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Lijiang

Pictures by QT Luong

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Lijiang, possibly the best preserved old town in China, is one of the last places in this country where a visitor can witness and experience a historic, traditional urban culture. Remarkably, the old houses with stone foundations, plastered whitewashed brick walls, red wooden doors, shutters and balconies, and sloping tiled roofs, survived a recent earthquake without much damage, while the new concrete buildings were flattened. Adding to the charm of the narrow, winding, mostly pedestrian cobblestone streets is a network of canals. They are fast flowing from the Black Dragon Pool, a nice park with some interesting temples and a great view of the nearby Jade Dragon Snow Mountains.

Lijiang is home to the Naxi, a minority matriarcal culture originating from Tibet. The Dongba, Naxi shamans of a religion which is an almalgalm of Tibetan buddhism, Islam, and Taoism, created more than a thousand years ago a writting language consisting of more than 1300 pictographs. It is the only hieroglyphic language still in use. There are interesting foods to try, as well as traditional music to hear. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lijiang is in Yunnan, 570 km north-west of Kunming. It can be reached by air or road (a couple of hours from Dali, a full day to Jinjiang, the railhead).

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Kegong tower (memorial archway of imperial exam) reflected in canal, sunrise. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Big water wheel at the entrance of the Old Town. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi woman offers eggs for sale to local residents. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Restaurant across the canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) White walled houses surrounding a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Streets, bridge, wooden houses, red lanterns and canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Painting a bridge. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Women eat outside the Snack Food in Lijiang restaurant. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Cobblestone street and wooden doors at sunrise. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Street in the morning with dumplings being cooked. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi woman at doorway selling broiled corn. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi women selling dumplings and Naxi baba flatbread. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Candlelight lanters to be floated on a canal at night. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Elderly Naxi men. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Decorated Dongba script for sale. The Naxi created 1000 years ago the only hieroglyphic language still in use. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Rooftops of the old town seen from Wangu tower. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Pavillon reflected in the Black Dragon Pool, with Jade Dragon Snow Mountains in the background. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Women wearing Naxi dress. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Courtyard of the Wufeng Lou (Five Phoenix Hall) with spring blossoms. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Elderly musicians of the Naxi Orchestra playing traditional instruments. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Kegong tower (memorial archway of imperial exam) reflected in canal, sunrise. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Buildings on Square street reflected in canal, sunrise. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi woman peddling eggs to local residents walks acros a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Bridges leading to restaurants and residences across the canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Women eat outside the Snack Food in Lijiang restaurant. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Snack Food in Lijiang restaurant overlooking a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Woman fills up a water buck in the canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Woman washes clothes in the canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Cobblestone street and canal at night. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Red lanterns reflected in a canal at night. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi women walk along a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Early morning along a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Early morning along a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Early morning along a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Houses along a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Elderly naxi woman peddles candies near a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Women washing clothes in a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Wooden houses and vegetation near a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Canal sneaking narrowly between walls. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi woman sitting next to a canal. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Flowers, canal, and houses. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi woman at the door of her wooden house. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi woman at the door of her wooden house. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi woman sweeps the floor at the door of her wooden house. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Early morning activity in a cobblestone street. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Dumplings being cooked in a cobblestone street. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Mansion of Prince Mu. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Children in an archway. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Woman baking dumplings. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi Women baking dumplings. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi Woman preparing the baba flatbreat. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi Women preparing the baba flatbreat. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi Women preparing the baba flatbreat. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi baba flatbread. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Store selling Yak meat. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Two women conversing in the street. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Celebration around a fire in Square Street by night. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Elder Naxi people. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Tobacco pipes. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Doorway with Chinese script. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Detail of traditional house. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Chinese caligraphy. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Decorated doors of a temple. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Dolls wearing traditional Bai dress. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Wall fresco. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Woman under the Kegong tower archway. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Schoolchildren get Naxi flatbread for breakfast, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) House facade. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Schoolchildren get Naxi flatbread for breakfast. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Wangu (everlasting) tower. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Old town Rooftops seen from Wangu tower. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Old town Rooftops seen from Wangu tower. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Old town Rooftops seen from Wangu tower. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Old town, new town, and surrounding fields seen from Wangu tower. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Old town, new town, and surrounding fields seen from Wangu tower. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Pavillon reflected in the Black Dragon Pool, with Jade Dragon Snow Mountains in the background. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Pavillon and Jade Dragon Snow Mountains reflected in the Black Dragon Pool. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Women in Naxi dress standing in an archway. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Woman in Naxi dress in a telephone booth. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Courtyard of the Wufeng Lou (Five Phoenix Hall) with spring blossoms. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Women sit ouside the Wufeng Lou (Five Phoenix Hall). Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Ming dynasty Wufeng Lou (Five Phoenix Hall), a 20m high edifice dating from 1600. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Ming dynasty Wufeng Lou (Five Phoenix Hall), a 20m high edifice dating from 1600. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Ming dynasty Wufeng Lou (Five Phoenix Hall), seen through entrance arch. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Ming dynasty Wufeng Lou (Five Phoenix Hall). Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Koi fish in a pond, Black Dragon Pool Park. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Pavillons in Black Dragon Pool Park. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi orchestra in Dayan Naxi concert hall. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color) Naxi orchestra in Dayan Naxi concert hall. Lijiang, Yunnan, China ( color)

All text and photos © . See conditions for use of images. All the 89 color pictures of Lijiang are on this page
Themes: Naxi Women
Places: China World Heritage Sites, Yunnan, China

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