All this week, Jaunted special embed Claire Duffett will be relaying the joys and jumbles of her travels through Southwest China including Tibet. Today, discovering Lijiang and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain :

Lijiang is indisputably remarkable as a town in Southwest China. Because of its charm and attractions, it’s also packed with tourists. The old town is a hodgepodge of ancient Chinese buildings, topped with low, ceramic roofs and connected by a series of narrow walkways all flanked by open waterways where crystal clear water flows from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain looming above.

It seems every other doorway leads to a guesthouse with small, wooden rooms surrounding a garden courtyard. Few cost more than $15 per night. This is the first place in Yunnan, heading up from the capital of Kunming, where elevation gains might make you drowsy. And for those heading farther north to Shangri-La and into Tibet, it’s nice to start adjusting to the thin air, slowly. ]]> ced138 2009-10-14T15:03:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/4/4/45022/88874

While in Japan tour guides have recently been excited about getting über-qualified, in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, they have more problems with tour guides attacking tourists (and being attacked themselves).

This week headlines hit about a Lijiang tour guide who stabbed 20 people (some seriously injured) after a huge argument over kickbacks on souvenir sales. While Time magazine dwells more on the guide's unhappy childhood, the China Daily had something a bit more startling report. A number of tourist guides from the area agreed that :

it is common for tourist guides from Kunming to be beaten up, because they often stop tourists from shopping in places outside the capital city.

We've been more than annoyed at times when a tour forces us into Uncle Joe's alabaster shop, but beating up your tour guide? We thought that'd be reserved for the guide who carries the most embarrassing flag or umbrella and makes all the tour members wear embarrassing "Hi, My Name Is..." stickers.

[Photo: A.M. Kuchling]

Related Stories:
· Tour Guide Stabs 20 In China [Time]
· Tour Guide Stabs 20 In Ancient City [China Daily]
· Octopus-Qualified Guides Wanted [Jaunted] ]]> amandak 2007-04-04T09:44:57-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/