Lijiang

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

China

$34.99

Shop Book

China, Yunnan province, Lijiang town. Naxi orchestra musician playng the flute at the Unesco World Heritage Site

Getty Images/AWL Images RM

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Lijiang

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

How popular is this time-locked place? Lijiang’s (丽江, Lìjiāng) maze of cobbled streets, rickety (or rickety-looking, given gentrification) wooden buildings and gushing canals suck in over eight million people a year. So thick are the crowds in the narrow alleys that it can feel like they've all arrived at the same time.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Lijiang

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain soars to some 5596m, and the massif's thirteen peaks dominate the skyline of the surrounding regions. Undeniably beautiful, the…

Black Dragon Pool Park

Lijiang

On the northern edge of town is Black Dragon Pool Park; the view from here of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is an obligatory photo stop in southwestern China…

Lijiang Old Town

Lijiang

The old town is centred on busy and touristy Old Market Square, with the Waterwheel defining the northern edge and the lively Zhongyi Market marking the…

Mu Family Mansion

Lijiang

The home of a Naxi chieftain, the Mu Family Mansion was heavily renovated (more like built from scratch) after the devastating earthquake that struck…

Museum of Dongba Culture

Lijiang

The Museum of Dongba Culture houses displays on Naxi dress and culture, Dongba pictographic script, Lijiang's old town and the dubious claim that the…

Lion Hill

Lijiang

Towering over the west side of Lijiang's Old Town, Lion Hill's 23 hectares of park land are a pleasant diversion. The obvious high point is the panoramic…

Dongba Cultural Institute

Lijiang

The Dongba Cultural Institute is part of a renovated complex on the hillside north of the old town. Here you can see Naxi cultural artefacts and scrolls…

White Horse Dragon Pool

Lijiang

Ancient pool still used by the locals to wash veggies from the nearby market and clothes from surrounding homes. The White Horse Dragon Pool Temple next…

View more attractions