Lijiang Old Town

Visit China’s Most Charming Old Town

Lijiang Old Town, also known as Dayan Town, is located in the central part of Lijiang City, with Elephant Hill and Jinhong Hill in the north, Lion Hill in west, and boundless farmland in the southeast. Lijiang Old Town is a town without city walls, and is characterized with timber-made houses, clean stone-paved paths, bridges and streams, brimming with a laid-back and peaceful atmosphere.

Lijiang is one of the historical and cultural old towns in China. Lijiang Old Town including Dayan Town, Baisha Town, and Shuhe Town, was entered into the UNESCO World Heritage list on December 4, 1997. From that day on, the local government pays considerable attention to the development and protection of the old city.

Located in the Yunnan-Guilin Plateau, Lijiang Old Town covers an area of 1 and a half square miles (3.8 square kilometers). It was built during the Southern Song Dynasty and boasts a history of more than 800 years, which during that time has been an important town in the east of Yunnan province. Now more than 25,000 people reside here and most of them are the Nanxi people. 30% of residents still deal in traditional handcrafts, such as bronze-ware, fur, leather, spinning and brewing, among others.

Residential homes belonging to the Naxi ethnic minority are ubiquitous in Lijiang Old Town. Rows of willows sway with the breeze and green-stone-paved paths stretch far into the distance, creating a picturesque landscape. With its dreamlike beautiful vistas and distinctive architectural composition, Lijiang Old Town has earned the reputation of “Suzhou in Highland”.