Situated on the Lijiang plain at an elevation of 2,400 meters, Lijiang, also known as Dayan Old Town, used to be a former trading town and a stop for traders carrying goods on the Ancient Tea and Horse Road.
It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
First built in the late Song Dynasty (860-1279), the town is characterized by ancient cobbled streets, stone bridges, and canals decorated with flowers.
The town also possesses an ancient water supply system of great complexity and ingenuity.
Red lanterns are hung in front of the buildings, a distinctive feature of ancient towns in China.
Residential houses there adopt the essential architecture arts of Naxi, Bai, Tibet, and Han communities.
Most of them are wood-tile structures without the usage of nails each with a courtyard that is planted with trees and flowers.
Lijiang is also known as the 'Venice of the East' because of its intricate canal system.
It is estimated that there are over 350 bridges, mostly built between the 14th and the 19th century.
Among them, the most famous is the Dashi Bridge, lying 100 meters east from the Sifang Street and built by the Mu family in the Ming Dynasty.
A taxi from the Lijiang Airport to Lijiang Ancient Town costs around 80 yuans (US$11). Another way is to take a shuttle bus to Lijiang Blue Sky Inn and then take a taxi to the town.
The best time to visit Lijiang is autumn.
In the evening, Lijiang is lit up with thousands of lanterns, as well as restaurants and colorfully decorated small landscape areas, creating a vibrant atmosphere different from the quiet, gentleness of daytime.
Visitors can also travel back to ancient times with traditional costumes sold and rented there at affordable prices.
The town has many shops selling Yunnan specialties for visitors to enjoy such as Yak beef, tea, and rose cakes.
