Lijiang

From ChinaTravelGuide

Jump to: navigation, search

Southwest China (西南) » Yunnan (云南) » Lijiang (丽江)

Yunnan Province

[edit] Overview

Lijiang (丽江市) is a city in northwestern Yunnan (云南) Province.

[edit] History

Lijiang City replaced former administrative region Lijiang Prefecture. Lijiang Prefecture no longer exists today.

--from wikipedia.org

[edit] Weather

Weather averages for Lijiang
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg high °C (°F)	24 (75)	27 (81)	31 (88)	34 (93)	34 (93)	34 (93)	34 (93)	34 (93)	32 (90)	30 (86)	27 (81)	24 (75)
Avg low °C (°F)	12 (54)	14 (57)	17 (63)	20 (68)	23 (73)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	23 (73)	21 (70)	16 (61)	12 (54)
Rain cm (inches)	1.28 (0.5)	1.55 (0.6)	1.89 (0.7)	3.33 (1.3)	8.14 (3.2)	9.32 (3.7)	10.41 (4.1)	8.7 (3.4)	6.28 (2.5)	4.63 (1.8)	3.35 (1.3)	0.75 (0.3)
Source: per MSN 2008

[edit] Map

Click here to open Lijiang map.

[edit] Photos

Lijiang Photos
Lijiang 1	Lijiang 2	Lijiang 3
Lijiang 4	Lijiang 5	Lijiang 6

[edit] Getting in & Getting out

[edit] By Air

Due to the popularity of Lijiang as a base by local Chinese tourists, there are many flights into Lijiang. The popular route from Kunming costs around 150-450RMB one way. The airport is located about 37km (about 40 minutes by car) from the city. After exiting the arrivals area take the 15RMB bus to the Blue Sky Hotel and from there take a taxi to your final destination into town. The return bus leaves from the same hotel 90 minutes before scheduled flights depart. Taxis are also available for about 60RMB into the old town. --from wikitravel.org

[edit] By Train

[edit] By Bus

The bus station is located south of the old city. Regular services to/from Shangrila and overnight service from Kunming stop here. You can take the number 11 bus in front of the bus station to the old town (get off at Baixin supermarket), or take a taxi. --from wikitravel.org

[edit] By Ship

[edit] Getting Around

[edit] By Public Bus

The public bus mainly stays within the city and stops between 8:00 to 9:00 pm. the mini-busses are the same price as the public bus within the city. They will have the number of the bus on the front windshield. The price of a mini-bus to a nearby village ranges from 2 - 5 yuan, but the starting location within the city is different for most villages. --from wikitravel.org

[edit] By Tour Bus

[edit] By Metro

[edit] By Taxi & Rental Car

Taxis are often the easiest way around the rest of town (cost: 7 Yuan, 2008, june price).

[edit] Attractions

Wenbishan Mountain Scenic Area (文笔山旅游景区)

[edit] Hotels

[edit] Budget

[edit] Mid Range

[edit] Luxury

[edit] Restaurants

There are three primary types of restaurants in Lijiang: Naxi, Tibetan, and Sichuan. Some restaurants offer more than one type of food. Much Western food is also available, but more expensive.

Try a bit of the local Naxi flavor at the many local restaurants. There is a delicious bread called Pali that is reminiscent of the Indian Naan.

Prague Cafe, (from main square take Easterly road, over a bridge, on the left(?)). The food's good and fairly reasonably priced (given the touristy area it's in) and it has a friendly atmosphere, but the drinks are expensive. Especially green tea! (10 Yuan/cup!)

Vegetarian:

Country Sky. Located on Hongye Street in Shuhe Ancient Village just outside of Lijiang. It serves both lunch and dinner and offers both vegetarian and traditional dishes at fair prices. Tel: 0888 5178132

Naxi style fried white cheese - a soft white cheese cut into slices then fried in a non-greasy batter. Served with sugar sprinkled on top and very delicious!

Yak's milk yogurt - has a bit of a different flavor than cow's milk yogurt, but very good. Commonly served with honey, muesli, and/or fruit. Can also be made into fruit shakes.

Tibetan/Western: Shangbala Cafe, 84 Yu Yuan Road in Old Town.(Stand with back to water wheel stay to the left side of the square and walk to the end of the square to the intersection. Across the street at the left corner you will see the cafe) Serves Tibetan teas, breads, tsangpa as well as Chinese and Western foods. They also specialize in organizing tours and visas to Tibet.

Tel: 86 888 888 5551 5120195 Fax: (same). Email: shangbala2005@yahoo.com.cn --from wikitravel.org

[edit] Shopping

Loads of tourist shops available in old town. Probably over priced, but Lijiang doesn't have as many cases of the "Westerner" price being too much higher than the "Chinese" price as in many other parts of China.

Burned wood carvings of Lijiang are one of the popular local specialties. Quality varies greatly by the individual artist, and prices vary by shops. Some shops do custom etchings of your face (near photo-realism) with Lijiang in the background - expect to have your picture taken, then come back in a few hours.

Yak horn combs are also popular, with some combs also carved from the yak hoof (the ones with the rougher edge on the handle)

Naxi clothing - also for 5 yuan, you can get your picture taken in them without having to buy them.
- Any shop that has "local skirts" that includes some with Ancient Egyptian designs is not recommended.

Dongba (东巴) art and writing samples - the Naxi have the only living hierographic language in the world, and shops with samples of it, or of the unique Naxi style art, are abundant.

Yunnan Coffee - it is coffee ground to a fine powder then added to water, although most contain milk and sugar powder already.

Warm Clothing- in the Old Town warm clothing is quite expensive if you are just looking for something cheap to keep the chill out. The road just outside the town by the waterwheel has very cheap hats, mitts, and even long johns. Just turn left at the first intersection.

DO NOT BUY a small red fruit shaped like a coconut. Actually, it is just a coconut painted red and sold for a very high price. This is a scam.

--from wikitravel.org

[edit] Night Life & Entertainment

Unlike the rest of China, Lijiang's cafes and restaurants shut down around 11pm.There are a couple of western style bars in town, near bar street. There are a couple of local drinks worthy of special mention. Lijiang Yinjiu and Sulima (both commonly available in Lijiang) are modern renditions of ancient beer types of the Naxi and Mosuo people and far more enjoyable than the typical bland Chinese lager. Yunnan is famous for tea, as well (though Pu Ehr itself is way down south on the road to Xishuanbanna) and every fourth shop is a tea shop specializing in the length and breadth of Chinese tea, the likes of which you will not find in your average Western Chinatown.

Several of the bars along "bar street" face each other across the narrow canal. From here singing erupts across the water by opposing teams of (usually) girls. In order to keep the singing going small donations are normally requested from the patrons.

Several western bars are beginning to spring up, notably Stone The Crows, an Irish run bar located in the heart of the old town and can be found serving at all hours of the night. Also 'Frosty Mornings' located in the new town - a larger western-run Mexican restaurant. --from wikitravel.org

[edit] Sports & Recreation

Upon entering the Old Town you will be approached by people selling antique-looking tourist maps of the Old Town. They cost about 5 Yuan and are extremely useful for finding your way around town. If you can read Chinese or are fortunate enough to find an English version then it also will give you a short history of the town and local festivals. An English version is essential for Mandarin-deficient travelers. Buy one from the tourism kiosk near the two old waterwheels at the north end of town. Most hotels will give you one if you ask for free.

For the music lover there is a Naxi Concert Hall where visitors can listen to traditional Naxi music performed by an orchestra including some of 70-90 year old men. The music itself is a combination of traditional Chinese music dating back to the Tang dynasty and local instruments and flavours. The show costs 120-160 yuan depending on the seat, and lasts for two hours. The music is well performed, however be prepared for long explanations of its musical history in Mandarin between each piece and the sometimes self-serving comments of Xuan Ke the Director. While the Naxi Ancient Music group of Lijiang is famous and well promoted, there are other excellent classical Chinese music groups playing in Lijiang's parks (for RMB10) or at weddings or house warmings all over Yunnan.

Along the main streams are girls selling candles that float on delicate flower-shaped styrofoam boats. Tourists can purchase one, make a wish, and send their candle down the waterways. In December 2007, the going rate was 10 yuan -- but no one was really buying. Late in the evening after groups have had significant amounts of alcohol you can see many floating candles sailing down the waterways. If you are environmentally conscious and have reservations about sending styrofoam downstream don't worry. There is a net, far down the waterway, that catches the boats. The girls just go down, pick the boats up, and re-sell them the next night.)

Rent a bike downtown (Ali Baba's near Mao Zedong's statue) for about 15 yuan per day (includes a bottle of water and a lock) and see the sights. Ali Baba's will give you a handmade map of smaller surrounding towns that capture the quaint styles of Lijiang without the heavy tourism and the tacky souvenir shops. There are at least 3 towns, ranging from converted hippy communes to remote farming villages. There is a beautiful remote Buddhist monastery at Puji Mountain which is worth the 30 minute hike. There is also a Tibetan village labeled on the map but is hard to find, so ask Ali Baba for directions. Most of the terrain around Lijiang is level and the roads have only light traffic. These small, non-touristy towns and other sightseeing destinations can be reached within a 20 minute ride.

To get to the Black Dragon Pool you can walk the canal path north near the main water wheel. It will take you to the south entrance of the park. Ticket price is 80 yuan for a rather small and mediocre Chinese park. Don't worry though, the north part of the park is free. You can get there by walking around the south entrance and keep heading north. You should reach a the street with the main entrance to the park. Keep going north and you'll see a small bridge that leads to a large white building. The white building is the Dongba Museum, everything north of that is free. If the guards bother you at the gate, just walk back to the street and keep walking north and there will be another path to get in to the free part with no gates or guards to bother you. Although the the ticket is expensive for the original part of the park there are many excellent photo opportunities within.

Further north of the park is a local college, and northwest of that is a small reservoir. The reservoir is a good place to take photos of the snow mountain when it's visible. On hot sunny days in the summer there will be lots of locals swimming there in the afternoon. At the local college you can find students to help you. The English building is the large pink one just right after you enter the south entrance. There is a student run Cafe that is open in the evening from 6:30 - 10 in the "butterfly" building, which is opposite of the English building. As of 2007 the school has an English corner every Thursday after lunch(~1:00 pm), and after dinner at ~5:40 pm. The English corner is so-so, but it's a great chance to ask students about where to go, and cheap transportation. Many of them are from other places in Yunnan.

If you would like to visit some of the Naxi villages in the hills surrounding Lijiang, you can rent a small van to take you around for about 100 to 300 yuan, depending on the drive rand how much Chinese you speak. There are regular minivans on Shangrila Road, the main road on the west side of town, who take locals to and from the villages. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a mini-van to go back to Lijiang after 5:00 pm if you don't make arrangements with the driver who took you there. The regular one way mini-van fee is 2.00 yuan to Shuhe, and about 3 - 5 yuan for villages farther north(2007). I highly recommend asking a student at the local college on where to find the mini-busses and the prices of the village you want to go. Many drivers will try and rip you off if you don't speak Chinese, and the buses are not always easy to find as they look the same as the private "3-8" busses that travel inside the city.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Visable from Lijiang, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is snow capped all year round. The area around the mountain has been declared a scenic area and incurs an entrance fee of 80 Yuan (in Dec 2007). This only seems to be collected when entering from the Lijiang end.

Impression Lijiang: This is a cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou (director of Hero, House of Flying Daggers), Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses. However, the show does not have a plot and is directed towards tourists. Tickets cost 190 yuan and can be bought from the ticket booth in the Old Town (make a right at the water wheels and walk down the main street, the booth will be on your left). The ticket price does not include transportation to and from the theater (approx 1 hour drive) or the entrance fee for the park (80 yuan). There is also an Old Town Preservation fee that the park tries to charge as well, however, this can be avoided by claiming to have already paid at you hotel (and showing your hotel key). Bus #7 will take you to the theater for only 10 yuan (can be caught across from the Mao Zedong statue) but be sure to find out what time the last bus leaves the park.

Ganhaizi (Dry Sea Meadow): The closest chair lift up the mountain to Lijiang. For 160 Yuan return it transports visitors to a large meadow located at 3050 metres. Yunshanping (Cloud Fir Meadow): From the reception centre which is located adjacent to Impression Lijiang on the Lijiang - Daju road a fleet of buses transports visitors to a cable car which then takes visitors to 4506 metres. Both bus transfer and cable car costs a total of 160 Yuan for a return trip. From the upper terminus of the cable car a walkway allows visitors to climb past a glacier to 4680 metres. If you make it this far you can have your name engraved on a medallion for 30Y. Allow up to an hour wait for the transfer bus and for the cable car on the way up and down if you don‘t avoid the tour groups. Allow for an hour travel time, each way, in addition to the potential wait time.

Máoniúpíng (Yak Meadow): The furtherest from Lijiang at a distance of 60 km, this cable car, costs 60 Yuan (for a round-trip). At an elevation of 3,500 metres and the least-visited of the three chair lifts this area offers grazing yaks, a Tibetan temple and a number of hiking possibilities. On the way to the chairlift’s lower terminus the road drips down and crosses a river. A number of yaks are located here where for a fee you can sit on one. Their owners seem to have no objection to visitors taking photos for no fee of the yaks standing in the river with awesome Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background. You can also access Yak Meadow by hopping aboard bus #7 across from the Mao Zedong statue which will take you to the Impression Lijiang theater for 10 yuan. At the theater there is a ticket booth to the left of the show entrance which sells tickets to both Spruce Meadow and Yak Meadow (80 yuan) and provides a tour bus to and from the cable cars and a cable car ticket. Be sure to find out what time the last bus passes the Impression Lijiang theater or you may find your self calling a taxi which could be expensive. Also see "Impression Lijiang" info for entrance fees to the park itself.

Baisha Village : Baisha village (白沙村) is a small village in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, part of Lijiang city, well-known for its Jade Dragon Snow Mountain range. It is the original settlement of the Naxi people who came to the greater Lijiang Valley over a thousand years ago. Made up of at least 12 smaller villages, the main village is Sanyuan (三元村)，which has one main stone street called of course, “Baisha street”. It has a typical Chinese "old-town" tourist setup, consisting of a stone paved street with a mixture of Chinese trinket sellers-shops and several quaint cafes to stop at relax, have a drink some Yunnan coffee eat a Naxi Pie and avoid the crowded Lijiang. A great escape from Lijiang Old-town tourist trap, only 12 KM north of town, you can rent a bike and get there in about 40 minutes. You should consider staying a few nights, in a Naxi family’s courtyard, no "hotel-Hostels" here. Even tough almost everything costs you a ticket price to do in China these days; you can do many things here for free! Like hike the local mountains threw the high alpine botanical garden and search for herbs on your way to the Jade Dragon Lake, the backside of Snow Jade Dragon Mountain. Visit some of the temples or traditional Naxi houses of the area before they are gone. --from wikitravel.org

[edit] Excursions & Day Trips

Qiaotou for Tiger Leaping Gorge - regular bus services are available from the main bus station. You can also take any Shangrila bound bus and have the driver drop you off at Qiaotou. Costs about 25RMB. If you take a Shangrila bus, make sure to ask for the ticket to Qiaotou only, otherwise they will charge you the the full fare to Shangrila.