We travelled by minibus to the snow and glacier park about an hour north of Lijiang where Yulong Shan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) soars an impressive 18,400 feet into the sky. There we caught a cable car and then walked up a long trail of steps to reach the highest lookout at 15,200 feet. The air was thin and many visitors had purchased pressure cans of oxygen. From the lookout the views up towards towering Yulong Shan and glacier, and down over the surrounding countryside, were awesome.
After we arrived back at the base of the mountain and had lunch, our hosts took us to see the Lijiang Impressions performance. This was a song and dance show depicting local cultural themes presented in a large open air amphitheatre with a cast of hundreds. Unfortunately just as the show got underway the heavens opened and the entire audience scrambled to put on the ponchos provided at entry to cover just a contingency. The sight of hundreds of multi-coloured human condoms including ourselves huddled in the rain around the amphitheatre was a fascinating view itself. But the show went on, delivered with energy and colour.
We arrived back in Lijiang just in time for the banquet dinner our hosts had arranged for us. It was another great meal with many toasts of welcome and good wishes. Then we were taken to the local auditorium to see the Lishui Jinsha cultural show, a very colourful dance performance. We needed even less rocking when we collapsed into bed that night.
