Discover Lijiang

Lijiang Old Town combines an authentic historic townscape with architecture that brings together elements from different cultures. It lies on the Lijiang Plain, at an altitude of 2,400 metres, in the southwest of China’s Yunnan Province. The Old Town consists of three parts: Dayan, including Black Dragon Pool, as well as the residential districts of Baisha and Shuhe. Lijiang therefore encompasses more than a single historic centre: its townscape and residential districts offer different perspectives on the area’s history and architecture.

Waterways and the Old Town’s townscape

Black Dragon Pool is part of the townscape and is also connected to Lijiang’s water network. From there, waterways feed into a network of canals and channels that supplies the city. The pool is fed by rivers and springs from Yulong Snow Mountain. Water is therefore more than just scenery: the canals and channels are part of the city’s water supply. Visitors interested in the design of historic places will find a distinctive perspective here on the interplay between water and urban structure.

Lijiang’s history offers another way to explore the area. Since the 12th century, the Old Town has been an important goods distribution centre for trade between Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. The southern Silk Road and the ancient Tea Horse Roads also converged here. This historical role offers a different perspective on Lijiang from one focused solely on buildings: the city’s history also includes its links to trade routes and regions.

Naxi architecture and historic buildings

Mufu, one of the Old Town’s cultural landmarks, was founded during the Ming dynasty. Today, the complex includes a wooden gateway and a stone gateway, the Assembly Hall, the Wanjuan Tower and the Hufa Hall. Its different elements make Mufu a distinctive architectural subject within the Old Town. Those interested in historic buildings can learn about the names and forms of a specific complex here, rather than looking only for old architecture in general.

Another architectural example is the former residence of Fang Guoyu. It is a protected cultural heritage site in Yunnan Province and is considered a representative building featuring Naxi architecture and influences from other cultures. The ten exhibition rooms explore different aspects of the house and its former resident: Fang Guoyu’s educational journey, the Kunhao-Haoxue Studio, the architecture of the family residence, his scholarly achievements, his teaching career and his social activities. Other topics include commemorations of him, how his hometown remembers him, the family school, and the history of the residence’s opening. In this way, the building is explored alongside biographical and family themes.

Manuscripts and Naxi culture

The Museum of Ancient Naxi Dongba Manuscripts is located in the park at Black Dragon Pool. It presents the manuscripts through text and images, original objects, paintings, animations and audiovisual media. These varied formats give the museum a clear focus on presenting the manuscripts. Together with examples of Naxi architecture, this offers another thematic perspective on Lijiang: alongside the townscape and its trading history, there is cultural heritage and how it is presented.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Lijiang, you can first consider which of these perspectives you want to shape your trip: historic architecture, the history of trade routes, the water network or the Naxi Dongba manuscripts.

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