Yuanyang (元阳)
14 December 2019.
With my bus leaving for Yuanyang Xinjie Town at 1134, I collected my backpack within 15 minutes of depositing it, went through baggage checks and got into the departure hall at 1126. The bus left at 1134 on the dot.
Along the route there are small rice steppe plantations along the hills quite special scenery only unique to this region. We passed by Gejiu Town admist hazy weather, visibility was low.
1128 hr.
We stopped at Yuanyang Nansha Bus Station for a toilet break at 1348.
From Nansha (南沙), the bus climbed up to surrounding brown and yellow green mountains quite unlike the rolling deep green valleys seen further North in Qinghai Province. We were starting to see roosters and locals walking the route under the hot sun. It may be only 24 degrees outside but the afternoon sun seemed to shine fiercely onto the grey roads. Our bus climbed higher, until we saw the whole of nansha.
At 1430, the bus came to a halt in the middle of the road. A middle aged local lady boarded, calling for passengers going to Bada (坝达), Duoyishu(多依树), Pugao(普高) etc for 15 yuan each. A few passengers from our bus responded to her call and alighted. I was quite puzzled but also alighted knowing that it would save me from the trouble of looking for transportation to bring me to my accommodation at Duoyishu(多依树)once the bus drops us off at Yuanyang Xinjie Bus Terminal. I translated for two French ladies and we all got off our bus to her waiting car. I later learnt that this middle aged local lady had stopped the bus to lure potential passengers (抢客) before the bus got to the bus terminal as competition for customers would be stiffer there. I am still surprised that the bus driver cooperated with this, though I was about to realize over the next few days that in Yuanyang, such happens quite often.
In her car were myself, the two French ladies who currently live and work in Kuala Lumpur and four Chinese Nationals who were currently forming an impromptu group to visit the sites of Yuanyang. The middle aged local lady eagerly introduced her rates, it was 200RMB to bring them to some of the scenic spots for the rest of the day to view the sunset. The four Chinese Nationals asked us if we would like to join them and translating the situation to both parties became a daunting task when I realized that the middle-aged local lady was going to drive the four Chinese Nationals around on a tour for the rest of the day whilst the two French ladies preferred to go straight to their accommodation. Pointing out that we only got on because we were promised that we could get straight to our accommodation, the middle-aged Chinese lady relented and called for her husband. The four Chinese Nationals were transferred to her husband’s car where they were to go on a tour whilst the French ladies stayed in her car whilst the middle aged local lady went out to hunt for more passengers going in the same direction as the French ladies. I joined the four Chinese Nationals of course, Yuanyang’s noteworthy viewpoints are far apart from one another, I had to look for a group to join to share costs anyway and I was lucky that I had the rest of my day is already planned for 40RMB each.
Out of the four Chinese Nationals, two of them were solo travellers like myself whilst the other two was a Mother-Daughter pair. The driver drove us to get tickets first, which was great as even the ticketing office can only be accessible by vehicles. I was very wrong to think that I can cover Yuanyang on foot, most people drive to Yuanyang for convenience. Tickets are only checked at some viewpoints like the Duoyishu and Bada Scenic Area where crowds gather to watch the sunrise/ sunset over the rice terraces where they will punch a hole on your ticket once you have visited the viewpoint. You can only enter these ticketed viewpoints once although if you are persistent and appear day after day, the guards may just let you in – its tough on both sides though, don’t force it.
Impromptu Car pool. 1517 hr.
The locals of Yuanyang County are mainly the Hani, Yi, Miao, Yao Dai, Zhuang Minority People. Although these spectacular rice terraces were carved by the ancestors of the Hani Minority since the Sui and Tang Dynasties 1,300 years ago, people from other minority groups own some of these rice terraces we see today. At popular viewpoints like the Duoyishu Scenic area, those rice terraces are cohesively owned by hundreds of minority families.
These handcrafted rice terraces are indeed a sight to behold. Although there were neither floating clouds nor colour from the rising/ setting sun mirrored by the waters of the rice paddies during my three nights there, the sight of their layered grandeur wads impressive enough.
To assess these rice terraces, you will have to go down the stone steps from some viewpoints. Most rice terraces, however, can only be assessed through small routes that only locals know off though it is not difficult to find them by following them from afar.
1543 hr.
Something is always up when the locals dress in their traditional costumes and stand around the viewpoints where tourists gather. Taking photos of them will cost you 5RMB. Our Mother-Daughter Pair unknowingly took a photo of one of the smiling Hani kids and were shocked when the little boy came up to ask for payment of 5RMB. The mother reached out to her bag to get 10RMB in cash and the little boy gave it to his own waiting mother nearby, without returning any change.
Photo taking Spot at Eagle’s “Mouth” (老鹰嘴). 1524 hr.
We arrived at Duoyishu (多依树) at around 1900 in the dark. The sun sets early in winter at around 1800 and there were not a lot of street lights. All five of us have booked accommodation in the same area but were at different hostels and our driver drove us to the doorsteps of our accomodation one by one. One of the solo travellers asked if I would like to share a room with her which I would have gladly accepted if I had not already pre-booked and paid for mine on Ctrip. My accommodation was the furthest, the driver dropped the two solo travellers first and when it was just the Mother-Daughter pair and myself left, he turned to us and asked if it was okay to drop me off first.
“You’ll be afraid if you are the only one left in the car with me.” he said.
“It’s okay. I don’t want to inconvenience everyone.” I replied.
“I’m not that kind of guy I can assure you. But the two of you left in the car is better than you alone.”
“I appreciate that thought, thank you.” The thought didn’t even cross my mind as I trusted the driver but that was a kind thought I was grateful for.
They dropped me off and drove back up the same way to the Mother-Daughter pair’s accommodation. My accomodation is owned by a native Hani family and it is indeed clean like all its reviews described on CTrip.
My Arrival at the Guesthouse was greeted by the sight of Chinese tourists cooking a meal in the living area. 1928 hr.
The lady boss got me to sit in their living area on the premise that my dormitory bed wasn’t ready. I suddenly remembered that it would not be easy to get food since I was without a vehicle and it was pitch dark outside. The lady boss pointed out a distinctively strong white light from the doors of a building down the completely black street, a convenience store where I could get water and instant noodles for dinner. A few minutes later, the boss led me to a standard twin room, stating that I could stay in it since it was the low season and my dormitory bed was not available. All he asked was for a good review on CTrip. Interestingly, they did not ask to record down my identification details this time. As I was settling down, the lady boss came in and requested for me to change to another room, it was still a standard twin room but this time I would be staying on their second floor. She left me with a fur blank in case I was cold and also presented me with another toothbrush set. I ended up with three toothbrush sets in my room. I noticed a basement floor and asked what was there to which the lady boss willingly showed me around. Their dormitories were in the basement and mattresses on them were missing. I asked if it’s because they were a new business to which the lady boss replied that they’ve been open two three years and they were cleaning up their dormitories during this low season.
Hani Family’s Guesthouse. 1934 hr.
I settled in and visited the convenience shop, it wasn’t as far as it seemed, and I bought quite a bit just in case I got hungry throughout the night. There was also an eatery I spotted next to the convenience shop that was dimly lit and thus not so obvious but there was no one there. There weren’t much lights on this street to bring with and by 2030, someone turned off the sole light from one room in the neighbouring home. It was a pattern of sleeping and waking up early I got used to in the next few days – there appears to be no night activity, loclas habitually turn in early and tourists retire to sleep early for the sunrise over the terraces the next day.
My dinner loot from the convenience store. 1952 hr.
Throughout the night, I woke up once or twice to the howling of strong winds that were so loud they rattled the window panes. Once I got used to it, I fell into a deep sleep for about 3 hours till 0610. The Duoyishu Scenic area is famed for its sunrise view of the rice terraces and the area is roughly 1.3KM from my hostel. I had been determined to walk to the Scenic area from my guesthouse before dawn when I was in my planning stage though I only understood that it can be a daunting task when I arrived given the darkness outside. I decided to try for once, promising myself that if it was too dark I would turn back.
15 December 2019.
No one seemed to be up yet. The corridors and halls of the guesthouse were in darkness but I easily located the switch and the shadows went away once I turned on the lights. As I intended to leave early, I had asked the boss about the locked main door yesterday to which he replied that all I needed to do was to press a button bell by the counter and someone will come to unlock the doors for me. I did exactly that, five times over 15 minutes but everything fell back in silence. Worried that I might miss the sunrise, I called the guesthouse with the phone number provided on the CTrip app. The boss picked up and the lady boss came to unlock the metal chain on the main door from outside. Interestingly, they did not live in the rooms but outside within the same building. I thanked the lady boss and requested to stay another night before heading out.
I only had to walk straight on a one way route but it was extremely dark, the streetlights were far and between and I was relying on moonlight for guidance. Nearing the crack of dawn, the moon hung bright and circular against the purplish black sky and I almost always slowed down my pace when the moon disappears behind some clouds. In those brief moments, I would be swallowed in partial darkness but there was always the reassurance that the light from the moon would one again shine on the stone road.
Yet, I could barely make out the shadows of objects in the street. Besides the comforting light of the moon, crowing roosters also gave me assurance that dawn was breaking. The walk was peaceful, I did not feel any imminent threats but I did wish it wasn’t so dark. I was extremely fearful of barking dogs, especially when visibility is low and I would not be able to see them beforehand. About five minutes into my walk, I saw the moving shadow of an animal against a wall – a dog had passed by me on the opposite side and my eyes widened in horror as I saw it following me from behind. I decidedly trudged on, my heart thumping in fear. It never barked, and to my greatest relief, trailed after me for only a few seconds before it decided that I had nothing interesting to offer and turned away to continue down the road. I passed by a few guesthouses that had their lights on but there was no one in the street. One guesthouse even had tourists sleeping in plain sight on its living area sofas. A sole thin glass stood between the dark street from them, they made a rather brave choice to sleep in full view of passer bys. Two cars passed by, I quickened my pace to make use of the light from their headlamps to see the street ahead.
About 10 minutes in, I passed by a school. The stretch after the school was a bend filled with tall trees that blocked out the moonlight and is thus engulfed by complete darkness. I couldn’t see beyond as it was a bend. I stood there for quite some time, wondering what to do. Finally, I turned on my torch and pressed on, quick to clear the area. All was quiet and I simply had to keep walking. After clearing the bend, a street light shone right ahead on the empty street which I approached in relief, even stopping for a few minutes to bathe in the light of this rare street lamp. From there, there was just enough moonlight to guide me.
About 15 minutes later, a figure seemed to be moving towards me in the shadows. Was it a dog? It turned out to be a Hani woman walking steadily in the partial darkness. I was so glad to be seeing people. I soon caught up with three Chinese tourists who had just left their guesthouse to walk to the same area to catch the sunset. Seeing them meant that my ordeal was over and I reached the scenic area at 0645.
To my relief, a brightly lit shop cum guesthouse nearer to the Scenic area. 0647 hr.
There’s a saying that everyone who comes to Yuanyang is a photography enthusiast. When I reached, all the “good spots” has been taken up by the tripods of Chinese photography enthusiasts, most of them who are middle aged and older. I managed to squeeze on the side fairly easily without a tripod on hand. Sunrise occurs around 0715 and this day, the colour of the light rays did not reflect onto the rice terraces but the view of the rice terraces themselves is indeed mind-blowing.
Hard Boiled Eggs for breakfast. 0757 hr.
Whilst most left after taking photographs, I stayed on at the Scenic Area as the five of us had arranged on another day tour with our driver yesterday for around a 100RMB each, including the lunch which we would have to pay for the driver. We agreed to meet at the Scenic area at 0830 though the driver was already there by 0815.
Here at Lan Ti Tian Scenic Spot, our first stop of the day, there were many Hani children asking for money. Adorable as they were, most if not all have learnt to later ask for payment once their picture is snapped. Going down to get a closer look at the rice terraces costs 5RMB.
Lan Ti Tian Scenic Spot (蓝梯田). 1000 hr.
Ah Du Ke Mushroom Village (啊者科蘑菇房) is one place I might have missed out on if I tried to navigate the area by myself. Besides getting to see the village, there’s an impressive viewpoint most tourists might not get to see as according to our driver, there are no parking areas for tour buses and the nearest parking lot is too far to walk so most tour guides tend to skip this attraction altogether. Indeed we had the landscape to ourselves during our time there. We left the village subsequently at 1130.
哈尼四素观景台. 1139 hr.
For lunch, we picked our food from a gigantic refrigerator and had the Hani People’s signature barbecued pig, something that tastes quite flavorful and unique. I wondered about potatoes, having seen none in the refrigerator and they told me that potatoes are hardly grown in the region as the soil is not sandy. Interestingly, our fish was from the rice fields.
I found it the names of their dishes rather creative, for barbecue pork they have named the dish 火焰猪肉 rather than the usual 烤猪肉.
1226 hr.
Visiting Eagle Peak (老鹰嘴) after Lunch. 1345 hr.
Our day tour was only until mid-afternoon as our two solo travellers had to return to Jianshui for their connecting trains to Kunming. At 1530, the driver drove us to Yuanyang Xinjie Bus Terminal and I took the chance to ask about the bus to my next destination, Hekou (河口), the border town. For the next day, there was a bus to Hekou at 0710, 0730 and 1000 but the ones at 0710 and 0730 may or may not be operating depending on the number of passengers. A local driver approached me, asking if I wanted to go to “Hukou.” For a long time, I tried to understand what he meant and it wasn’t till he pointed out the corresponding chinese characters on the bus that I understood. He was referring to Hekou, and was the driver for the next day. The locals speak Mandarin Chinese all right but they speak in dialect which can be hard to decipher. He informed that there would be a bus to Hekou the next day, just as the ticketing lady at the bus terminal had said but there would not be a bus leaving to Hekou (河口) from Yuanyang Xinjie Town （新街镇）the following day, which was the day I intended to leave Yuanyang. Instead, I would have to take the minivan to Nansha where there will be many buses to Hekou. That information helped a lot for me to plan in advance.
The mother-daughter pairand I waited at the bus station till around 1615 as our driver tried to pull more passengers into his car. It was a 20KM drive back to our accomodation and it was more profitable for him to drive a full car. His patience finally paid off with three new additions.
I alighted from the car once the mother daughter pair got off at their guesthouse. The driver was startled, saying he would send me back but I refused, not out of concern for my safety but because I simply wanted to slowly walk back and take some photos. It was a little more than an hour before dark, just enough for me to walk 1.5km back to my guesthouse. I arrived at my guesthouse at 5pm, a little alarmed to see that there were no cars in the parking lot which meant that all the Chinese tourists from yesterday have left. A metal chain hung around the main door but it wasn’t locked. Whilst I was walking back, I had been thinking of switching accommodation as I wanted to view the sunrise again early next morning and would prefer not to repeat the experience of walking under the moonlight as I had done earlier that morning. I had to move closer to the scenic area and there were some suitable guesthouses I had spotted along the walk back. Seeing that there was no one in my guesthouse, I decided to take what I had been planning into action – I could easily pack up and leave.
A knok sounded as I was packing up. I didn’t answer and the knock sounded multiple times, growing increasingly anxious. I opened the door to the lady boss who peered into my room. I did feel bad, having told her earlier in the morning that I would be staying another day however, with just myself in the entire guesthouse and the fact that I would have to walk up in the darkness made me stay put in my decision to move. I wasn’t sure how to tell her all that though. Instead, I asked her about the local minivan to the bus station, citing that I was going to take a bus to another city. I think she saw through my plans but there was no other way. She insisted on me staying another night and I tried to diffuse the situation by offering to top up for my stay in the double room. After all, they had upgraded me for free last night and I was very willing to pay the price of the twin room I stayed in. She refused at first but later asked for an additional 20 to which I gladly gave and went on my way.
The guesthouse I had my eye on was called Hello Cloud Inn. It was a 10 minute walk away from the Duoyishu Scenic Spot (多依树观景台) and more importantly, it was located after the bend in the road which is completely dark at night and before the crack of dawn due to its surrounding towering trees. Staying there would mean that I would not have to endure that empty dark stretch the next morning. I had only about 20 minutes to get to the inn before dark and did so as it was a simple walk up the road. Walking this stretch in the dark is way more challenging though. The boss of the inn came up to greet me and showed me to my room to which I was very impressed.
Leaving the Hani Guesthouse before nightfall. 1804 hr.
A night’s stay in this room was definitely more expensive but it fitted my bill of somewhere comfortable, safe and close to the scenic spot. Moreover, CTrip shows that this inn is always nearly fully booked. I would be travelling alone tomorrow as the mother-daughter pair would be leaving. I followed the boss outside to a map of Yuanyang drawn on the exterior wall of his guesthouse where he pointed out viewpoints I could possibly visit the next day. I had already covered all the viewpoints with the four other Chinese Nationals (with the exception of the Tiger Mouth Scenic Area (老虎口) which was then out of bounds to visitors) but there were some viewpoints I didn’t mind taking another look at. For transportation, I could simply flag down a local minivan by the side of the road, the minivans come in all sizes and colours and the only way to identify them would be to look at their license plate number, they should start with a 云G where 云 is the Chinese character representing the province of Yunnan. Each trip will cost 10RMB other than trips to Yuanyang Xinjie (新街镇) from our area (Duoyishu 多依树) that will cost 15RMB. Everything seemed great, only that I should have asked for the walk-in price instead of paying the 157RMB for the room as listed on Ctrip. There won’t be any much difference but it is probably something to note in future as one of the Chinese tourists during dinner shared that walk ins are usually charged at a cheaper rate. Thinking back, it is still possible to enjoy Yuanyang as a solo traveller. Small minivans serving the entire area will be your mode of transport for 10RMB each ride. Simply tell the driver where you want to go. However, this would require at least some familiarity with the area and some pre-planning about where to go first and next so that you do not visit the same area twice.
I had my favourite Chinese meal of potato strips and rice just across the Inn. It came with a relatively heftier price tag of 25RMB but I ordered it anyway knowing that I would enjoy it. The street here is better lit and there are many guesthouses nearby. The nearest convenience shop sells only the basics which is fine for most unless one is looking for cigarettes.
Arriving at Hello Cloud Inn. 1845 hr. Dinner at a restaurant opposite.
16 December 2019.
Last night, I slept soundly without the sound of wind rattling the window panes. With a shorter distance to walk, I woke up later and set off at nearly 0700. Local children were walking towards their school which is now in the opposite direction from my direction of travel. In groups of three to seven, they disappeared bravely into the darkness knowing that after that particularly dark bend, they will reach their school. Only one of them shone a torch down that path.
I returned to the Duoyishu Scenic Spot (多依树观景台) where they stopped me to check my ticket. I already had my ticket punched yesterday and the guard returned me the ticket, saying that the ticket is only valid for one-time entry. I was turning to leave when he changed his mind and allowed me to enter. Thanking him, I decided against doing it again the next day, it would be good to try my luck but it was technically not allowed and I did not want to bother the guard again. With no fixed schedule to adhere to, I stayed on to watch the sunrise well until after 0900 and returned to the guesthouse for a quick bite and rest.
Duoyishu Scenic Spot in the morning.
Breakfast near Hello Cloud Inn. 1020 hr.
I managed to flag down a minivan by the road by 1100. The van was already full when the driver stopped to ask where I was heading towards. 9 locals were already crammed into the van and when he accepted my request, I was squeezed into the front seat next to the driver with a Hani girl. The van has only a seating capacity of 7 and we were way more than that in numbers.
Interestingly, everyone alighted at an entrance to a village, I was the only passenger left as the driver drove me to my destination. The driver himself was Hani and shared that the others alighted for the village market. I was puzzled – it was a Monday morning but it was that day when locals from the mountainous regions would come to sell their products at that particular village market. I took down the name of the village market as he dropped me off at my destination （全福庄观景台）, took a few photos and toyed with the idea of heading there. I had just spent 10RMB coming to my destination but as people at the market would disperse in about an hour, I eventually decided to spend another 10RMB to get to it. According to the driver, the market is busiest around 1000-1100 and finishes at around 1300. I got onto another minivan which brought me to a market alright but that was when the local dialect really confused me. The previous Hani driver had said that the market was located in Sai Cun (赛村) but my current driver had brought me to Sheng Cun (胜村), insisting that this was the only one market for the day, my previous driver had been referring to his but had mispronounced its name.
The market was indeed a worthy last minute decision. It wasn’t extensive but I spent more than an hour exploring and taking photographs. The locals were extremely friendly, pointing to my camera, I could only half understand them as they spoke in strong dialects. Men smoked bamboo tube pipes, something I would also later see in Vietnam. I bought myself small orange fruits which I have grown to love as snacks these few days. About 8 of them cost around 2RMB.
It was about 1300 when I left the market. Reaching into my pockets for my Chinese phone to load Amaps for guidance, I stopped in horror when it dawned on me that I had only one phone on me. My Chinese phone was gone. I searched my camera bag but it was nowhere to be found. Dumbfounded, I checked my pockets and bag again and again, quite unsure how it could have gone missing as my jacket pockets where my two phones are placed have always remained zipped. It could have slipped out as I was taking photos or someone might have taken it. I returned to the market, hoping to see my phone lying on the ground somewhere. A sudden wind and within a split second, a standing outdoor shade fell on me and I paused in pain. Thankfully it had only hit my nose and the searing pain subsided after a few minutes. It wasn’t something I welcome especially after losing my phone, I tried to keep calm and asked my way to the local police station. There was no one inside. There was a handphone shop opposite and I went in to ask for the price of a second hand phone. I wasn’t so ready to buy another one but knew I had to get a backup if my Chinese phone was really lost. I was simply bewildered how it could have gone missing. The next thing to do was clear, I had to get back to my hostel. A German man coincidentally walked down the street with his camera and I got to know from him the direction to get to the main road. He was speaking about his dinner last night, fish at 100RMB. I flatly told him he had been overcharged but he seemed pretty chill with it, praising the taste of the fish as we bade farewell. Without Amaps to guide me, I followed his verbal directions and asked a few more locals for confirmation, it was a simple straight road out of the village to the main road. I was only 4KM from my hostel but without Amaps, I had to flag down a minivan.
Tried to keep calm whilst asking around for a nearby police station. Deep down, I somewhat knew that it won’t work. 1409 hr.
Back at the hostel, I told the boss about my lost phone. Luckily, I had noted down its Chinese number on my other phone. He called it with his mobile and someone picked up. It was the boss of another hostel, I had left my Chinese phone in the minivan I had taken to the village market. It turned out that the driver is a boss of a nearby guesthouse (流云阁) and I rushed up the road to retrieve my phone. I had been prepared for the worst and this was a better than expected turn of events. I did not remember leaving my phone behind in the minivan but such things happen precisely during instances when I least expect it. With the convenience of Amaps on my Chinese phone, I decided against paying for another minivan trip to a far off viewpoint and instead opted to spend the next two hours at a nearby viewpoint where I noticed a local Hani man walk down an unmarked route. He did not return and some time after, I decided to follow. It was a trodden trail amongst the grass which soon led to steep slopes which I had to use both my arms to lower myself. The route is one of the many that leads to the rice terraces, there were two Hani women working in the fields when I reached, one of them turning to go back up where I came from. She effortlessly hoisted herself up through the steep slopes and soon, I could no longer see her as she made her way back up to the main road through the thick trees.
The sight hidden from the usual tourist trail.
On my way back, passed by Huangcaoling Village （黄草岭） and three local men who were burning yellow grass by a fire caught my attention. I stood and watched, wondering why they were doing so until I caught sight of a black body of an animal in the flames. They were roasting a pig for dinner. It was for four people, one of them said. That was how the barbecue meat I ate yesterday was made. I watched until they were done, the weight of the pig took two men to lift it back into the house across the road. The pig was burnt stiff, it’s skin cracked and peeled to reveal a pinkish white layer beneath. As I turned to leave, one of the men extended an invitation for dinner which I politely refused as it was my last night in Yuanyang and I wanted to enjoy a meal of rice with potato strips before leaving for Vietnam via the border town of Hekou tomorrow.
This time, I head to a Hani family’s restaurant for my dinner that was nearest to the Duoyishu Scenic Spot. Their rice with potato strips was only 15RMB, it looked different from the more expensive option yesterday but that didn’t bother me at all as long as I got to taste the potatoes. Patronizing the restaurant were myself and also a group of Chinese tourists from Chongqing province who looked to be in their fifties to seventies. They came up to me, curious about where I had been to, where I thought they should go, whether they are convenience stalls nearby – it was their first day at Yuanyang. “Isn’t your mum worried?” the ladies in the group asked. “Yes of course she is,” I replied. “Of course she is, we know the feeling ourselves as mothers.” they responded. The Hani restaurant we dined at also offered 80RMB rooms for short stays and the group kindly advised me to stay in the same building as them as if was safer with more people. I replied that my inn was not far off and was populated with tourists, thanking them for their kind thought. My inn was nearly twice the price of theirs but I decided to stay put as it was indeed a good place. The ladies livened the atmosphere with their endless chattering and questions about the locations of places in the photos framed up on the restaurant walls. Judging that we didn’t quite understand his pronunciation, the boss of the Hani restaurant kindly wrote down the name of those places much to the delight of the Chongqing ladies. He knew a lot, one of the viewpoints I had visited with the four Chinese nationals a few days ago wasn’t marked on the tourist map. It is called Lan Ti Tian (蓝梯田) and the boss shared that to get to the viewpoint which is located south from Duoyishu (多依树), we can go to Aichun 爱春, which is an area that is before Wu Zhi Shan (五指山) as marked on the map.
1816 hr.
The China leg of the Kunming-Hanoi Overland journey is completed!
Click below to return to continue towards Lao Cai in Northern Vietnam.