Thanks to the Star Alliance's truly global reach, I'm thinking of going as far as Lijiang on my next award ticket to China (might as well, right?). I'd then spend a week making my way to Chengdu before flying back to Shanghai (and then spending some time in the China I'm already familiar with).

Any thoughts on such a tourist itinerary? I understand there's some brand new train service in Lijiang, which might be pleasant to ride. Also, is it worth going as far as Chengdu (never been), or should I just fly out of Kunming back to Shanghai? To see the sights in 7 or 8 days, it would seem like I'd have to fly from Kunming to Chengdu (which doesn't seem expensive).

Thanks!