Travels in North West Yunnan

How it all began

2009-01-30T16:59:00.000Z

This account of my family's travels in Yunnan reads chronologically, that's from the top down with my most recent entry reading last - the reverse of a traditional Blog. If you wish to use the navigation on the right I recommend you work from the top working down. If you are confused now I'm sure it will make sense once you start going through each of the entry's.

Over the past few years I've been dragging my family around Eastern Europe for our summer holidays to catch the last glimpses of traditional life held in aspic during the old communist rule.
Our quest was inspired by a trip to Hungary shortly after the wall came down and many of the Soviet republics regained their independence while old Russia ground to an economic halt. We picked the thread up once again when our daughters, India and Iona, were ready to leave the beach behind and embrace a family adventure very different from what we were used to.

First on the list was a trip to Romania, riding over the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania. We experienced an astonishing countryside and a way of life not seen in western Europe since the First World War. This small but significant adventure whetted my appetite for more mountains and some serious riding. The Balkans in Bulgaria.

I had assumed such a trip would be relatively leisurely but it ended up being more a test of stamina and determination than experiencing the delights and glories of the Balkans. We rode for up to eight hours a day with some of the longest trots I expect ever to encounter and gallops that were simply terrifying.

With the Carpathians and Balkans under our belt and ever increasing confidence in our ability, I managed to con (did I say that) my family into the idea of riding in the Caucuses in the Republic of Georgia. This time we knew what to expect and how to survive without the obligatory morning shower and general creature comforts associated with family holidays. I knew Georgia was a fair distance from the UK and where I wanted us to travel was on the Dagestan and Chechnya boarders, in a region called Tusheti; however what I wasn’t ready for was the way of life we were going to experience as a family and how remote the region was.

I’ve written an extensive account of this trip with a similar introduction. Try this link.

http://travelsintusheti.blogspot.com/

We visited Tusheti twice during 2007-08 and experienced many wonderful adventures which should have been enough for any family, especially since we left Georgia as it was being invaded by Russia, but that's another story.

Inspired by what we had achieved in Tusheti I came up with the crazy notion we should continue our travels and visit China. Not the China of Great Walls or Terracotta Armies. Not even the burgeoning city of Beijing to experience an emerging super economy. For this trip we chose to visit three minority tribes in the north west region of the Yunnan, close to the Tibetan border in the Himalayas.

The idea was to stay with three different tribal communities. The Yi, who live between 12 to14, 000 feet in the Himalayas. The Naxi (pronounced Nashi), who tend to live lower down at a mere 9 to 10,000 feet in larger villages. And finally the Lisu, who live at similar altitudes to both the Yi and the Naxi. Women from all three tribes wear, on a daily basis, their own distinctive traditional costume. While the men can be seen wearing goat skin jerkins and the likes but generally wear whatever is available from the market.

Our plan was to move from one area to another on horseback and travel via mini bus when the distance was prohibitive.

This account follows our journey, illustrating the world we encountered in pictures with supporting text where it might prove helpful.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as we did taking them.

The country side in Yunnan is littered with these wonderful trucks undertaking all manner of tasks . This one arrives every morning in Liming surrounded by a cacophony of music, blaring out from the speakers on the roof of the cab. The wake up call reminds everyone it is time to bring out their waste and load it onto the truck.

Kuoshi Jie festival in Liming

2009-01-29T13:48:00.000Z

After 10 months of e-mail conversations with our good friend Lily from Lashihai Ecotourism our plans were finalised. We set off in Dec 2008 on an exceptionally exhausting , non stop journey to Lijiang in the heart of Yunnan. Our journey took us from the UK to Hong Kong then onto Kunming, finally arriving very weary in the ancient city of Lijiang. We were half way around the world ,very tired, it was late at night but we still had one essential task to complete in preparation for our trip over the next two weeks. The girls needed the all essential puffer jackets for our journey. After a quick supper we made our way into the old quarter where we swiftly kitted the girls out with fashionably cut arctic clothing and suitable Chinese headgear. All at remarkably low prices. Well, as the girls pointed out, you never know who you might meet on a mountaintop so one should always look good. All I could think of were shaggy Yaks who have no fashion sense, but I guess Yaks do look good in black.

The following morning our destination was the small market town of Liming where the local population are predominately Lisu.

We had planned to attend the Kuoshi Jie spring festival and then climb Thousand Tortoise Mountain. The top of this extraordinary mountain appears to be made up from clusters of giant tortoises and is totally out of this world. Much to our surprise our highlight was market day in Liming. There we encountered a brilliant variety of minority tribal Chinese people.

It's not every day you meet Lisu men clad in goat skins sporting a type of cross bow, Yi women wearing brightly coloured pleated skirts with enormous headdresses, and Naxi women wearing their distinctive coats depicting the seven moons on their backs. The Liming market was a glorious blend of tribal life, all living closely together,each speaking in their own languages and following their own unique traditions.

The following images are a snapshot of Liming, its surrounding landscape and the people who visited Liming during course of the festival and all the important market.

In preparation for our trip I had been trying to study the region and the possibility of festivals during our stay. The Kuoshi Jie festival was a discovery I made the week before we arrived and an experience we will always cherish.

When we arrived in Liming a small stage had been set up in the town square. I say town, if you are a city person I'd expect you would regard Liming as a village, let's just refer to it a small market town surrounded by imposing pink terracotta mountains.

Groups of girls were clustered by the side of the stage in their finery,waiting patiently before they embarked on their performance . Young men clutched their instruments looking anxiously at each other while smoking cigarettes as men do when killing time.

We arrived just in time to see the breath of youth celebrate their musical and dancing traditions on the first morning of the festivities. The assembled audience crooned their necks, anxious not to miss a moment of the festivities .I simply gawped at the beauty and innocence of occasion, hugging myself with the satisfaction we had found the place.

We swiftly realised where the action was and drifted to the right of the simple stage. Conspicuous as we were, somehow we mixed with the musician and dancers and found ourselves taking pictures and sharing the results with everyone. The company of players were all in a festive mood, keen to show off their colourful attire and perform for the audience. A troupe of lads got up onto the stage, some blowing their pipes through their noses, others taking a more conventional approach. The sharp sunlight threw the spectacle into sharp contrast, accentuating the drama of the occasion while the rich colourful dresses of the girls shone with a contrast and brilliance we were not used to but would later become the hallmark for our memories of Liming.

This was our baptism for life in rural China. Over the next few days the market town of Liming was to throw up all manner of delights ,the festival being only a small part of that experience.

My two daughters Iona (left) India (right) posing with two Lisu girls who asked to have their picture taken. This was also the first outing for the new puffer jackets. It might appear bright and sunny but boy was it cold.

The last two images were taken at the finale. Notice the local dignitaries standing at the back. I think they were judging the performances

A Thousand Tortoise Mountain

2009-01-28T11:43:00.000Z

The Liming music festival came to a close at lunch time and we peeled off for a meal in a local cafe to prepare for the afternoons adventure. Our interpreter and general guide Shelly, thought we should make the most of the afternoon and ride up to Thousand Tortoise Mountain. Liming has one of the most magnificent attractions in Yunnan which most of the tourist guides either appear to have omitted or only given a brief mention to.

I hope the following pictures give you a true idea of how magnificent this place is .

The trail up to Thousand Tortoise Mountain is steep and not something we wished to attempt on our first day. Shelly hired a number of horses/ ponies for the afternoon to take the stress of walking at 10,000 feet easier on the lungs and legs. These small horses have been used for hundreds of years in this region to transport tea and silk etc over the ancient tea trail across the Himalayas. Sweet little beasts of burden, they are like four legged teddie bears with their soft brown shaggy coats.

Once we had ridden most of the way the last part was down to us to climb, which is fine if you are feeling fit and healthy so the girls scampered up the last part leaving me behind wheezing my way to the top. Once on this strange mountain a sign pointed out we should take our shoes off if we were to continue our climb. The sandstone rock is quite soft and I can imagine thousands of Chinese tourists would soon grind down this amazing natural phenomenon if they were to wear shoes.

This prominent rock is revered by the locals, as are so many unusual looking rocks. The story goes it represents two lovers who absconded after their disapproving parents tried to prevent them from getting married. Nothing new there.

Market day in Liming

2009-01-27T17:14:00.000Z

The Lisu keep a different calender to the rest of China and our visit coincided with their New Year. As a result the market held during the New Year festival had an auspicious significance when important acquisitions are to be made. Local people from all over the area attended, wearing their tribal clothes with pride creating for us bystanders a blur of colour and cultural mix.

An old Naxi lady who is wearing symbols of the seven moons on her back. Later in our journey we were to spend a great deal of time with Naxi folk.

This Yi clothes stall had an abundance of Yi clothing , brightening up the pavement and generating a great deal of interest from passing Yi.

Once India started to put on the Yi clothes people started to gather and we created quite a commotion. There were fascinated by Melissa and India who both brought clothes. We were after all a very unusual sight at this time of year in Liming and it wasn't until we went to Leaping Tiger Gorge did we see any westerners.

Piglets for sale.

The end of the market day and a number of the stall holders made their way home on this groaning truck, still laden with unsold goods and destined for another days trading in the mountains.

Our trip to One Line Sky and observations around Liming

2009-01-26T10:59:00.000Z

After experiencing the wonderful market in Liming we decided to walk to a gorge the locals call 'One Line Sky'. My foot was playing up after the tortoise escapade so I travelled by horse, leaving the others to walk. I later realised I was using the wrong socks - typical .

Click on this image and have a look at the scene full size. It captures the essence of the mountains in this region.

If you look very carefully you can see a village cradled in the valley, illuminated by the sun. This village is typical of this area and illustrates how remote villages can be in this region.

The sun was so bright it was difficult to get an exposure in the gorge. The atmosphere felt ancient and untouched ,rarely visited by folk . We asked our horseman who grew up in the adjacent village if any westerners had been here before . He laughed and said never .

As the gap narrowed we decided we could travel no further due to rockfalls and general obstructions .It had been worth the trip and as we made our way back to the pathway the spell cast by One line Sky gently slipped away leaving us with the memory of somewhere very special .

This is a sight seen throughout this region in rural communities. The corn had recently been harvested and here the cobs are hung out to dry. Once ready the corn is twisted off with a very clever but simple device leaving the husks for livestock feed.

Nothing is wasted and these corn stalks will be fed to the Buffalo.

This is where we stayed while we were in Liming. Wherever one looks in Liming the mountains tower over the town casting their cold shadow. Like specters starving us of the sun.

Every morning locals trip down to the high street to collect their breakfast . Hot steamed bread made in the street . This is often eaten with a type of chili paste and walnut butter tea if you are feeling peckish. I preferred warm honey but my favorite was banana.

We eat in the same cafe for all our meals . This is a picture of the kitchen where the girls that delivered unforgettable meals.

And yes this is cafe no name. How often do you eat with a fur hat and full puffer jacket on. Although the sun was out on this day the temperature was very cold indeed.The air exceptionally dry.

Journey to Leaping Tiger Gorge

2009-01-25T17:57:00.000Z

After our first introduction to rural life in Yunnan it was time to move on and discover the delights of Leaping Tiger gorge. First we had to follow our tracks and make our way back to the Yangt-Ze via Qiaotou where we could visit another market and then pick up our horses for the trail to Leaping Tiger gorge.

Before we had made much progress we came upon a simple road block . It was a protest against the authorities who had not provided enough money to bury a recently deceased old lady . Her distant family created the road block to get some action and action we saw when the police arrived to sort this domestic issue out . Visually not very exciting but this is typical of rural China where the state still has a strong role to play in everyone lives, even at death.

A perfect terrace in the mountains. We spent ages trying to fine one just so. In truth it is one amongst hundreds if not thousands of perfect specimens littering the countryside in Northwest Yunnan.

This truck has been carried over the Yangt-Ze via a small ferry. The only way for many, since bridges are not that common .

On arrival in market town of Qiaotou ,Shelly took us to see this monument illustrating the great march and how the local people supported the soldiers at that time. Very communist and I thought a powerful visual message for onlooker.

This street doctor was looking into his patients eyes to see what was wrong with them and I guess prescribe something.

This old man is wonderful and should have been a character actor. I'm grateful he was happy to have his picture taken.

These two gentlemen sat at the bridge featured earlier. Their music was most haunting and very beautiful conjuring up a China of the early 20th century.

After a fine lunch ,as ever arranged by Shelly, our driver carried on with our journey passing the Yangt-Ze to our left. It is at this point the river makes a 180 degree turn. Look at Google Earth and you will see.

We soon arrived at our dropping off point where we changed in preparation for our afternoon ride to a guest house on the Leaping Tiger trail . As I might have mentioned earlier. I get the feeling our mule's were not used to being ridden independently hence we had a leader with each mule. We made a handsome party and our leaders were the most jolly bunch we could ask for ,always laughing, signing songs.;traveling with them was a joy.

The next entry looks at our journey along the trail.

Travelling the ancient trail at Leaping Tiger Gorge

2009-01-24T17:15:00.000Z

The following pictures were tricky to take. The sunlight was exceptionally bright and as a result it was sometimes difficult to get a good exposure, especially when looking down into the gorge. I hope this selection illustrates the natural beauty and shear size of the place.

This shot should give you an idea of the scale of the trail in comparison with the gorge. The red dot is India on her mule. Click on the image, it's far better full size.

As we were approaching our destination for the night the sun caught Snow Mountain with it's dying rays. The result was a brilliant golden moment ,topping off the mountains in all their splendor.

Parts of the mountain face are covered with bamboo. It looks so graceful and delicate in this strong winter light ,covering vast areas of the mountainside with a pale soft green haze.

This shot offers one an idea of how cold it was on some parts of the the trail. The girls were wrapped up to keep the mountain air at bay but once back in the sunshine we bathed luxuriously in the suns warming rays. On this occasion we had to get off our mules to travel down the hill unassisted.

Here is Shelly,our interpreter and guide,always smiling and full of energy.
Shelly was our voice to everyone we met in Yunnan and also helped answer our constant queries. If you are ever considering such a trip I strongly recommend this type of professional support. It gets one out of the tourist bubble and into the community,which is the only way to travel if you wish to connect.

Our head muler. He is skinny as a rake and as tough as old boots and immune to the bitter cold. A terrific guy with never ending energy. He kept pointing out to the girls that I was very big and it would be far better if I were half the size. As a result I rode on a number of mules to give each one a rest - because of my weight he told me .I think the mules were simply out of condition and only used to carrying rucksacks.

The end of the trail at Leaping Tiger Gorge

2009-01-23T17:02:00.000Z

We had traveled for one and a half days high up on the trail. First staying at the Naxi family guest house,which I thoroughly recommend. It's very simple but comfortable with lovely people -Sorry no pictures.
We spent our second night at what is called the Tibetan guest house. The guest house part has been recently built and very comfortable. Don't think twice if you are considering an overnight stay and you won't be disappointed .

The following images are of the our happy band of mulers , the Tibetan guest house and a few shots taken of the girls as they made their way down the footpath and iron ladders to the gorge itself.

Our happy band of mulers who have an abundance of humour and energy that kept us all going and me laughing even if we didn't speak their language.

Yes ,this is not a mule but a tea trail horse. Trust me the other were all mules.I really like the colourful saddles. I only wish I could provide a sound track of the Mulers signing.

Our host with her son at the Tibetan guest house .

The Tibetan guest house plus our mini bus driver ( looking away) and his trusty van.

India and Iona making their way down to the foot of the gorge where the narrowest part is 25 meters.

This picture appears as if Melissa and Iona are close to the bottom.Wrong.

Look very closely and you can see the bridge on the rock in the middle of the gorge. I hope this illustrates the scale and magnitude of the river.

Life around Lashihai lake

2009-01-22T15:35:00.000Z

After two days traversing Leaping Tiger gorge it was time we made our way to our next far flung destination, 'Lashihai lake'. This is a seasonal lake close to the town of Lijiang. Christmas day was nearly upon us and we were to stay with the parents of our trip coordinator Lily. Lily's parents are from the Naxi tribe and I think it is fair to say their village is a classic example of the Naxi way of life.

The following shots were taken during our stay. They are not necessarily in chronological order but I hope they paint a rich picture of life on and around the lake .

During our journey to Lashihai we were determined to collect shots that best depicted the perfection of the local countryside. These patchworks of terraces must have taken generations to develop and I wish I understood more about who controls the water, when they are flooded and how they are generally managed .

Lily's parents house. More to come later .

This water Buffalo was very angry and tried to have a go on a number of occasions.I'm just glad he was tied up securely. What is it about water Buffalo's and their bad temper?

Shelly arranged for her brother to pick up some bikes in his truck and drop them off nearby.This gave us the opportunity to ride around the lake and experience some of the delights of the local villages and nearby temple.

For those architectural geeks I've included some building details. If you are not interested just scroll on.

The mural on the left of this picture depicts Naxi allegorical stories.

This Persimmon tree displayed a magnificent golden crop of fruit in Dec!!. The Naxi leave their fruit on the tree and pick it when needed.

We came across this workshop while walking around the village. This couple are making 'made to measure quilts '.The diagonal threads hold the cotton wadding.

The architectural geeky bit is coming up. If your you're interested in vernacular architecture her is a small feast.

This symbol can be found on the cable end of most buildings. It represents good luck for the household.

There is an abundance of Cob walling around the lake. As an alternative here is a wall made from mud bricks covered with a simple scree. I would love to know the general lifetime of such walls.

Lily's parents and our host for few days. The following shots are a selection taken of their life and home during our short stay.

Lily's parents main building. We slept on the first floor.

I understand this outhouse used to be the main house before the current home was built.

Lily's parents eating supper where a great deal of general domestic life takes place. Wonderful people and great food

This type of range is very common in this part of Yunnan and perhaps China. The wood is stoked from the left and right.

The main barn where all manner of goods are stored for safe keeping and to dry.

One of our escapades ,during our short stay with Lily's parents, was to visit the local Buddhist temple. To our surprise one of the living Buddha's was also making a visit from Tibet, accompanied by a retinue of priests.The following pictures are a snapshot of what we experienced.

This is not a scramble for the living Buddha's attention but an orderly queue of people waiting to be blessed and that included us.Wow!

These Naxi ladies are all wearing their traditional costume ,depicting the seven moons on their backs. If you look carefully you will see the back part of the costume is made from a fleece. This is to take the pressure from their back when carrying heavy loads.

This group are from Tibet all enjoying a picnic on the grass after the blessing.

Inside the buddest temple sits this alter with offerings to the Naxi God. It is quite common for different religions to share the same temple in China.

The last part of this entry is about life on the lake and the fisherman we encountered when looking for birds.

This is our boatman who sang nearly the whole time we were with him. Melissa found him entertaining, it took me a while to get used to his repetoire.

This fisherman demonstrated amazing skill at coordinating his dugout while letting his nets out. I found the whole thing fascinating.

Our journey to the Yi Village - Yangyu Chang

2009-01-21T14:20:00.000Z

It was time to move on and make our way to our next destination over the mountain to Yangyu Chang. A small Yi village overlooking the Yangt-Ze river.

Our horse's (What we would refer to as a Pony is definitely called a horse in China, however they are very small) arrived with the obligatory leaders. This time each leader had there own horse, which meant our caravan was made from 11 horse's in all ( I think). Our horses were the type ridden on the ancient tea trail and from the outset it was clear the rules for riding were very different from what we had experienced in the past.Who would have thought to break into a trot one puts the reigns in front of the horses ears. On the occasions I did, my horse swiftly got the message and hurtle off up the track, leaving me hanging on for dear life.

I've tried to compile a selection of images that give a fair representation of our journey but as we experienced in Leaping Tiger gorge, the light was so bright it was almost impossible to take a decent shot.

This is the view overlooking Lashihai lake from the trail to Yangju Chang.

The small villages we past on the way were often very simple and exceptionally poor.

I'm told ,that in this region the pines trees do not grow straight but grow with a twist or curl .
Strange but true.

Once we reached the woods the atmosphere changed dramatically . The trees were covered with lichen, hanging from the branches like scruffy green witches hair. Chinese Oaks started to dominated the landscape and the world around us felt more intimate and special.
What's odd is the tree line in this area is exceptionally high. I was told snow rarely occurs at the height we were traveling.!!!!!!! In the next few days we were to prove the exception to the rule.

This shot was taken at the crest of the hill overlooking the next valley, looking down on Yangyu Chang.

At last we found our first Yaks and in what's more they were waring black.

We had at last reached our destination for the next two days. An amazing place and we had no idea what was install for us .

Life with the Yi in Yangyu Chang

2009-01-20T10:23:00.000Z

Our Yi family were part of a small family clan made up from five brothers their wives . Each of the brothers had built their home nearby the family house ,creating a small fiefdom at the top of the village. The elder brother had inherited the family home where he, his wife and daughter in law looked after his father. Life is very basic in these small holdings but to our astonishment we did have a toilet in fact the only one in our part of the village.
The Yi diet is based around potatoes since it can be grown at high altitudes. Pork is another important aspect of their diet but greens in the the winter were a rarity.
The following pictures are a snap shot of daily life, ending with images taken at the evening parties give by the Yi and boy what parties they were.
As a family we felt very privileged to be invited into these families lives and I hope they got as much from the experience as we did

This is the couple who we stayed with sitting by the fire in the main house used for eating and food storage . Their children went away during our stay and I don't have any pictures but most of the conversation was about the impending marriage of their son who sadly I don't have a record of.

On average the Yi women will carry ten loads of firewood a day. I can only hope this only is during the winter .

This is the main house where we eat, exchanged stories and answered a barrage questions about our life in the UK and how we found China.
.

The kitchen. What you can't see in this room are a large store of turnips and preserved food for the winter.

In these two pictures illustrate the main room where the fire was kept burning and some of the food preperation was undertaken.

Grandpa appeared in the late afternoon, often sitting by the fire, rocking on his heels until the late evening. He often smoked a pipe with something reminiscent of marijuana, which might account for his condition by the end of the day. Well he looked very happy. The fire is going all day with logs pushed into the fire by those keeping their hands toasted.

I felt this cockerel was a perfect match for the paintwork. He strutted about all day keeping his chickens in check.

The family toilet and a fine one it is to.

The lady on the right was the wife of our hosts brother,we met her in the wood collecting firewood. See the picture above. I spied her from a distance in her bright clothes contrasting with the rich mountain undergrowth. Later our girls danced with her in the evening. She had a wonderful aura about her , always smiling with a glorious positive energy about her.

Our bedroom which is normally the family bedroom and TV room.

The girls played cards during partof the day but even in the bright mountain sunlight it was still very chilly indeed.

On our first evening these girls arrived looking very sheepish . Things lightened up once we all got dancing.

Here are India and Shelly giving it one with the Yi girls. They asked India and Iona to dance one of our dances from home. Ever resourceful Iona performed a Tusheti dance in the absence of traditional English dancing something she learned during the summer. The Tusheti routine felt more akin to the Yi dancing , however as things hotted up our girls got the Yi girls going with some London clubbing dancing .The whole occasion was terrific.

The Yi girls got India and Iona dressed up in their traditional clothes . This got everyone very excited and the occasion started to feel more like a Yi wedding than and evenings dancing.

The brothers were all keen to get in on the act and pose with India and Iona.

Yes I even got into the garb, intoxicated by the party atmosphere and as ever ,given the chance I'll make a fool of myself.

We finnished off the evening by all sitting by the fire and exchanging questions and jokes. It's amazing how much fun you can have when you don't know each others language .

Wonderful people, great fun, we just wish we could stay for longer .

Over the mountain to Wenhai

2009-01-19T14:18:00.001Z

It was time to leave Yangyu Chang and make our way over the mountain to our next destination. Wenhai, a Naxi village near Lijiang and our last home stay before we made our way back to the hustle and bustle of civilisation .

Shelly took this last picture of our two families before we left for Wenhai. It is clear we are worlds apart but we learnt so much about each and genuinely connected during our short stay. Wonderful people and we are eternally grateful for their hospitality.

Our trip to Wenhai took us over some stark landscapes and into some magical woodlands, densely packed with all manner of shrubs,trees, mosses and lichen. The like of which I have never seen before or will do again. The landscape in this area felt ancient and unscathed by the 21st century.

The pictures I have of the forest are almost impossible to make head or tail of due to the abundance of lichen cascading down from the heavens, obscuring any sight line and creating a type of woodland density I've never encountered.

After our previous ride Shelly opted to walk. Riding any type of horse is not for her.

The Shacks in the background appeared to be for stock although it is always difficult to tell.

The trail to Wenhai is not frequently used although once we picked it up it's quite easy to follow.

The trees ,although old were small and never seemed to reach their full potential.

After a couple of hours riding we came upon an opening in the wood where we tethered the horses for a rest. It was exceptionally cold and very dry . Our Chinese horsemen appeared impervious to the cold and made a small fire for us to warm our extremities. We met two guys who were looking for a lost cow.They both wore only a light jacket and a T-shirt. I simply cannot comprehend how tough and resilient they must be . I felt as if my ears were about to drop off with the cold but for these guys it appeared just to be another day.

This is the famous seasonal lake where Wenhai sits to the left. During the rainy season this lake is significantly larger. As a result the pasture during the dry winter season is rich in minerals and excellent for livestock.

On arrival in Wenhai we came upon these ladies who thought we were hilarious in our puffa jackets and meeting westerners is not something they reckoned on in the winter months.

Mad dogs an Englishman out in the midday cold.

Most of the following shots were taken by Melissa who was using her manual Olympus with 400 film ,hence the grainy quality and contrast of the images. I think it adds to the desolate feeling of Wenhai during the winter.

The bundle in the distance is an old lady carrying her pile of logs.

These Children are from a neighbouring Yi Village a couple of hours away. I was ill in bed at the time but the girls were struck by how poor this area was.

The best example of a Cob wall in Wenhai with some magnificent painted timber work. If only I had the time to stay longer and research this type of construction in greater detail.

On our second day it began to snow which is unusual since although exceptional high I'm told it rarely snows in Wenhai.
This was our home stay and where I unfortunately came down with legionnaires disease. Which is our next story.

Fence making is an art in Wenhai.There is no strict rule as to how the fence is constructed and each smallholding appeared to have a different approach to the same task.

This is where our story ends. Sadly I became very ill after visiting Wenhai. I had caught a potentially lethal disease called legionaires, normally caught from air conditioning systems . Fortunately we managed to get to Hongkong where I found some excellent help and was nursed back to life. It has taken a few nearly two years to get back to full health but I can say with confidence, I would not have missed China for the world.

Happy travels .

Regards Chris Wills