How should travellers plan Yunnan?
Yunnan works best as its own slower chapter. Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La and Tiger Leaping Gorge are not quick add-ons to Beijing and Shanghai; they need route space and altitude awareness.
Answer
Yunnan gives China a different texture: old towns, mountains, tea, highland weather, minority-region context and slower movement. That is exactly why it should not be squeezed between classic-city commitments. Dali is easier and more relaxed, Lijiang is famous and busier, and Shangri-La moves the route higher and cooler. Add Tiger Leaping Gorge only if hiking, weather and transport line up. A good Yunnan trip usually means cutting elsewhere. Try to collect it as a scenic afterthought and you miss why it appealed in the first place.