Paddleboarding on the Azure Jinsha River | Go to the Opposite Bank to Pick Tangerines

Before the Spring Festival, I was determined to take my family to cross the Jinsha River by paddleboard, but it was full of twists and turns. Paris, the coach who accompanied me twice on paddleboarding in Eryuan, had already returned to Wuhan early, posting beautiful photos with aunties on his Moments. The diving guy Xiao Li and his girlfriend went back to their hometown for a feast, and he closed the Tuesday platform reservation in advance. After confirming by phone, I finally booked the paddleboard crossing of the Jinsha River activity on the reopened platform. Hanhan was our guide for the paddleboard crossing. During the one-hour drive to Yongsheng County, I was fascinated by the clusters of agave plants, their flower stalks several meters long, creating a strong contrast with the barren, cracked red soil. When the car passed over the Yongsheng Jinsha River Bridge and I saw the shimmering green water, I knew this was the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. This stretch of water determines north and south, it is the center. As I lay down on the board, I kept murmuring the line 'Spring water is greener than the sky.' With the experience of paddleboarding on Eryuan West Lake, crossing seemed just a matter of direction and time. On the board, I either sat cross-legged or stretched my legs, but I never managed to stand up with the paddle. In a daze, I was subdued by this green water, afraid that if I fell in, I would suddenly wake up from a dream like the protagonist in 'Inception.' After paddling to the other side, the sweet and juicy oranges brought me back to reality. Sitting in the orchard overlooking the water, I could still see the shadows of dead trees submerged when the reservoir was filled. While I was lost in thought, my family were picking fruits in the orchard; such sweet fruits aroused their possessiveness. On the return trip in the afternoon, after completing three-quarters of the journey, I gave up trying hard to paddle, lay flat on the board, and let the river breeze carry me back to the center of the river. The sun was warm with heat, and I closed my eyes. Hanhan took a few photos of me, while my wife and son were speeding up to the shore. I was the only one holding the team back. Until a song came to mind, a duet by Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. The song is very famous: 'Time to Say Goodbye.' At this moment, in this place, with this song, everything was the best arrangement. I'm going ashore!

You have to step out of your comfort zone, even if it's just once. Back to today, before coming to Dali, I searched online for relevant guides and found Cangshan Hiking Home and OTC Town. I booked a SUP paddleboarding and tangerine picking trip on the Jinsha River for today. Before deciding to try paddleboarding, I went through a series of mental preparations, including but not limited to: I'm a beginner, what if I have no experience? What if I fall into the Jinsha River? I've never tried exciting sports before, what if it's not for me? And so on. Fear spread from the bottom of my heart and grew wildly. Then another voice fought against it, saying: I want to try. Life is long, but I don't know if I'll ever have a second chance to paddleboard on the Jinsha River. I have to step out of my comfort zone, even if it's just once. So all the fear disappeared, simply defeated by that 'I want to.' In the process of self-struggle and reconciliation, I became more and more excited about this trip. Maybe I was looking forward to paddleboarding, maybe to seeing the Jinsha River from textbooks, or maybe to the moment of breaking through myself. Anyway, the day before, just thinking about this trip made me dance in the guesthouse. In the morning, I met the handsome guide Chen Paris at Sannei Croissant, and then we started the nearly one-and-a-half-hour drive from Dali to Taoyuan Town. Taoyuan Town belongs to Lijiang, and the Jinsha River flows through it, offering magnificent and beautiful valley and water views. During the round trip, Paris and I broke the ice, chatting about the itinerary, the scenery along the road, the history of Cangshan Hiking Home, and his life experiences. I learned that he is from Hunan, has been to many places, and now his state in Dali is neither tourism nor long-term stay, so let's just call it an indefinable time. When talking about travel, we also discussed whether I had any similar outdoor sports experience before. I said, 'I went hiking in Tibet, does that count?' He said, 'Going to Tibet is impressive; I lived there for a while.' On the way back, I joked, 'You've been to so many places, have you ever thought about writing a book about these experiences? It should be interesting.' He quickly waved his hand, saying he didn't have the literary talent, and after a moment, added that writing a book for him would be too pretentious. Along the way, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from city to village, with rolling mountains layered upon each other. Occasionally, I would exclaim at passing a few jacaranda trees, and sometimes we would curiously discuss the many domesticated cows in the car ahead. In short, when I looked out again, the Jinsha River view was right before my eyes. At first sight, I could only sigh at how beautiful the scenery was. Blue-green lakes nestled among the mountains, with some villages and fishing boats not far away. 'The weather is nice today, not particularly hot. It's different from Dali; here it can reach over 30 degrees in April,' Paris said, looking at the river. Due to abundant sunshine, Taoyuan Town is rich in fruits. The government has planted many fruit trees along the roadside—loquats, mangoes, banana trees, jackfruit. As we passed by, we could see green, unripe fruits. Today's itinerary also included picking tangerines here. Paris briefly explained the precautions for paddleboarding, and then we got into the water. I tested the water temperature and sat on the board to stabilize. The board has a head and a tail; the side with the fin is the tail. The paddle also has a front and back, like a spoon. The technique to move forward is to scoop water like a ladle. But it really tests your core and arm strength. In theory, you should use your core, but I kept compensating with my arms. You can paddle kneeling, sitting, or standing, depending on preference, but beginners are advised not to stand up immediately, as it's easy to lose balance and swallow water. However, Paris told me, 'It's hot this season; falling in the water is a happy thing, don't be afraid of it.' I think this statement influenced me and prepared me for the later jump. The river was very calm in the morning, with sunlight sparkling on the blue-green Jinsha River—a beauty that a phone simply cannot capture. I quickly got used to kneeling and paddling. Seeing that I was adapting well, the guide suggested I try standing up, saying, 'Standing looks better in photos. Since you're here, why not try? And once you fall in the water once, you won't be afraid anymore.' I was convinced. I slowly stood up from the board, but due to unstable balance, my legs trembled uncontrollably. Just as I tried to support myself, my body uncontrollably fell toward the water in slow motion. So my first fall happened in a blur. The moment I hit the water, I instinctively flailed, completely forgetting I was wearing a life jacket. My mind went blank, and I just wanted to find something to float on. Finally, following the guide's instructions, I clumsily climbed back onto the board. After resting for a while, I muttered that my goal for the day was to overcome myself and jump once. With Paris's continuous encouragement, I successfully stood on the board again, and after three seconds, I plunged into the water. I think this saying is true: once you fall in the water, you won't be afraid anymore. After jumping, my paddleboarding became smoother and smoother. From initial fear and curiosity to natural ease—it's just like that. After crossing the Jinsha River, we arrived at an auntie's house on the shore for lunch and rest. I realized that Paris is also a good cook, but unfortunately, I ate little. However, the butter tea he brought himself was particularly delicious, making me want to ask where to buy it. Blowing the river breeze and drinking hot tea, lying on a hammock in the small shed, waiting for the sun to dry our shoes and life jackets, we picked some delicious tangerines from the tree and then started the second half of the trip. (The tangerines grown by the auntie in the riverside orchard were very sweet and tasty.) In the afternoon, the wind picked up, and the river was not as calm as in the morning, but the waves were not big, just requiring more effort. We paddled back to the starting point in one go, and Paris said we could have some free time. Then we noticed a few life jackets bobbing on the river. Looking closely, we saw people swimming in the river, and one of them was almost out of sight. I couldn't help but marvel at how happy and skilled these people are in the water. (During free time, I floated on the river and almost drifted away, but it was very comfortable, and I almost fell asleep.)

Paddleboarding across the Jinsha River to an orange orchard to pick oranges. Midway across, we even jumped (naked) into the blue Jinsha River for a swim. On the opposite bank, the orchard not only allowed us to eat as many oranges as we wanted, but we also got to taste the incredibly delicious Hunan stir-fry and freshly brewed butter tea made by the handsome guide Chen Paris. The kids even had two extra bowls of rice, eating until their bellies were round. After the meal, we took a wonderful nap in the orchard's hammocks. It was absolutely delightful... Highly recommend Chen Paris's Jinsha River trip!