The train from Chengdu was to leave at 1306hrs and we were told to leave the hostel at 0900 hrs as we were to travel to the station by local bus, anything not to spend money no matter how much time is wasted in waiting on a railway station; or how difficult it is getting on and off packed local buses; or how people look like pack horses loaded down with all their backpacks and day bags plus bags containing food for the journey. Some of us decided not to use the bus but to sit comfortably in the hostel until a later time then go to the station by taxi costing us extra pennies each for the convenience.
I thought that, from a previous comment I made about travelling ‘cattle class’ I would have to eat my words after the journey from Beijing to Xian was by bullet train and then Xian to Chengdu by hard sleeper but no, we ended up in cattle class for part of the 30 hour journey from Chengdu to Lijiang via Kunming. The journey from Chengdu to Lijiang began alright, leaving at 1306 hrs (on time) in a hard sleeper compartment and arriving in Kunming at 0745 hrs the following morning. After leaving Chengdu the track seemed to be more in tunnels than in the open and this was for hours, not just miles. We could see the result of the rain in the mountains as the rivers and dams were overflowing with buildings inundated by the rivers and huge sprays of water from the hydroelectric stations and dam spillways. In Kunming we had a wait of 2 3/4 hours for the train to Lijiang and this is when everything changed. ‘Cattle Class’ reared its ugly head! We were put in a hard sleeper which meant sitting on the bottom bunk of the sleeping compartment with usually four to a side though if there were Chinese in the compartment it could be any number. The Chinese students in the compartment played cards and gambled all the way to Lijiang, where we arrived at 1900 hrs, even though the conductor continually told them that gambling was not allowed and they were to stop.
We stayed at the Old Town Carnation Hotel which could never be an hotel in the proper sense of the word. The room I was in was quite good, twin beds, a toilet and shower room with a clear glass door but added curtain (thank goodness), towels, soap and toilet paper. Where it fell down was that the covered common area was one table and the area with the most tables and chairs was outside, not much good when it rained, as it did while we were there. This area was not really useable in good weather as it was strung with lines for drying washing. The girls were put in a room that was definitely damp and had to be moved to a different room.
Breakfast was a weird affair! There were two choices only with one having bacon and hash browns which many in the group like. The orders were taken and confirmed that the bacon and hash browns were available, but when delivered they were not on the plates because the hostel did not have any. This happened every morning and the manager had no gumption to even buy any in for his guests when he knew that they would be staying there. Definitely not a place I can recommend.
The town has a history going back more than 800 years and is the only old city in China built without a city wall. As a result of the combination of the multinational culture and the progress of Naxi ethnic minority, the buildings in the town incorporate the best parts of the architectural traits of Han, Bai, and Tibet into a unique Naxi style. The
layout of the town is free-style and flexible, the houses are close and diverse, and the lanes are narrow and meandering.
The old town of Lijiang is a town that depends on water for existence. The Black Dragon Pool is the main water source of the town and subdivides into many streams which reach every family and every street in the town. There are almost 350 varied and inimitable bridges in the little town, some of which were built in the Ming (1368-1644) and (1644-1911) Qing Dynasties. The centre of the Old Town is Square Street and four main streets radiate from Square Street. Lanes extending in all directions form a network and connect every corner of the town. Streets in the Old Town are paved by the local bluestones which are neither muddy in the rainy season nor dusty in the dry season. The sluice at the centre of town is opened late in the night and the resulting current of water flushes and washes all the streets to keep the town clean. Although it is an old town the reason for its existence now is as a tourist trap and the access to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Some of the group were interested in walking the Gorge but no effort was made beforehand to arrange this which perhaps was just as well as it turned out to be a two day walk which barely covered the time in Lijiang and on arrival was told that due to the rain the track was too dangerous to walk. As for the place being a tourist trap the streets were full of small shops selling all manner of mainly handmade goods, the shops repeating themselves by the hundred. Apart from a few cheaper restaurants the food generally was quite expensive.
Daughters (Jane and Sally) please note the rational comment on the board on the wall. There were a number of boards of this sort throughout the shopping area.
The local ladies who danced in the Square every afternoon for the tourists.
Local girls seen in the street.
.JPG)
A smoker, a young girls running somewhere and the river near the Square.
I did manage to see the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games as it was repeated on Chinese television (morning time with us as we were seven hours in advance of the UK) later and with the rain it was not possible to go out. Maybe the ceremony looked better in real life but I was not impressed by much of what I saw.
I wandered round the town a few times while there and walked up a hill behind the town where I thought the Wenchang Palace (1723), could be seen. There were still some bits left but it was a building site with no access as the palace was being renovated. I was quite impressed with the renovations as it looked as if all the work was being done in the old ways with plenty of wood being used and quite complicated joints being constructed. Even the stone work looked original with no block of stone being the same size. My admiration was somewhat dampened when I realised that it would not end up as a palace again but as a very up-market hotel. If this was the only way to keep such a fantastic building then I will accept that this happens, this but it is a pity. On the other hand I would not like to stay there when it is finished as it is a good walk into the town from there and a hard walk back up the hill. Transport will always be required but I suppose that anyone who will be able to afford the room rate at what looks to be a very expensive hotel will not quibble about taxi fares. Below are views of the renovations.
Leaving Lijiang on a beautiful clear morning, the only such day since arriving there, I noticed the snow capped mountain behind the town, and it really looked like something special that morning. Even holding a pink cattle seat ticket could not reduce the effect of the sight of the mountain had on me. I also noticed, what I called the ‘buffet car’, the food stalls outside the station where many people were eating before catching the train. They smell was certainly enticing.
I thought that, from a previous comment I made about travelling ‘cattle class’ I would have to eat my words after the journey from Beijing to Xian was by bullet train and then Xian to Chengdu by hard sleeper but no, we ended up in cattle class for part of the 30 hour journey from Chengdu to Lijiang via Kunming. The journey from Chengdu to Lijiang began alright, leaving at 1306 hrs (on time) in a hard sleeper compartment and arriving in Kunming at 0745 hrs the following morning. After leaving Chengdu the track seemed to be more in tunnels than in the open and this was for hours, not just miles. We could see the result of the rain in the mountains as the rivers and dams were overflowing with buildings inundated by the rivers and huge sprays of water from the hydroelectric stations and dam spillways. In Kunming we had a wait of 2 3/4 hours for the train to Lijiang and this is when everything changed. ‘Cattle Class’ reared its ugly head! We were put in a hard sleeper which meant sitting on the bottom bunk of the sleeping compartment with usually four to a side though if there were Chinese in the compartment it could be any number. The Chinese students in the compartment played cards and gambled all the way to Lijiang, where we arrived at 1900 hrs, even though the conductor continually told them that gambling was not allowed and they were to stop.
We stayed at the Old Town Carnation Hotel which could never be an hotel in the proper sense of the word. The room I was in was quite good, twin beds, a toilet and shower room with a clear glass door but added curtain (thank goodness), towels, soap and toilet paper. Where it fell down was that the covered common area was one table and the area with the most tables and chairs was outside, not much good when it rained, as it did while we were there. This area was not really useable in good weather as it was strung with lines for drying washing. The girls were put in a room that was definitely damp and had to be moved to a different room.
Breakfast was a weird affair! There were two choices only with one having bacon and hash browns which many in the group like. The orders were taken and confirmed that the bacon and hash browns were available, but when delivered they were not on the plates because the hostel did not have any. This happened every morning and the manager had no gumption to even buy any in for his guests when he knew that they would be staying there. Definitely not a place I can recommend.
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| Our room |
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| Our hostel |
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| The garden of the hostel next door |
layout of the town is free-style and flexible, the houses are close and diverse, and the lanes are narrow and meandering.
The old town of Lijiang is a town that depends on water for existence. The Black Dragon Pool is the main water source of the town and subdivides into many streams which reach every family and every street in the town. There are almost 350 varied and inimitable bridges in the little town, some of which were built in the Ming (1368-1644) and (1644-1911) Qing Dynasties. The centre of the Old Town is Square Street and four main streets radiate from Square Street. Lanes extending in all directions form a network and connect every corner of the town. Streets in the Old Town are paved by the local bluestones which are neither muddy in the rainy season nor dusty in the dry season. The sluice at the centre of town is opened late in the night and the resulting current of water flushes and washes all the streets to keep the town clean. Although it is an old town the reason for its existence now is as a tourist trap and the access to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Some of the group were interested in walking the Gorge but no effort was made beforehand to arrange this which perhaps was just as well as it turned out to be a two day walk which barely covered the time in Lijiang and on arrival was told that due to the rain the track was too dangerous to walk. As for the place being a tourist trap the streets were full of small shops selling all manner of mainly handmade goods, the shops repeating themselves by the hundred. Apart from a few cheaper restaurants the food generally was quite expensive.
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| Roof lines |
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| A typical local shop |
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A lot of the walls were made of clay lump .JPG) |
Daughters (Jane and Sally) please note the rational comment on the board on the wall. There were a number of boards of this sort throughout the shopping area.
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| The decorations outside a newly opened restaurant |
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| Narrow Streets |
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| A Chinese Medicine shop |
The local ladies who danced in the Square every afternoon for the tourists.
Local girls seen in the street.
.JPG)
A smoker, a young girls running somewhere and the river near the Square.
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| Quite a lot of weaving was done in the shops mainly making scarves |
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| The Square |
I wandered round the town a few times while there and walked up a hill behind the town where I thought the Wenchang Palace (1723), could be seen. There were still some bits left but it was a building site with no access as the palace was being renovated. I was quite impressed with the renovations as it looked as if all the work was being done in the old ways with plenty of wood being used and quite complicated joints being constructed. Even the stone work looked original with no block of stone being the same size. My admiration was somewhat dampened when I realised that it would not end up as a palace again but as a very up-market hotel. If this was the only way to keep such a fantastic building then I will accept that this happens, this but it is a pity. On the other hand I would not like to stay there when it is finished as it is a good walk into the town from there and a hard walk back up the hill. Transport will always be required but I suppose that anyone who will be able to afford the room rate at what looks to be a very expensive hotel will not quibble about taxi fares. Below are views of the renovations.
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| Cutting stones to size |
Leaving Lijiang on a beautiful clear morning, the only such day since arriving there, I noticed the snow capped mountain behind the town, and it really looked like something special that morning. Even holding a pink cattle seat ticket could not reduce the effect of the sight of the mountain had on me. I also noticed, what I called the ‘buffet car’, the food stalls outside the station where many people were eating before catching the train. They smell was certainly enticing.
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| Old Lijiang roofs almost all at the same level |
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| Lijiang Railway Station |
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| The station food stalls |
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| Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5600 metres high) |
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