Drown in Lijiang (Part 2)

Another thing you must do in Lijiang is to visit Mount Yulong. Its highest peak Shanzidou, with an elevation of 18,360ft, is covered with snow all year long. It is now fully developed into a tourist attraction with hotels and restaurants close by. 

 

People are welcomed to visit one of the peaks here called Yunshanping, and see the world from above if weather allows. There’s snow up there, so bring your winter coat or pay $20 to rent a coat up there. How do you get there? Great question! People are so smart that they even built ropeway ($30 per person for a roundtrip) for those who hate wasting time in climbing the mountain step by step. This is what unbelievable about human intelligence and modern technology—the ropeway goes from 11,010ft to 14,783ft with no stops in between. 

 

This is the fastest way for people who are not frightened by its 3,772ft-vertical-height-difference. For people who are scared and who still wants to save some time, there is another way to do it—horseback riding. But don’t think it’s easy. First, it usually costs a fortune to rent a horse, about $100. Second, you need to remember that you are reaching a point with an altitude of 14,783ft, on a horseback! I didn’t do the horseback riding when I was there, so I can’t really say things bad about it. But lucky as I was, the weather was extremely well that day, and I not only got to see the city from above but also took in some fresh and cold air.