Shaxi (沙溪; Shāxī) is in Yunnan Province.
. . . Shaxi . . .
There is no direct public bus to Shaxi from Lijiang or Dali. To reach Shaxi, first take a long distance bus to Jianchuan (剑川) from either Lijiang or Dali (Xiaguan). The trip from Lijiang to Jianchuan now takes approximately 1 hour owing to the new freeway completed in 2013.
From Old Town Dali: Take either bus no. 4 or no. 8 to Xiaguan. From the last stop on bus no. 4, take a taxi to the north bus station (ke yun bei zhan, 客运北站). Bus no. 8 will stop outside of the north bus station. Long distance bus service to Jianchuan runs every 15-30 mins from 6:20am to 6:50pm, the cost of the ticket is ¥26 and it takes about 3 hours to arrive in Jianchuan (depending on traffic, road condition, and stops along the way). The whole journey from Old Town Dali to Jianchuan will take around 4.5-5 hours, including time waiting for the bus. It may also be possible to wave down the bus to Jianchuan from highway just east of Old Town Dali if you can read the Chinese characters for Jianchuan, it could save you the trouble of going south to Xiaguan first, but seating is not guaranteed. Or flag down any of the buses going to Shangri-la and get off in Jianchuan.
From Old Town Lijiang: Purchase a ticket at the main bus station in Lijiang, which is now the place for departures to Jianchuan (NOT the small long distance bus station in northern Lijiang, which no longer serves Jianchuan). Buy a ticket to Jianchuan which will cost ¥30 and take about 1 hour.
From Shangri-la: Take any of the buses going to Dali and get off in Jianchuan.
When you arrive in Jianchuan: Take a bus destined for Jiaohou (喬后) and tell the driver that you want to get off at Shaxi. Unfortunately there are not many of these buses, and a return trip by one of them may be difficult since they are small and fill up quickly. Alternatively, there are mini-bus services just outside of Jianchuan bus station that take about 45 minutes to reach Shaxi (¥13). The bus departs from Jianchuan whenever it is semi-full with passengers. Try not to arrive in Jianchuan too late in the evening or else there may not be enough passengers to fill up a bus to Shaxi. It should also be possible to catch a mini-bus at the junction for Shaxi (Diannan), 8km south of Jianchuan. Hitching should also be possible if not preferable!
Landscape Hotel Shuttle Bus: There is also a shuttle bus organised by the Landscape Hotel which takes people between their Shaxi and Dali hotels. The buses run at 9am and 3pm from both locations and can be booked by visiting the hotel or asking your accommodation to ring them. Price is ¥65 each way. It’s a good option as it is direct.
The main village of Shaxi (Sideng) can be easily toured by walking. It’s also possible to visit the many other villages in Shaxi on foot, however, renting a bicycle would be a quicker and better option. Several shops near the main square offer bicycle rental (¥20 for full day hire) and also some of the guesthouses such as the Dragonfly and 58 Yard. Hiking and horseback riding are the main options for a visit into the mountains around Shaxi.
. . . Shaxi . . .