Old town of Lijiang, also called Dayan town, is a central town of the Lijiang Autonomous County of the Naxi Ethnic Minority in Yunnan Province. It is a national historical and cultural city and was regarded as one of the four well-preserved ancient cities. In 1997, it was listed as the world cultural heritage.
Lijiang is a beautiful shining jewel in the Northwest Yunnan. It had a history of more than 800 years. It is home to the Naxi people, descendants of the Tibetan Qiang tribes, as well as the Dongba culture which is regarded as one of the few living fossils of ancient culture exists in the modern world. Scriptures, paintings, music, dances, everything here are expressing the beauty of the unique culture.
Besides its brilliant history, it is also known for its wonderful scenery. Its name Dayan literally means a “great inkstab”, which gives a vivid description of the town’s location. As its name implies, it is on a piece of rich flatland fed by a river and surrounded by green mountains. Here, houses are made of wood and have their own unique characteristics. Most of them consist of a living area and a yard. The town, surrounded by green mountains and facing a river, has no high walls. The old style and prosperous street will take you back to in history for hundreds of years. When you are tired, the bars near the river will be your best choice to have a daydream.
If you want to a place of harmonious combination of tradition and fashion, make a trip to Lijiang and it will never disappoint you.
Notes:
1. The best time for traveling in the old town of Lijiang is autumn (September or October)
2. How to get to the town: cars are not allowed in old town, walking or cycling is a better choice.
