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Lijiang is a charming minority town found in the northwest of Yunnan Province. It was first built in the Southern Song Dynasty, making it somewhere from 800- 900 years old. After an earthquake in February 1996, the unique landscape and culture of Lijiang began to catch the attention of the world. Shortly after, Lijiang Ancient City was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a world cultural legacy. Dominated by the majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountains (5596m), the old mountain town of Lijiang is a crowded labyrinth of narrow streets and canals, interwoven with markets, shops and tea houses. It is home to 280,000 people from various ethnic groups including the Naxi, Lisu, Pumi, Nuosu, Yi and Tibetans. The Naxi minority make up 68 percent of the population. This minority are famous for their love of flowers, their folk music and their elaborately decorated houses. Despite the influx of tourists in recent years, Lijiang has not lost its charm. The best times of day to stroll the alleyways are the early morning as the mist rises over the town, and the late evening when the lantern lit streets come alive. During the day, there's lots of opportunities for exploration in the surrounding countryside. The old towns of Shuhe and Baisha are only a bike ride away, or for a more relaxing outing you can take a cable car up onto Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to see a glacier up close. Options for day hikes are numerous and include the Liming area, home to spectacular red sandstone cliffs or the Wenhai/Lashi Lake Watershed, an area dotted by Yi and Naxi villages, which also serves as a natural haven for birds and wildlife. It wouldn't be hard to fill in a week or even two exploring this region which is rich in history and culture as well as amazing landscapes. |
