Lijiang

Lijiang, People's Republic of China

A high-angle view of Lijiang Old Town's tiled roofs during golden hour.

Lijiang is a high, cool Yunnan city where a UNESCO-listed old town of canals and timber houses sits beneath snowy peaks.

The place

Lijiang is a prefecture-level city in the north-west of Yunnan Province in south-western China, and most visitors know it through its old town. The city sits at about 2,400 metres on the Yungui Plateau, so the air is thin and the nights are cool, even though the latitude is low. The city has about 1.25 million people, but the old town feels far smaller: a maze of stone-paved lanes, timber houses and channels that carry mountain water along the streets.

The old town is a working place rather than a museum piece. Shopkeepers, guesthouse owners and restaurant staff often live above their businesses, and in the evenings the central square fills with people. Beyond the lanes the wider prefecture has much more to offer. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain rises to the north, the Black Dragon Pool sits at its foot, and the Jinsha River carves the Tiger Leaping Gorge further away. The region is home to 22 ethnic minority groups alongside the Han majority, and the Naxi are the most visible in town.

Expect crowds in the old town from late morning until late evening, and expect lane prices to reflect the tourist trade. Three or four days is a comfortable stay, with one day for the mountain and another for the gorge.

Its story

Lijiang's history reaches back a long way. Cave paintings in the Jinsha River valley, together with Neolithic stone tools and later bronze and iron objects, suggest the area was an important centre of early human activity in south-western China. The recorded past is more tangled, because the land passed between states and kingdoms that each drew their borders differently.

In the centuries before the common era the area lay on the edges of several polities. Under the Han it belonged to a commandery, and later it came under Tibetan influence and then the Nanzhao kingdom. The Naxi people moved into the region during the Northern and Southern dynasties period, and they built a political and cultural centre at Baisha, just north of the present old town. For centuries Baisha was the hub for the Naxi and other groups who lived there.

Later, the Mu family governed the area for generations and moved the seat of power to the valley where the modern town now stands. Their palace complex climbs the hill behind it and remains the best place to grasp that period. The old town's water system, with its channels running beside the lanes, belongs to this long settlement, and it is one reason the town has held together so well through its many changes of rule.

What to see

Culture

Lijiang's Naxi heritage shows in daily life: in the Dongba tradition, in the Naxi language spoken in homes, and in the family courtyards tucked behind the old town's main lanes. Many residents are proud of their culture, and tourism is central to the local economy, so visitors are generally welcome. Still, the old town is a living community rather than a stage set, and households and temples keep their own rhythms.

Food is a good way in. Black goat hot pot is sold throughout the streets and alleys, and Naxi roast pork has crisp skin and rich meat. Local salmon is raised in snowmelt-fed rivers, so it is a freshwater fish rather than the sea variety. The old town grows loud in the evenings with music and bars, so expect noise until late and choose your guesthouse with that in mind.

Ask before photographing people in their homes, at ritual spaces, or among the dancers in Si Fang Jie, and keep your voice low inside temples and museums.

What to wear

In Lijiang, the traditional dress of Naxi women is the most recognisable textile tradition. It is built around a dark blue or black cloth robe worn with a sheepskin cape, with the cape traditionally decorated with embroidered patterns. The cloth is usually cotton or hemp, dyed and woven by hand, and the outfit is worn for festivals, ceremonies and performances, and by older women in their everyday routines.

What people wear now is largely modern clothing, with the traditional dress reserved for special occasions and for dancers and staff at cultural shows. In the old town you will see plenty of tourists in layers, and a few locals in everyday outfits with a touch of the older style, such as a blue headscarf or an embroidered sash. The look is practical rather than decorative.

For a visit, dress in layers. Days can be warm and sunny at altitude, but evenings and winter mornings are cold, so bring a warm jacket. The sun is strong, so pack a hat and sunscreen. Wear shoes with good grip for the old town's stone lanes, which can be slippery after rain. At temples, cover shoulders and knees, and choose slip-on shoes, because you will often take them off at a threshold.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. March to May, when the days are dry and sunny before the rains, and October to November, when autumn clears the sky again. The rainy season runs from late May to September, with most of the year's rain falling then. January is the coolest month, so bring warm layers if you visit in winter.

How long. 3–4

Getting there. Fly into Lijiang Sanyi Airport, which connects to several large Chinese cities, then take a taxi to the old town. Taxis cannot enter the old town gates, so the final stretch is on foot.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

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