Bus drivers in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture returned to work late last week after striking for three days because their employer had attempted to strip them of their property, according to a China Daily report.

Around 500 bus drivers who operated routes connecting Xiaguan with remote counties throughout the prefecture went on strike last Tuesday to protest a document that had been distributed to them by Dali Transport Company (Group), their employer. According to China Daily:


The strike left many residents of and visitors to Dali without bus service, but "no one… overreacted", according to a spokesperson from the Dali government, which negotiated a settlement between the drivers and the company.

The Dali dispute comes one month after bus drivers in Jinghong reacted violently to the local government's decision to break the local monopoly on bus tours in Xishuangbanna, which led to several Chinese travel agencies suspending tour services to the area.

Related article: Xishuanbanna tours suspended due to bus driver attacks

Tags: buses, Dali, labor, travel

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has given China Eastern Airlines permission to reopen its previously suspended Kunming-Dali and Kunming-Jinghong routes, half a year after stripping the Shanghai-based airline of the routes because of mid-air protests by several of its Yunnan subsidiary's pilots.

In March of this year, China Eastern pilots are reported to have deliberately turned back midway through their provincial flights out of Kunming as a form of protest over dissatisfaction with strict lifetime contracts and low pay.

The airline quickly fired its Yunnan management, but that was not enough to prevent regulators at CAAC from discontinuing its Kunming-Dali and Kunming-Jinghong routes on May 4 and reducing feeder routes from Kunming to Lijiang, Shangri-la, Mangshi, Lincang, Pu'er and Wenshan by 20 flights daily, on April 26.

CAAC said that it had restored the routes plus increased the frequency of other China Eastern routes in Yunnan as a result of the airline's 'impressive contribution to Sichuan earthquake relief and rescue efforts', according to aviation trade publication ATW Daily News.

Analysts say the restoration of the routes may not help offset the estimated loss of 405 million yuan (US$59 million) in revenue from the route suspensions, as Chinese domestic tourism has been slumping since the Wenchuan earthquake in May.

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Tags: CAAC, China Eastern Airlines, Dali, Jinghong, Lijiang, Lincang, Mangshi, Pu'er, Shangri-la, tourism, travel, Wenchuan earthquake, Wenshan

Hong Kong property developer Shui On Land's 5 billion yuan (US$730 million) development project in Shangri-la may not move forward after all, with Hong Kong media reporting that Shui On chairman Vincent Lo (罗康瑞) told an investor party that the property giant will quit the project.

Lo reportedly cited difficulties with Shangri-la's 'operational environment' as the reason for pulling out of the project. Shui On representatives contacted by Hong Kong media said that Lo's comments merely indicated that he wished to scrap the project's current plan, not the entire project itself.

Shui On spokespeople have yet to elucidate the company's plan for the project, for which it signed a cooperation agreement with the Diqing government.

Initial plans for the project involved 1,773 square kilometers of land, 966 square kilometers of which would be designated 'protected land' plus a 349 square kilometer 'buffer belt'. A 760,000 square meter resort would be located within the belt.

Lo's comments raise questions regarding Shui On's commitments to the company's three other development projects in Yunnan.

The company has signed agreements for a residential and resort development in Lashihai outside of Lijiang, a similar development on the east side of Erhai Lake in Dali and a residential/office/commercial development at the north end of Dianchi Lake in Kunming.

Total investment by Shui On in Yunnan tourism projects was projected to reach 48 billion yuan this year, which would make it the largest investor in Yunnan's tourism sector.

Hong Kong-listed Shui On holds properties in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Chongqing and Dalian and is best known for its Xintiandi and Corporate Avenue developments in Shanghai's Luwan District.

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Shui On leading investment in Yunnan's tourism industry

Property giant Shui On moving into yunnan

Tags: Dali, Diqing county, Erhai Lake, Lashihai, Lijiang, property, Shangri-la, Shui On Land, Vincent Lo

Next week Kunming and the rest of China will take the week off for the National Day "Golden Week" holiday to celebrate the 59th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The week-long holiday is expected to provide a boost to the country's tourism industry, which is still recovering from the Olympics travel boom that never happened. Around 146 million people traveled during the National Day holiday last year, spending 64.2 billion yuan (US$9.3 billion).

Many of these people (and their money) will be travelling around northwest Yunnan during the next ten days, looking to experience stunning scenery, different cultures and some of the cleanest air in China. Tourism is one of the pillars of Yunnan's economy and is a major influence on the direction of the province's development.

GoKunming has been travelling around northwest Yunnan – albeit not as much as we'd like – since 1999. Last week, while on assignment updating a US-based China travel guidebook, we visited the popular destinations of Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Dali. How have these places held up over the last few years? Here's what we found:


Lijiang (丽江)
Lijiang's old town of Dayan (大研), a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the most popular travel destination in Yunnan, with 5.31 million tourists passing through in 2007 and spending 5.8 billion yuan. Tourism has changed much of what was once a rustic town into a mix between a shopping mall and a theme park.

Lijiang's commercialization has emerged as a source of concern for UNESCO, but even if it were to be de-listed, it's difficult to imagine that tourism would drop off – especially domestic tourism.

Despite the seemingly innumerable guesthouses, restaurants, cafes and shops aimed exclusively at tourists, the old town's old buildings, stone bridges and fish-filled streams still make for a nice place to stroll around – especially the further one gets from the center of the old town.

That said, the old town feels like it is being maxed out in terms of how many visitors it can handle. In the last few years, the nearby old town of Shuhe (束河) has emerged as an alternative to Dayan. Much of Shuhe is occupied by new buildings intended to look old, but there is still an old town that feels like there are still local Naxi people living there.

Although considerably smaller than Dayan, Shuhe seems destined for a similar fate. Cafes, bars, guesthouses and shops aimed at the new Chinese middle class have sprung up throughout the old town. Only a small number of domestic tour groups come to Shuhe now, usually early in the morning. Expect that to change quickly.


Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡)
Once slated for damming, Tiger Leaping Gorge was granted a reprieve at the end of last year when government officials scrapped plans to dam the gorge, through which the Jinsha River (金沙江) – which eventually becomes the Yangtze River – flows toward Shanghai and the Pacific Ocean.

The gorge is formed by the flow of the Jinsha River between 5,596-meter Yulong Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山) and 5,396-meter Haba Snow Mountain (哈巴雪山), forming spectacular 2,000-meter cliffs.

A mountain trail – referred to as the 'high path' in contrast with the paved road once known as the 'low path' that passes through the gorge – enables visitors to hike the gorge between the towns of Qiaotou (桥头) and Daju (大具) over a total distance of roughly 40 kilometers. The hike is usually done in two days, with one night spent at one of the growing number of guesthouses on the trail.

We aimed to take the trail in one day, leaving Qiaotou at 9 am after arriving from Lijiang. Early morning clouds obscured the majestic peaks on either side of the gorge and the air was cool – ideal hiking weather.

Taking the trail from Qiaotou to Daju means getting most of the climbing out the way before settling into a generally easy but rather long hike. The trail is well-marked in general, but a map will generally help reduce wrong turns as well as being useful in gauging one's progress on the hike. Maps of the gorge are available at the Gorged Tiger Café in Qiaotou - located just past the booth where the local government collects a 50 yuan entrance fee.

There are a few small villages along the trail, with some homes converted into guesthouses with restaurants and travel provisions. When the sun is out it is intense, so sunblock and a couple of liters of water are recommended when packing. Foodwise, it is good to bring snacks – be they local walnuts or the candy bars available in Qiaotou and on the trail – but as guesthouses are frequent enough, there is little need to pack a full meal.

Around ninety minutes into the hike, one hits the trail's toughest stretch - a steep 600-meter switchback ascent known as the 24 bends. Even experienced hikers will likely need to take a break or two at some point on this ascent, which tops out at 2,400 meters. After this point the trail becomes essentially a contour path before merging with the road below at Walnut Garden some 20-plus kilometers into the hike.

Shortly after completing the 24 bends the sun came out in full force. Determined to make it to Daju before the sun went down, we ignored the sun and pushed on until hunger forced us to stop for lunch around 2 pm.

After refuelling, we completed the high path and joined up with the low road, taking it several kilometres before discovering that the old ferry which is the only way to cross the Jinsha into Daju finished at 5 pm, ending our hike just short of our goal. Maybe next time. Thanks to the gorge not being dammed and filled, there can be a next time.


Dali (大理)
The old town of Dali has been one of the most laid-back towns on the Yunnan travel circuit and remains so, but there is little doubt that the city has changed drastically in recent years.

In 1999, Dali was an established travel destination for domestic tourists as well as foreign backpackers. Most of the guesthouses, cafes and restaurants targeting travelers were located on the upper section of Huguo Lu, which was already primarily known by its nickname of Yangren Jie or 'Foreigner Street'.

Today Huguo Lu seems to only attract domestic tour groups and foreigners with outdated travel guides. One street over, Renmin Lu is now brimming with cafes, restaurants and guesthouses – seemingly all the way down to Erhai Lake. In 2000, the street was almost entirely 'local'.

Since '99, some of Dali's top sightseeing attractions have been repackaged in ways to maximize ticket revenue. A massive Chan (Zen) Buddhist temple has been built behind the Three Pagodas, helping justify the hefty 121-yuan ticket to enter the Three Pagodas site.

The Cangshan Mountains (苍山) are still a short walk to Dali's west, but now it costs 30 yuan to even set foot on the mountains – there is an army of old men scattered throughout the mountain area to make sure that tickets have been paid.

Despite recent commercialization, Dali's chilled-out vibe remains, and as more people from around China and the world discover it, more people are looking to Dali as a place to live or have a second home. Not surprisingly, Dali property prices have been some of the fastest-growing in China.

All in all, it appears the money will keep rolling into Dali – the biggest investment at the moment being a 10 billion yuan project by megadeveloper Shui On Land.

Despite all the change that has taken place in Dali, there is something about its idyllic surroundings, slow pace of life and the feeling of being far from the rest of the world that suggests the town will remain a good place to take it slow for years to come.

Tags: business, Cangshan Mountains, Dali, environment, Lijiang, Shui On Land, Tiger Leaping Gorge

Yesterday at 4:31 pm, a strong aftershock registering 5.6 in magnitude hit southern Sichuan near Panzhihua 24 hours and one minute after Saturday's 6.1-magnitude earthquake in the same location. Once again, the tremor was able to be felt in buildings as far south as Kunming.

According to the most recent Xinhua reports, 32 people died in Saturday's quake, more than 400 were injured and over 100,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

No information has been made available regarding casualties or damage from Sunday's aftershock. More than 800,000 people have been affected by the quakes.

According to Chinese media reports, the areas most affected by the quakes include Panzhihua, Huili and Liangshan in Sichuan and Zhaotong, Chuxiong and Dali.

UPDATE: As of 6:30 pm Beijing time on Monday, Xinhua is reporting that 38 people have been confirmed dead from the quake.

Related article: Earthquake rattles Sichuan, Yunnan provinces

Tags: Chuxiong, Dali, disasters, earthquake, Panzhihua, Sichuan, Zhaotong

More than five decades after its initial discovery, an archeological site in Dali dating back more than 3,000 years ago is suspected of being the world's largest Neolithic dig, according to a China Daily report.

The site, located on the banks of Jian Lake in Jianchuan county, Dali prefecture, was first discovered in 1957 by workers digging a canal, but excavation at the site – which has to date yielded more than 3,000 artifacts – only began in earnest in January of this year.

In addition to pottery, iron implements and bones, the site features more than 2,000 wooden poles dug 4.5 meters into the ground.

"I was shocked when I first saw the site. I have never seen such a big and orderly one. This could be only a small fraction of the actual community that existed at the time," China Daily cited Yan Wenming, history professor at Peking University, as saying.

The Neolithic period began about 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and is considered to be the end of the Stone Age. It is marked by the emergence of rudimentary agriculture and ended with the appearance of metal tools, either bronze or iron, depending on the part of the world in question.

Yan said the site is already bigger than the Neolithic site at Hemudu in Zhejiang province, which is considered to be the cradle of the Yangtze River civilization. Other similar in China have also been found in Hubei and Guangdong provinces.

"Right now there is also such a site being excavated in Switzerland. But that site is smaller than the one in Yunnan. The Yunnan one could be the largest in the world," Yan said.

Twenty-eight excavations have been made at the Jianchuan site, covering a total of 1,360 square meters. Min Rui, a Yunnan Archaeological Institute researcher leading the excavation, said the area may eventually cover 4 square kilometers.

Image: China Daily

Tags: archeology, Dali, Guangdong, Hemudu, Hubei, Jian Lake, Jianchuan, Min Rui, neolithic, Peking University, Yan Wenming, Yunnan Archeological Institute, Zhejiang

Yesterday at the Yunnan Provincial Tourism Industry Development Conference in Chuxiong it was announced that 11 mainland and Hong Kong companies will invest more than 90 billion yuan (US$13.1 billion) in Yunnan's tourism industry.

The group of eleven is led by HK-listed Shui On Land (瑞安房地产), best known for being developers of the Xintiandi and Corporate Avenue project in Shanghai. Total investment by Shui On Land in Yunnan this year is expected to reach 48 billion, more than the other 10 companies combined.

In December 2007, Shui On signed a cooperation agreement with the provincial government – today it is working on four major projects in Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Diqing.

Smart Hero Group (骏豪集团), another Hong Kong developer, will invest more than 25 billion yuan in the city of Chengjiang, 70 kilometers southeast of Kunming. The project, located at the Sun Mountain International Ecological Tourism and Leisure Holdiday Area, will commence construction in September. Smart Hero has existing tourism and hospitality projects in the cities of Xiamen, Sanya and Chongqing.

Smart Hero's investment in Chengjiang is indicative of a larger trend in Yunnan – in addition to established tourist cities such as Kunming, Lijiang, Dali and Shangri-la, smaller cities and lesser-known areas in Yunnan are beginning to attract larger amounts of investment. Other examples include Pu'er and Yangzonghai.

Related article:

Property giant Shui On moving into Yunnan

Tags: Chengjiang, Chuxiong, Dali, Diqing, Lijiang, Shangri-la, Shui On Land, Smart Hero Group, tourism, travel, Xintiandi

Just weeks after China implemented a nationwide ban on free plastic bags, Yunnan province is once again putting itself at the forefront of the country's environmental movement – this time with a total ban on production, sales and use of plastic bags across the province next year.

According to a Xinhua report, the ban will begin January 1, 2009 and will cover plastic bags of all thicknesses, as opposed to the current national ban on plastic bags thinner than 0.025 millimeters. The report said that throughout Yunnan, 'truly environment-friendly shopping bags' will be provided free or for a fee to customers at supermarkets, department stores, shopping outlets, hotels, restaurants and other venues.

Prior to the nationwide ban on free plastic bags that went into effect on June 1 of this year, Yunnan had already earned a reputation for being one of China's most environmentally conscious provinces with plastic bag bans in the popular travel destinations of Shangri-la (Zhongdian) and Lijiang.

In Shangri-la and Lijiang, local residents quickly adapted to not using plastic bags, switching to reusable, biodegradable bags after experimenting with newspaper and woven baskets.

In addition to addressing the problem of 'white pollution' – the plastic and polystyrene pollution that can be found throughout China – Yunnan is also emerging as one of the more progressive provinces in terms of developing solar energy resources.

Both the cities of Shilin and Dali will soon boast some of China's – and Asia's – largest solar power projects, and Kunming, where half the city's residents use solar energy to heat their water, was named China's 'Solar City' by the Worldwatch Institute.

The Kunming municipal government is also reportedly considering developing the city into a production base for degradable plastic bags.

Image: hb.newssc.org

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Tags: Dali, environment, Lijiang, plastic bags, Shangri-la, solar power