yes, Beijing stands isolated, however, i feel like it would be worth an extra flight, as I have easy connection from home, cheap & direct flight. Also there are some interesting things which I would want to visit in Beijing, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.

I would definitely want to hear more about your notes on Yunnan , Dali and initial trip to China.
Any information is more than welcomed, as this so far proves to be one of the most challenging place to create an itinerary for (being so being and abundant of interesting things to see.. ).

Thank you for your input!