"Lijiang - capital of the Naxi-Kingdom " a Lijiang Travel Page by nepalgoods

Lijiang is a nice little town with old houses, nice parks and a fantastic landscape around! Behind this snowcapped mountain the Yangtse River breakes through the Tiger Leeping Gorge. This is a spectacular area to do hiking trips.

Lìjiang is as lovely as it gets in China. Located in the northwest part of Yúnnán Province, this capital of the Lìjiang Nàxi Autonomous County (pop. 302,000) is home to the Nàxi people (who constitute almost 60% of its population) and to a smaller number of Bái, Tibetan, Yí, Mosu, and Hàn peoples. Though its history dates to the Warring States (475-221 B.C.), its most influential period was when it was governed by Nàxi chieftains during the Míng dynasty (1368-1644).

In February 1996, an earthquake hit Lìjiang, killing over 300 people and destroying much of the city. Amazingly, many of the traditional Nàxi houses held up quite well, leading the government in its reconstruction process to pour millions of yuán into replacing concrete buildings with traditional wooden Nàxi architecture. The World Bank came up with rebuilding funds, and Lìjiang was conferred with the ultimate imprimatur (some would say the kiss of death) as a UNESCO World Heritage town in 1999. All this attention plus the construction of a new airport and hotels has turned it into a major tourist destination. Lìjiang's old town, with its cobblestone streets, gurgling streams, and Nàxi architecture, thankfully preserves a modicum of traditional ways, but as Hàn merchants move in to cater to hordes of stampeding tourists, many of the Nàxi who still live there (about 6,000 households) are finding their old way of life being challenged.

Located on the road to Tibet in a region widely regarded as being one of the most beautiful in the world, Lìjiang also offers a plethora of fascinating side trips that can easily take up to a week or more of your time. Lìjiang (elev. 2,340m/7,800 ft.) has a pleasant climate year-round with average temperatures in the spring, summer, and fall ranging between 60°F and 80°F (16°C and 27°C). Spring and summer are the best times to visit, as the summer months are often crowded with Chinese tourists.