Road tripping Yunnan

Moving north, I enjoyed my respite from urban overcrowding by visiting nature attractions in Yunnan Province, China, which were ironically even more crowded than most cities because late July/early August is peak season for domestic tourism. Nevertheless, breathing some fresh air and seeing just how powerful nature can be at the world’s deepest gorge, the Tiger Leaping Gorge, was well worth the constant jostling.

After Tiger Leaping Gorge, I made my way to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain near Lijiang. In stark contrast to the “abandonment to nature” sensation that I experienced at Tiger Leaping Gorge, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park felt entirely artificial and manicured. I was particularly excited to visit the park because it was featured in the Amazing Race Season 18 when the teams got to ride yaks across a beautiful river (白水河).

While the riverbank was still beautiful, I was disappointed to find that it was entirely artificially constructed. Also, the yak rides that were on the show (and confirmed by Wikitravel) apparently don’t exist anymore. I’m not sure if it’s just a seasonal thing, but it was definitely a bummer because the park admission was steep at more than US$40.

After very packed days visiting multiple sites, I appreciated being able to unwind in unique bars, like the Socialism Bar in Shangri-la. What exactly goes on in a socialist bar?

This. I was treated to acoustic performances of songs praising socialism and communism. This particular song’s lyrics say, “The Community Party’s good, the Communist Party’s good. The Community Party is the good leader of the people. Talks well, does well. Fully dedicated to working for the people.”

If praising socialism isn’t your idea of a good time, there’s also the Absolute Freedom Bar just down the street.

It’s not just the selection of bars that’s different from what I’m used to. The food is just as unique. This vegetable’s Chinese name is “frog skin.” That’s a pretty accurate description. I have no idea what it tastes like, but I think I’d be pretty shocked to see a piece of that in a salad.

Traveling over 1,000km by car in Yunnan Province alone, I was able to see all kinds of road conditions. Contrary to popular belief, honking at a herd of goats does not make them go any faster or clear off the road.

When the national freeway isn’t being blocked to host a municipal farmer’s market, it may be blocked by construction. What to do? Bribe the construction worker manning the construction site of the adjacent forthcoming autoroute and travel on a half-built road.

Once we arrived in the ethereal plains of Shangri-la, there was simply no better way to unwind than to get a local politician to organize a barbecue mixer with local Tibetan grandmas and their grandchildren. Do as the locals do: bottoms-up the yak butter tea, munch on Tibetan cheese dipped in crunchy sugar, eat a couple wild boar ribs, and have a skewer of yak meat — all of which is garnished with fiery chili powder.

Atop Shangri-la's Shika Snow Mountain

Shangri-la is like nowhere else in China, or even in Yunnan Province. It could just have been the season when I visited, but there were hardly any tourists in town. The old town felt rustic and distinctly Tibetan (the population of the town is mostly Tibetan) as opposed to more or less Han in the other, more mainstream Yunnan towns like Dali and Lijiang. The tranquility and fresh air make it a must see spot before the inevitable market forces of supply and demand snatch this gem away.

I’m amazed by the cultural diversity in Southeast Asia. Across Vietnam, Laos, and Yunnan, China, the languages are not mutually intelligible, the ethnic groups are completely different, and there are almost no similarities between the local cuisines. Laos eats sticky rice, Vietnam eats white rice, and Yunnan eats fat rice noodles. The only real similarity that immediately comes to mind is that they’re all communist. As I’m looking at these photos back in Saigon, I feel, and indeed am, a world away.