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Lijiang

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China, Yunnan province, Lijiang town. Naxi orchestra musician playng the flute at the Unesco World Heritage Site

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Overview

How popular is this time-locked place? Lijiang’s (丽江, Lìjiāng) maze of cobbled streets, rickety (or rickety-looking, given gentrification) wooden buildings and gushing canals suck in over eight million people a year. So thick are the crowds in the narrow alleys that it can feel like they've all arrived at the same time.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lijiang, Yunnan - stock photo
The Peak of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Mountain) in Lijiang, Yunnan, China

    Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

    Lijiang

    Jade Dragon Snow Mountain soars to some 5596m, and the massif's thirteen peaks dominate the skyline of the surrounding regions. Undeniably beautiful, the…

  • China, Yunnan province, Lijiang, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Black Dragon Pool and Jade Drag

    Black Dragon Pool Park

    Lijiang

    On the northern edge of town is Black Dragon Pool Park; the view from here of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is an obligatory photo stop in southwestern China…

  • Lijiang Old Town

    Lijiang Old Town

    Lijiang

    The old town is centred on busy and touristy Old Market Square, with the Waterwheel defining the northern edge and the lively Zhongyi Market marking the…

  • Mu Family Mansion

    Mu Family Mansion

    Lijiang

    The home of a Naxi chieftain, the Mu Family Mansion was heavily renovated (more like built from scratch) after the devastating earthquake that struck…

  • Museum of Dongba Culture

    Museum of Dongba Culture

    Lijiang

    The Museum of Dongba Culture houses displays on Naxi dress and culture, Dongba pictographic script, Lijiang's old town and the dubious claim that the…

  • Lion Hill

    Lion Hill

    Lijiang

    Towering over the west side of Lijiang's Old Town, Lion Hill's 23 hectares of park land are a pleasant diversion. The obvious high point is the panoramic…

  • Dongba Cultural Institute

    Dongba Cultural Institute

    Lijiang

    The Dongba Cultural Institute is part of a renovated complex on the hillside north of the old town. Here you can see Naxi cultural artefacts and scrolls…

  • White Horse Dragon Pool

    White Horse Dragon Pool

    Lijiang

    Ancient pool still used by the locals to wash veggies from the nearby market and clothes from surrounding homes. The White Horse Dragon Pool Temple next…

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