Article from the British "Sunday Times" on May 5, original title: Why is this charming Chinese province so popular on social media? Yunnan Province, located in southwest China, has beautiful scenery in movies, with clear water, deep valleys, and blue skies. of magnificent snow-capped mountains. Yunnan, with its many ethnic minorities, maintains its distinctive feel. City dwellers looking for fresh air and a sense of nostalgia see Yunnan as a romantic destination. The picturesque scenery here still maintains ancient traditions, making it a good place to escape the industrial atmosphere.
The Ancient Tea Horse Road was once one of the longest commercial travel corridors in the world, connecting Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. Lijiang (pictured) is the cultural center of the Naxi people and an important trading point on the Tea Horse Road. An earthquake in the 1990s almost destroyed Lijiang. Nowadays, bluestone paving and many wooden buildings have been restored, giving people the feeling of a living museum and amusement park complex. Shangri-La near Lijiang is also a place where the line between fantasy and reality is blurred. Here you can experience Tibetan thangka art and experience what the tour guide calls the "Encyclopedia of Tibetan Culture". There are also organic farms and farmhouses built by local people.
Understanding and respecting the environment are the keys to survival on the Tea Horse Road. Gu Ronggui, 54, confirmed this. He was once a member of the last caravan on the Tea Horse Road. I asked him if he missed the past of the caravan. He thought for a moment and then replied: "Every generation stands on the shoulders of the previous generation. This is development." (Author Sarah Marshall, translated by Zhen Xiang) ▲
