Showing posts with label Yunnan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yunnan. Show all posts

Thursday, November 20, 2008

11/10/2008

Today will be our free n easy and last day in Kunming, after checking out from hotel at 12noon.
Our guide brought us to Nanping street(南屏步行街) and we will have our free time till 5.30pm. after which we will head back to Singapore after our dinner.

Firstly, we went to catch a movie (Painted skin) at 1.30pm.
Their cinema is very clean and comfortable seats as well, i would say better than those in Cineplex, Lido or even Vivo. But ticket is not cheap, $35RMB during weekdays off peak period.


After movie around 3.45pm, stomach starts to growl and since last day, I decided to try something new and nice instead of our meals provided by our tour agency.

After asking around and finally found this 100 yrs old history restaurant.

云和祥
五华区祥云街仁和祥宅院(金碧公园内)
Tel: 0871-3623167

They serve really nice and delicious foodies:)
We order charcoal grilled pork belly, sweet, tender, crispy outside and it melts in your mouth and yet did not feel the fats
Wow, Delicious beyond words....

Black pepper beef, tenderness and tasteful besides abit oily

Steam egg, although not much special but nice as well.

Double boiled ginko nut, almond soup

The portion is actually enough for 4-5pax and obviously both of us would not be able to finish.
The dinner cost us only $120RMB.

Value for money for a suppose 4 pax dinner. In Singapore, fastfood for 2 person will cost you that amount hmm...

Overall, is a MUST TRY if you ever come to Kunming

This is another restaurant just next to it.
Looks not bad as well, around 80 staffs standing outside awaiting for briefing.

6.00pm Flower market
Lots of beautiful and cheap dried flowers, whole big bunch for only $10-20RMB.
Must go ealier as this timing they are actually closing, and not much of variety less.

7pm Dinner time

Sigh... another vegetarian meal again and proceed to airport:)

p/s Don't ever join any China package tour with Chan Bro again. Utterly disappointing...

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Yunnan, Kunming 1st day

This is my first time 9 days holiday and first time travel to China besides Shenzhen :)


2/10/08
Departure at 0315hrs, my first time taking China Eastern.

Landed Kunming at 6.45am, the capital of Yunnan.
Weather 16-20 degree
ATSL 1800m


Kunming is also often called "Spring city" (春城), " Tortoise City" (龟城) or "Flower City" (花城).


1st destination- Grandview Tower Park (大观楼) 7.45am
Basically, it is just a park.














You can see people playing badminton everywhere in the park early in the morning or even evening














And street dancing too...














$1RMB per stick for 冰糖葫芦


































Bamboo rice, glutinous rice with peanut, tasteless though.
small for $2RMB

Yunnan, Kunming cont'

2nd destination Nanping Street (南屏步行街) 10am
Mum with her sweet potatoes














Roadside hawkers selling steam dumplings (小笼包)
$3.50RMB for 7pcs














云南第四怪:
火筒能当水烟袋














云南第二怪:
摘下斗笠当锅盖














云南第一怪:
鸡蛋用草串着卖














3rd Destination
Golden Horse and Emerald Chicken (金马碧鸡) 11am

Yunnan, Kunming cont'2

4th Destination 4.30pm
Luyu Tea Culture center

Kunming is famous for their Puer Tea(普洱茶)
Everything are few folds more expensive than other retails, including their teapot.
Need to note it down to remind myself never go back again n remember don't buy anything from stores where the tour guide bring us in future.

Tonight we will be staying at Huazhou Hotel (4*)

8.00pm exploring around vincinity of our hotel and found some intersting roadside stalls.














Wow, yummy! My favourites scallops, at only $5RMB.

Kunming, Yiliang County

3/10 /2008
2nd day in Kunming
Depart at 8am to YiLiang County (宜良县)

1st destination for today
Jiuxiang Scenic area (九乡风景区) rated as AAAA for tourism in China















Divine fields (神田), located inside their cave













Sunflower seeds














Huge Pamelo













Ginseng fruits














2nd half of the day we proceed to Stone forest (石林) Rated AAAAA




























The oriental version of Pinnacles desert (Perth)














A long walk today and finally dinner time. We will be having our dinner at Zao Fen Fan Dian Restaurant in Yiliang County.
One of the popular dish here, the famous Yiliang Roast Duck, nothing special just some five spices salt to go with.

Tonight we will be staying at Yiliang Shuanglu Hotel, Although is only 3* but is already the best in this county.

Yunan, Dali

5/10/2008

We left Kunming at 8 am and continue our long journey to Dali.
5 hours drive and reached around 1pm for lunch.

ATSL: 1900m
Weather: 15-20degree

Dali was once gateway to the Silk Road in Southwest China, it ranks in the first list of Famous Historic and Cultural Cities(政治文化中心) in China
Dali produce granites, silver mining and very good skill in wood cravings.
Dali are mainly occupied by Bai ethinic minority group (白族)
They address Gentleman as Ah Ten Gei (阿腾哥), Ladies as Jin Hua (金华)

2pm our 1st destination in Dali
Cangsan National Geographic Park (苍山国家地质公园) rated AAAA
Mt Cangsan with 19 peaks and 18 streams enjoys great reputation for its snow, clouds, springs and marble.

Gantong Cableway (感通索道)
Located at the foot of Shengying Peak of the Cangshan Mountain, and being adjacent to Gantong temple, the Gantong cableway is back to Cangshan Mountain, and faces Erhai Lake. From the 2,630 meters long cableway, tourists can overlook the full view of the old town of Dali and the Erhai Lake.

Zhenlong Board
was built as depicted in Eightfold path of the Heavenly Dragon wriiten by Jin Yong.
The board is in red and blue, 21m long and 19m wide with an area of 100sqm.
Each chessman is 1.6m in diameter and 0.5m high. Weighing 65 kg and has become a record in the Guinness world record.

She looks so small besides it:)

Next we proceed to
Dali Filming studio
China version broadcast on 2003 by Jimmy Lin...
The two lines of wordings besides the entrance are all novels by Jin Yong (金庸).
Can you figure it out?

笑傲江湖 飛狐外傳
書劍恩仇錄 雪山飛狐
神鵰俠侶 連城訣
俠客行 天龍八部
倚天屠龍記 射鵰英雄傳
碧血劍 白馬嘯西風
鴛鴦刀 鹿鼎記

Knife making

Peep into the hole for a show for $3RMB

Cloth making


3rd Destination
Westeners' street (洋人街)

There are lots of cafes and pubs along the whole street, free surfing somemore...




Grilled cheese


Tonight we will be staying at Regent Hotel(5*), nice hotel

Yunnan, Dali Cont'

6/10/2008
1st destination for today
Ancient Town (古城) South gate





































I actually having stomach flu that day and my guide brought me to a clinic in Ancient town, take some medicine and an injection. I was almost recovered after 30mins, amazing and cost me only $22RMB.
After which we proceed to the next destination
Xizhou Ancient House
Bai Tribe's Tea performance (白族三道茶歌舞表演)
























1. Bitter Tea
2. Sweet Tea
3. Recally Tea or Memory Tea



Normally the Bai tribe would invite their honour guest with these 3 teas.



Next, Zhou Cheng village (周城村)

Beautiful house, these houses are own by the Bai tribe wealthy family.
Similar to our black & white colonial house way back home isn't it?? in oriental style:p











Using a natural color from a plant to dye the clothings






Tie knots to create patterns for the cloth








Untie all knots and hang dry







三房一照壁
In Bai Tribe house, normally there will have 3 room facing a wall in the courtyard.
i heard this wall itself can cost around $300K sing.
The purpose: To block the wind and create more lights to the rooms



















Farming






Head to Lijiang after lunch