Lijiang
Old Town
 The
ancient city of Lijiang is situated in the
northwest of Young Province, south of the
Yulong (Jade Dragon) Snow Mountain, and
at the upper reaches of the Jinsha River.
This is also the first bend on the Changjiang
River, better known as Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Here, at the very heart of the
ancient Naxi Kingdom, "Dongba"
culture still exists today. Lijiang is incredibly
rich in cultural resources, home to the
Baisha Frescoes (a national historical relic)
and "Naxi Dongjing Music" being
living examples of Tang and Song Dynasty
art, and also Dongba hieroglyphs, the only
existing pictographs in the world.
Dayan Town, the capital of Lijiang,
was first built at the beginning of the
Yuan Dynasty. This town is known as "Oriental
Venice", or "Suzhou on the Plateau",
with water flowing past almost every household,
and every home surrounded by picturesque
willow trees.
 Lijiang
abounds in water resources. The Jinsha River
winds its way through this area for 447
km. Lijiang is also rich in flora and fauna
with over 20 virgin forests, over 800 species
of medical plant, almost 3000 species of
seed plant, and over 20 species of animal.
The nicest aspect of life
in Lijiang however, is the feeling that
this was, and in many respects still is,
a vitally important historical center..
Although tourism has taken over the town,
the effects of this have not really been
too detrimental and the wealth of historical
treasures here is incredibly rich. The locals
are also very friendly, welcoming visitors
to their city, allowing outsiders to get
a unique glimpse of an intriguing and rich
ancient culture.
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