Things to do in Lìjiāng
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Old Market Sq
Old Market Sq is the focual point of Old Town. Once the haunt of Naxi traders, they've long since made way for tacky souvenir stalls. However, the view up the hill and the surrounding lanes are still extraordinary, just be prepared to share the experience with hundreds if not thousands of other people.
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Black Dragon Pool Park
On the northern edge of town is the Black Dragon Pool Park; its view of Yùlóng Xuěshān (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) is the most obligatory photo shoot in southwestern China. The Dōngbā Research Institute is part of a renovated complex on the hillside here. You can see Naxi cultural artefacts and scrolls featuring a unique pictograph script.
Trails lead up Xiàng Shān (Elephant Hill) to a dilapidated gazebo and then across a spiny ridge past a communications centre and back down the other side, making a nice morning hike, but note the warning on.
The Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture is at the park's northern entrance and is a decent introduction to traditional Naxi lifest…
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Naxi Orchestra
One of the few things you can do in the evening in Lìjiāng is attend performances of this orchestra inside a beautiful building in the old town. Not only are all two dozen or so members Naxi, but they play a type of Taoist temple music (known as dòngjīng) that has been lost elsewhere in China. The pieces they perform are said to be faithful renditions of music from the Han, Song and Tang dynasties, and are played on original instruments. Local historian of note Xuan Ke often speaks for the group at performances.
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N's Kitchen
Clamber up the steep stairs for one of the best breakfasts in town, a monster burger and a cheery welcome. It's a good source of travel info too, as well as having mountain bikes for hire.
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Báimǎ Lóngtán
Báimǎ Lóngtán is a famous example of one of the pools that formed part of the web of arterylike canals that once brought the city's drinking water from Yuquan Spring (now called Black Dragon Pool Park). Where there are three pools, these were designated into pools for drinking, washing clothes and washing vegetables. Sadly, the days - not too long ago - when you would see locals washing their veggies in the streams after heading home from the market are a bit unthinkable now.
The town once had several water wheels, though the only one left now is Yulong Bridge Waterwheel, a reconstructed model at the north edge of the old town. The nearby monument celebrates Lìjiāng's…
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Mu Family Mansion
The former home of a Naxi chieftain, the Mu Family Mansion was heavily renovated (more like built from scratch) after the devasting earthquake that struck Lìjiāng in 1996. Mediocre captions do a poor job of introducing the Mu family but many travellers find the beautiful grounds reason enough to visit.
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Sakura Café
This unbelievably raucous place has gone from subdued and relaxed to utterly rè nào (hot and noisy, the way Chinese like it) in half a decade. It is actually one of several other 'Sakura Cafés' also found along this lane; perfectly located to draw in tourists, they absolutely swell with customers at night. You'll hardly hear yourself think at times, but the Korean bimbab set meal is still outrageously good.
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Looking at the Past Pavilion
The Looking at the Past Pavilion was raised for tourists at a cost of over one million yuán. It's famed for a unique design using dozens of four-storey pillars - unfortunately these were culled from northern Yúnnán old-growth forests. A path (with English signs) leads from Old Market Sq. It acts as a sentinel of sorts for the town. Sit on the slope in the early morning and watch the mist clearing as the old town comes to life.
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Lamu's House of Tibet
Lamu has been putting smiles and service before yuán for over a decade and, after a few relocations, she's finally nailed her spot in this casual pine-and-bamboo place on the north side of the old town. The upstairs is great for people-watching. It's a UN menu, but the Tibetan items are all you really need (though the Naxiburger rocks).
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Five Phoenix Hall
Five Phoenix Hall is a striking Ming dynasty, Naxi 20m-high edifice dating from 1601 but only moved to its current location in 1979. Its three roofs with eight eaves each are supposedly in the shape of phoenixes. It's located at the far side of the Black Dragon Pool near an art exhibition building and a pavilion with its own bridge across the water.
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Blue Papaya
One of the places many folks take the time to write about, this is among Lìjiāng's top casual-chic places. The Italian-centric food - heavy on pasta and fish - is excellent with many, many creative flourishes. The restaurant is also home to a 'cultural exchange academy', offering courses on cooking, massage, taichiand more.
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Petit Lìjiāng Bookcafé
Owners Mei and Olivier are great sources of travel information, and the food (a mix of classic Chinese and Western dishes) and atmosphere are fine (head upstairs for the best seats). The bookshop has a small but good collection of English- and French-language titles focusing on Yúnnán and elsewhere in China.
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Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture
The Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture houses displays on Naxi dress and culture, Dōngbā script, Lìjiāng's old town and the dubious claim that the region is the 'real' Shangri-la. It is at the Black Drangon Pool Park's northern entrance, and is worth a visit if you have the time.
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Naku Café
Not many folks seem to wander into this casual eatery run by some very shy but very friendly staff. Local Naxi dishes outshine the foreign items: the Naxi claypot needs salt but is packed with tofu, potato, turnip, carrots, broccoli and cabbage.
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Xiàng Shān
Xiàng Shān is west of Old Town. You can follow one of the many rails that lead straight up to a dilapidated gazebo and then across a spiny ridge past a communications centre and back down the other side, making a nice morning hike.
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Prague Café
Heading off for the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek? You can't go wrong with the Naxi breakfast: fried goat cheese, ham and a potato pancake as big as your head will have you all set. Great staff, crowd and atmosphere.
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Mama Fu's
An original Lìjiāng culinary cornerstone from way back, alfresco dining here beside a tranquil stream provides one of the best people-watching opportunities in the old town. The Chinese dishes are very solid, especially the Naxi ones (try the chǎo hǎicài, a local vegetable speciality).
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Dongba Research Institute
The Dongba Research Institute is part of a renovated complex on the hillside north of Old Town. Here you can see Naxi cultural artefacts and scrolls featuring a unique pictograph script.
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Well Bistro
Laid-back and friendly, this is an oasis in a busy part of the old town and a great place to relax after a day's walking. Western breakfasts, burgers, pasta and pizza (from Y30), as well as rice and noodle dishes, and great coffee and proper booze. There's a book exchange here too and wi-fi.
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Blue Page Vegetarian Restaurant
Pretty much everything this place does is done right. Find nouveau veggie dishes, along with Indian and Chinese, all in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere.
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Kegong Archway
The Kegong Archway is the scene of celebrations marking the birthday of the local god Sanduo on the eighth day of the second lunar month (March).
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Mandarin Book & CDs
Has a fantastic choice of English books and maps on Lìjiāng and the region. Also German, French and other foreign language titles.
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Tiān Hé Cāntīng
It's hard to find a neighbourhood-style restaurant in the old town, or one that doesn't also serve Western food, but this place hits the spot with a mix of Naxi dishes and Chinese staples like dumplings, hotpots and gōng bǎo jī dīng.
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Old Town
If a waterside location indeed engenders good fortune, then Lìjiāng is lucky, lucky, lucky. The old town is dissected by a web of arterylike canals that once brought the city's drinking water from Yuquan Spring, in what is now Black Dragon Pool Park. Several wells and pools are still in use around town (but hard to find). Where there are three pools, these were designated into pools for drinking, washing clothes and washing vegetables. A famous example of these is the White Horse Dragon Pool in the deep south of the old town, where you can still see the odd local washing their veggies after buying them in the market.
The focus of the old town is the busy Old Market Squar…
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Dongba Palace
This government run place has a less-authentic song-and-dance show.
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