Go Deep in Lijiang: Spanning divides in Tiger Leaping Gorge

The menu at the restaurant in Tina's Guesthouse was as impressive as the ones in the Tea Horse and at Halfway lodges.

Among the delicious dishes was Tuji rice noodles (rice noodles with native organic chicken). They ate the iconic cuisine while seated by a window that treated them to a view of rolling clouds and towering mountains. The atmosphere made the experience truly memorable.

Just when they thought their culinary affair couldn't get any better, the workers and owners of the restaurant busied themselves setting a round table with a hotpot at the center.

At first, the two thought it was for a group of hikers who also stayed at the guesthouse. However, the hotpot dinner was actually for the workers and owners. They behaved like a family!

To enjoy a meal in such ambience and at a table just next to where the “family” ate was certainly a meaningful immersion in the local culture.

The next morning, the two walked to, and over, the Shenchuan Bridge.

At the start of their journey, they had been rewarded with the sight of the majestic suspension bridges over the Jinsha River (the upper reach of the Yangtze River). And toward the end of their little adventure, they got the chance to walk on an arch bridge.

The bridges at Hutiaoxia were symbolic to them. These man-made structures reminded them to always try to span the distance and to close the divide.

A stone's throw away from the Shenchuan Bridge was a viewing platform with cloud sculptures. They were set against a backdrop of natural ones. It was a stirring reminder of where they were -- the province they unceasingly yearn to return.

Yunnan – The South of the Clouds.

Reporting by Yang Piyuan; Editing by Mo Yingyi; Photos provided by Yang Piyuan