YM-26 Hekou-Yuanyang-Jianshui-Kunming ( Stone Forest )-Dal-Lijian-Shangri-la-Kunming (12D11N)

Day 1 In the early morning get through the border and customs check from Vietnam ( Sapa ) and arrive in Hekou, the border city and port between China and Vietnam. Meet the guide and drive via Pingbian, Gejiu to Yuanyang. On the way, besides enjoying the sub-tropical scenery and the Miao people, you can have a look at the famous narrow gauge railway connecting Kunming and Hanoi, which was built by French 100 years ago. You also can visit the small old French style railway station if time is enough. When arrive in Yunyang in the late afternoon, go the visit the first wonder in the world: Endless Terraces Rice Fields on the mountains, made by local Hani People for thousands of years.

Day 2 In the morning optional dawn visit to Terraces Rice Fields. Then visit local morning market. Then drive to Jianshui. Visit 400 years old Chaoyang Tower which is even 24 years elder than Tian An Men in Beijing. You can also visit the second largest Confucian-temple in China. The small city Jianshui is the cultural center of southern Yunnan province. In the past, the people of this city became very rich due to the natural deposits of tin. So now, you can see many private houses with typical Chinese architecture style in the city. In the evening you will have a chance to visit one of them – Zhu Family Garden which is formed by 250 rooms and 42 courtyards. It’s even better than the gardens in Suzhou. You can have a beer at Zhu Family Garden.

Day 3 After breakfast visit Zhang Family Garden ( Tuanshan Village ), then drive to Kunming via Fuxian Lake which is the second deepest fresh water lake in
China, have a fresh fish lunch in local fisherman' s house.

Day 4 Free in the morning. Bamboo Temple ( where you can see "the sculpture treasure of Orient" - 500 colorful clay Buddhas ) as the morning optional tour. In the afternoon go to visit the Stone Forest, a typical Karst formation, which covers an area of more than three hundred square kilometers. Scientific research has shown that what is now the Stone Forest was 270 million years ago an immense expanse of water with a vast stretch of limestone sediment formed over the years on the seafloor. As a result of the crustal movement, the seabed rose gradually and a large piece of land thus came into being. Exposed to rains and winds, eroded by the elements, the strange-looking limestone ranges were shaped by time. About 200 million years ago numerous stone peaks, pillars, and stalagmites rose abruptly from the ground and towered into the sky, extending now as far as the eye can see, looking like a vast forest of stone, hence the name "the Stone Forest".

Day 5 In the morning drive to Dali, visit the Weishan Old Town on the way. Weishan Old Town, one of the eldest town in Yunnan and China which is well reserved. Then continue to drive to Dali.

Day 6 Free day in Dali. The optional tour on Erhai Lake ( boat trip ).

Day 7 In the morning visit Xizhou morning market. Then drive to Lijiang, visit Stone Temple in Shibao Shan Mountain ( in Jianchuan ) on the way. Upon arrival,
check in the hotel.

Day 8 Free day in Lijiang.  

Day 9 In the morning drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge. One day hike in the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
 (B/L/D)  Overnight in Guest House at Walnut Garden Village

Day 10 In the morning drive to Shangri-la. Upon arrival, go to visit the Songzanlin Tibetan Buddhism Monastery, which is 5 km from the seat of Shangri-la County. Construction began in 1679 and was completed in 1681. It is said that the Fifth Dalai Lama chose the site of the monastery through divination and named it "Gedan Songzanlin Monastery". In 1724, during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty, the monastery was renamed the "Guihua Monastery". During its time of greatest prosperity, there were more than 3,000 monks in the temple, now there are still 700 monks inside.

Day 11 Today drive along Yunnan-Tibet Road to visit Dongzhulin Monastery which is located in deep mountains, 95 km away from Zhongdian. Dong Zhu Lin
Monastery was first built in 1667, the 6th year during the reign of Emperor Kang Xi of Qing Dynasty. It was where the Monlam Festival of the Prayer for the Emperor's birthday was held. The main hall in the center is a four-story wood and earth structure, surrounded by 82 tall trees. The hall on the 1st floor is for reciting Buddhist scriptures, where enshrines the statues of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Ge-lug-pa sect, together with Damarenqen, one of Tsongkhapa's disciples, and Khedrub Je, the 1st Panchen Lama, and other Buddhist statues of Sakyamuni, and Guanyin, a Bodhisattva. The monastery also enshrines a 6.8 meter high, gilded bronze, statue of seated Buddha of Qiangba (Maitreya), and a10.5 meter tall statue of Sakyamuni, gifts from the Sera Monastery in Lhasa. The monastery also collects an 8.5 meter long, 5.2 meter wide image of Buddha, which is sunned once a year when the Monlam Festival of Prayer is held. It is unique with many thangka, Tibetan Buddhist Scriptures, four mandalas and stupas. The most unusual thing is the real body of the fifth Zhatang living Buddha which is over 100 year but still reserved very well in the monastery. Beside that have a photo stop for the wonder of upper Yangtze River – The First Bend of Golden Sand River ( the upper reach of Yangtze ) and enjoy the scenery along the river. Then continue drive to Baimang Snow Mountain Pass which is the National Nature Reserve Area, 4250 meters above sea level. In the evening visit Zhongdian old town with Tibetan old streets and houses and enjoy the local people dancing performed by Tibetan people in the middle square of old town.

Day 12 In the morning take flight from Shangri-la to Kunming. Then take flight for leaving. ?????? (B)