China is such a surprise. The people are so friendly. The place is clean with little or no litter. The infrastructure is excellent with wide roads and huge airports. Buildings and stores are the same as back home with the streets full of people of all ages wearing similar clothes and labels and designs as those in the streets of Oxford or London.

Now I have returned to Kunming, by way of the Jinping Mountain’s huge Smiling Buddha.

It is a short flight to Lijiang, up in the mountains at 2500 metres. Firstly I travel out of town to visit Puji village and its 300+ year monastery.

I move on to Yuhu village, set at the foot of Dragon Snow Mountain, where I have lunch in a small village eatery.

Then it is back to enjoy the lights and glitter of Lijiang. The old town is wonderfully charming with narrow cobbled streets bridging canals, streams and gullies which flow in all directions. In the squares the locals, young & old, gather throughout the day, every day, to dance together; a cross between line dancing and slow, Greek wedding moves. A brilliant sight to see so much fun and togetherness and smiling faces.

At night the glitter is even more sparkly making the old town feel quite magical.

You’ll never guess what these lovely ladies are selling from their small counter – raw fish on sticks to eat as a snack as you walk through the evening crowds with your arm around your girl’s shoulder. The raw fish slightly spoils the moment.