Lijiang Old Town — Attraction in Lijiang City

This Lijiang Old Town (丽江古城), also called Dayan Old Town(大研), a well-preserved old city of the Lijiang Autonomous County of the Naxi Ethnic Minority (纳西族) in Yunnan Province (云南). Located on the plateau which is 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) above the sea level.

Lijiang Old Town which occupies an area of three point eight square kilometers (912 acres) was firstly built in the late Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) and the early Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) and has a history of more than 800 years. Since Kubla Khan who is the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty set his reign here, Lijiang was on a fast developmental way and became the political, cultural, and educational center in this area, playing a very important role in the trading activities among Yunnan, China hinterland, Tibet, India and many other Asian countries. Till now, when walking on the streets of the Lijiang Old Town, one can feel the prosperity and flourish from the shops with fancy and superb collections of handicrafts.

The Lijiang Old Town is built along the lie of mountains and the flow of rivers, providing a very precious sample of the research on the old-time architecture. The unique geographical location, historical background and multiracial inhabitants make it one of the...

This was my second time visiting to Lijiang Old Town (Dayan Ancient Town) and the first was back in 2001 with my family ,where the locals were still living in those houses here. 20years later, this place had became more vibrant, commercial and crowded. But I do understand that the main income source for some of them are from tourism. However, there are still some areas in the old town which was not crowded and worth exploring. I would suggest to take your time to walk away from the few main streets (around Mufu (木府)and Sanyanjing (三眼井) if you would like to explore the other sides of the old town, as it can get very crowded starting in late evening. The tour buses are usually dropping tourists at the north side of the town, where the Large Water Wheel located. You can try out their local delights such as flower biscuits in one of the shop on Sifang street, called MuLaoYe (木老爷鲜花饼). If you have extra time, can go up to Shizi Mountain to have night view. There are plenty of Inns available for stay in the town, but do mind the cobblestone streets might not be friendly to your luggage, do check with your Inn if they provide...

Picturesque town with authentic old style achitecture. Romantic vibes, complete with the gentle rippling and gurgling sounds of streams meandering through the ancient streets. The idyllic setting is spoilt only by the loud music from the pubs in the evenings... and the horded of partygoers. There are those who seek such entertainment and vibrant nightlife and we ought to share this wonderful town with them. I am glad that these establishments are centered around only a couple of streets which I am 100% sure that it was due to the strict and efficient Chinese Govnment Town Planning that this was achieved. I was also made aware that only as recently as 10 years ago, sanitation was a problem. Amazingly, in such a short span of time, this is no longer an issue! The square where the "need to take a photo" water wheels is inundated by crowds of tourists, so if this is not your cup of tea, just move along and lose yourself in the many minor streets. I particularly enjoyed a stroll around the streets at about 6am. Only the gentle sounds of the bubbling stream and some birdsongs broke the serene silence of...