Attractions · Lijiang

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stands across the northern end of the Lijiang basin, about 15 kilometres from the old town, a spur of the Yunling range in the Hengduan Mountains. Its main peak, Shanzidou, rises to 5,596 metres and is revered by the Naxi as the incarnation of their guardian deity Sanduo; on the eighth day of the second lunar month the whole community makes offerings to the mountain at the Sanduo Festival, and the summit has never been open to climbing. Modern maritime glaciers are developed on the mountain, and the Baishui No. 1 Glacier is one of the southernmost modern glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere; the Glacier Park cableway carries visitors to its upper station at 4,506 metres, from which boardwalks climb to a viewpoint at 4,680 metres. At the foot of the mountain, Ganhaizi is an alpine meadow at about 3,000 metres, once a pasture and now the spot for photographing all thirteen peaks; Zhang Yimou's open-air production Impression Lijiang uses the snow mountain as its backdrop and is performed by local farmers of various ethnic groups. Snowmelt forms the White Water River, named for the white gravel covering its bed, and along its course the four lakes Yuye, Jingtan, Lanyue and Tingtao are linked together, their water indigo blue — the area visitors call Blue Moon Valley. Tip: buy cable-car tickets in advance, as queues are likely in peak season. Practical info: located at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area, Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan; ticket ¥100 (cable car separate); opening hours 07:30–17:30.

Tip: Buy cable-car tickets in advance, as queues are likely in peak season.

• Address: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area, Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan
• Ticket: ¥100 (cable car separate)
• Opening: 07:30–17:30

Mufu was the residence of the Naxi Mu chieftains of Lijiang, first built in the Ming dynasty and covering more than 100 mu at its height. The present buildings were reconstructed in the 1990s on the original layout; along the central axis are the Council Hall, Wanjuan Library, Dharma Hall, Guangbi Tower and Sanqing Hall, combining Central Plains official architecture with Naxi vernacular features. The Mu chieftains governed Lijiang for several hundred years from the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and Xu Xiake visited at the invitation of Mu Zeng and left a record. From the rear of the residence it is a direct climb to Wangu Tower on Lion Hill. The residence of the Naxi Mu chieftains is celebrated as "the Forbidden City in the north, Mufu in the south." The Council Hall, Wanjuan Library and Dharma Hall on the central axis are built against the hill, and climbing the rear hill gives a panorama of Lijiang Old Town — the best entry point for understanding Naxi history. Tip: hire a guide to understand the chieftains' history; combine with the old town and climb Lion Hill in the afternoon for the panorama. Practical info: located at 49 Guanyuan Lane, Guangyi Street, Gucheng District, Lijiang; ticket ¥40; opening hours 08:30–17:30. Best season: spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are pleasant for visiting the old town and the snow mountains.

Tip: Hire a guide to understand the chieftains' history; combine with the old town and climb Lion Hill in the after…

• Address: 49 Guanyuan Lane, Guangyi Street, Gucheng District, Lijiang
• Ticket: ¥40
• Opening: 08:30–17:30

Lijiang Old Town took shape at the turn of the Song and Yuan dynasties. After the magnitude-7.0 earthquake of 3 February 1996, its lanes and courtyards were restored to their original appearance, and the following year it was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The town has no walls: tradition says that because the hereditary chieftains bore the surname Mu ("wood"), a wall enclosing Mu would form the character kun, meaning "trapped," so Lion Hill and the Elephant Hill of Black Dragon Pool served as its natural screen. The Jade River, rising at Elephant Hill in Black Dragon Pool, divides into east, middle and west channels as soon as it enters the town and then breaks into countless channels threading the streets and houses: follow the water downstream to enter and upstream to find the way out. The "three-eye wells" — upper pool for drinking, middle for washing vegetables, lower for laundry — are still in use. Houses are mostly timber courtyards of the "three wings and a screen wall" and "four-sided courtyard with five skylights" types, and the lanes are paved with local five-flower stone (breccia) that does not become slippery in rain. The old town, with Sifang Street as its market, was once a major town on the Yunnan–Tibet Tea Horse Road, while the Mu Residence on successive terraces was the seat of the Mu chieftains, who received office under the Yuan and held it hereditarily until the abolition of native chieftainships in the first year of the Yongzheng reign (1723) — nearly five hundred years. Highlights include the Great Water Wheel. Tip: go at dusk to enjoy both the daytime quiet and the evening bustle. Practical info: located at Lijiang Old Town Scenic Area, Gucheng District, Lijiang, Yunnan; admission free (¥50 old-town maintenance fee); open all day.

Tip: Go at dusk to enjoy both the daytime quiet and the evening bustle.

• Address: Lijiang Old Town Scenic Area, Gucheng District, Lijiang, Yunnan
• Ticket: Free (¥50 old-town maintenance fee)
• Opening: Open all day

Lugu Lake is a highland fault lake between Yunnan and Sichuan, with the Yunnan side in Ninglang and the Sichuan side in Yanyuan. The lake surface lies at 2,690 metres and covers more than 50 square kilometres, with five whole islands and three peninsulas in the water, of which Lige Peninsula and Liwubi Island are the best known. Fed by rainfall, springs and groundwater, it never dries up, and among the highland lakes of southwest China it is noted for its depth and water quality. The Mosuo live around the lake — classified as Naxi in Yunnan and Mongolian in Sichuan — and still keep the matrilineal extended family: a woman heads the household, property is inherited through the female line, men and women visit each other in walking marriages under the name "axia" (azhu), children are raised in the mother's home and disciplined by their maternal uncle, and the hearth is the center of the house. On the twenty-fifth day of the seventh lunar month, the Mountain-Wrapping Festival, villagers circle the lake with offerings and row around it; the Walking Marriage Bridge crosses the reeds of Grass Sea, and the pig-trough boats on the lake evolved from dugout canoes. Highlights include a Mosuo home visit. Tip: allow two days and stay at a lakeside guesthouse. Practical info: located at Lugu Lake Town, Ninglang Yi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan; ticket ¥70; open all day.

Tip: Allow two days for the visit and stay at a lakeside guesthouse.

• Address: Lugu Lake Town, Ninglang Yi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan
• Ticket: ¥70
• Opening: Open all day

The old town is backed by the Jubao, Longquan and Lianhua hills, while the Qinglong, Jiuding and Shu rivers run through it, forming a pattern of "ancient roads, springs and homes" across about 5 square kilometres. In 1997 Shuhe was inscribed on the World Heritage List as part of "Old Town of Lijiang," and in 2005 it was rated a national 4A scenic area. From the Ming dynasty onward, leatherworkers and craftsmen gathered in Shuhe, and the town gradually became a major stop on the Tea Horse Road and a center of Naxi cultural exchange. Qinglong Bridge, west of the old Sifang Street, was built during the Ming Wanli reign; 25 metres long, 4.5 metres wide and 4 metres high, it is the finest old stone bridge in Lijiang. Dajue Palace, a Ming building, now houses the Tea Horse Road Museum; listed in 2013 in the seventh batch of national key cultural relics, it preserves six Ming murals combining Han and Tibetan styles. Highlights include Shuhe Sifang Street and Jiuding Dragon Pool. Tip: the town is open all day with free entry and has fewer visitors than Dayan, so it suits a slow half-day. Practical info: located inside the Shuhe Ancient Town Archway, Shuhe Road, Gucheng District, Lijiang, Yunnan; admission free (combined tickets for sights inside, horse riding and guided tours are charged separately; subject to official notices); open all day.

Tip: The town is open all day with free entry and has fewer visitors than Dayan, so it suits a slow half-day.

• Address: Inside the Shuhe Ancient Town Archway, Shuhe Road, Gucheng District, Lijiang, Yunnan
• Ticket: Free (combined tickets for sights inside, horse riding and guided tours are charged separately; subject to official notices)
• Opening: Open all day