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.
