosphere. Covering 250 square kilometres, Erhai Lake is the seventh-largest freshwater lake in China. In the evening, cruise the placid lake before we end the day. Check in at your hotel and spend the rest of the day to relax, wander, and dine on your own.

• Meals: Breakfast, Dinner,
• Hotels: Dali Landscape Hotel, Hilton Dali Resort & SPA, The Linden Centre

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Today, we’ll begin the day early to experience Bai ethnic culture in Dali. Join the half day cultural immersion tour which includes visit to Yan Family Courtyard, local market and try your hand at making Xizhou pie and three-course tea of the Bai ethnic minority. Yan Family Courtyard is a classic representation of Bai-style architecture. Bai-style buildings, with brilliantly painted roofs and pillars, are often decorated with exquisite wood and stone carvings. Next, head to a morning market in Xizhou to get a taste of local life here. This market has been the trading hub of this region for not less than a thousand years. You will find shops selling silver wares, embroidery works, shoes, furniture, food and vegetables, lined up the street. Later, try your hand at making popular Xizhou pie and brewing Sandao tea, three-course tea. Following your lunch, get onto horse-drawn carriages, and admire the beauty of blue shimmering Erhai Lake and ancient town. Afterwards, participate in tie-dyeing at Zhoucheng Village. In the late afternoon, drive to Lijiang and check in at your hotel.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Banyan Tree Lijiang, Grand Hyatt Lijiang, Lijiang Ivy Garden Resort

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Begin the day with a visit to Lijiang Ancient Town. Gushing canals running through this town filled with ancient wooden housings. Shops and restaurants lined maze of cobbled streets. This charming place is also packed with visitors. Lijiang Ancient Town is a wonderful place to discover Nakhi culture. After your lunch, drive to meet one of a few coppersmiths left in Lijiang. Lijiang copperware used to be a bulk goods sold to regions along the ancient Tea Horse Road or Southern Silk Road. Learn to do your own Nakhi-style copperware from a famous coppersmith. Return to ancient town and tour Zhongyi Market. It is the only existing farmer's market in ancient city of Lijiang. The market is full of all kinds of grocery but mostly agriculture products. From here, rest of the day is yours to relax, wander, and dine on your own.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

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Today, we’ll journey north for a sacred mountain in Lijiang, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is southernmost snow mountain in China. The name of mountain also means heavenly mountain in Nakhi language. It has an elevation of 5,596. Due to consideration of high altitude sickness, we will visit areas that are under 3,500 meters below the snow line. Cable car and shuttle bus are provided within the scenic area. Spruce Meadow is a grassland hidden in primitive forest with majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain peak as backdrop. Nakhi culture has turned Lijiang into one of China’s top tourist destinations. In the late afternoon, visit a local Nakhi family and learn to write their unique characters. In the evening, enjoy your dinner with the family.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,

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After your breakfast, drive to Shangri-La. Stopover at Tiger Leaping Gorge and visit the upper section on your way, which is an unmissable experience. It is one of the deepest valleys in China. Snowcapped mountains rising from either side of gorge with river rushing across from below, simply impressive. Arrive in Shangri-La and check in at your hotel.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Shangri-La Resort, Songtsam Shangri-La (Lvgu) Lodge, Songtsam Linka Shangri-La

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We’ll start the day with a 1.5 hour drive to a small village of Shangri-La. Wooden bowls is an inseparable part of Tibetan life and people used to have only one wooden bowl in a lifetime. Visit a local Tibetan craftsman, learn and process of making wooden bowl and try your hand at painting some Tibetan-style designs on the wooden bowl. Following your lunch, visit “Little Potala Palace” of Shangri-La, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery. It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province, situated 5 kilometers from the city area. Built in 1679 during Qing dynasty, this monastery is a combination of Tibetan and Chinese-style architecture. Next, visit a family living in nearby Tibetan village to understand local’s daily routines and Tibetan culture. Try yak butter tea, yak cheese, barley wine and khapse, as the host tells you the stories about his family living here for generations.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

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We’ll begin the day with a visit to thangka center and try your hand at painting thangka. Thangka is Tibetan Buddhist scroll painting that is used as a meditation aid. This type of painting usually show about religious figures and events. An intricate painting often takes months or even more than a year to finish. Then, visit Zhongdian Ancient Town, also known as Dukezong Ancient Town. Dukezong means “moonlight city” in Tibetan language. With a history of more than 1,300 years, it was an important stop along ancient Tea-horse Road. This ancient town was once the largest and best-preserved Tibetan settlement in China before a devastating fire in 2014. Some of the buildings were newly built in recent years. Following your lunch, explore Napahai Nature Reserve that is located 3,266 meters above sea level. Napahai means “lake behind the forest” in Tibetan language, Napahai Lake in the nature reserve is a seasonal alpine lake. During end of autumn and winter, great number of migratory birds spend their winter here. Nearby is Yila Grassland, the largest pasture in Shangri-La. This is the best place to experience the life of Tibetan herdsmen in Yunnan. Find Tibetan housings scatter around Napahai Lake and herds wonder around on the pasture. Afterwards, return to city area and explore the city on your own.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

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This morning, take breakfast at your leisure, Bid farewell to your wonderful guide and driver and depart for flights home. Have a safe flight!

• Meals: Breakfast,

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