Yunnan Minorities' Residential Architecture Tour

In the vast China, there are four intact-preserved ancient towns, and the ancient town of Lijiang is a shinning member of it. Unlike the other ancient towns, the Lijiang ancient town is open without any town walls that will make the town more mysterious, while the blue marble stone pathways winding along the town would bring you back to the history.

Taking a walk in the ancient town and surrounded by the old but firm architectures with civil structures, you will have a strong feeling of the ancient culture when seeing the old people in the traditional Tibetan clothes lingering along the streets leisurely. For the vivid way of learning the history of the ancient town, you can come to the huge screen next to the big running waterwheels, which are the symbol of the Lijang Ancient Town, where the most popular folk songs and documentary films can be seen freely.

Lijiang Ancient Town is a place where you can spend your holidays all the year round without worrying to be disturbed by the nasty weather. In spring, walking along the streams on the shore of which the sprouting willows flying with the breeze, you will lose yourself under the warm sun. In summer, taking a sip of coffee in the teahouse along the running streams watching the people come and go on the old stone bridges, you will feel relax fully. In autumn, climbing the mountains to enjoy the leaves getting yellow and red or having a bird’s eye of the entire magnificent ancient town, you may feel the greatness of the nature and the man. In winter, the stone carvings of various designs along the street and splendid carvings in the marvelous temples seem more peaceful and scared, making the ancient town more attractive.

The beauty of this ancient city also lies in its nature and harmony with its surrounding geological environment. The Yulongxueshan Mountain with the altitude of 5596 meters and the 4th generation of glacier relic lies in the place, 30km away in the northwest of the ancient city is. The Yuquanshui River includes three mainstreams, which flow towards the west, east and in the middle. The river running into the ancient city includes many branch canals, so the network of rivers mixed with the roads of the five-flowered stones. Attracted by the ancient city and the Xueshan Mountains, millions of tourists come here and enjoy themselves in the ancient city of primitive simplicity, naturalness, tranquility and elegance.

Culture is the soul of Lijiang ancient town. Dongba culture is an integral part of Naxi culture, referred to as the ancient culture of the ethnic Naxi. It is called so because it is mostly found in the Dongba religion, which is believed to be one thousand years old. It chiefly consists of scriptures, paintings, music, dances, ritual implements and religious services.

Opening Hours: the whole day

Ticket Price: free

Location: Gucheng Zone, Lijiang City, Yunnan

Transportation: Railways from Kunming and Dali, long-distance bus from Tibet and Sichuan and flight from Kunming will bring you here.
 

Hailed as the Oriental Grand Canyon, the Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiaoxia) is, to some extent, more attractive than the Grand Canyon. It is the most precipitous gorge in the vast China with an altitude difference of 3000 meters that is 600 meters more than that of the Grand Canyon. Therefore, the waterfalls here are amazingly marvelous, the stones here are surprisingly bizarre and landscapes on the cliffs here are spectacularly wonderful, all of which make Tiger Leaping Gorge a good place for adventure, photography and expedition.

Tiger Leaping Gorge with a splendid view of the swift turbulent current of the Golden River is formed through constant cutting by the waters between Jade Dragon Mountain and Haba Mountain. Spanning 17 kilometers long, the gorge, consists of the Upper Gorge, the Middle Gorge and the Lower Gorge, drops about 300 meters in a series of 18 rapids. The Lower Gorge is the most awe - inspiring part of all. The gorge, where the Golden Sand River pounds furiously at its rocky shores in an awesome fashion, sending up skilful of white froth, is a dream place for adventurers.

Seen from the bridge, the marvelous geological wonder, two huge mountains leaning close to each other and a large volume of fast moving water between them cutting deeper and deeper into the bottom of the gorge, will be more splendid. In addition, there is a drop of 3000 meters to the water, a beautiful and surprising place to go for photography.

Embraced by the arms of the picturesque Cangshan Mountain and guarded by an 8-meter-tall and 3.5-kilometer-long wall, the 600-year-old city of Dali was first built in 1683 and is characterized by the ancient stonewalls, grey tiled roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix partners and gardens of varying sizes. The entire city is covered by a maze of streams, fed by runoffs from the Cangshan Mountain. Hence, the saying the gurgling of water can be heard in every house and flowers are planted in every family.

Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 18:00

Ticket Price: 50 CNY

Location: Naxi County, Lijiang City

Transportation: Bus from Lijiang Bus Station and taxi will bring you here.

Lying in the flourishing forests far away from the pollution, Lugu Lake, covers 50 square kilometers with thousands square kilometers of lawns, is like a pearl inlayed in the plateau. With seven islands on the lake, the largest freshwater lake in Sichuan, seen from a bird’s eye of view, looks like a flying eagle with wings spreading.

The picturesque landscapes around the peaceful lake are of various features. In the northwest side stands a majestic mountain with spectacular sceneries, which is treated as a goddess by the local minorities. In the southeast, a vast area of grasses with flowers blooming on is the paradise of the birds of rare pieces. Inside the flourishing forests around the lake, leopard, deer, lesser panda, goral and other kinds of precious animals are having a harmonious life with the people here.

On the shore of the Lugu Lake live the Musuo people, a branch of the ethnic Naxi group who is the unique tribe that retains the traditions and practice of a matriarchal society. In the distinctive practices of the Musuo people, walking marriage (Zouhun) is the most amazing one. To experience the special local customs, by day, you can join in the work in the farm with the hardworking and hospitable folk, while when the night falls, you can follow them out on the boats to fish and sing under the shinning of the dim fishing light.

Opening Hours: the whole day

Ticket Price:
78 CNY
39 CNY for the soldiers, the disabled and the people between 60 and 70 years
Free for the kids below 1.3 m, the retired and the people more than 70-year-old

Location: Ninglang County, Yunnan Province (175 miles away from Lijiang City)

Transportation: Long-distance bus from Kunming and Lijiang will bring you here.
 

Built at the foot of the Yufeng Mountain in Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the Yufeng Monastery has experienced more than 400 years of history. What may amaze you most is the huge old camellia that planted in Ming Dynasty (1364-1644), 100 years earlier than the construction of the monastery. This camellia is praised as the King of the Camellia for the marvelous size of it.

From the beginning of the spring to the beginning of summer, the camellia will be fully blooming for 20 times without breaking off just like a peacock showing off her tail, and the amount of the flowers blooming at each time is more than 1000, therefore there are surprisingly 20,000 flowers blooming every year. This magic camellia is said to be improved through grafting, so the flowers blooming on this 2-meter-tall camellia are as large as a plate.

On the arrival of the spring, people will come all the way from near and far to have a close look at this huge camellia blooming under the reflecting of the gorgeous Yulong Mountain with the snow as the coat.

Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 18:00

Ticket Price: 20 CNY

Location: Yulong Mt., Lijiang City

Transportation: Taxi from Lijiang will bring you here.
 

With an average altitude of 4000, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (yu long xue shan) is the wonderful place with marvelous spectacles in the challenging environment. Ganhaizi is a piece of vast grassland in the east with beautiful sceneries that provides a good angle for people to enjoy the entire sight of the Jade Dragon Snow Mt. White River, originates from the Jade Dragon Snow Mt., is a crystal-like river flowing along the Mt.. Yunshanping, a virgin forest with abundant rare natural resources, is the holy land of the Naxi people. All of them make Jade Dragon Snow Mountain a good place for adventure, photography and expedition.

The mountains western flanks drop steeply to the Upper Yangtze River (Jinsha Jiang), helping to form magnificent, deep gorges, and the highest peak is Shanzidou. The summit, Shanzidou, is 5596 meters above sea level. Viewed from afar, the snow-capped range resembles a silver dragon with snow curling up its middle. Rich forest, herb and animal resources thrive on the mountain and a giant tram cart up here is one of the highest of its kind in China.

She is a botanist's paradise and a "kingdom of medicinal materials". Of the 13,000 kinds of plants in Yunnan, more than half of them can be found on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as well as 400 types of trees in 20 primeval forest communities. From April to June the azaleas turn the mountain into a riot of brilliant color. In autumn, blue rough gentian flowers cover her marshlands. She is decorated with blooming flowers 10 months of the year.

The mountain is also a sanctuary for animals, many of them rare animals that live at different temperature levels. She is home to 30 kinds of animals protected by the state, such as the wild ass, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, the lesser panda, the forest musk deer, the clouded leopard, the blood pheasant, the silver pheasant, and the spotted, yellowish civet cat.

She has attracted the attention of many scholars and travelers. Early in 1837, the French writer Bacier introduced Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in his acclaimed book "Universe". And seven years ago the chairman of the international Mountainous Region led a team to the mountain for field work.

In Lijiang City, you can have a magnificent view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, with the main peak thrust into the clouds, the Old Man Peak standing out on the right and Black Snow Peak on its left.

Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 16:00

Ticket Price:
190 CNY
80 CNY for the kids below 1.1 m

Location: 15 km away from the Lijiang city center

Transportation: Bus No. 7 (15 CNY) and taxi (100 CNY) will bring you here.
 

The Baisha Mural is a group of murals scattered around Lijiang City, which took 300 years to complete, therefore it is a reflection of the true life in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. Having been undergone over 500 years of history, part of the Baisha mural group somewhat becomes indistinct, but a large part of which still can tell you about the culture of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.

The mural group consists of more than 10 small groups, the amount of mural in all of which is up to 550. Those gorgeous murals with various styles, which are telling the stories of the religious belief and social life of the local, are a blooming intelligent show that you must visit.

Located in Baisha Township, 8km north of the seat of the Lijiang Naxi Nationality Autonomous County, the mural is a rich fusion that had resulted in a tremendously powerful art, heavy in spirit and awe-inspiring in its presentation of the mystical world. Dominated by black, silver, dark green, gold and red colors, the murals in the back hall, overlaid with centuries of brown soot, are bizarre, the scenes and figures, some still vivid in detail, are largely taken from Tibetan Buddhist iconography and include the wheel of life, judges of the underworld, the damned, titans and gods, Buddha and bodhisattvas. There are trigrams, lotus flowers and even Sanskrit inscriptions on the ceiling. The deliberate damage done to the paintings is apparent and terrible, but the loss of the irreplaceable wooden statuary that filled the temple, of which there is no trace, is even more tragic.

These mural paintings, with their fine and smooth lines, bright colors, vivid pattern and balanced and harmonious composition are a wonderful sight that is not only crucial to the history of Chinese painting, but also important to cultural heritage relics.

Opening Hours: 8:30 -- 17:00

Ticket Price: 40 CNY

Location: 12 km away from Lijiang city center

Transportation: Bus No. 6 from Lijiang will bring you here.
 

The Yangtze River Bend, as its name indicates, is the spot where the southwards running Yangtze River turns northeastward due to the block of the mountain, which, seen from a distance, looks like the letter V. Seeing the spectacular Yangtze River roaring down from the roof of the world and then making a sharp turn will be a wonderful experience.

From the sightseeing hill, in addition to the splendid view of the entire First Bend, you can have a good angle for the sunset. Under the shining of the sunset, the river shows off the most wonderful part by turning the green mountains around into shining golden mountains. In this paradise, flowers may fully bloom in spring and corps may grow into red and yellow in autumn, making a harmonious living environment on the bank of Yangtze River for the hospitable folks.

With the gradual deposit of fertile soil at this spot, a village slowly came into being, now called Shigu Town, meaning "stone drum" in Chinese. Since ancient times, this town has been important, linking Tibet with the outside world. Here Tibetan people bring their quality hide and herbal medicine to exchange with the local tea, salt, cloth and other necessities. If your tour schedule falls on the market day, you can join into the amazingly crowded and noisy town by yourself.

Opening Hours: the whole day

Ticket Price: free

Location: Naxi County, Lijiang

Transportation: Take the shuttle bus or the tour bus from the bus stations in Lijiang to the Shigu Town and then change the bus to here.
 

Stone village is in fact an ancient village with about 100 families living on the peak of the mountain with a mushroom shape. This mysterious village, facing the Chin-sha River, is embraced by steeps in the other sides. Therefore, there are only the North and South Gates as the access to the village. While, inside the gorgeous village the wide natural rock roads will show you around the amazingly splendid but simple stone-made architectures.

About 100km north of Lijiang, Baoshan Stone Village (baoshan shicheng) is located on a Herculean rock in the Jinsha River Valley. Virtually everything in the village is made of stone: stone ovens, stone water vats, stone beds, stone chairs and so on. The village is surrounded by cliffs on four sides with the Jinsha River flowing below and a small path leading to the outside world, one meter wide, creeps along the edge of the village.

The marvelous terraced fields created on the rocks with the clear mountain spring flowing down are a magic place where various sceneries can be seen. On the arrival of the spring, the newly transplanted corps is adorably green, while when the autumn falls, you will lose yourself at the scene that the golden rice, wheat and corns waving with the breeze. In addition, the huge stone carvings on the steep cliffs, created by the ancestors of the Naxi people, are the most spectacular scene that makes the tourists astonished.

Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 18:00

Ticket Price: 20 CNY

Location: 100 km away from Lijiang City

Transportation: Shuttle bus from Lijiang will bring you here.