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Published: July 27th 2008
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7/7/08
Mile(@1500m) is one of the prefecture in Honghe I never visit before. Why? Don't know, perhaps because it is too close to KM. Was surprised to see so many hotels and guesthouses in town. For 50 yuans you have a lots of good choice, me...for myself...I go for lower! Why they got so many hotels there? Then I realized the new rising star in minority festival...the Fire festival of the Yi, the painted faces, the wild movement, the fire...yes...it attracted many tourist by new year time. But I think it could be the Mile buddha, the biggest in Yunnan, 19.99m high, the Maitreya(Mile)buddha image is the most welcoming in China, with a happy face, that why we call him Smiling Buddha in China. The temple is about 10km out of town, was originally built 400 years ago, but was mostly destroyed during many wars and the culture revolution, not until recent year they began to request donation world-wide and open up, money poured in and everything being renovated and brand new, and ind Dec 2003, the tallest golden buddha statute was erected on to of the small hill accessed by climbing 1999 steps. But the steep 30 yuans entry
stop me in front of the gate. Now they really mean business! But I came to Meli for the winery. said you could stay at the IYHA next to the celler, taste wine and watch how the wine produce, and between June and August, you can even join in the grape picking. The YunnanRed winery is located at Dongfeng town about 10km away, a short bus ride and then 2 km walk will get you there. "you don't have a car?" the doorman of the IYHA answer me when I asked the direction to the winery, he sound really surprised, perhaps I was the first one walk here! Then later I saw every people came here with their own transportation, either private or tour group, aiiii... No place for individual budget poor traveler! 10 kuai entry at the winery,but you can use the ticket for perching inside their showroom. I was put into a 30 people tour group, and a guide walk us through the compound. I was surprised to hear that the owner of Yunnan Red is from Hongkong. I had been drinking this wine for many year without knowing that. Now I should have sponsor it more. After
a while walking pass container and machine, we entered the celler where they kept wine in the wood barrel, "please don't smoke or eat once inside, even your perfume will affected it if you walk too close" our guide warn us. But once we were in and she told us because of the construction work inside at the moment, so we will not able to smell the fragrance of the wine. "I am so sorry" she said. The air was filled with tje smell of paint. I wonder why they allow the worker do it inside the celler? No management no doubt! Finally we enter the wine room where we can taste wine, I was hoping to try more of different choice, but...with so many people, we got simply one white and one red, the hall kept all different wine they had produced since 1997, and a small shop inside where you could buy Yunnan Red that you could not find in the street. and our group member seem alive with the shopping section, me too, I surrendered more bills together with the ticket for a small bottle. Not bad for a day trip here, but I will preferred come
here with some friends.
Mile actually a relaxing town, acceptable clean, the central park was very nice, with well decorated trees and lake, lot of shops and well connected city buses. Could be another route between KM and YY, instead of going through Jianshui, come through Shilin and Mile could be another good choice.
Bus fare:
Yuanyang to Gejiu Y24
Gejiu to Mile(west station) Y30
Mile to Dongfeng Y4(minibus)
8/7/08
None of my travel will go without market, and Xiyi seem like the only market the local recommended, "most of the other market are mostly Han", one vendor told me. And by chance, the Xiyi(@2000m) market was today. A 45 mins bus trip, a small market town dominated mostly by Yi and Muslim, and here is where the famous Fire-worship festival held each year. "We are Ahxi Yi" one woman told me, and she said not much of a torch festival here when I asked her, "they do it more bigger in Shilin" another woman said. Most of the Yi women only wear a head scarf, some older woman wrapped a embroidery head-band with sash. Long sleeve in different color of the main body of the clothes,
and a piece of embroidered patch from the center to the right, the clothes is knee lenght on the back and only to waistline on the front, they wore long trousers and with front apron. Although still many woman wearing costume, but most of the embroidery they got on their dress are machine made pattern which you could buy in any market. Another sign of liquidation of handmade craft.
Note
Minibus from Mile to Xiyi 7 yuans
9/7/08
Luxi(@1700m) was the last county in Honghe prefecture that I had never been, so I made the hour trip. Compared with Mile, accommodation in Luxi was far less, hadn't seen any family style guesthouse, not around bus station, not even in town, very strange! So I took the cheaper room by the bus station for 50 yuan. Not much to see in Luxi town, but still got an old quarte, where the typical cross-road of east, west, south and north street acted as commercial area. The most famous site should be the Ahlugu cave, said to be the biggest in Asia, so...also the most spectacular christmas-light decorated in Asia I guess! But I came here to check out an
old village, about 25km from Luxi, Chengzhi village was once a tiny Yi settlement many year ago, but since the war in the north and the Han began to invaded and migrated down south around 300 years ago. One setup an Tusi office here and the village was expanded, the maximum occupancy was more than 1200 families. And now the whole village was totally Han. The village's houses was built in the south China tribal style, earth and mud in platform block, scattered along the slope of the 200m high small hill, house above house, like a staircase, the roof of the one below was the drying platform for the house above, the highest you could seen now was 17 platforms, and with the Han immigrated, house's style was mixed with Han engraved, tile-roof, stone slat in front entrance. The best example was inside the General House. On top of the hill is the temple, but originally was the Tusi office, most of the interior was rebuilt after the cultural revolution. A Mr Miao look after all the affair there and got his phone number written at the front door, "next time if you come again, just call me and
I will come and show you everything about our village" he told me. People are very friendly there, got invited inside all the time." March and April also good time to come here, when the yellow flower blooming, very pretty" someone told me. Torch festival also fun for the childern, but in Dongshan they made it more bigger. Right...will remember that, as Dongshan is another market I would like to visit, but perhaps another trip.
Note
Bus Mile(east station) to Luxi 12 yuans
Luxi(minibus) to Yongning(chengzhi) 7 yuans
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