China Grain Mill Restoration Project

Experience the culturally diverse region of Yunnan, home to approximately one third of China's ethnic minority groups. Traditional lifestyles and customs still thrive here with their roots derived from Tibetan origins.

The trip explores the delightful town of Zhongdian, also known as Shangri-La, where commanding monasteries and traditional homes make up the picturesque valley setting. Our journey delves deep into the stunning landscapes that characterises this rarely explored corner of the country to Chailitong village, our Tibetan host community. Participants will reconstruct and repair two traditional grinding mills on the waterways near the Mekong River. These traditional mills will enable the villages to grind their grains using the natural flow of water. This will turn an income for the village and remove reliance on outsourcing the process.

Following the project, we will trek through some of Yunnan's most spectacular scenery as we cross the Baima Pass to the beautiful Baima Valley through fields of wildflowers and encircling snow capped mountains.

0800 0744 135 direct 02085459030

Itinerary / Highlights

DAY 1 ARRIVE KUNMING AND CONNECT TO LIJIANG
Arrive Kunming. You will be met on arrival and depending on your arrival flight time you will be taken into the 'City of Eternal spring ' to visit the Yuanthong temple and have time to walk around the Green Lake to see the life of this city - people seeping green tea or practising Taichi or ball room dancing in the park - before returning to the airport for your flight to Lijiang. On arrival in Lijiang you will be met and transfered to the Grand Lijiang or Sanhe or Wangfu Hotel. After a short rest, dinner will be taken in the old town.
Meals: D

DAY 2 IN LIJIANG
For hundreds of years, Lijang was at one end of Tibet's trading route between India and China. The old town, where you will wander over stone bridges and along Ming Dynasty cobblestone streets, is known as the Venice of Asia. The town has existed for at least 800 years and has its own Tibeto- Burman language with a unique pictographic script as well as its own unique music. It is the cultural center for the Naxi people, a small matriarchal tribe with a rich culture. The women run the local market and inherit personal property through the youngest daughter. The men are traditionally childrearers, gardeners and musicians. In fact, Lijang has an excellent tradition of music and musical instruments. The town boasts a world-famous orchestra that plays Naxi music and has toured Europe! Now, of course there is a definite change towards more modern ways of living but women continue to be very active in business. Sadly, the earthquake of 1995 that hit western China damaged many of the old houses in the town. Since then, there has been much rebuilding. Still, there is much left in the old traditional style and Lijang has been awarded United Nations Heritage Site status. We walk to Black Dragon Pool and enjoy the traditional gardens and pavillions and visit the Naxi Museum and then drive on to the outlying village of Lonquan (or Suhe) before heading on to Baisha, the old capital of the Naxi, where you can admire the frescoes on one of it's ancient temples. You then drive to visit Yuhu village, the ancient home of famed botanist Dr. Joseph Rock who prepared the first dictionary of Naxi language during the decades he lived in Lijiang and he also became the world's expert on Naxi culture. This evening you will enjoy Naxi music after a dinner of Naxi fare. The Naxi are the last people in China to play Song Dynasty tunes derived from Taoist scriptures.
Meals: B, L, D

DAY 3 TO ZHONGDIAN (GYALTHANG IN TIBETAN AND ALSO CALLED SHANGRILA)
After breakfast you will depart on a 5 hour drive to Zhongdian, Shangrila, the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. You will take the pleasant journey to Shigu (Stone Drum Village) to view the first bend in the Yangzi River (the Yangzi flows south from Tibet into Yunnan and then turns north again for approximately 60 miles) at Shigu. We then continue to Shigu for a visit to the Red Army Memorial commemorating the crossing of the Red Army during the Long March. You have a chance to see great views of the Yulong Shueshan Mountain before continuing north to Zhongdian, the capital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous County. The drive north passes through rich Naxi farmlands (growing tobacco, corn, beans and sorghum) as well as numerous forested hills before reaching the high plains and meadows of Zhongdian. Here the land levels off into large expanses of grassland dotted with chalet-like villages with Zhongdian town in the center. Free time is taken for rest and acclimatisation to the altitude of 3300m, before a dinner of Tibetan specialities.
Meals: B, L, D

DAY 4 IN ZHONGDIAN
Visit Ganden Sumsanling Monastery where at least 700 Buddhist monks spend their time engrossed in Buddhist learning away from their families and homes. Built in the 17th century by the 5th Dalai Lama, the monastery with numerous chapels, woodcarving and paintings is like a living museum of Tibetan culture. Parts of the monastery are being reconstructed and there is a great regeneration of the religious spirit. Visit the old town which is the old heart of the town and in ancient times a bustling center for caravans arriving from the south laden with brick tea, copper and brass wares and the famous arak from the south, on their way to Lhasa and northern regions. Many caravans travelled for over half a year to reach Kalimpong where a good trade in silk was the objective. We take a leisurely walk in the old town viewing the interesting old homes. After lunch we depart for the Valley of Ringha and the temple of the 5 Wisdom Budhas and view the chalet like Adobe farm homes of the Tibetan people of the region. Here cattle and sheep mingle with Yak in the grasslands. In springtime, the hills are covered with Azalea. We walk and drive to the temple of Ringha. At this most important and quiet pilgrimage site local Tibetan people go to pray and leave their problems behind. We then visit the lovely large adobe home of a Tibetan farming family and after some tea return for dinner of Tibetan specialities in the old town.
Meals: B, L, D

DAY 5 GYALTHANG TO DECHEN THROUGH THE UPPER BEND OF YANGTSE
Today we drive further north on the Yunnan-Tibet road, crossing several passes before we descend 1000m into the upper Yangtse gorge. Here in the warmer climate, orange, pomegranate and walnut orchards grow and villages are blessed with two crops a year. We'll stop along the way to visit villages where local people make the well known hand-made wooden tsampa bowls and a special type of black pottery. We continue on to see the upper bend of the Yangtse and visit the Dhondupling Monastery, the second largest in the region. We then cross over the Baima Pass and Reserve, the most important Reserve in this region of the Great Rivers National Park and the home to the Yunnan Snub Nosed monkey and many important species of alpine flowers and trees. We drive over the spectacular pass and on to the town of Dechen and hope for a good clear day and the golden view of all the thirteen peaks of Mt. Meili on the way. Along the drive we stop at the Namkha Tashi Monastery where Tibetan pilgrims stop first to pray before taking this pilgrimage journey . With nine pagodas or Stupas facing the 13 peaks it is a wonderful photographic opportunity. This evening we
stay at a family home hotel in Meyung village.
Meals: B, L, D

DAY 6 DRIVE TO SACRED GLACIER
This morning we have an early breakfast before taking a 4 hour circuit trek to the glacier of the sacred mountain where we hope to enjoy incredible views of the stunning sacred peaks of Kawakarpo (6740m) the highest mountain in the Hengduan Shan range with the peaks of Gewaringha, Metsomo and 5-wisdom Buddah Mountain flanking it on either side. This is the second most important mountain for Tibetan pilgrims after Mt. Kailash in West Tibet and people have been making a pilgrimage here for centuries leaving prayer flags and spinning the prayer wheels on the high pass. We return in time for lunch and the 3 hour drive south west along the Mekong River, enjoying stunning views of the river winding along deeply carved gorges to the village of Chalithong.

Here we stay at the large community center within the village. Our staff will have gone ahead and arranged mattresses and sleeping bags so you can rest before dinner. A hot meal will be prepared by our trekking and camping staff.
Meals: B, L, D

DAYS 7-9 AT CHALITHONG VILLAGE WORKING WITH THE VILLAGE PEOPLE
The next 3 to 4 days will be spent working with the Chalithong village people repairing and constructing two naturally stream powered water mills that will help with the grinding of grains for the village people. Our trekking team will be preparing the meals and taking care of the group to ensure the group is as comfortble as possible. Since we are in a remote rural region of China you will need to be flexible and content with the simple pleasures of being in this environment. Remember, your assistance will go a long way to improving the lives of the local people.
Meals: B, L, D

DAYS 10-13 TREK TO HOMPHO TEMPLE AND OVER THE BAIMA PASS TO THE LOVELY BAIMA VALLEY
We take a 4 day trek, where we will first visit Hompho village and temple. From here we will enjoy the spectacular views of the Metsomo mountain peak (the consort of the sacred Kawakarpo mountain). We then continue trekking over the wild and beautiful Baima pass to the main valley of the Baima Reserve, well known for its wildflowers. This is a spectacular walk and you will see screeslope vegetation and flowers and perhaps Euphorbia in crimson colour at this time of the year as well as great views of the Baima mountains and its jagged peaks. We will camp and also stay at the Baima Reserve guest house. Our camp crew will be with us throughout the trek.
Meals: B, L, D

DAY 14 RETURN TO ZHONGDIAN
Today we take the 5 hour drive back to Zhongdian. Along the way we walk to an ancient nunnery at the old geomantic site of the Dhondupling monastery and have lunch enroute. This evening we enjoy traditional Tibetan hospitality with dinner of a special Zhongdian hot pot in the old town of Zhongdian. We join the local community in the evening to dance in the old town square.
Night at hotel.
Meals: B, L, D

DAY 15 DEPARTURE TO KUNMING AND ONWARDS
Morning flight to Kunming and depending on your departure flight a quick lunch in town and return for connection with your departure flight.
Meals: B, L