“Traveling with good friends makes the road shorter...” - Chinese proverb
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| (Kunming Golden Horse and Gate Rooster Archways) |
Day 07: 30 August 2025 (Saturday)
Route: Lijiang - Kunming - Yiliang
Hotel: Yiliang Ramada By Wyndham Kunming Yiliang Resort
Breakfast was very early in the morning because we had to check out by 6.40 am. We need to be at the train station early to beat the morning crowd. Loaded our luggage in the bus. The driver will be driving the bus to Kunming with our big bags. We only took our carry on on the bullet train.
This morning the group is taking the Bullet Train to Kunming which is 520 km away. When we arrived at the Lijiang Train Station, it was crowded with the morning commuters. Our tickets were pre-booked, so the checked-in process was smooth. The group was seated in the same coach. The high-speed bullet train that runs between Lijiang and Kunming took about 3 to 3.5 hours at an average speed of 170 km/hr. Our train never reached the maximum speed of 300 km/hr. The arrival station was at Kunming South Railway Station, an hour drive to central Kunming.
From the train station another tour bus took us to one Muslim restaurant at Xishan, Kunming city.
After lunch we crossed the road to Yongning Mosque and performed our jamak prayers there. The mosque was originally built during the Yuan Dynasty and is one of the oldest and most significant Islamic sites in Yunnan. The mosque has stood for centuries, symbolizing resilience amid Kunming’s urbanization, with its crescent still visible amid the changing skyline. Historically, it has weathered destruction—most notably in 1856 during the Qing suppression of a Muslim rebellion—but was rebuilt afterwards, reflecting the enduring faith of the local Muslim community .
Our journey continued with a compulsory visit to a silk factory, a stop that soon turned into a shopping opportunity for some, as the discounts and free gifts proved too tempting to resist.
Next we visited the Luosiwan Wholesale Market, the ultimate place in Kunming for bulk shopping: from silk fabrics and clothes to household goods and toys. It is one of the largest wholesale market in South-East-Asia. It is busy, chaotic, and massive. Prices are much cheaper if you buy in bulk, but some shops will also sell single pieces. At night, however, right outside and around the Luosiwan area, there are night market–style food stalls and small vendors.
We had dinner in the restaurant of Xin Sheng Da Hong Sheng International Hotel. Tonight's dinner was special. We had "Crossing the Bridge Noodles” Yunnan’s most famous dish, especially in Kunming. The dish contains a traditional rice noodle served with a rich hot broth plus a tray of raw and cooked ingredients that you add into the soup. The name "Crossing the Bridge Noodles” comes from a famous local legend.
Tonight we celebrated five birthdays of our August-born group members, marking the occasion with reciting of doa and the cutting of a huge delicious cake.
After dinner, we travelled to Yiliang Located about 52 km east of Kunming City which is an hour's drive away. Checked-in Yiliang Ramada by Wyndham Hotel for the night.
Route: Lijiang - Kunming - Yiliang
Hotel: Yiliang Ramada By Wyndham Kunming Yiliang Resort
Breakfast was very early in the morning because we had to check out by 6.40 am. We need to be at the train station early to beat the morning crowd. Loaded our luggage in the bus. The driver will be driving the bus to Kunming with our big bags. We only took our carry on on the bullet train.
This morning the group is taking the Bullet Train to Kunming which is 520 km away. When we arrived at the Lijiang Train Station, it was crowded with the morning commuters. Our tickets were pre-booked, so the checked-in process was smooth. The group was seated in the same coach. The high-speed bullet train that runs between Lijiang and Kunming took about 3 to 3.5 hours at an average speed of 170 km/hr. Our train never reached the maximum speed of 300 km/hr. The arrival station was at Kunming South Railway Station, an hour drive to central Kunming.
From the train station another tour bus took us to one Muslim restaurant at Xishan, Kunming city.
After lunch we crossed the road to Yongning Mosque and performed our jamak prayers there. The mosque was originally built during the Yuan Dynasty and is one of the oldest and most significant Islamic sites in Yunnan. The mosque has stood for centuries, symbolizing resilience amid Kunming’s urbanization, with its crescent still visible amid the changing skyline. Historically, it has weathered destruction—most notably in 1856 during the Qing suppression of a Muslim rebellion—but was rebuilt afterwards, reflecting the enduring faith of the local Muslim community .
Our journey continued with a compulsory visit to a silk factory, a stop that soon turned into a shopping opportunity for some, as the discounts and free gifts proved too tempting to resist.
Next we visited the Luosiwan Wholesale Market, the ultimate place in Kunming for bulk shopping: from silk fabrics and clothes to household goods and toys. It is one of the largest wholesale market in South-East-Asia. It is busy, chaotic, and massive. Prices are much cheaper if you buy in bulk, but some shops will also sell single pieces. At night, however, right outside and around the Luosiwan area, there are night market–style food stalls and small vendors.
We had dinner in the restaurant of Xin Sheng Da Hong Sheng International Hotel. Tonight's dinner was special. We had "Crossing the Bridge Noodles” Yunnan’s most famous dish, especially in Kunming. The dish contains a traditional rice noodle served with a rich hot broth plus a tray of raw and cooked ingredients that you add into the soup. The name "Crossing the Bridge Noodles” comes from a famous local legend.
Tonight we celebrated five birthdays of our August-born group members, marking the occasion with reciting of doa and the cutting of a huge delicious cake.
After dinner, we travelled to Yiliang Located about 52 km east of Kunming City which is an hour's drive away. Checked-in Yiliang Ramada by Wyndham Hotel for the night.
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