Breathtaking Lijiang

Impression Lijiang is a grand spectacle staged in the open coliseum-style theater and features a cast of 500 farmers. [Photo by Guo Yali/China Daily]

Most people will not feel any discomfort in Lijiang, which is 2,400 meters above sea level, but many do get some symptoms of altitude sickness - dizziness, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, headache, chest tightness, palpitations or blue lips - when they take the cable car to near the top of the mountain, the highest peak of which soars to 5,596 meters.

It takes 20 minutes for the cable car to ascend to the upper terminal at 4,506 meters above sea level. And it is a true test if stamina to climb the remaining height before reaching the 4,680-meter viewpoint, which is as high as tourists are able to go.

The remaining 174 meters is not as easy as it sounds. Along the plank path, people were climbing at different paces. I stopped several times for a rest and some oxygen, and, of course, to take some photos. The views were spectacular, especially as the sun was shining and the sky was a clear, bright blue.

Even so, I almost gave up at the last few steps because of a tight chest.

There is a sense of accomplishment upon reaching the viewing platform with its stone indicating the height of 4,680 meters. The majestic views lifts the spirit to even greater heights.