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The headline things to do in Lijiang

From the Lijiang guide — these are the items that anchor a 1-day visit. For the full breakdown, read the Lijiang travel guide.

1. Dayan Old Town — Dayan (UNESCO core)

   The 800-year-old UNESCO-listed core of Lijiang — a labyrinth of cobblestone lanes, stone bridges over rushing canals, and traditional Naxi courtyard houses with upturned eaves and wooden lattice windows. The Sifang Square (Square Street) is the central crossroads where four canals meet. Wandering aimlessly through the back alleys at sunrise (06:30) before the tour buses arrive is the single best Lijiang experience. Free entry but a 50 RMB Old Town Maintenance Fee applies to most visitors.

2. Black Dragon Pool (Heilongtan Park) — North of Old Town

   A spring-fed pool at the foot of Elephant Hill with the Deyue Pavilion reflected on the water and the snow-capped Jade Dragon Mountain rising directly behind — the most photographed view in Yunnan. The Dongba Cultural Research Institute on the park grounds preserves Naxi pictographic manuscripts. Best at sunrise (mountain visible) before the haze sets in. Park entry is included in the Old Town fee.

3. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan) — 25 km north of Lijiang

   The 5,596 m sacred peak that dominates Lijiang's skyline — a glaciated massif that the Naxi consider the embodiment of their guardian god. Three cable cars access the mountain at different elevations: the Glacier Park cable car (4,506 m, the highest, oxygen recommended), the Spruce Meadow (3,200 m, easier), and Yak Meadow (3,500 m). The Impression Lijiang outdoor performance by Zhang Yimou plays at 3,100 m. 130 RMB entry + 120-180 RMB cable cars.

4. Mu Family Mansion (Mufu) — Southern Old Town

   The ancestral residence of the Mu Tusi family who ruled Lijiang for 22 generations (1382-1723) — a complex of pavilions, gardens, and ceremonial halls modelled on the Forbidden City but built to Naxi proportions. Largely reconstructed after 1996 but well done. The hilltop Wanguanlou pavilion offers an excellent view back over the Old Town's grey-tile roofs. 60 RMB admission.

5. Shuhe Old Town — Shuhe (4 km north)

   The smaller, older sister town of Dayan — also UNESCO listed, 4 km north and considerably less crowded. Founded by the Naxi as a trading post on the Tea Horse Road; the Sifang Square here is quieter and the canals just as picturesque. Many visitors prefer Shuhe for an overnight stay (cheaper guesthouses, calmer evenings) and Dayan for daytime sightseeing. 40 RMB entry fee, often not enforced.

6. Baisha Old Town & Frescoes — Baisha (10 km north)

   The original capital of the Naxi kingdom before they moved to Lijiang in the 13th century — tiny, sleepy, far less developed than Dayan. The Baisha Frescoes (15th-17th century, in the Dabaoji Palace and Liuli Temple) are unique syncretic religious paintings combining Tibetan Buddhist, Daoist, and Han Chinese imagery. 30 RMB. Very few crowds.

7. Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiaoxia) — 100 km north (day trip or 2-day trek)

   One of the world's deepest river canyons — the Jinsha River (upper Yangtze) cuts a 3,790 m deep gorge between the 5,596 m Jade Dragon Mountain and the 5,396 m Haba Snow Mountain, 100 km north of Lijiang. The 2-day high trail trek (22 km, 2,670 m to 2,250 m elevation, with the dramatic 28 Bends climb) is one of China's great hikes. Tina's Guesthouse and Halfway Guesthouse provide en-route accommodation. 65 RMB entry.

8. Naxi Orchestra Performance — Old Town (Naxi Music Academy)

   Master Xuan Ke's orchestra plays Dongjing music — Tang and Song dynasty court music preserved nowhere else in China — on traditional instruments by mostly elderly Naxi musicians. The 1.5-hour performance at the Naxi Music Academy in the Old Town is genuinely unique cultural heritage and the most thoughtful evening activity in Lijiang. Daily 20:00; 140-180 RMB.

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