having biked the area extensively and always on the lookout for traffic free areas, I can recommend the following:
Diqin (I assume you mean Shangri-la): head out east on the East Ring road, over Baishuitai, Haba and the east end of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Go to the west end. Do the trek back to the east. Hop in a ferry or take the new bridge over to Daju. Get transport or hike or ride towards Lijiang on this old road. It has a couple inevitable touristy spots, though. From Lijiang, if you are walking, there's a beautiful hike over Shigu (at the first bend of the Yangtze) on an old horse trail towards Jianchuan. If you can't hike, you're stuck to a fairly tourist-laden road to Jianchuan.
At Jianchuan head out to Shaxi, do Shibaoshan etc. Continue down the valley over Yangbi, or head out to Yunlong if that's not too far out of your way, go into Dali. From Dali take the old road over Chuxiong to Kunming.
Of course, if you can meander more, I suggest you approach Kunming from the north.
Yunnan awash in hydropower
发布者brownie points for off topic but funny
Yunnan addresses burgeoning age crunch
发布者In which country does the government pay enough money for the retired to continue their quality of life? Other than some oil states, probably none. Most people rely on their own savings plus whatever scraps their state pension allows them. It's usually wildly insufficient, and inflation happens all the time and everywhere.
Needs are lower, too: where young people need a lot of money to buy a house, the elderly mostly already own a dwelling.
Also, 40 RMB may not sound as much, but when I cook for myself, 40 RMB lasts me an entire week. People that are craftier with their money, need less food, have better haggling skills and know where to get produce cheaper, may well last over two weeks. And then they usually still have their grandchildren and savings to rely on.
Getting Away: Heart 2 Heart Youth Hostel
发布者Cool report. Intend to head out one of these weekends!
Shop owner fined 68,000 yuan, pays 10,000 in coins
发布者Haha! What assault case, though?
Kunming's metro could cost 300 billion yuan
发布者The Economist argued cities like Kunming have little to no need for a metro system. I originally mocked them for not knowing Kunming's worst traffic situation. But I later understood: a Bus Rapid Transit system would be a lot faster, easier and cheaper to install, maintain and operate in a city like Kunming. Prestige projects like a metro system are nonsense in Kunming.
Promoting car usage too.