u/DevelopmentLow214

The village of Yuhu on the northern outskirts of Lijiang was the home of plant collector Joseph Rock for almost three decades up to 1949. He used the traditional Naxi house as a base for his expeditions into the wilds of Yunnan and Sichuan, and his residence had a study where he penned his widely-read articles for the National Geographic. In recent years the residence has been restored to its former glory and housed a recreation of Joseph Rock’s living quarters, as well as exhibition rooms showcasing his prolific work as a botanist, photographer, writer and ethnographer of the Naxi people and their Dongba religious ceremonies.

However the museum was closed down in late 2025 and it is now reported that the building has been demolished. The reasons are not clear, but many have said that local authorities did not want to celebrate the achievements of a foreign resident during China’s colonial era. Other explanations put forward on social media include one [disputed] claim that the family owners did not want to keep their property operating as a museum. The village of Yuhu has exploded in tourism popularity in recent years, with the locality being transformed from a primitive farming community to a gentrified version of a rural idyll, complete with cafes, gift shops and boutique hotels.

Whatever the reason for the closure, it is a loss not just for the village but for the whole of China and the global community. The modest exhibits were the only place in the world to mark the achievements of a reclusive and eccentric academic who contributed greatly to the study of plants, flowers and trees of southwest China. His photographs provide a remarkable record of the landscapes, building and people of the early 20th century. His collection of Naxi literature and artworks also preserved the records of a language and culture that would otherwise have been lost.

Some of the once ubiquitous Russki stores have closed down in Chengdu. Is this just a local thing or has the national market for crap chocolate, fake vodka and Matryoshka dolls peaked?

I just cycled from Litang to Kangding along the 318 highway. It's super busy with tourists' cars and motorbikes, not to mention hundreds of cyclists doing the Chengdu to Lhasa long distance route. Even a few walkers.

The 'Highway 318' thing has been made into something of a brand, with stickers, badges, signposts and semi-official rest stations along along the way. There's even an official 318 merch shop at the Tianquan motorway services near Ya'an. Between each town there is at least one hill of at least 4200m. Some have been bypassed with tunnels, but others such as the Zheduo Shan pass above Kangding have become high-altitude bottlenecks as slow-moving trucks cause gridlock on the switchback lanes.

The route is lined with '318' themed guesthouses and food outlets, making it possibly one of the busiest touring routes in the world. Worth the experience, but take your Diamox a couple of days in advance because the altitude sickness is a killer if you drive straight up from Chengdu

I’ve just completed a two week bicycle tour from Shangri-La in Yunnan to Kangding in Sichuan. The last four days have been on the 318 highway that runs from Chengdu to Lhasa.

I just did the section eastward from where I joined the 318 at Litang. Each day involved crossing st least one pass over 4000m in altitude.

Amazing scenery but what also struck me was the huge number of Chinese cyclists doing the 318 in the east to west direction. I must have seen at least 50 a day, often more. I know because my hand got tired of waving at them all as they passed by.

Most were riding solo but there were a few groups. A real mix of ages, sexes and gear. Their setups varied from minimalist professional bike packers to everything-but-the-kitchen-sink overloaded types, and some seat-of-the-pants cyclists on crappy bikes who seemed dangerously underequipped for the extremes of weather and altitude.

The 318 highway is now lined with guesthouses and restaurants aimed at the huge volume of touring cyclists (and motorcyclists).

Just wondering if there is another road in the world that sees so much touring cyclist traffic?

(PS: I also did not see a single western cyclist throughout the whole trip).

Just been hiking in the Daocheng Yading national park in Sichuan at around 4000-4700m altitude. Saw a profusion of flowers and plants above the tree line. This is the botanical hotspot explored by plant collectors such as Joseph Rock in the 1920s. Are another of these plants identifiable?

From ShangriLa rail station you can drive to the west side of Daocheng-Yading national park via beautiful Wudi Lake in just a few hours (150km). I stayed at the Snake Lake guesthouse (Shehu Minsu 蛇湖民宿) and hiked up to the lake, guided by the guesthouse owner. We stayed overnight in a mountain hut and returned the next day after seeing awesome scenery and a profusion of alpine flowers and wildlife. Didn’t see a single other tourist.