Things to see and do Southwest China

A village located 8 km north of Lijiang, where many frescoes were painted by artists Naxi and Tibetan during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A Naxi orchestra occurs in the first Glazed tile temple building (琉璃殿, liuli convex). In front of the entrance, the main fresco represents the unity of the different religions: the group of characters from the top is Tibetan Buddhism, that of the middle embodied Taoism and the bottom, Han Buddhism. The whole is centered around a representation of Sakyamuni.

The part of the village located in the immediate vicinity of the temple is overrun by the merchants of souvenirs. There is also a cultural centre (entrance: 10 RMB) to the very limited interest if it is the pleasure of a cup of tea in the yard. On the other hand, the rest of the village remained very authentic by its architecture and atmosphere.

It opened its doors in 1999. The park has in fact just made it possible to pay access to ancient villages and temples, whose poor inhabitants certainly did not expect to become tourist attractions!

Just under 10 km south of Luxi, the thermal Springs of Fapa attract many visitors every year. The opportunity to allow a relaxing afternoon around a relaxing bath!

In the south of Kunming, the Dian Lake covers a surface area of 340 km ². By its size, it is the 6 ^th freshwater lake in China. As it is located in a plain surrounded by mountains, the Chinese say it's the "bright pearl of the plateau." Surrounded by hills covered with pines, bushes, bamboo and peach, the lake is a pleasant walk. When it is fine, water is crystal clear, when it makes the wind, waves to the white foam rise. In the vicinity of the lake there are different monuments such as:

the Contemplation of Contemplation (Daguan Lou),

the temple of the Majestic Pavilion (Huating Si),

The Temple of Supreme Splendour (Taihua If).

The ascent of the West Mountains offers superb views over the Dian lake and Kunming city. Unfortunately, the region bordering the south-west of the lake is highly industrialized and the clarity of the water is beginning to feel it.

In this slightly tristounet garden, some pavilions and a taoist monastery dominate the pond. There is also a tea house. A 5-minute walk is the Kunming Botanical Garden, where you can admire more than 40 species of camellias in the province of Yunnan.

Erhai Lake stretches over 250 km ² and is one of the largest lakes in the country. You can take a cruise on the lake, take 3 to 4 hours of walking. The walk is an opportunity to learn more about the lives of fishermen on the shores of the lake or on the islands of Jinsuo and Bustling. The lucky ones may have the opportunity to see some fishing for cormorants, an ancestral tradition that is gradually losing. Beware, the place is sometimes caught by hordes of tourists…

It is larger than that of Wase, but is also the best known tourist, which takes a little of its charm. The curious ones will be happy to see that everything is found on this market.

Animals (live or dead), antiques, local crafts and a few stalls that propose you to nibble local specialities! The advertised prices are very high, divide them by two or three and negotiate firmly!

This tiny village of a few hundred souls is situated in the heart of a fabulous karst landscape. La Montagne Fleurie, or Huashan, is the site that attracts the most tourists in the south of Guangxi. You are advised to go there when it is beautiful (light will help you better collect the frescoes). If you have the possibility to purchase binoculars, do not hesitate.

From Pingxiang: We recommend you take a bus to the village of Ningming. Once you arrive in Ningming, take the boat at the port of Tuolongqiao (about 1 hour and a half). By private boat, 80 RMB per person. Let us prefer ship companies: 35 RMB per person.

From Nanning: buses leave early in the morning and take you to Ningming. From here take the boat to go to the Mountain Fleurie.

Accommodation. The village of Panlong has a small and comfortable hotel (Tel: (0771) 8628195, about 150 RMB at night). You can sleep in the traditional wooden houses of the Dong, Miao and Zhuang minorities.

The mural frescoes are worth a visit. This enormous pyramid limestone is located on the east bank of the Mingjiang River. The cliff has magnificent frescoes for several hundred metres. The paintings span 125 m wide and close to 44 m high! The red paint that dominates the cliff has not lost its vitality. It seems, however, that it is more than 2 000 years old, but it does not seem to change over time. Scientists studied the substance, they would have to be red (mineral) hematite. On these magnificent frescoes, the visitor can distinguish about 1 300 figures. Most of them are active human beings (dancing, jumping, or an animal), some with objects like shields or knives.

Legend. The precise date of these paintings remains a mystery to historians. However, a legend Zhuang tells that a young man from the Zhuang minority would have wanted to rebel against the king of the time. He began drawing on sheets of paper from soldiers and horses. The story wanted once in a safe, the drawings turn into a real army after 100 days. Only on the 99 th day, the young man's mother opened the chest in which the drawings were hidden. When the woman saw the sheets of paper, it was too late and they flew away. The drawings were drawn by the cliff and remained stuck on the walls of this mountain. Later, these drawings would have become the frescoes that can now be seen on the site. If one refers to legend, it would appear that the paintings were performed between 770 and 476 BC.

How could the frescoes be painted? The walls of the limestone mountain are difficult to reach. His ascent is dangerous or almost impossible. Historians therefore questioned how the artists of the time were able to paint on the rock. Several theories clash with each other. Some think that the men at the time had designed a bamboo scaffolding (very resistant material) to access the most difficult parts. Others believe that the level of water should vary more. Thus, according to floods and assèchement, some parties were more feasible. But these two theories were very quickly refuted. Historians today think that painters would have served small wooden planks set in the wall (there would remain traces). These small boards would have created some sort of staircase that would have facilitated access to less practicable areas. This theory seems to be the most likely for experts.

The contents of the frescoes. The frescoes are about 1 300 characters varying between 50 cm and 3,50 m. No one knows what the use and the recipient of these works were. Several theories still fight the origin of these frescoes. Some think it would be a work to pay tribute to the god of water. Others think that these drawings might serve to inspire warriors before they go to battle. At the moment, no conclusion could be reached. The frescoes represent several series of episodes. The first represents a procession of warriors, the second shows the selection of combatants, and then breaks different scenes of war. At the end, we can see an episode describing young women dancing in the face of warriors'triumph. During your trip, you will also discover representations of dogs, drums and weapons.

This complex is less impressive than the main one, but it has an unquestionable advantage, the vast majority of tourists do not pass. So it's an opportunity to walk in a stone forest without every corner of amateur photographers and noisy tourist groups.

In the Pleine forest, bungalows have been set up in height and connected between them by hanging galleries. They serve as an ideal observation point to try to see a few rare elephant herds or other animals such as macaques, white collar bats or wild horse. It is possible to spend the night on the site. A garden with Butterflies and Birds has also emerged in this protected nature reserve since 1996.

Several hot water pools, shown under different themes (small fish eaters, rose petals, milk…), round the course of this shady park. We are getting there and baptised it! A very popular place by local and Russian tourists who come to thalassotherapy.