June is perfect for escaping the heat—low-cost, slow-paced, and off-the-beaten-path hidden gems

✦ Dali ✦ - 🌿 Weather: June is the season for "blue tears" in Erhai Lake, with an average daily temperature of 22°C—cool and pleasant. - 💰 Costs: Mushroom and shredded chicken rice noodles in the ancient town cost 12 yuan per bowl, and the March Street market offers fruits so cheap you can achieve "fruit freedom." The Erhai Lake sightseeing bus is 98 yuan for unlimited rides over 3 days, electric scooter rentals are 40 yuan/day, and a guesthouse in Caicun village is 180 yuan/night. - Slow-paced guide: Cycle along the Erhai Lake ecological corridor to watch the waves, stay in Caicun village with a view of the Cangshan Mountain clouds from your window, and sit by Erhai Lake at dusk waiting for a tangerine-hued sunset. ✦ Qingdao ✦ - 🌊 Weather: After the cherry blossoms fade in June, the crowds thin out, and the sea breeze brings a refreshing coolness—perfect for seaside strolls. - 💰 Costs: Buy seafood at Tuandao Market and have vendors cook it for you—30 yuan per person for a feast. Korean ginseng chicken soup is 20 yuan per serving. The metro reaches all major attractions, the old town's "ding-ding tram" costs 5 yuan per ride, and an apartment near Golden Beach is 220 yuan/night. - Slow-paced guide: Head to Xiaomai Island at dawn for a sea sunrise, stroll along the red-tiled streets near St. Michael's Cathedral, feed seagulls on Zhanqiao Pier at dusk, and soak up the old town's lively atmosphere. ✦ Yili ✦ - 💜 Weather: June turns the lavender fields into a purple sea, while the Karajun grasslands are lush green—comfortably warm without being scorching. - 💰 Costs: Handmade yogurt with baked buns in Liuxing Street costs 15 yuan, and a meal of Kazakh mare's milk wine with hand-torn lamb is 50 yuan. Taxis in Yining start at 8 yuan, carpooling to Huocheng's flower fields is 80 yuan/day, and a lavender farm guesthouse is 260 yuan/night. - Slow-paced guide: Ride horses across Karajun grasslands at sunset, watching the snow-capped mountains turn gold, count stars by the lavender fields at night, and fall asleep to the scent of lavender. ✦ Lishui ✦ - ☁️ Weather: June brings misty terraced fields during irrigation season, reflecting mountain shadows like a mirror—serene, uncrowded, and refreshingly cool. - 💰 Costs: A pot of stream fish tofu at Guyanyan Huaxiang costs 12 yuan, and black rice with bamboo shoots and cured pork in She ethnic villages is 20 yuan. High-speed rail connects directly, scenic area shuttles are 30 yuan/person, and a tea garden guesthouse in Songyang with bamboo forest views is 200 yuan/night. - Slow-paced guide: Wear Hanfu to explore Chenjiapucun's stone houses, open your guesthouse window to rolling clouds over tea fields, sip Longjing tea in the afternoon, and watch terraces fade in and out of mountain mist.