Sign in with Facebook"Paradise in the mountains" Lijiang by GillianMcLaughlin
Lijiang Travel Guide: 721 reviews and 1,846 photos
I had only a couple of days in Lijiang, but would not have missed it for the world. Guide books waxed lyrical about the traditional architecture and the local minority populations who carry out their daily business in traditional dress, in the shadow of snow-capped mountains. It was all that and much more.
Lijiang is an ancient town that boasts many thousands of years of habitation, some 800 years of history, and strong links with Kublai Khan, who included this area in the Yuan empire in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
The old town still carries the echos of past generations: low 2-storied dwellings crowd around a network of picturesque, tree-lined canals, that are fed from glaciers and melted snow from the surrounding mountains.
Tucked away as it is, in the North east part of the Yunnan province, Lijiang begins to hint at the high lands that await the traveller further North, in Tibet. The town has the fantastic back drop of Yulong Xueshan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) which stands at some 5,500 m. Snow capped and stately, it can be seen from various parts of the town. This photo is taken from the top of Lion Hill, that sepatates the old and new towns, and I think illustrates the astounding beauty of this location.
Lijiang boast a population of 300,000 people, a village by Chinese standards (relatively unknown cities like Kunming have 4.5 million inhabitants and Beijing and Shanghai can claim a joint population of around 25 million!). Around 40,000 people live in the old town. The Local population, in-keeping with Yunnan's unrivaled reputation for cultural diversity, is comprised of 21 Chinese ethnic groups, although around 58% is Naxi.
In 1996 Lijiang suffered from the aftermath of a terrible earthquake that claimed the livesof 300 people and left another 16,000 injured. The old town was damaged, but not nearly as badly as the new town that has sprung up around it: the locals are proud that their traditional building techniques proved their worth, especially as, at the time of the quake, there were moves to raze the old town to make way for new buildings.
In recognition of the history, sense of preservation and cultural diversity that permeates Lijiang, it was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites in 1997.
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Lijiang has responded with total dedication to the interests of the growing interest of travellers of all types. It offers accommodation that covers the spectrum from cheap dorm beds in traditional Naxi houses to luxurious western-style hotels. It is a place where you'll find a pizza or hamburger if that's what you want, and also a wide variety of traditional dishes from the locality and also fom Yunnan's South East Asian neighbours.
I hope that you will enjoy a little taste of what is to be found in this charming setting.
- Pros:The sense of being in the midst of tradition, breathtakin beauty all around
- Cons:Now Lijiang has some of the feel of a tourist-trap
- In a nutshell:A very worthy stop-off point in any itinerary of South China
Reviews (7)
Go see traditional Naxi villages
Off The Beaten Path
(1)
Within an hour or two, you can cycle out of Lijiang and make your way through traditional Naxi villages that are not on... more travel advice
Ancient Naxi capital learns new tricks
Tourist Traps
(1)
Bai Sha is around 1 hour's cycle from Lijiang and was the former capital of the Naxi kingdom until Kublai Kahn had other... more travel advice
Dare to be different - breakfast al...
Restaurants
(1)
While fellow-travellers headed down to the main drag to fill their morning bellies with familiar comfort food, I headed... more travel advice
Get on your bike and get out of the town
Transportation
(1)
Lijiang sits on a huge plateau some 2,400 m above sea level. The surrounding area is littered with small villages, often... more travel advice
GillianMcLaughlin's Related Pages
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“This land is your land and this land is my land, sure, but the world is run by those that never listen to music anyway.”
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Comments (25)
Hi Gillian - great to see yr pics here - one of my all fav places in wonderful China -all my pics are home in Sydney - was here in 1997 after the earthquake and minimal signs by then.
fascinating stuff. hi, by the way - are you going to euromeet ?
Wonderful page, Gillian. Thank you for sharing your inquisitive thoughts, and your great photos.
Beautiful pictures and evocative writing. I've wanted to visit Lijiang ever since seeing it on TV some years ago - unfortunately AFTER my only visit to China :(
Thanks for your very useful tips. I have seen many many beautiful pictures of Lijiang. I hope to get a chance to be in Lijiang soon. Cheers Cheers
Gillian, thanks for this lovely page. I will go to Yunnan and Lijiang within three weeks. I will be back in time for the Full Colour Festival.
Wow Gillian!! What an awesome pic!! This place looks gorgeous! Especially the lovely quaint villiages with tree lined streets. Wow!! Cheers, Ann :o)
Va bene! at least it works now...
Seems, you had some great days in Lijiang! It is such a beautiful town!!!!
I do agree about the food! Amazing.....You have a lovely page here. Wishing you a great festive season and a Merry Christmas.
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