The old town of Lijiang city, located in the Lijiang autonomous county of the Nakhi (Naxi) ethnic minority in Yunnan province, is also called Dayan town, praised as the “Oriental Venice” and “Suzhou on the Plateau”. It is situated in the cental part of Lijiang dam, the only town built without a city wall among Chinese historic and cultural towns. The old town of Lijiang, a largely Nakhi settlement, was first constructed in the Southern Song Dynasty some 800 years ago. The old town, with an elevation of 2,476 meters on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, covers an area of 3.8 square meters. It has been a well-known confluence for trade and important town since ancient times. At present, there are over 6,200 households residing in the old town, with a population of 30,000, accounting for 30% of the total population engaged in the traditional handicraft and commercial activities, such as the manufacture of copper and silver ware, textile, and brewing industry.

Lijiang old town enjoys a long history blessed with beautiful scenery, simple and natural. It is perfectly adapted to the uneven topography of this key commercial and strategic site, possessing both a mountainous town style and the charm of a water village. Residents of Lijiang old town blend the essence of various ethnic minorities, such as Han, Bai, Yi, Tibet with the distinctive splendor of Nakhi. Lijiang is an exceptional ancient town set in a dramatic landscape which represents the harmonious fusion of different cultural traditions to produce an urban landscape of outstanding quality. It is of great importance in the research on Chinese architecture and culture. Besides, the ancient town of Lijiang, entailing rich cultures of various ethnic minorities, embodying the prosperity and development of Nakhi, is vital historical reference in the study on the development of human culture.

In December 1986, the old town of Lijiang was designated as a famous ancient historical and cultural city of national caliber. In 1997, UNESCO put Lijiang on the list of the World Cultural Heritage Site. It is a dreaming garden for people longing for a haven of peace different from today’s modern cities. Here, you can slow down your walking pace, appreciate the picturesque scenery along the street in tranquility, and at this time ordinary scene of skyscrapers, siren of cars, and bothering have been thrown away.
Beautiful Scenery of the Lijiang Ancient Town.

1, Ancient Streets
Streets in Lijiang old town were built along the lie of mountains and the flow of rivers. They are paved by the local bluestones which are neither muddy in the rainy season nor dusty in the dry season. The elegant floral designs and fine-grained stones add a sense of antique and mystery to the old town.
As the representative of the old town, the Square Street (Sifangjie) is the center of the old town. It is a trapezoid-shaped square with an area of 100 square meters, paved by granite stones, along the both sides the street placed with shops closely side by side. Since ancient times, the Square Street has been a collecting and distributing center of all kinds of products with travelers and traders coming and going. Four main streets radiate from Square Street and extent to the four directions, namely, the Guangyi Street, the Qiyi Street, the Wuyi Street and the Xinhua Street. Countless lanes extending in all directions form a network and connect every corner of the town.

2, Ancient Bridges
Water is the soul of the city. The whole city is like a net woven with rivers. Across the Jade River, there are 354 bridges, nearly 93 bridges per square kilometer. The form of bridges rang from lattice covered bridges, arch bridges, flagging bridges to plank bridges. The famous Suocui Bridge, Big Stone Bridge, Wanqian Bridge, Nanmen Bridge, Saddle Bridge and Renshou Bridge were all built in Ming and Qing dynasties. The representative bridge, Big Stone Bridge, located about 100 meters east of Square Street, was constructed in Ming Dynasty. It is also called Yingxueqiao Bridge, because people can see the reflection of Yulong Mountain (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) in the river. The bridge is paved by granite stones, 10 meters long, 4 meters wide with a gentle slope. It facilitates the traffic across the river.

3, Mu’s Palace
It was originally used as a government office by the hereditary Mu Family. Through wars and chaos the Mu’s Palace was rebuilt in the spring of 1998, and set up the Old Town Museum. After reconstruction, the Mu’s Palace covers an area of 46 mu toward the east. Along the axis, there are Zhongyi Stone Gateway, Yi Entrance, Former Administration Hall, Study Hall, Family Law Protection Hall, Exhibition Hall, Concert Hall, Tripurity Hall, etc, with a total of 162 rooms.

4, Five-Phoenix Tower of Fuguo Temple
Situated in the north of Black Dragon Pool Park, the Five-Phoenix Tower was initially constructed in 1601 A.D. In 1983, it was listed as important cultural relic protection units of Yunnan province. The Tower is 20 meters high, with 24 upturned eaves which make the tower look like five phoenixes spreading wings fly in the sky, so it’s called Five-Phoenix Tower. The ceilings are painted with the diagram of the universe (Taiji), Two Bliss (Dragon-Phoenix brocade) etc, with a combination of smooth lines and magnificent colors. Possessing the architectural style of Han, Tibet and Nakhi groups, the Five-Phoenix Tower is the rare treasure and typical building in ancient Chinese architecture.

5, Baisha Housing Cluster
Baisha housing cluster, about 8 kilometers north of Dayan town, once was the political, economic and cultural center of Lijiang during the reign of Song and Yuan dynasties. Baisha housing cluster is scattered on a south-north axis with a trapezoid-shaped square in the middle, four lanes radiating to the four directions. Residential buildings are built along the street, a crystal-clear river running through from the north. The formation and development of Baisha housing cluster lays a base on the later layout of Dayan town.

6. Shuhe Housing Cluster
Shuhe housing cluster, a small bazaar around Lijiang, is about 4 kilometers northwest of Lijiang old town. Shuhe is located at the foot of mountains and beside a stream, residential houses well-arranged. There is a spring in the street, called “Dragon Spring”. Qinglong River flows through the Shuhe village, with a Qinglong Bridge built in Ming Dynasty across the river. Qinglong Bridge is the largest stone arch bridge in Lijiang, 4 meters in height, 4.5 meters in width, 23 meters in length.