When we first planned our trip to China, I scrawled “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” on the back of an envelope. I then added the words "Go There" and underlined it. Twice.

After a stint in Shanghai and before blackening our lungs in Beijing, my sister and I were eager for four days away from the fumes in the Chinese countryside. Where could we go? "Lijiang," our advisors had chorused back at us. Fly four hours west after travelling eleven hours east? "Absolutely", they replied. "Heaven on earth," they repeated. “Go.”

And so we went. My jottings should have read Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge, both near Lijiang in Yunnan Province. While not inspiration for the Hollywood blockbuster, it would be hard to think of a more romantic location.

Lijiang is a jumble of cobbled streets and grey-washed houses. By day, the snowy peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain provide a useful marker for perennially lost tourists. It loomed over us as we watched Naxi dance (aerobics meets yoga) in the main square, took in the view from the hillside pagoda and argued over the price of shawls in the back alleys.

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By day, Lijiang offers charm aplenty. But the town is a honey pot for Chinese tourists and at night it turns into a neon-lit swarm of shops and karaoke joints. Should we turn left at the stall selling novelty yak-combs or right at the plastic musical instruments? The best option: the Tibetan momos (delicious dumplings) and grilled eggplant at Lamu's Restaurant.

Luckily, it is easy to flee the more garish parts of Lijiang. A ten-minute taxi - or bike ride for the energetic - takes you into the heart of Baisha, a local farming community.

Old and new have no problem rubbing along together in rural China. We piled out of the cab next to a man who brandished a pitchfork while answering his cell phone. Fields encroach on the village’s two streets and cows queue next to cars on the main one.

The Baisha must-see is Daboaji Hall, a compound of old Naxi and Buddhist temples. Everyone says that nothing is original in China. And it’s true that the temple’s imposing bronze Lamas thudded with the noise of hollow plastic when tapped. But when we turned a corner, four hundred year old frescos still clung to the walls. Clouds of wisteria, evening shadows and more momos for dinner. A perfect escape.

Into the mountains

Yunnan had so far provided food, shopping, and plentiful photo opportunities. But what of our determination to exercise bodies as well as wallets?

First on the list was Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is a slightly pricier day out – the inevitable taxi (there are no buses), road toll and summit tickets mount up. But it’s worth it. Local newlyweds clearly thought so too. On the way to the peak, we passed two brides on photo shoots undeterred by thundering lanes of traffic.

The mountain is integral to Naxi folklore. Mythology states that the peak is the highest of thirteen columns that hold up the ceiling of sky. And as our cable car soared ever upwards, it did feel that we might crash through the roof.

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