Any tips for traveling in Lijiang?

Lijiang is a beautiful name. Let everyone who loves life, travel and romance be yearning for it. I went to Lijiang once in 2016, but this year I came up with the idea of ??going there again. This is because I miss the scenery of Lijiang, the life in Lijiang, and most importantly, the magical land of Lijiang.

1 Preparation before the trip

For this trip to Lijiang, I started from Zunyi, Guizhou. Now it is very convenient to go from Zunyi to Lijiang. There are direct flights and the flight time is only 1 hour and 20 minutes. It is really efficient and convenient. For friends in Zunyi, it is really a benefit.

Think about the last time I went to Lijiang. Now I took an ordinary train to Kunming (Kunming didn’t have high-speed rail yet), then took a train to Dali, and finally took a bus to Lijiang. It was really a boat ride. Tired and tired, it is very tiring for young people. If there are old people and children, it will be a painful riding experience. In fact, transportation in Yunnan has always been a "difficult" problem. Many beautiful places are deterred by traffic because of traffic. But now that there are direct flights available, it is really convenient.

After a short flight, I arrived at Lijiang Sanyi Airport smoothly. There are many ways to reach the ancient city from the airport. The one I chose was to book the pick-up service in advance. The cost is 80 yuan, but a more economical way is to take the airport bus, which can also go directly to Lijiang city. It costs 20 yuan to arrive in the city, and then you can take a taxi to the ancient city, which is also a good choice.

The first night will be spent in a B&B in Lijiang Old Town. Have a good rest and recuperate before going to enjoy other beautiful scenery tomorrow.

The first day, the eternal love of Lijiang

The second day, we started our trip to Lijiang. This time I chose to come to Lijiang Eternal Scenery Area in Yulong County, Lijiang as the first stop of this Lijiang trip.

This scenic spot is really a "regret" of my last trip to Lijiang. I missed it due to time constraints. This time I came to Lijiang and made it my first stop.

Transportation Guide:

Bus Guide

In the city, you can take No. 23 directly to Songcheng Lijiang Eternal Scenic Area; you can also take No. 16 to Lijiang Provident Fund Management Get off at Central Station and walk 200 meters to Songcheng Lijiang Eternal Scenic Area.

Guide to taking the special bus to scenic spots

Songcheng Lijiang Eternal Scenery Area Special Bus

1. Departure route from Dayan Ancient City: Yuyuan Bridge - Ancient Management Committee - Petroleum Company - Nanmen Street - Zhaoqing Market - Bailong Square

Departure time:

a, 13:30 b, 13:40 c, 13:50 d, 14: 10 e, 14:30

a, 14:50 b, 15:10 c, 15:30 d, 15:50 e, 16:10

a, 16:20 b, 16:40 c, 17:00 d, 17:20 e, 17:40

Return time:

a, 14:20 b, 14:40 c, 15 ：00 d, 15:20 e, 15:40

a, 15:50 b, 16:10 c, 16:30 d, 16:50 e, 17:10

a, 18:00 b, 18:00 c, 18:00 d, 18:45 e, 18:45

a, 20:45 b, 20:45 c, 20:55 d, 20:55 e, 20:55

Business time and stop on Minzhu Road: Highway General Section

a, 14:40 b, 15:00 c, 15:20 d, 15:40 e, 16:00

a, 16:10 b, 16:30 c, 16:50 d, 17:10 e, 17:30

2. Departure route from Hehe:

Departure time:

13:15 Songyun Village No. 5 bus terminal

13:30 Shuhe South Gate No. 1 parking lot

13:40 Wangjiabieyuan Intersection

15:00 Songyun Village No. 5 Bus Terminal

15:15 Shuhe South Gate No. 1 Parking Lot

15:25 Wangjiabieyuan intersection

17:00 Songyun Village No. 5 bus terminal

17:15 Shuhe South Gate No. 1 parking lot

17:25 Wangjiabieyuan intersection

Return to Shuhe time: 17:50 18:50 20:55

2 Lijiang Eternal Love

Lijiang Eternal Scenic Area is created by Songcheng Performing Arts, China's first listed performing arts company. The scenic spot is 6 kilometers away from the ancient city of Lijiang, adjacent to the natural landscape of Wenbi Sea, echoing the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It has a superior geographical environment. It takes Lijiang ethnic regional culture as the theme and uses the large-scale song and dance "Lijiang Eternal Love" as the core content to show the thousand-year culture and historical customs of Lijiang. . The scenic area mainly includes multiple themed areas such as Tea Horse Ancient Street, Nacuo Sea, Snow Mountain Beach, Ethnic Villages, Eternal Love Square, and a large-scale indoor science and technology amusement complex.

I couldn’t wait to take out a small plane and take aerial photos of the entire park. The scale is still very grand. A whole day can be spent here, so I followed the guide map of the scenic spot to start our journey of eternal love in Lijiang.

In the middle of a piece of water, there are several single-family cabins. I think it should be a hotel.

After entering from the front, the first thing that catches the eye is the white tower with local characteristics. The Tibetan White Pagoda has profound symbolic meaning and is a prayer tower for Tibetans. The lotus on the pagoda symbolizes the Six Thoughts; the base of the pagoda symbolizes the Ten Good Places; the steps of the pagoda symbolize the Four Thoughts; the stupa hides symbolizes the power of mana; the vase of the pagoda symbolizes Bodhicitta; the Dharma wheel on the lotus, which is not stained by the secular world, symbolizes the Ten Powers and the Three Abidings; The Avalokitesvara Mantra symbolizes the great mercy and the sixteen great emptiness combined into one; the tower umbrella and the rain-shielding eaves symbolize the twin fortunes of wisdom and compassion; the dripping rain eaves symbolize the prosperity of business; the sun and the moon symbolize the two prophets.

On the white pagoda are flying Tibetan prayer flags, which are wind-horse flags. Wind Horse Flag is a unique scenery on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In Tibetan inhabited areas, people can see strings of colorful wind flags printed on cloth with woodblock prints of sutra and mantra images.

These small square, angular, and strip-shaped flags are fixed in an orderly manner on door heads, ropes, clan buildings, and branches. They flutter and sway between the earth and the sky, forming a realm that connects the earth to the sky. The wind horse flag has many religious connotations, is a form of prayer for Tibetans, and is also a piece of high-level art.

Here, you can feel the strong Tibetan customs. It's like a journey through time begins from the first step you take here.

Then turn right and pass by a very distinctive ethnic commercial street. There are many specialty shops selling specialty handicrafts. It's worth shopping around. If you need to buy something, you can still bring one or two items with you.

Walking along here to enter the main scenic area, the first thing you see is Sanduo Temple. Sanduo God is the God of War, God of Protection and God of Love of the Naxi people. As the patron saint of this borderland pure land, Sanduo God has been deeply respected by the Naxi and other ethnic minorities for thousands of years. Sanduo and his two wives, one of Bai ethnicity and the other of Tibetan ethnicity, are worshiped in Sanduo Temple. This is an integral part of the Tea Horse Ancient City. The Ancient Tea Horse City includes Lijiang Eternal Love Theater, Sanduo Temple, Caravan Square, Dai Village, and Lisu Village. Along the way, there are many workshops such as breweries, tofu shops, flue-cured tobacco shops, teahouses, and blacksmith shops. Displays of Lijiang's thousand-year culture can be seen everywhere. The historical song and dance performance is a living ancient tea-horse city that travels through time and space.

Nacuo Village, this is our Shambhala. Adjacent to the Nacuo Sea, between the blue sky, white clouds and grassland, Tibetan blockhouses and wooden houses form a celestial village. In the village, there are prayer flag squares, Sifang Street and other themed areas. Walk through the flower street in full bloom, walk into the mysterious Tibetan village, and sit by the warm fire pit of a Tibetan home. The enthusiastic Tibetan compatriots will offer you beautiful hada and sweet butter tea, and let us gather around the bonfire with our compatriots. Sing and dance, and spend a happy time together.

This is definitely a good place to take photos. If you take a photo anywhere here, others will think you have gone to a Tibetan family. There is no sense of disobedience. Moreover, the scenery of the entire area is well maintained, and it feels purely natural.

One of my favorite places is the Snow Beach. With nearly 10,000 square meters, the Snow Mountain Beach is the highest beach in China and the only beach in China with snow underfoot. Enjoy the sun, embrace the sea, and walk on the beach! You can bring a favorite book and sit on the beach alone to read quietly, or sit on the beach and look at the blue sky and silent clouds. When I came, there happened to be a lot of people chatting here, so I casually took a picture like this, a very funny stool.

Walking in the scenic area, you don’t have to worry about going hungry. Because there are many shops selling local snacks here, you can satisfy your taste buds while having fun.

At the same time, there is also a snack plaza, where the food is richer and more delicious, and the price is not high. So, when you come here, you don’t have to worry about what to eat.

Unconsciously, I walked to Qingming Shanghetu Cinema. Lijiang is known as the modern version of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival". Lijiang's Eternal Scenic Area "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" Movie Theater will show you a living version of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival". On a nearly 100-meter-long curtain, a dynamic scroll slowly unfolds, showing nearly a thousand figures. Different characters, through the combination of dynamic environments, vividly represent busy water transportation, noisy markets, peaceful houses, and the alternation of day and night, showing the urban style of the prosperous Song Dynasty. Step into the picture and travel back to the dream for thousands of years.

Old Road Horror Haunted House, on the dangerous Tea Horse Road, many caravan heroes have been wandering here, here you can feel the feeling of heartbeat. Warm reminder, not for the faint of heart!

I just experienced a listening room, and it scared me half to death.

There are also venues with visual special effects such as the Leaning Room, which allow you to create visual illusions and take strange photos.

The park is full of concentrated Yunnan style, with each scene showing you the charming Lijiang style in an all-round way.

At the same time, there are many unique experience projects in the park, allowing you to play while playing, which adds a lot of fun.

3 Lijiang Love Song Amusement Park

Lijiang Amusement Park is the only amusement park in Yunnan and the highest altitude in China. It combines the thrilling super pendulum, jumping sky, hurricane flying chair, double-decker Various amusement and technology projects such as luxury carousels, rotating cups, high-speed windmills, rolling waves, rapids, free falls, bumper cars, etc. are gathered together in one park. There are also many adventurous interactive performances, which are suitable for young people who dare to take risks to challenge themselves. , a paradise of passion.

Have you ever thought about playing fun rides such as the big pendulum and the jumping machine at an altitude of more than 2,400 meters? Come to Lijiang Love Song Paradise now to satisfy your fun-loving heart. Although this plateau amusement park is not as large as Disney in terms of area and scale, it still has many rich projects. When you fly up to the sky on the jumping cloud, it seems that you are much closer to the sky, and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is also very close in front of you!

4 Lijiang Love Song Performance

The large-scale real-life performance Lijiang Love Song, which is performed every day, uses technical means such as water and fire and the superb performances of the actors to depict the Tibetan young man Abda for us. A poignant and tragic love story with the Naxi girl Gajimi. Shocking and memorable!

Through the combination of water and fire, and the performance of actors in national costumes who live alone, we performed a touching Lijiang love song for us. I was also brought into that realm by the touching performance, and experienced the unparalleled and touching love.

5 Lijiang Eternal Love Performance

Lijiang Eternal Love Theater is 25 meters high and 500 meters in circumference. The theater's shape design draws inspiration from the love story performed by Lijiang Eternal Love and Naxi writings. , the entire building uses bright red as the main tone, which is particularly eye-catching among the blue sky and white clouds. The architectural symbol of the theater uses Naxi hieroglyphs to express a pair of loving men and women in nature under the gaze of the sun and moon. Love singing and dancing is currently the largest cultural theme theater in the world.

The large-scale song and dance "Lijiang Eternal Love" uses unique cultural presentation methods, high-tech means, and the most advanced stage machinery and equipment, integrating dance, music, acrobatics, martial arts, sitcom and other art forms to perform It contains the praise of life in the creation of Naxi, the romantic feelings of the Lugu Lake Daughter Country, the glorious prosperity and harmony of Mufu, the thrilling shock of the caravan legend, the swan song of life in the Jade Dragon Third Kingdom, the feelings and mind of one flower, one paradise...

The eternal love of Lijiang, a must-see performance, takes the audience through the snow-capped mountains, in the remote and primitive wilderness, in the Mosuo Flower House on the shores of Lugu Lake, in the wind and rain on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, in the splendid Mufu, In the romantic and sad third country of Jade Dragon, in the paradise-like Shambhala, meet for a romantic encounter, experience a beautiful moment, and let you feel the journey of thousands of years.

The performance is divided into prologue, one, two, three, four acts and the epilogue, using various methods to interpret the eternal charm of Lijiang.

Preface "Naxi Genesis" The Naxi people are an ancient and wise nation. They created the splendid Dongba civilization in a difficult living environment. Let us travel through thousands of years to explore the eternal proposition of cultural anthropology: "Where do we come from and where do we go?"...

Scene 1: The quiet and beautiful Lugu Lake in the Lugu Daughter's Country, the ancient and mysterious The land of daughters is a paradise on earth that people dream of. The Mosuo people living here are a branch of the Naxi people. They are the only ethnic group in the world that retains matrilineal clan relations. They still continue the custom of "walking marriage" in which "men do not marry and women do not marry".

The scene is beautiful, showing the love story of the Naxi people, fresh and refined, making you have the beginning of love.

Scene 3: The Legend of the Caravan Lijiang is famous all over the world because of the Tea Horse Road. In a sense, Lijiang’s glory is the glory of the horse’s hooves; for thousands of years, on the rugged Tea Horse Road Every day on the ancient road, the caravans' life-shaking and weeping music is performed; on this day, the caravans responsible for transporting the imperial court and Mufu set off again!

Interpreting the legendary story of the caravan, this scene is particularly shocking. Combined with sound and light technology, it makes you feel like you are there in person.

Scene 2: Mufu’s Brilliant Lijiang prospered due to the tea and horse trade. During the 471 years that Mufu governed Lijiang, it maintained good neighborly relations with neighboring ethnic groups and Myanmar, Nepal, India and other countries, and Lijiang became a It is the economic and cultural hub of the southwest region of the motherland. In 1382 AD, the central government of the Ming Dynasty granted the Lijiang chieftain the surname "Mu" in recognition of his loyalty to the emperor, patriotism and hard work in governance. When the news came, people from all ethnic groups and friendly neighbors came to congratulate him!

Scene 4: The Naxi nation in the third country of Yulong is a nation that advocates freedom of love. In the process from the original walking marriage system to "the orders of parents and the words of matchmakers", they have paid a heavy price for love. price.

Epilogue: Looking for Shambhala. The seasons change, the stars change, and we come from history. The snow-capped mountains remain the same and the ancient city is like a song. Every year, millions of tourists gather at the "Lijiang Eternal Love" scenic spot to experience this living ancient tea-horse city and feel the various customs of Lijiang's "one flower, one paradise"!

At night, the park has a different scene under the lights, with more colorful colors and unique charm. It is incomparable during the day and is also a good choice for taking photos.

In addition to the Eternal Love Performance, Lijiang Love Song and Lijiang Paradise, the Lijiang Eternal Scenery Area also has ten themed performances every day in the park, such as Mu Mansion Recruiting a Son-in-law, allowing visitors to experience the different Lijiang style up close. There is also an interactive section for the audience, which allows visitors to participate and adds a lot of interactivity.

6 Baisha Ancient Town

On the second day of my trip to Lijiang, I wanted to find the oldest and most flavorful place in Lijiang.

Nowadays, when people talk about Lijiang, the first word they think of is "the city of romantic encounters". I don’t know since when, Lijiang has been associated with romance, but is Lijiang really like this?

My trip to Lijiang this time is to explore the different taste of Lijiang. Therefore, I avoided Dayan Ancient Town, which is the hottest place in Lijiang now, and found another way to find a place with the real taste of Lijiang.

The first ancient town candidate is Shuhe Ancient Town, which is 8 kilometers away from Dayan Ancient Town. It is one of the earliest settlements of Naxi ancestors in Lijiang Bazi and is a preserved ancient town on the Tea Horse Road. An important and intact market town. However, starting in June this year, tickets began to be collected here. And it’s starting to become very commercialized here. In the end, I decisively gave up here.

After several selections, I finally chose the destination of this trip ~ Baisha Ancient Town.

Baisha Ancient Town is not very well-known. Many people who come to Lijiang do not know this place. So it’s not a place where many tour groups come. It seems more peaceful here.

Actually, it is not very far from Dayan Ancient Town, only about 10 kilometers, and there are also buses in the city that can reach it directly. Transportation is still very convenient.

In fact, there is a long history here. It is the birthplace of the Mu Tusi family, bordering Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the north, Longquan in the south, and Zhishan Mountain in the west. Baisha is the ancient capital of the Naxi people and was once the political, economic, commercial and cultural center of Lijiang. As the birthplace of the Mu family, the Mu family has accumulated experience in town planning in Baisha.

As early as the Tang Dynasty, when King Nanzhao named Yulong Snow Mountain "Beiyue", the ancestors of the Mu family (then the king of Lijiang) began to build Baisha Street and Beiyue Temple here. Baisha is the ancient capital of the Naxi people. It was once the political, economic, commercial and cultural center of Lijiang. From the Song and Yuan Dynasties to the early Ming Dynasty in 1383, the Mu family moved to Dayan Town where Mufu is today.

When I came here, I found that there were also many small shops with unique characteristics and atmosphere. However, compared to the bustling flow of people in Dayan Ancient Town, there were many fewer people on the streets here. And you can see many local people selling vegetables, etc. When you walk here, you unknowingly walk into the lives of the locals.

Walking on the streets of the ancient town, looking at the mottled tiles and earthen walls that have been washed away many times, I feel that this place is warmer than a brand-new commercial street.

On the south side of Sifang Street, there is a one- or two-story archway with a plaque on it: "World Cultural Heritage Capital of the Naxi Ancient Kingdom - Baisha".

Directly south of the archway is a peaceful and quiet Naxi home. For more than 1,000 years, the Naxi people have cultivated here in spring, harvested in autumn, and stored in winter. They have lived a life without competing with the world. As it is today, when you walk around the village, you will feel that time seems to have stopped flowing. , the sky is so blue, the snow-capped mountains are so majestic, the dogs on the street are so lazy and comfortable, the whole ancient town is as simple and peaceful as the Naxi old man.

There is also a "Sifang Street" in Baisha Ancient Town, where you can vaguely see the prototype of Sifang Street in Dayan Ancient Town. The center of the ancient town was built into a center for commercial transactions, and was named Sifang Street, which means "extending in all directions, with warrants from all directions." Because Sifang Street in Baisha Ancient Town was established very early, it is relatively less complete than Shuhe Ancient Town and Dayan Ancient Town in Lijiang. Nowadays, Sifang Street is the main place where local grandmothers sell vegetables. The original side dishes and the grandmothers in traditional Naxi costumes are a scenery on Sifang Street.

The Baisha Mural is a very famous attraction here, and it is also the only charged item. The ticket is 30 yuan.

The "White Sand Mural" is the product of the great opening up of the Naxi society in the Ming Dynasty. Its painting lasted for more than 300 years from the early Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty. The late Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty were the heyday of Lijiang mural painting, which has a history of 500 years.

The existing Ming Dynasty murals in temples such as Baisha Liuli Palace, Dabaoji Palace and Dading Pavilion are extremely precious cultural relics. The murals in Dabaoji Palace are the largest among the murals in Lijiang. They were painted during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. There are 12 paintings with 167 figures. The content is of religious themes, but what is special is that in the same mural, there are not only Buddhist and Taoist Buddha statues, but also Lamaist Buddha statues. This kind of painting style that combines various sects is very rare.

7 Eat in Lijiang

Lijiang’s food is also a highlight. Lijiang Baba, chickpea jelly and other special snacks are worth trying, as well as Yunnan specialties such as flower cakes. Food can also be bought here, and it is worth a visit for foodies.

If you also come here, you might as well find a local snack bar to taste it.

8 Living in Lijiang

Living in Lijiang, when talking about Lijiang, we have to mention the unique B&Bs here. When you come to Lijiang, you must not stay in high-end hotels or chain hotels. Choose a unique B&B. Only in this way can you have the style of Lijiang.

You can also truly appreciate the different beauty of Lijiang and feel the life in Lijiang. There are many choices for B&Bs. There are many choices in and around various ancient cities. To avoid suspicion of advertising, I will not make many recommendations here. You can choose according to your own needs. The picture is of a special B&B I stayed at during this trip.

Written at the end

The beauty of Lijiang is worth coming back again and again. The convenient transportation by plane makes Lijiang no longer far away. For people living in surrounding provinces, it is a great place to come. A pleasant weekend trip here has become a new choice.

I look forward to coming to Charming Lijiang next time to find more stories about Lijiang and discover more beautiful scenery.

Traveler-Winter Wonder