A canal-lined old town at 2,400 meters under a glacier-topped peak, with mountain day trips and Dali two hours away by train.
A canal-lined old town at 2,400 meters under a glacier-topped peak, with mountain day trips and Dali two hours away by train.
Stone lanes, canals and wooden Naxi houses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, with shops, inns and bars in the main lanes. A ¥50 maintenance fee, valid for 365 days, covers Dayan with Black Dragon Pool, Shuhe and Baisha.
A smaller, calmer old town about 4 km northwest of Dayan, with a stream, a stone bridge and a central market square. The same maintenance fee covers it.
The glacier peak north of town. The Glacier Park cable car climbs to 4,506 m and must be booked as a timed, real-name ticket; the park fee is ¥100 and the cable car ¥140 with the shuttle bus.
A chain of turquoise lakes below the mountain, included in the park fee. Take the shuttle to the top stop and walk down the boardwalk; an electric cart is optional.
A deep gorge on the Jinsha River, about 2 hours from Lijiang by road. Most visitors see the Upper Gorge viewpoint on a day trip; fit walkers take two days on the High Trail.
Another old town, on a plain between the Cangshan range and Erhai Lake, about 2 hours south by train. Worth a night or two on the way to or from Kunming.
A pan-fried wheat flatbread, sweet or savory, sometimes filled with sesame or walnuts.
Salt-cured, air-dried pork ribs simmered with vegetables into a rich broth; the main course of a traditional Naxi meal.
A soft jelly of ground chickpeas, topped with chili, vinegar and green onion.
A Yunnan dish where the hot broth comes separately and you cook the meat, vegetables and noodles in it at the table.
Chicken steamed in a special clay pot with local mushrooms and herbs.
Lijiang is a mountain town in northwest Yunnan, at about 2,400 meters, below the glacier of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Its Old Town of canals, stone lanes and wooden Naxi houses is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its main lanes are given over to shops, inns and bars. Music carries from Sifang Street and the bar street until about midnight, so light sleepers should pick an inn on a quiet side lane.
It suits travelers who want mountains, clear air and easy walks after the big cities. The simplest way in is a short flight from Chengdu, and Lijiang combines well with Dali and Kunming by train.
Keep the first day gentle while you adjust to the altitude. Walk the Old Town in the morning, then take a DiDi to Shuhe for the afternoon and eat a hotpot dinner back in town.
Give the second day to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Book the cable car slot as soon as tickets open, go up early, and spend the afternoon walking down through Blue Moon Valley. On the third day, either drive to the Upper Gorge viewpoint at Tiger Leaping Gorge, or take the train to Dali for a night or two before heading on to Kunming.
Pay for DiDi with Alipay or a linked foreign card; the paying in China guide explains the setup.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
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