The world of travel is like a colorful painting, opening countless doors for us. Among them, the choice of transportation is like selecting different brushes, each with its unique charm.
The airplane is like a lightning-fast brush, capable of transporting us to distant places in the shortest time, making time seem to freeze just for that instant of crossing.
Self-driving is like a freely wielded brush, allowing us to go wherever we desire, weaving through the scenery, unbounded, and enjoying the freedom and pleasure of the journey.
As for the train, although it is no longer the first choice for most people, the travel experience it carries is like a unique brushstroke, deeply imprinted in everyone’s heart. It makes the journey not just a simple transition but an integral part of the travel, full of stories and warmth.
Nowadays, China has introduced many unique travel trains that are like moving art galleries, capturing the beautiful scenery along the way. Particularly, the train named “Mirror of the Sky,” a fully panoramic sightseeing mountain tourist train, has taken the travel experience to new heights.
In the season of June, with a gentle breeze and perfect sunshine, it is an excellent time for traveling. This tourist train is like a dream journey tailored for us. It takes us through the five major scenic spots of Lijiang, from the visitor center directly to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Every moment along the way is poetic and picturesque, making people intoxicated.
The “Mirror of the Sky” train not only has an exterior dominated by the blue color of Yunnan, highlighting regional characteristics, but the interior is also filled with Lijiang Dongba culture and Naxi ethnic artistic elements, making people feel as if they are in a dreamy world full of exotic charm.
To ensure safe and stable operation, the R&D team has adopted the country’s first super-strong traction articulated bogie and upgraded the composite braking system technical parameters. At the same time, the extra-large curved window design allows for an unobstructed view of the scenery, and the automatically adjusting side window color blocks the strong ultraviolet rays in high-altitude areas, allowing passengers to enjoy the best sightseeing experience while appreciating the beauty.
Taking this tourist train is not just a simple transportation trip but also a spiritual baptism. It allows us to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, calm our minds, and appreciate the beauty outside the window, feeling the wonders of nature. Each stop is the beginning of a new story; each departure is a brand-new experience.
Let us board this “Mirror of the Sky” tourist train and embark on this spiritual journey together, to feel the beauty and mystery of nature, and to experience the colorfulness and richness of life.
· First Stop ·
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, a sacred peak in the hearts of the Naxi people, is said to be the embodiment of their guardian god “Sanduo.” It stands on this ancient land, witnessing countless years of change.
For tourists from afar, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain might be the most “accessible” snow mountain. It is just a stone’s throw away from Lijiang Ancient City, only 20 kilometers away, as if a gentle call can bring you to its foot. The climbing path is also quite gentle, and even travelers who have never set foot on a snow mountain can easily reach its embrace by cable car.
However, the main peak still maintains its mystery and dignity, with a ban on climbing that inspires awe. Therefore, most tourists choose to visit the Glacier Park, take the cable car, and ascend to an altitude of 4,506 meters. The remaining journey requires personal climbing to experience a closer intimacy with the snow mountain.
During the climb, you will encounter a magical sight. The surrounding peaks may all have clear skies, but Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is always enveloped by a piece of white cloud, like her veil, adding a touch of mystery and sanctity. Locals say this is an auspicious sign of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, filling people’s hearts with awe and anticipation.
However, this mist is also like a playful spirit. One moment it obscures the true face of the snow mountain, and the next moment it quietly disperses, revealing the snow mountain’s crystal-clear skin. The sunlight falls upon it, glittering like countless shattered diamonds, a brilliant chapter woven by the sunlight and the snow mountain, leaving people in awe.
Coming down from the snow mountain and heading east, a huge grassland unfolds like a scroll, which is the dreamy and beautiful Yun Shan Ping.
Walking along the wooden plank road through the fir forest, it feels like being in the fantastic world of “The Wizard of Oz.” The legend of Xunqin Valley adds a touch of tragic beauty and romance to this land, and even the dead trees seem to be telling those moving stories.
Crossing the forest, you finally reach the huge grassland hidden in the mountains. The grassland is gentle and undulating, stretching for thousands of meters, like a huge green carpet spread at the foot of the snow mountain.
Free-range flocks of sheep leisurely wander on the grassland, contrasting interestingly with the distant snow mountain, forming a harmonious and tranquil picture.
Ganhaizi was originally a stunning lake at the foot of the snow mountain, but now the dried-up lake has formed a vast grassland.
Walking on this alpine meadow, with distant mountains overlapping around, cattle, sheep, and horses in herds, it feels like being in a poetic and picturesque painting. This is the closest and best place to look up at the full view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Viewing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain horizontally from here presents a different scene. Thirteen peaks meander like a white dragon leaping into the sky, appearing particularly magnificent against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds.
In the valley north of Ganhaizi and south of Yun Shan Ping, Blue Moon Valley is breathtakingly beautiful like a fairyland. The lake water is a bright blue, embraced by green mountains and trees, shimmering with a charming glow under the brilliant sunlight.
The entire valley is crescent-shaped, looking like a blue moon inlaid at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from afar, so beautiful that it seems unreal.
If you are lucky enough to encounter the magnificent sight of the sun shining on the golden mountain of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, it is like the poet’s words: “The sun rises, the river flowers are redder than fire; spring comes, the river water is greener than blue.” At that moment, the snow mountain seems to be gilded with a layer of golden glory, beautiful enough to intoxicate the heart and soul.
· Second Stop ·
Baisha Ancient Town
Baisha Ancient Town, deeply hidden in the embrace of Lijiang, is like a gem forgotten by time, quietly shining with a thousand years of light.
This is the ancient capital of the Naxi people, known as the world-class “Ancient Naxi Kingdom.” Although little known, it still maintains the simple Naxi essence, like a historical scroll quietly unfolding before the world.
Although it is a thousand-year-old town, not many people know about it, which also allows it to maintain that primitive and tranquil charm.
Strolling on the stone-paved streets of the ancient town feels like entering a tunnel of time, with every step treading on the dust of history. Every stone seems to be telling ancient stories, and every ancient relic displays the depth and vicissitudes of the years.
Among these ancient relics, the most eye-catching is undoubtedly the Baisha Murals. This group of 55 murals is not only an artistic treasure but also a witness to history. They vividly depict the local beliefs and traditions, with each painting like a simple and serene Naxi elder, recounting the bits and pieces of ancestral life on this land. These murals are like windows into history, allowing us to glimpse the distant and mysterious Naxi kingdom.
Baisha Ancient Town is like a Naxi elder, living simply and serenely on this land. They lead a slow life envied by the outside world, enjoying that uncontested tranquility and peace. Here, time seems to slow down, allowing people to immerse themselves in this tranquility and beauty, feeling that inner peace and satisfaction.
· Third Stop ·
Yushui Village
Yushui Village, as a brilliant inheritance place of Dongba culture, is like a cultural hall frozen in time, perfectly preserving the traditional and simple features of the Naxi people. Here, the ancient Dongba culture and modern natural scenery intertwine and complement each other, forming a beautiful picture of harmonious coexistence.
Stepping into Yushui Village feels like traveling through a thousand-year time tunnel, with the ancient and magical atmosphere of Dongba culture coming straight at you. Here, you can feel the depth of history and appreciate the purity and beauty of nature. The two blend together, like the music of nature and the painting of mountains and rivers shining upon each other, making people intoxicated.
Strolling on the secluded paths of Yushui Village, you will unexpectedly encounter clear and cool spring ponds. Those Sister Pools, Moon Pools, and Jade Pools are like brilliant pearls inlaid among the colorful wetland meadows. They are as clear as mirrors, like a pair of clear and sparkling eyes, quietly gazing at this ancient and mysterious land. The existence of these spring ponds adds a touch of vitality and life to this scroll of mountains and rivers, as if they are the most precious gifts given by nature to this land.
· Fourth Stop ·
Dongba Valley
Dongba Valley, a winding and twisting secluded path, is a necessary route leading to the mysterious Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. During the 90-kilometer journey, the stalactites along the way are like the work of nature, with strange trees twisted into unique shapes, jagged rocks, and flying waterfalls like silk. Every scenery is like an open natural album, ever-changing and full of interest.
Traveling through Dongba Valley, the Dongba script engraved on the wooden signs seems to be telling ancient secrets, adding a touch of mystery.
However, when this train journey slowly comes to an end, the adventure in Lijiang is just beginning.
Lugu Lake, a dreamland that can make people’s hearts yearn for it. The lake surface is deep like a mirror, as if the Jade Pool of Heaven has descended to the human world, tranquil and deep, exuding a charm that is uncontested.
On the calm lake surface, white clouds drift leisurely, and green mountains are reflected. A small boat gently glides by, breaking the tranquility of the mountains, like a flowing scroll of landscape painting.
Lijiang Ancient City, a city where history and modernity intertwine, always maintains a leisurely pace that is neither fast nor slow.
Shops open one after another in the afternoon, and people walk at a leisurely pace. Lanterns are hung high at night, and every moment is full of a sense of ceremony, making people immerse themselves in this lazy time.
Tinghua Valley, located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, is like a forgotten paradise.
Exotic flowers and plants bloom competitively, and you can interact intimately with cute alpacas and check in to the fairy-tale Hobbit houses. Everything here makes people feel as if they are in a paradise on earth.
Lashihai Wetland Park, the “backyard” of Lijiang, is a vast plateau lake.
The superior environment here attracts countless migratory birds to come for a “vacation.” It is the perfect place to experience the legend of the Ancient Tea Horse Road, watch rare migratory birds, and taste local delicacies.
Tiger Leaping Gorge, the first great gorge of the Yangtze River, has a vertical drop of over 3,900 meters. The Jinsha River rushes through like a green dragon, with shocking waves hitting the shore and roars echoing in the valley, making people marvel at the vastness of nature.
This June, if you yearn for a spiritual journey, why not come to Lijiang?
Here, you will enjoy the scenery all the way and sing all the way, allowing your soul to be sublimated during the journey.
