Traveling the World

This photo was taken where you climb up to the wall surrounding Old Dali, in Yunnan province. Even though this may look like just another wall in China, it’s not. The walls surrounding Old Dali that separate it from the newer section of Dali referred to as Xiaguan seem like a time portal. The old town and its fortress walls were built in the middle of the 14th Century, when the Ming Dynasty emperor Hong Wu reigned. The walls acted as a deterrent for hordes of thieves and bandits, and allowed the residents to feel safe, thus increasing the trust people had in Hong Wu.

Hong Wu was a man with great military prowess, and as a result ended the Yuan Dynasty by capturing Beijing in the middle of the 1300s. As a result of his military actions, the Mongols were forced to retreat to the Mongolian steppes.

The Cangshan Mountains are a very peaceful place located next to the town of Dali, situated in Yunnan province. Further away from the town on the opposite side is the famous Erhai Lake with minority groups living on the far side of the lake. Stone pathways have been carved out of the side of the mountain for maximum viewing pleasure. After taking the gondola ride up to the start of the walkways, you can go down a path and across the bridge.

After you pass the shaky wood bridge, you can cross some stones set in water and jump across to the stone I can be seen sitting on here. Further away from this stone you can see what appears to be a shrine, but because it’s separated by water, I didn’t bother taking my shoes off in the 55F/13C weather to find out more!

This picture was taken during our private boat ride on the first morning we arrived in Fenghuang. Because the town is still not very modern, they have only a few methods for crossing the river. Such options are by wooden planks, stepping stones, boat, or the central brick bridge. I used all 4 methods and found them all quite enjoyable. The first set of stepping stones I came across got my feet soaking wet, whereas the others found further in the up town area were sure to keep your dry, that is unless it is raining! When walking on the first set of stepping stones with water running in between, make sure to take your shoes off or your shoes will be soaking wet!