Lijiang and Baisha

Lijiang

In the north-west of Yunnan province you will find the town Lijiang, at 2415 meters height. This beautiful town at the foot of the Yulongxue Shan is home to the Naxi-people, one of the larger minorities, “The Snow-mountain of the Jade Dragon” and the Tiger Leaping Gorge.


At dark Lijiang turns into a fairytale town, mazes by traditional Naxi-buildings. Get a closer look at the buildings, which survived the earthquake of 1996 and don’t consider getting lost, towns like Lijiang are worth it.

Heilongtan

The Black Dragon Pool, in the north of the town is a big park with a pool, pavilions and museum for the shamanistic Dongha-religion of the Naxi-people. Walk further and climb the Wangulou Hill to get a panoramic overview of the town.

By bike you can also easily visit some sights nearby Lijiang:

  • Longquan is authentic village at 3km distance from Lijiang.
  • Jiuding Longtan is “The Dragon Pool of the Nine Boats”, but because of the clear blue water it is also called “The Dragon Source”.

Baisha

The village of Baisha is located 8 km north of Lijiang. The village is famous for its collection of religious fresco’s (Bihua), which partly have been destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. However, it is even more attractive for the reason that you will find original Naxi live there. People are still wearing their traditional costumes, houses haven’t been modernized. It is a cozy little village without cars, souvenir shops and mass-tourism.

 


By shooting pictures of the frescos you will risk getting a big fine.

Yufeng monastery

The Tibetan Lamaism monastery you will find at the foot of the Yulongxue Shan, located 5km at the north of Baisha. The monastery is famous, because of its 500 year old Magnolia tree, which bloom every spring again.

You will also find the other Tibetan “Fuguo” and “Puji” monasteries at the north-west of Lijiang.

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