Set in a picturesque valley with a stunning mountain backdrop, Lijiang’s Old Town, Dayan, is a labyrinth of cobbled alleys lined with wooden houses, cafes, and the workshops of traditional craftsmen. Home to the Naxi people, Dayan is one of the most pleasant urban scenes in China. Lijiang came to international attention in 1996 when an earthquake killed over 300 people and devastated the city. Money poured into Dayan’s relatively sensitive reconstruction, and numerous hotels as well as an airport were built. In 1999, Lijiang was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Shizi Shan (Lion Hill) divides the Old Town (Dayan) from the New Town, where most hotels and other amenities can be found. There are a few sights just south of Dayan, on Shizi Shan, and clustered around Heilong Tan (Black Dragon Pool), north of Dayan. The countryside surrounding Lijiang is dotted with Naxi hamlets, many of which have interesting temples. Some of these can be reached by bicycle; otherwise by a short bus trip.

Wangu Lou

Standing at the highest point in Lijiang, this 33-m pavilion is accessible from either the old town or from Minzu Lu on the west side of the hill. A recently-built, four-story edifice with huge wooden pillars, it offers superb views overlooking the old town.

Mu Fu

The Mu were Lijiang’s ruling family up to 1723 and the mansion they built for themselves at the south end of the Old Town contained over 100 buildings. Destroyed by the Qing Dynasty, the residence was built after the earthquake on the ruins of traditional housing in Han, Naxi, Bai, and Tibetan architectural styles.

Heilong Tan Gongyuan

On the northern edge of town, Black Dragon Pool Park is stunningly picturesque with the elegant Deyue Lou placed at the center of a carp-filled pool, and backdrop by the peak of Yulong Xue Shan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain). The Dongba Research Institute, in the southwest corner of the park, is an academic institution for the preservation of Naxi nationality culture – there are about thirty dongba shamans here, studying and translating Naxi religious texts. In the north of the park stands a set of halls transported during the 1970s from what was once Lijiang’s biggest monastery, Fuguo Temple. The grandest is the 20-m, triple-roofed Wufeng Lou (Five Phoenix Hall), built in 1601. The Museum of Naxi Culture, by the park’s north gate, holds exhibitions on Naxi dress and customs.