Where mother nature shows off

Lige Peninsula, Lugu Lake. [Photo by Xu Xiaomin / China Daily]

Scooters can be rented almost everywhere in Dali and it is the best form of transportation to use to zip through the narrow lanes between villages around the lake. My favorite part of the lake is the section from Caicun to Xizhou where one can enjoy a panoramic view of the peaceful lake as well as the Bai ethnic villages where nearly every home comes with a pristine white wall.

Wase, a more deserted section of the lake that is located across the ancient town, is another lovely place to explore. There are a number of boutique hotels and guesthouses in this area where rooms come with spacious balconies on which you can enjoy views of the snow-covered Cangshan Mountain in the distance and bask in the warmth of the sun.

After brewing a pot of Yunnan's specialty Pu'er tea, I switched my mobile phone off and entered a space that was devoid of emails, Weibo notifications and WeChat messages.

Our next stop was the Tibetan area in Yunnan. Unlike the drive from Shanghai to Yunnan, this trip from Dali to Shangri-La and Meili was a thoroughly enjoyable one where we got to see the stretch of the Jinsha River that flows under the majestic Yulong snow mountains, small villages, terraced fields in the valley and countless lakes.

The ancient town of Dukezong, which means "town of the moon", in Shangri-La county is known for its well-preserved ancient Tibetan dwellings that date back to about 1,300 years ago. It was low season when we arrived, so we had the luxury of strolling through relatively empty streets where there were more dogs than tourists.

Having been here before many years ago, I went out in search of a book store and a tea house that I liked very much, only to discover that they were razed during a big fire in 2014 that destroyed half of the town. The Dukezong of today which is neat and new is nothing like what I remember it to be.

Early the next morning, we left for Meili in Deqin county. During the journey, we caught sight of the famous Ganden Sumtseling Monastery in the valley near us. Built in 1679, the monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province and is sometimes referred to as the Little Potala Palace.

On this morning, the view of the monastery was partly obscured by morning fog and only its gorgeous golden roof and deep red walls were visible. I stood in the cold but pleasantly pure air, the only sound around was the dawn breeze and birds' singing. It was too beautiful to believe it was real, just like a fantastic dream.