Yunnan. Three Rivers. Day 2

 After breakfast in Dali with a view of the Cangshan mountains, we start our journey westward – leaving the gentle rhythm of the lake behind and entering one of the most secluded valleys of China.

The road into the Nujiang valley is a slow unfolding of altitude and silence. We follow narrow mountain roads carved into sheer cliffs. The deeper we go, the more the landscape begins to speak a different language – raw, vertical, untamed.

Around midday, we arrive in Laomudeng. A Lisu village clinging to a mountain ridge, with wooden stilt houses and one of the region’s many churches – whitewashed, humble, and still in use. Christianity came here over a century ago, and today the bell towers stand quiet but steady, a visible thread of history in a place where tradition and faith coexist.

We pause for lunch on a hillside terrace. A local family invites us in, offers tea, and share stories of the valley. Sometimes it's a small café, sometimes just a shaded porch with a thermos and a smile –  but always a welcome that feels honest and unforced.

As we continue north toward Fugong, we meet villagers walking along the road, carrying baskets of wild herbs or leading goats home. In the late afternoon we reach Fugong. The small town lies nestled at a bend of the Nu river, framed by towering slopes. 

In the evening, over an excellent dinner with a local twist. Tomorrow, the road leads deeper still. But for now, we rest in a quiet place between mountains and rivers.

Overnight stay in a 5-star remote village hotel