Lijiang TripAdvisor: Top 10 Lijiang Attractions on TripAdvisor

For over 800 years, Lijiang Old Town, also known as Dayan Ancient Town, has always been the most vibrant area in the Lijiang City and has championed the best of city culture. Besides its fame of the largest and best ancient town in Lijiang, it is also one of the four best well-preserved ancient towns in the whole China. It comes no surprise that it was added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List as early as 1997.

When visiting Lijiang Old Town, stroll the flagstone-paved everywhere and wander among the old wooden architecture clusters are the must-dos. Mufu, the miniature Forbidden City, deserves your close visit. Besides, you are suggested to hike up to Wangu Temple to capture a panorama view of the whole town. The nightlife there is also buzzing. Forget your bed until you get exhausted.

>> 3 Days Romantic Lijiang Tour with Visits to Naxi Kingdom

Lugu Lake is located at where Sichuan meets Yunnan. It is about 204km away from Lijiang Old Town, which needs about 4~5 hours’ car ride. Considering the relatively long distance from Lijiang, tourists in hurry always put Lugu Lake off their travel list. However, if you have enough time and want a full culture system of Lijiang, we will recommend you a 2-day side trip to Lugu Lake. Here, you will be rewarded with not only crystal-clear lake view but also the mysterious culture of Mosuo - the Kingdom of Oriental Women.

>> 2 Days Magic Lugu Lake Tour with Mosuo Ethnic Culture

>> 5 Days Lijiang Lugu Lake with Mosuo Matriarchal Society Experience

Want to get up close and personal with peaks and epic hike in Lijiang, and then look no further than Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (or known as Yulong Snow Mountain). At the bottom of the mountain, you will be welcomed with beautiful alpine meadow at Ganhaizi and crystal-like river running over a beautiful set of terraces at Blue Moon Valley. Ride a cable car up to the mountain and you will be hugged by otherworldly splendid glaciers. It is such an amazing experience to be so close to these glorious glaciers, and it will obviously bring you something about the energy of nature and your life.

>> 3 Days Lijiang Cultural & Natural Tour with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Shuhe Ancient Town 8km northwest of Lijiang Old Town is also vital member of the Lijiang old town clusters, a UNESCO World Heritage. It is said Shuhe Ancient Town is one of the earliest settlements of Naxi ancestors in Lijiang. And it once served as a former staging post to the Tea Horse Road. Compared with Lijiang Old Town, Shuhe is less known by tourists, and thus makes Shuhe a less-crowded easy place to relax and stroll around while really taking in the China of old.

>> 3 Days Romantic Lijiang Tour with Visits to Naxi Kingdom

Follow the river to get out of Lijiang Old Town from the West Gate and go further north, you will find Black Dragon Pool (Heilongtan Park) in only 15 minutes around by walk. If you go with a taxi or bike, the travel time will be cut into several minutes. Such a close distance to Lijiang Old Town makes Black Dragon Pond Park a popular tourist site to be visited, let alone the ticket is already included in the one you’ve paid for Lijiang Old Town. Besides, the pond, pavilion, bridge, forest, and more significantly, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in a distance s, will set a perfect postcard background for your selfie or group shot!

>> 3 Days Romantic Lijiang Tour with Visits to Naxi Kingdom

Lijiang Impression Show is an open-air performance demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of Naxi, Yi and Bai minorities in Lijiang, with the real sacred Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as the backdrop. The large group of more than 500 actors with their unique and colorful costumes and the grand surroundings provide every audience an amazing visual feast. The show is one of the Top 7 Impression Shows directed by famous Yimou Zhang, the chief director of the opening and closing ceremony of 28th Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. However, unlike the other Impression Shows performed after night falls, Lijang Impression Show is presented during the day without using lights for effect, showing you more power of the actors and surrounding holy mountains.

>> 3 Days Lijiang Cultural & Natural Tour with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Baisha Old Town at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the birthplace of Naxi minority, and thus it remains somewhat the oldest cultural fragments of Naxi, including the Dongba pictograph, painting, scriptures, etc. The “Baisha Murals” here made in Ming and Qing Dynasty, which took more than 300 years to finish, is the highlight of the town and has attracted many tourists, especially foreigners. In Baisha Ancient Town, you can now find about 55 pieces of Baisha Murals, which give you a glimpse about what the ancient writing and life like. These murals are not very well preserved and too historic to understand, so you are not really suggested to visit it by yourself but with an experienced local guide.

>> 3 Days Romantic Lijiang Tour with Visits to Naxi Kingdom

The Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture is located near the entrance of Black Dragon Pond Park, about 2km north of Lijiang Old Town. It is a small but comprehensive museum that mainly introduces the culture and history of Nàxi Minority for visitors. The museum is free of charge. If you are a culture fan and have plans to visit Black Dragon Pond Park, it will be a great idea to take a short visit to the museum.

>> 3 Days Romantic Lijiang Tour with Visits to Naxi Kingdom

Tiger Leaping Gorge, or called Hutiaoxia, is settled at where Lijiang meets Shangri-La. Since it is officially under the jurisdiction of Shangri-La, you cannot find it on the list of Things to Do in Lijiang on TripAdvisor. However, most of the tourist heading to Lijiang will pay a visit to Tiger Leaping Gorge too, no matter they will travel Shangri-La or not, so we will still treat Tiger Leaping Gorge one of the highlights of Lijiang.

With a sheer drop of 3,790m, Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest gorges in the world. When hiking gingerly along the trails embedded on the cliff and looking up to see the grand snow-shrouded peaks, then down to see the lingering rays dancing on the rippling waters a thousand meters below, you will be moved about the power of nature. Plus the legends of Ancient Tea and Horse Road, and these may be the reasons why this trail is praised as one of the great hikes in southwest China!

>> 3 Days Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Tour

>> 4 Days Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Tour with Lijiang Highlights

Yangtze River First Bend is located on the north side of the highway leading from Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-La. Tourists usually make a stop here on their way to or going back from Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Yangtze River surges down from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and makes a big rare V- shaped bend when it reaches the high mountains and deep valleys at Shigu Town in Yunnan, and this is so-called Yangtze River First Bend or First Bend of Yangtze River. Such a lovely view can be captured at the hill in front of the river. Besides the bend, the small traditional town and the field created by the locals add more colors for a nice shot.

>> 5 Days Lijiang & Shangri-La Highlights Tour (Lijiang / Shangri-La)

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