Lijaing, Yunnan

I had originally flew into Lijiang, but immediately took a bus to Shangri-La and I didn’t get much of a chance to see Lijiang until the evening I returned.

Surrounded by granite mountains, deep gorges, and red clay hills, Lijiang lies within a 8,000 ft high level plain crossroads of established trade routes and minority cultures. The developed city of 1.2 million is superficially similar to other small “rural” Chinese cities. There is a an open and “country” feel to Lijiang as the city center is not overshadowed by the large skyscrapers of the much larger cities. Every bit of land up and onto the mountains is either cultivated or grazed by livestock. Taxis run constantly; Bars and shops are open late into the night; the internet and cell phones are everywhere. Its still a modern city at its center. What makes it so unique is that because of it’s location at the center of overlapping cultural zones. Lijiang, although predominantly a NaXi ethnic minority village, over 20 ethnic groups call the Lijiang Prefecture their home. Of these are the Han Chinese, Tibetans, Yi, Lisu, Hmong, Hui (Chinese Muslims), and others. The region is culturally rich beyond imagination and one of the few places in the world where one can eat at a different style restaurant each night for months.

Within the Yunnan-Guizhou range of the Tibetan Plateau, and just below the majestic 18,360 ft high Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the city is surrounded by countless natural attractions. Gorges as deep as the Grand Canyon, some of the most dangerous rapids in the world, spring-fed lakes, panoramic views of river bends, pristine wetlands, glaciers, and mountain ranges.

Lijiang itself has a network of ancient canals, and a unique architectural style. The Lijiang Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a well-preserved mix of architecture, art, and engineering of several cultures and 1000 years. Further from the Old Town Jade Water Village demonstrates more rural Naxi culture and aquatic engineering with its central dam. On the fringe of the mountains, BaoShan Stone Town, which sits atop of a mushroom-shaped rock outcropping, lives roughly 100 families of stone craftsman. Here nearly everything is carved out of stone: from the homes, to the beds, to the eating utensils.

There is so much to do and see in the land surrounding Lijiang, I barely got to see any of it. Which is why I seriously considering going back. Not only to photograph the amazing sights I didn’t see, but to learn more about the cultures I only got a taste of my first time around.

This is the City of Lijiang..

 

This is the “Old Town” within the city…

 

This was my first sight of the Old Town

 

That ditch to the left is one of the micro-canals, more like a storm-drain system now, but the household water system of the past.

The slippery cobblestone alleys have no rhyme or reason to them. They are random… some following the canals, some leading to and away from important buildings. This town came long before cars, and urban planning wasn’t all they great back then. The alleys are narrow. They twist and turn, into light and dark. Names? Haha… at least not marked with any signs. Luckily every single nook in this place has character. Nothing looks the same. After a day or two, navigation becomes easier. If not, any old lady will sell you a bilingual map (for 10x the price you’ll find it in the convenience mart).

Although the old buildings have since lost their purpose, have been gutted and mostly reworked into modern shops, restaurants, and inns, the structures remain intact and the unique NaXi architectural style honored. What was once organized streets and districts representing a financial and trade powerhouse of the Silk Road are now a mess of business catering to tourism. Many landmarks have been well-preserved. Some home and office interiors have been as well– some still in use as they were 800 years ago. For the most part Lijiang is a tourist attraction because it is a tourist attraction. Retailers and tour guides dominate the trades of the town, in stark contrast to how village life was only 20 years ago. Although the NaXi and other minorities have benefited greatly from the industry that brings hundreds of thousands here each year, every spot in the Old Town and for blocks further surrounding it has been swept up by outsiders who have moved in to profit. The Tourist Industry is not just highly competitive here, it’s comfortable taking advantage of anyone. Drivers, guides, and shop-keeps all have their little rackets going. If you aren’t careful, you could put a taxi driver’s kids through school for just a 30 minute ride to a popular attraction. Based on my feeling, and from what I gathered from other tourists I have spoken with, this is a huge detraction from the experience. The government needs to step up and stop the gouging before too many people leave with a bitter taste of Lijiang.

The government has done a nice job of preserving and labeling important landmarks. Who would have known a strip of cafes and inns once used to be this town’s “Wall Street”? Want to drink beer within one of the world’s first modern bank, now a cafe/bar? This is mostly how celebrating history is done in Lijiang. Try to push the booming tourist industry aside and focus in on the village that contains it.

The hotel I booked just opened, the buildings were designed to look like those of the old town, and the place was landscaped with canal-like ponds.

 

The interior style was much influenced by the old town architecture.

 

 

 

The view from the hotel room window.

 

After settling in, we head out into the old town to grab some food. We find ourselves in this beautiful block of restaurants cradling the canal.

There are a lot of colorful light, but it’s dark enough for my camera to struggle a bit.

 

 

Minced pork noodles in a clay pot.

 

Glutenous rice balls… flavorless… inside the sticky elmers-like paste is brown sugar

 

On a stick, BBQ chicken breast, and beef-filled snacks.

 

Crispy and light fried dough tube on a stick.

 

We then hit the streets and my mind is blown. Its an overload of stimuli.

 

Shops… hundreds of shops. Many selling crafts, jewelry, fabrics, treats, meats, and more. At first glance… many things look mass-produced… tourist souvenirs… primarily based on the quantities I saw. Later on in the trip I would observe many of these popular items being hand made in the shops by the workers in their downtime. Jewelers would hammer silver, textile shops would work the weave, candy makers would be hammering nuts and sugar, misc shops would be threading beads and cutting and tying leather straps. A lot of stock was being replenished as needed, in quantity, but hand-made. The overwhelming variety of items sold were unique crafts. Beyond that, I would say jerky (mostly Yak and Pork) was next plentiful.

 

 

Some Yunnan dish, I forget what it is.

 

Glutenous rice balls

Fried chicken feet

Sweet beans and hot chilies over sticky rice

Places are closing up for the night…

The streets are the result of a thousands years of mixed cultures and ideas coming together to create shops alongside of each other and build commerce.

 

Every open spot is turned into a business. This small hallway in a side alley not only sells some snacks (starting with pancakes and boiled potatoes) but houses panel doors for a nearby shop.

 

This shop specializes in hand-made bells. Originally milled for yaks, these bells now come in a variety of shapes, sized, colors, and with or without artwork etched or painted on. They are used to decorate homes and businesses. Some shops sell them small enough for a dog or cat collar.
They are heavy and the good ones are milled, not cast. They are also expensive.

 

Despite many things being illuminated, the lighting at night in the Old Town is still very dim. Photography is tough. Jin and I are both shooting handheld. She is overexposing her low-res JPG shots, which look great for portraits. She is using a f/1.8 lens and can maintain a decent shutter speed. I’m shooting underexposed JPG files with a moderately fast zoom. I’m pretty good at keeping things still for 1/10 second to get the night scenes sharp.

A noodle restaurant near my hotel.

 

We somehow find ourselves on the northern end of the town, opposite of the hotel, and near the Great Waterwheel. The wheel was built after a massive earthquake in 1996 that destroyed a significant portion of the city. Before this quake, Lijiang was little known in China, and almost unheard of throughout the rest of the world. It was rescue and rebuilding efforts and a push to rebuild the economy that brought it to the spotlight. This wheel is a symbol of that recovery.

A scene along one of the larger canals. Bridges of all shapes and sizes are all over the place in the Old Town. It’s not uncommon to have to cross a 50-year-old or more wooden plank to get into a restaurant.

Nearly 100 shops, bars, and everyday homes on on the hillside near waterwheel are illuminated in gold. It is an amazing sight.

 

Chefs take a break.

 

This restaurant specializes in mushrooms. At elevations like these, mushrooms are an important part of cuisine. They are easy to cultivate at high elevations, and they dry without preservatives and can last for several months.

A couple businesses will make a custom CD for you. Anything from Pop-music to the distinct NaXi orchestral style of music.

A hotel with tree growing in the middle of the entrance.

One of the smaller canals. This one was quite dirty and has a stink to it. People here just toss whatever into it. Although I think generally bulk trash is kept out of the canals, food scraps and pee certainly make their way in regularly.

Very traditional inn