Things to do in Gengma

It's fun and suitable for couples to go together. Everyone can go with the one they love.

It's free of course, and the incense was quite popular. Maybe we arrived in the afternoon, there were not many pilgrims burning incense, mostly tourists. Next to it is Gandong Park, with a beautiful environment. We also visited Baima Square on the way.

This rare sight of a primitive tribe truly exudes an ancient and weathered charm, making it well worth a visit. However, I personally feel the services could be improved. Firstly, some roads are unsafe, especially for the elderly. Secondly, the road signs and informational displays need repair; many have become blurred and illegible due to wind, sun, and rain, especially since not everyone hires a guide. Additionally, the county's public transportation system should ideally have scheduled routes; taking a taxi back to town is quite difficult, and almost always requires an additional charge on top of the ride-hailing platform. I hope the attraction continues to improve, making it more convenient and enhancing the visitor experience. This last primitive tribe in our country will surely attract even more tourists.

The rock paintings are unique, sharing a similar beauty with the Huashan and Helan Mountain rock paintings. The walkways are spacious and clean, with QR codes providing detailed information on the features, locations, and images of the dozen or so known rock painting sites – meticulous and professional! The core area of ​​the scenic spot is a concentrated area of ​​rock paintings, with vivid and clear depictions of various themes, and the visitor walkways are well-designed. Unfortunately, only one rock painting area is open to the public.

Thanks to Ah Zhen for our trip to the botanical garden! She's knowledgeable, her explanations are easy to understand and never boring. She took care of everyone in the group, reminding us to wear sunscreen and mosquito repellent. It was a pure, no-sales trip! If you're going to the botanical garden, definitely look for Ah Zhen! 👍

My cousin and I visited the gardens at the start of July and they were magical.The gardens were an easy and interesting walk from our hotel near the nightmarkets and although it wasn't what we'd intended for the day I was so glad we'd went. We found the tickets a bit confusing (If I get to go back I'll buy them beforehand) but once we we were inside the gates it was magical. Although it was quite crowded it was still possible to find pockets of stillness and the lush greenery made it feel peaceful despite the crowds. I was entranced with the lotuses and the golden boats gliding on the water (I would love to come back with my kids and taken them on the boats). The lavish use of gold on all the buildings made it seem like stepping into a fairytale and it was also my first encounter with masses of lotuses (loti?) and I fell in love. It rained off and on while we were there and I loved the way the rain looked caught on the flowers and in the lotus leaves. In the most respectful way (and hopefully without accusations of cultural appropriation!) I immediately became convinced that my home back in Queensland was very sadly lacking in lotuses and gold and that upon my return I would remedy this (although with paint, not gold leaf!) as it really looked so beautiful. There were many people dressed up in local costumes and having their photos taken and although it was sometimes a bit difficult to keep out of their photoshoots it did add to the atmosphere and made it easier to imagine what the Imperial Gardens would have looked like back when people actually lived in them. Our visit inspired me to learn a lot more about the history of the area which is clearly fascinating - while I've been reading a lot about Yunnan I'd been focusing mainly on the tea horse road history and the Imperial Gardens reminded me there is so much more to the history of the area - although the tea horse road IS fascinating!

The cable car is a two-person open-air type, and the journey is quite long. It passes through Wild Elephant Valley, an area where wild elephants are likely to be seen, and there are warning signs along the way. Unfortunately, we didn't see any wild elephants, only some elephant tracks.

The weather down the mountain was actually quite nice, a bit overcast but the temperature was alright. As the cable car ascended higher and higher, the entire Dali city and Erhai Lake slowly came into view below. That stretch of scenery was truly worthwhile; looking down through the cable car glass, I finally had a truly concrete feeling about "Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake" for the first time.

I hadn't planned to come, because even local taxi drivers online said, "I won't give up until I come, and once I do, I'll give up," but I still came, and it was a pleasant surprise! I visited all the attractions, and it didn't feel very far. It was very comfortable to walk around and enjoy the scenery. There weren't many people and the sun wasn't too strong. Except for the last part, which involved a long hike and was a bit tiring, overall it was worth it!