Lijiang Ancient Town

Type: World Heritage Site, Historic Sites, Ancient Towns

Altitude: about 2400m

Best Time: all year round

Recommended Visiting Hours: half day

Opening Hours: all day

Maintenance Fee: CNY 50/pp (8：30-19：00)

Lijiang Old Town which occupies an area of three point eight square kilometers (912 acres) was firstly built in the late Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) and the early Yuan Dynasty (1271 – 1368) and has a history of more than 800 years. Since Kubla Khan who is the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty set his reign here, Lijiang was on a fast developmental way and became the political, cultural, and educational center in this area, playing a very important role in the trading activities among Yunnan, China hinterland, Tibet, India and many other Asian countries. Till now, when walking on the streets of the Lijiang Old Town, one can feel the prosperity and flourish from the shops with fancy and superb collections of handicrafts.

The Lijiang Old Town is built along the lie of mountains and the flow of rivers, providing a very precious sample of the research on the old-time architecture. The unique geographical location, historical background and multiracial inhabitants make it one of the most special.