Lijiang Old Town walks, Yunnan, South-West China
Along with Dali, Lijiang is one of the most popular locations for visitors to Yunnan in South-West China, attracted by the colourful streets of the Old Town. Many foreign visitors set out from here for hikes in the mountains to the west, in the foothills of the Himalayas. It was out "base camp" for hiking trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge, and a day's cycling in the countryside. Others go on to Zhongdian, 200km north, now being officially promoted as the location of "Shangri-la".
Like many other tourist towns, Lijiang has a clear divide between the historic Old Town (a World Heritiage Site) and the modern town. We took walks around the narrow old streets and up to a great viewpoint on our final day.
- I’ll remember most the view over the roofs of the Old Town.
- The best bit was seeing the people in traditional dress in the square
- The worst bit was suffering the first bout of tummy troubles
- The funniest aspect was the hawker who sang Scottish songs to us at our restaurant (see part 2)
- A particularly relaxing spot was the cafe overlooking the town, run by a young musician (also part 2)
- I didn’t know what to expect here - it was a magical place to visit, despite the commercialisation
- Particularly noticeable is the new tourism development
- some reflections on being a tourist in China are in the Lijiang Old Town story
Click below to read part 1 of the story.
Key Facts
| Location | In Yunnan, close to Tibet, South-West China |
| Date walked | June 2005 |
| Walk type | Town and City walks |
| Difficulty | Suitable for anyone who enjoys an easy walk, no special footwear required |
| Distance | 2km |
| Time taken | 2 hrs 0 mins |
| Map used | Town map in Lonely Planet Guide |
| Walk source info | Lonely Planet guide - but mainly just exploring around the town |
| Getting there | We flew from Kunming, the main city in Yunnan, but there are regular buses as well |
| Places to stay | Wide choice of guest houses and hotels in Lijiang old town |
| Other features | Black Dragon Pool Park with view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain; Looking at the Past Pavilion overlooking the town |
| Disabled access | No |
