Yunnan and the famous town Lijiang

Lijiang City (Lìjiāngshì) is an administrative division comprising of urban and rural areas in northwestern Yunnan Province in the South of China. The famous “Lijiang old town”, as it is commonly known, is more correctly called the Dayan old town.

The Lijiang old town has a history for over more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road.

The old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. It differs from other ancient Chinese cities in architecture, history and the culture of its traditional residents, the Naxi people.

Recently, the government has started to develop additional “old city” sections adjacent to the site of the original old city. This is to accommodate the large number of tourists, particularly Han Chinese, who walk the cobblestone streets. Cars are not allowed in the ancient city.

Lijiang is also home to the Jade Water Village, a Dongba cultural centre and Lugu Lake, which is a main tourist attraction.

The Nakhi (Naxi) people perform dongjing music, an ancient form of ritual music, in Lijiang. The town is also the site of the Lijiang Snow Mountain Music Festival, which features Chinese rock music.

The ancient town of Lijiang, which includes Dayan, Baisha and Shuhe, was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in December 4, 1997.

Since then, the local government has taken more responsibility for the development and protection of the old city.