YM-31 Kunming-Shangri-la-Lijiang-Dali-Jinghong-Kunming (8D7N)

Day 1 Arrive in Kunming by air, meet the local guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel, welcoming reception in the hotel hall, welcome dinner with Chinese food in the hotel. 

Day 2 Visit the Stone Forest. A typical Karst formation, the Stone Forest 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". In the evening try Mushroom Hot Pot as dinner.

Day 3 Take flight MU5931 ( 0720/0820 ) to Shangri-la, meet the local guide and transfer to the hotel. Then visit 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. Then continue to drive along the Tibet – Yunnan Road about 2 hours through mountain scenery & Yangzi River to deep mountain for Dong Zhu Lin Monastery, 105 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, anGuanyin, a Bodhisattva. The monastery also enshrines a 6.8 meter high, gildedbronze, statue of seated Buddha of Qiangba (Maitreya), and 10.5 meter tall statue of Sakyamuni, giftsfrom 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. Beside that take photo for the wonder of upper Yangtze River --- The first bend of Golden Sand River ( the upper reach of Yangtze ). Visit Zhongdian local market, strolling in the Zhongdian Old Town and have dinner in the old town. In the evening go to the central square in the old town to enjoy local people nightly dance.

Day 4Bus to Lijiang, visit Tiger Leaping Gorge on the way, which is believed to be the deepest gorge in the world. From the top of the gorge you look down the steeply angled ( 70-90 degrees ) mountain sides to the rushing Golden Sands ( Jingsha ) River with its 18 frothing rapids more than 200 meters (about 700 feet) below. Walking in the Lijiang Old City. Enjoy Mr. Xuanke's Naxi Ancient Music in the evening. 

Day 5 Visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Mountain) is the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Consisting of 13 peaks, among which Shanzidou is the highest one with an altitude of 5,600 meters (18,360 feet), Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Take the cable car up to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain for glacier. In the afternoon visit the Baisha Murals, is located in the Baisha Village on the plain north of Lijiang. The mural was made from 1385 to 1619 , employing the eclectic artist energies of Chinese Daoist, Tibetan and Naxi Buddhists and local Dongba shamans.

Day 6 Bus to Dali, which is regarded as " the oriental Switzerland " or " Chinese Geneva". visit old Three Pagodas, which known as the Chongsheng Santa and situated on top of the ruins of Chongsheng Monastery, the Three Pagodas lie one kilometer northwest of Dali and located on the slope of Mount Cangshan. In the aftrnoon you could take a pleasant stroll in Dali Old Town which was the capital city of Nanzhao Kingdom 1000 years ago. Take flight 8L9907 ( 1850/1940 ) from Dali to Jinghong, meet the local guide and transfer to the hotel.

Day 7 In the morning bus to Ganlanba, visit Ganlanba, morning market, Water Dai Villages, Burmese Temple and Rubber Garden. Have lunch at monkey hill
restaurant by Mekong River. In the afternoon explore the Wild Elephant Valley (a nature reserve for elephants ), lies at the juncture of the western and eastern part of the Menyang natural reserve about 47 kilometers north of the city of Jinghong. It covers an area of 369 hectares by the Sancha River in Mengyang Town, the valley is covered by tropical rain forests, crisscrossed by rivers and streams, and teeming with such endangered species as Asian wild elephants, wild oxen, green peacocks and monkeys. Then take cable car to get through the primitive raining forest. 19??00 have Dai People's Bar-B-Q as dinner.