Day 1-3: From Beijing - Lijiang
Our guides and staffs will meet you in Beijing. After a brief stay, we
will travel as a group to the Old Town of Lijiang in Yunnan Province.
We will spend a whole day touring Lijiang, which offers a colorful
exhibition of multi-ethnic culture, including Naxi, Yi and Bai. We
will explore the meandering streets of the Old Town and browse through the
handcraft market. We'll also sample the exquisite local cuisine,
sure to warm you up for the coming adventures.
Day 4-6: Dechin and
culture exchange with local people
We then take a van on a roller-coaster road leading westward toward the
sublime alpine country of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. We will pass
through the legendary city of Shangri-la, where we will visit the
Songzanlin, an important temple and monastery of the Tibetan Buddhism
faith.
Next Day, we are greeted by our first glimpse of the majestic peak
of Mount Kawa Karpo while our van ascends a 13,000-foot (3,962 meter)
pass. We’ll spend the night in the inn near Feilai Temple outside the city
of Dechin. Feilai Temple marks the traditional beginning of the
pilgrimage circle. During evening, we will have an interaction
session with local drivers and business. We will help them practice
conversational English and in turn learn a few Tibetan songs and dance
steps from them.
On the morning of the sixth day, we watch the awe-inspiring sunrise bathe
Kawa Karpo in golden light. Those who choose will participate in a simple
ceremony and offer up prayers to the mountain. In the morning, we
will visit a local market in Dechin and get a glimpse of people's daily
life in this town. In the afternoon, we will visit the Puli Tibetan
School and play with the children.
Day 7-10 Pilgrimage Inner Circle
On day 7, we will take bus to Xidang Hot Spring and the embark on the
actual pilgrimage. Through lush forests, we trek to the highest pass on
the pilgrimage circle, the Nazong Pass at 12,140 ft. If it is a clear day,
we will be presented with a stunning, panoramic view of the entire
mountain range. Trekking down from the pass, we arrive at the
Yubeng village, cradled in a peaceful valley at the foot of Kawa Karpo. No
paved road reaches Yubeng to this date. We have arrived the only ways
possible: walking or riding a horse or pack animal; which, happily, are
also the best ways to soak up the entrancing beauty of our surroundings.
If possible, we will also be doing the anti-litter project on this day in
collaboration with Puli School. See details in Community Service.
On Day 8, we will make day hikes to Mystic Waterfall
where the pilgrimage route traditionally ends. If possible, we will
continue our litter-cleaning project on this part of the trail as well.
On Day 9, the schedule is flexible during the day. You can
hire a guide and hike to a site called "Ice Lake", or simply wander
around the upper and lower village, or just relax on the lodge's
balcony, watching the ever-changing hues of majestic Kawa Karpo, and
listening to the message whispered in the divine tranquility that
surrounds you. At night, we will possibly participate a party
with local villagers.
On Day 10, we hike the second portion of the circle. This is a 15
mile of hike mainly on flat trails. However, more than half of the
trail cuts through a cliff band lining up a deep gorge, sometime with more
than 2000 ft of sheer drop on one side. It can be the most thrilling hike
in your life. If it is raining or trail condition is particular wet,
we will have to change the plan and hike back through the way we came in,
because a slip on this trail can possibly send you tumbling down the
rushing Lancang river. We will spend the night back at FeilaiTemple.
Day 11-12 Foggy Top Village
These two days we will spend at Foggy Top
village. Unlike Yubeng village, people in this village have not
participated in tourist industry yet but they are thinking of it. By
practicing community-conscious tourism, we hope that our presence will encourage them to preserve the essence of their traditional way of
living, instead of simply change everything to emulate the “modernized”
style of living in order to please the tourists. We will attend
their daily activities in the next two days and learn doing chores around
the household from them.
Day 13-15 Back to Beijing
Instead of making a day-long bus trip back
to Lijiang, we take a direct flight from Shangri-la to Kunming, the
capitol city of Yunnan Province. In 50 minutes, you will have left behind
a magical land of myths, legends and snow-capped mountains, and will have
arrived in the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan city. After
coming back to Beijing, we have one day to do a tour, either to the Great
Wall or the Forbidden City, depending on the weather and interest.
Day 16
Fly back to US according to your flight
schedule. Trip ends.
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