Lijiang

Lijiang was one of the highlights of my stay in China. It was my base while in Yunnan Province, taking tour buses to different sight in the north part of the province. I stayed in Lijiang's Old Town which was restored back to its original state after an earthquake in 1996 destroyed much of Lijiang.

In restoring Old Town, they use materials and techniques of the traditional Naxi ethnic group which resides there. Most buildings are made of wood, they are two storied with a central court yard around which family life was centered. Intricate carved wood is use though out the house. The window screens on the houses are a lattice work of wood or even more impressively made up of carved birds, flowers and animals.

The layout of Old Town flows around three canals. The water is from the surrounding mountains and is crystal clear. The canals serve as the arteries of the city. They divide the town into sections and can help guide lost tourist through the maze of stone streets and alleys. Getting lost is all part of the package.


Lijiang is somewhat commercial but not to the point of loosing its authenticity. Most things sold are hand crafted and relate at least tangentially to the culture. The restaurants all seem to have some local dishes, which have some similarity to Sichuan cuisine.

My guide in Lijiang, Li Shuang, was the best guide I encountered in China. His English was good, his knowledge of the culture was great and he seemed to understand Westerns. In fact he had many ex patriot friends in Old Town. He very good at arranging my accommodations (see photos of my hotel) and making sure I connected with my other tour guides and transportation. The last evening I was there he took a Ming Huang, physicist living Oxford England originally from China, to one of the bars/restaurants.

The bars in Old Town are very interesting. Many have entertainment on the first floor and on the second floor the windows can be opened to the canal and street below. From these balconies patrons in one bar will sing a song to the patrons across the canal, who will answer back with a song. The songs get more out of tune and shorter as the night rolls on. This is due mostly to, some surprisingly good, 100 proof "wine".