2、Lijiang

 

The Old Town of Lijiang (丽江) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the north of Yunnan Province.

Lijiang lies 2,400 meters above sea level surrounded by jagged snow tipped peaks. The wooden house, tea houses and stone pavements of the old town may not have changed since the town was capital of the ancient Naxi Kingdom. Ethnic Naxis still make up 70 percent of the population and the Naxi language is widely spoken. The ancient Naxi system of picture writing still puzzles and fascinates scholars. In ancient times the city flourished as a tea-trading center and merchants came from far and wide with horse and mule-trains loaded with tea.

Among of the charms of the old town are the mini-canals fed from the Jade Dragon River which flows from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Traditionally the water in the upper part of the river was used for drinking, the middle part of the river for washing vegetables and the downstream area for washing clothes.

Be warned that in recent years over-development of tourism has rather disturbed the serenity of Lijiang. Evenings in the old town can be rowdy, with groups of mainly Chinese tourists staggering around, the very much the worse for wear after unloading their money in the over-priced bars.