Real grower, not relabelled stock.
Lijiang sits on the old Tea-Horse Road toward Pu'er. I read grade, vintage and pricing, and flag who presses their own crop.
- Grade and vintage
- Own crop
- Evening note
Selina Chen 陈丽明 EN ⇄ 中文 · Lijiang · Trade & sourcing Book a Lijiang interpreter for Pu'er tea.for silver craft.for Tea-Horse Road.for Naxi culture.for woodcarving.
An English-Chinese interpreter in Lijiang for the trade that genuinely happens here: Yunnan tea, handicrafts along the old Tea-Horse Road, and visitors exploring a heritage city.
★★★★★ 4.8/5 · 95 client reviews · clients from every continent
Old Town & Shuhecraft workshopsBaishafamily artisan studiosSilver, copper & embroideryNaxi handicraftSmall-batch sourcingvolume routed via Kunming
Lijiang rates, published, all-in USD
Published rates, answered first.
Every rate includes city travel and a written summary of each day. No hourly creep. No surprise “translation fees.”
Half day
One supplier meeting or a short factory visit · ≤ 4 hrs
$80–$140/half-day
- City travel included
- Pre-meeting product brief
- Written summary same evening
Most bookedCheck dates
Full day
Trade shows, factory visits, negotiations
$99–$250/day
- Hotel-lobby pickup, on time
- Suppliers pre-screened before you land
- Daily written record of agreements
Multi-day
Several days end-to-end, best value
$800–$1,250/ week
- Discounted day rate
- Post-trip supplier follow-up
- Priority booking next season
Starting ranges, every job quoted to your itinerary. 30% deposit confirms a booking; balance after the work.
What's included
Every day rate, all-in.
Here's exactly what's in the day rate before you ask.
- Local travel between meetings and workshops included
- Sellers and workshops pre-screened before you land
- A written note of what's worth following up, same evening
- Tea, craft and seller notes you can act on from abroad
On the ground in Lijiang
An English-Chinese interpreter and translator in Lijiang.
Lijiang is a UNESCO heritage town in northwest Yunnan, sat under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and built around Naxi culture, and it's more useful to say plainly that it is not a manufacturing hub. The real B2B here is small-scale and craft-led. Yunnan tea is the obvious one: Lijiang sits on the historic Tea-Horse Road that carried Pu'er north for centuries, and serious tea buyers still pass through on the way to the Pu'er growing regions further south.
Around the Old Town, Shuhe and Baisha you'll find silver and copper work, woodcarving, embroidery and other Naxi handicrafts sold by family workshops. The bigger sourcing volume lives in Kunming and the wider province, so Lijiang work is usually a grower or workshop visit bolted onto a Yunnan trip, or steady accompaniment for a visitor who wants someone reliable to run the language, bookings and logistics. For anything at scale, pairing this with a Kunming itinerary makes more sense, and I'll arrange it.
Recent work
What the work actually looks like.
Real deals in and around Lijiang, deal type, where, and what the client walked away with.
Genuine workshops, not tourist-grade.
Silver, copper, woodcarving and embroidery from family workshops. I read materials and pricing, and run the bookings.
- Materials and price
- Genuine sellers
- Logistics handled
One team across a spread-out province.
A vetted network that has staffed trips across China. Send the dates and I brief the team and arrange the Kunming or Dali legs.
- Vetted network
- Team briefed
- Legs arranged
How booking works
From first message to factory floor.
Lead time: Two weeks is comfortable; book 4-6 weeks ahead for trade-fair weeks.
01
Send your dates
WhatsApp, WeChat or the form. Tell me cities, dates, and what you're buying.
T+0 02
Fixed quote
A written quote in USD within 12 hours. 30% deposit locks your dates.
T+12 HRS 03
I prepare
Product list studied, venue mapped, suppliers pre-screened before your flight lands.
BEFORE ARRIVAL 04
On the ground
Hotel-lobby pickup every morning. Written summary of everything agreed, every evening.
YOUR TRIPFAQ
Lijiang interpreter, your questions.
Is Lijiang really a sourcing destination?
On a small scale, honestly. Lijiang is a heritage town, so the trade here is tea, silver and copper work, woodcarving and embroidery, not factories. For volume sourcing I'd pair it with a Kunming or wider Yunnan leg, which I can also arrange.
Can you cover Yunnan tea, including Pu'er?
Yes, and it's the strongest reason to bring an interpreter here. Lijiang sits on the old Tea-Horse Road, and serious buyers route through it toward the Pu'er growing regions to the south. I interpret grade, vintage, storage and pricing talk, and write up what's worth following up so you can decide from home.
Can you accompany a business visitor and handle logistics?
Yes, that's a good share of the work here. I interpret your meetings and also handle hotels, transport, restaurant bookings and day-to-day arrangements so a spread-out heritage region doesn't eat your schedule. I'm reliable on the logistics without being a tour guide who dabbles in business.
Can you interpret at silver and handicraft workshops?
Yes. The workshops around the Old Town, Shuhe and Baisha are the natural fit. I'll interpret the materials, weight, workmanship and pricing conversation, and flag which sellers are worth a second look and which are tourist-grade.
What does a day in Lijiang cost?
The rates are published above: $80–$140 half-day, $99–$250 a full day, $800–$1,250 a week, the same whether it's a tea visit, a workshop round or steady accompaniment. Local travel and a written summary of what's worth following up are in the rate.
Do the workshops or tea sellers pay you a cut?
No. You're my only client, so I can tell you which silver or Pu'er seller is genuine and which is tourist-grade relabelled stock. A guide paid on commission steers you to the shop that tips them; I don't have one.
Keep reading
Where to next.
Next step
Your dates in Lijiang. My quote in 12 hours.
Send your Lijiang supplier list and dates. You'll get a fixed written quote, no obligation, no deposit to ask.
superinterpreter · selina@mychinainterpreter.com · Xiamen, China · UTC+8
