Holiday Destination: Lijiang

Lijiang is a prefecture level city in the northwest of Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. It is built where the Jade River divides into three and its streams form the canals and waterways which flow along the old town streets. Lijiang became known in the west through a book written by an American commissioner who traveled in and out of Yunnan province in late 19th century. Particularly after China started to admit foreign tourists in the 1980s, Lijiang began to attract visitors. To fulfill their needs, local people started restaurants and cafes. It was the earthquake in 1996 that brought Lijiang to the world's attention. Chinese people also long for the lifestyle and the excellent environment in Lijiang and started pour in. A pivotal silk trade historical event was caused by Justinian I the Byzantine Emperor. In the early 550s, two of his Christian monks succeeded in smuggling eggs of silk worms from Central Asia back to Constantinople, and silk became an localized product. From Persian to Roman empires, Roman Catholic Crusades and European invasions, the rare silks, spices and teas with the vast wealth they brought, were eventually imported by sea to France, Italy, Spain, England and other European and African countries.

Climate

Summer 18.4 °C (65.1 °F), Winter 6.0 °C (42.8 °F)

Tourist Season

Summer season is the best for tourism.

Accommodation

Hotels.

General Information Of Lijiang

• Land Area: 8,193 sq mi (21,219 km2)
• Population: 12 Lakh.
• Capital City: Yunnan.
• Language: Chinese and English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Lijiang

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge is a scenic canyon on the Jinsha River a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River. It is located 60 km north of Lijiang City, Yunnan in southwestern China. It is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas World Heritage Site. Tiger Leaping Gorge is a contender for the world's deepest river canyon, depending on the exact definition used. The inhabitants of the gorge are primarily the indigenous Naxi handful of small hamlets. Their primary subsistence comes from grain production and foreign hikersas well as Chinese.

Lijiang Old Town

Lijiang Old Town a well preserved old city of ethnic minorities with brilliant culture, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China. The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. The old town of Lijiang differs from other ancient Chinese cities in architecture, history and the culture of its traditional residents the Nakhi people, therefore people there are called and male and female respectively.

Lugu Lake

Lugu Lake is located in the North West Yunnan plateau in the centre of Ningliang Yi Autonomous County in the People's Republic of China. The middle of the lake forms the border between the Ninglang County of Yunnan Province and the Yanyuan County of Sichuan province. The formation of the lake is thought to have occurred in a geological fault belonging to the geological age of the Late Cenozoic. The lake is surrounded by mountains and has five islands, four peninsulas, fourteen bays and seventeen beaches. The most numerous of these are the Mosuo people said to be a sub clan of the Naxi People with ancient family structure considered as "a live fossil for researching the marital development history of Human beings and the last quaint Realm of Matriarchy. It is considered as the home of the Moso Tribe However, Mosuo have a separate identity from the Naxis, as it is said that the Chinese used the word Mosuo as a generic term for different ethnic groups, including the Naxi.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Mount Satseto, known in Chinese as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a mountain massif near Lijiang, in Yunnan province, southwestern China. Its highest peak is named Shanzidou. The view of the massif from the gardens at the Black Dragon Pool in Lijiang is noted as one of China's finest views, and part of Yulong Snow Mountain Scenic Area. The far side of the mountain forms one side of Tiger Leaping Gorge. Shanzidou has been climbed only American expedition. The summit team comprised Phil Peralta Ramos and Eric Perlman. They climbed snow gullies and limestone headwalls, and encountered high avalanche danger and sparse opportunities for protection.

Shuhe Ancient Town

Shuhe Ancient Town, also named Longquan Village, is located in the north of Lijiang Ancient City. In Naxi language, Shuhe means a village at the foot of a peak. As the earliest habitation for Naxi ancestors, Shuhe Ancient Town is regarded as a living specimen of the Naxi ancestors’ transition from an agriculture civilization to a commercial culture. Similar to Lijiang Ancient City, Shuhe Ancient Town is surrounded by a murmuring river and interlaced with smooth flagging. It is a compact village hidden in the forest, and it lies near mountains and rivers. It is a more peaceful, smaller version of Lijiang Ancient City.

Dongba Culture Museum

Dongba Culture Museum is a museum in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China which deals with the of the Dongba culture of the Naxi people. The Naxi is a minority with a long history and a brilliant culture. It has become known worldwide or having kept its own ancient and unique Dongba Culture and thus claimed to be a small ethnic group that has created a grand culture. The Dongba culture is a most inclusive term referring mainly to the language and scriptures. Many other countries have built their own collections of Dongba scriptures, for instance, the US, the UK, France, Japan, Germany, Italy and Austria. In the US alone, the collection in the Library of Congress plus that in Harvard University Library numbers over 4000 volumes. In China, Dongba scriptures have been collected by the Library of Yulong County, the Library of Yunnan Province.

Black Dragon Pool

The Black Dragon Pool is a famous pond in the scenic Jade Spring Park located at the foot of Elephant Hill, a short walk north of the Old Town of Lijiang in Yunnan province, China. It was built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty and offers a spectacular view on the region's tallest mountain, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, over its white marble bridge. The Moon Embracing Pavilion, the Dragon God Temple and the threefold overlap Five Phoenix Tower.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

International Youth Hostel Lijiang

No.25 Jishan Alley, Xinyi Street, Old Town
Lijiang, China

Airports in or Near by

Lijiang Airport: For international and domestic flights.

Railway Stations

Doilungdeqen Railway Station

26 Jishan Lane Xinyi Street
Lijiang, China