{"product_id":"shaxi","title":"Two-day trip to Shaxi: Ancient Tea-Horse Town, Buddhist Grottoes in the Valley, Rural Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e This activity is for 2 or more people\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e If you just visit Shaxi Ancient Town, it is very simple and you will get some good results. We started this tour because we like Shaxi and go there once or twice every year. Our own Shaxi trip is in-depth and special, with ancient towns, religion, hiking and grottoes, and the lives of local friends:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eWe went to Shaxi from our favorite mountain road, entered Shaxi from our favorite place, went to the thousand-year-old Buddhist cave deep in the valley in the afternoon, bought vegetables \u003cspan\u003eat\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003ethe local vegetable market in the evening, visited friends who lived in a traditional rural courtyard on the hillside, cooked in the kitchen in the courtyard, stayed overnight, chatted by the fire. The next day, we took a walk in the forest by the lake in the mountains and sat in a friend's cafe.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo controls=\"controls\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/ec7ea5d8a40f47d8a0f9e3ed8b5d7463.mp4\"\u003e\n Your browser does not support the video tag.\n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e Go to Shaxi: Beautiful mountain road\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eWe set out for Shaxi after lunch, often taking the mountain road over Huacong Mountain instead of the usual highway. Taking this road, winding up the mountain, you can overlook the entire Eryuan Valley, a blue and beautiful alpine lake on the other side, and pass through large apple orchards along the way - someone is growing all kinds of new fruits in the deep mountains. After passing the mountain area, approaching a pass in Shaxi, you can see the entire Shaxi and the valley: terraces, crops, villages and the sky. It feels like crossing the mountain and arriving in another time. I think the way to reach a place and the first sight of Shaxi are very important. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/mmexport1736352256443.jpg?v=1738439928\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo controls=\"controls\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/07320af21f2643069d6ab97a690620f2.mp4\"\u003e\n Your browser does not support the video tag.\n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e Entering Shaxi: The Local Way\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eWalking along the Heihui River beside the fields, you can see an ancient bridge that you can walk on. We often walk there and watch the ducks looking for food and playing in the water, and the cattle and sheep by the river. Cross the Yujin Ancient Stone Bridge, pass through the Dongzhai Gate, and go to the temple on Sifang Street in the ancient town. This is an important place for the local Azha Li Tantric Buddhism, with three religions and historical murals. Sifang Street is in Yunnan, and is the center of ancient towns like Shaxi. As an important town on the Tea Horse Road in history, the Sifang Street here is open, simple and has a sense of history. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo controls=\"controls\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/ab3e99cb64b24c8aaa8aabc2c1d55e74.mp4\"\u003e\n Your browser does not support the video tag. \n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/IMG-20250202_060208.jpg?v=1738447351\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/IMG-20250202_060145.jpg?v=1738447351\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e Go to the Grottoes in the Mountains: History, Religion and Nature\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eIn the afternoon, we drove to a valley not far from Shaxi. Although the nearby forests are dotted with thousand-year-old cave statues, they are like a forgotten world and few people come here. Compared with the scenic spots around Shizhong Temple, because it is in the mountains, quiet and deserted, it has a more authentic historical atmosphere. We went to the forest to look for Buddhist caves from different eras, and we could see the shadow of Nanzhao and Dali as a Buddhist-dominated country. Going up along the valley road, on the turtle back stone, we can see the vast Shaxi Valley from afar, with a wide view. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo controls=\"controls\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/bf90d033149849dc819d4c94a0778771.mp4\"\u003e\n Your browser does not support the video tag. \n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/mmexport1736353320845.jpg?v=1738439928\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/mmexport1736352187660.jpg?v=1738439928\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/mmexport1736352177591.jpg?v=1738439928\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e This place is a bit like the abandoned theme park in \"Spirited Away\". The traces are still there, the stories are still there, but because it is deserted, you will have a real sense of walking into a distant and profound history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVisit our friends at Shaxi Country Life\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the evening, we went to the local vegetable market to buy some vegetables and went to the home of our friend Zidan in the village to cook. His home is a courtyard at the highest point in the village and is also a homestay. We stayed there at night. There is a kitchen in the open and quaint courtyard, and Zidan planted some vegetables in the courtyard. After dinner, if it is cold, we will light a bonfire in the courtyard and chat around it. Sometimes, we also need to go to the woods behind the house to collect firewood.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo controls=\"controls\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/d7ce32a9fccf4cc880dcdda278a26395.mp4\"\u003e\n Your browser does not support the video tag.\n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/mmexport1736352297545.jpg?v=1738439928\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eWhen I woke up early in the morning, I could see the whole valley where Shaxi Ancient Town is located from the rooftop on the second floor. The morning mist in the countryside filled the air, which was a wonderful and charming moment. It also reminded me of the time when a few people prepared breakfast in the kitchen in the morning and basked in the sun in the yard after eating. It was winter at that time, and the trees were full of red persimmons. People who got up early took a walk in the nearby hillsides and woods.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo controls=\"controls\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/3928a53693fa457088c16cf79487f311.mp4\"\u003e\n Your browser does not support the video tag.\n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/mmexport1736352175466.jpg?v=1738439928\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/mmexport1736398276647.jpg?v=1738439928\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003eI chose to live here because I could experience daily rural life instead of the relatively identical inns in the ancient town.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003ch3\u003eDay 2 Afternoon: The Tranquility of the Lakeside Forest\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003eAfter lunch, we headed to a lake in the forest. The lake was peaceful and beautiful, surrounded by dense forests and meadows. Not far from the lake was a cafe owned by our friends. We had a cup of coffee here, enjoyed a moment of tranquility, and then took a walk by the lake to feel the tranquility and beauty of nature.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo controls=\"controls\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/e6b418a61b77469994a7fe26d35acfd1.mp4\"\u003e\n Your browser does not support the video tag. \n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/mmexport1736353310679.jpg?v=1738439928\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e Return: Dali\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003eIn the late afternoon, we returned to Dali from here. It would be a different trip to feel the tranquility and beauty of the countryside, and to establish some kind of connection and memory with the ancient town, nature, history and local people.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eThis activity is for 2 people\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eTime: 12:00-19:00 the next day\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eOnly personal belongings are required for overnight stay\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dali Experience Community","offers":[{"title":"Default Title ","offer_id":44741958500508,"sku":null,"price":1198.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0661\/3450\/7676\/files\/WechatIMG1736.jpg?v=1742652845","url":"https:\/\/qcwwsq-qi.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/shaxi","provider":"Dali Experience Community","version":"1.0","type":"link"}