Lijiang Old Town
5A 景区丽江古城 · Lìjiāng Gǔchéng
A maze of cobbled lanes, canals and tiled roofs below snow mountains — the 800-year-old Naxi town of Lijiang.
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A UNESCO site since 1997, Lijiang's old town is a Song/Yuan-era Naxi settlement laced with canals and little bridges fed by the Black Dragon Pool, and backed by the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Its car-free lanes are full of guesthouses, craft shops, tea houses and bars — touristy but genuinely atmospheric, especially after dark.
History
For some 800 years Lijiang was a hub on the Tea-Horse Road, ruled by the Naxi Mu chieftains. Unusually it was built without a city wall, its streets following the water. It survived a major 1996 earthquake and was carefully restored.
Culture & religion
Lijiang is the home of the Naxi people and their living heritage — the Dongba pictographs (the last pictographic script still in use), Naxi classical music, and the Mu Palace. As a Tea-Horse Road crossroads it blends Han, Tibetan and Naxi influences, and its waterway town plan is a small masterpiece of vernacular design.
What to see
The canal lanes & Sifang Street
The heart of the town — stone streets, willow-lined canals and arched bridges, buzzing day and night.
Mu Palace (木府)
The grand residence of the Naxi Mu chieftains, a blend of Han palace and local style.
Black Dragon Pool (黑龙潭)
A spring-fed pool with the postcard reflection of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Naxi music & Wangu Tower
Hear ancient Naxi orchestral music; climb Wangu Tower on Lion Hill for rooftop views.
Visiting
Wander by day and again at night — they feel like different towns. It's atmospheric but commercial; slip into the quieter side lanes. Pair it with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain or Tiger Leaping Gorge. Altitude is ~2,400 m.
- Tickets
- The old town is free to enter (an old maintenance fee is now usually waived); the Mu Palace and Black Dragon Pool charge separately (approximate — confirm officially).
- Opening hours
- The town is always open; ticketed sites run roughly 08:30–17:30.
- Suggested route
- Sifang Street → the canal lanes → Mu Palace → up Lion Hill to Wangu Tower for the view → Black Dragon Pool. A day plus an evening.
Suggested routes
1. Day + night wander
About 1 day~5 km on footLanes and Mu Palace by day, lantern-lit canals and bars by night. Lijiang's two faces.
Points of interest
- 1
Sifang Street · 四方街
The lively central square.
- 2
Mu Palace · 木府
The Naxi chieftains' residence.
- 3
Wangu Tower · 万古楼
Rooftop views from Lion Hill.
- 4
Black Dragon Pool · 黑龙潭
Snow-mountain reflection.
Getting there
Lijiang has an airport and a high-speed-rail station; the old town is pedestrian and walkable from the new town edge.