Apart from when you bought real estate in a building that will never be finished. My apartment is surrounded by property developments that stood still for at least 2 years, some even for 7 years.
For the first 4 years I even could not sell my own property because the land certificate was never issued because of a corruption case between the Kunming city and the property developer.
Property prices have gone up in Kunming but at the long run they more or less correspond with the inflation figures.

He came to Lijiang in 1942 well after the age of the Ford tri-motor.
His only mention of using a plane was when he together with Rock was kicked out in 1949 and this picture is far to relaxed for this with to many non Chinese in the picture.

According to his own book Peter Goullard was not yet in the area in 1936 so it has to be sombody else.