The ancient town of Lijiang is a glimpse into the past. The town stands on a plateau 7874 feet above sea level and covers 912 acres. It’s been home to the Naxi people for some 800 years.
The town is very well situated. It’s surrounded by mountains, which not only add to its natural beauty but also protect it from cold north winds. Numerous streams flow right through the town, guaranteeing a permanent source of fresh water, as well as feeding the willow trees that grow everywhere. In the center of town three wells were dug along each stream – the first for drinking water, the second for washing food and the third for washing clothes.
First built in the time of Kublai Kahn, Lijiang is one of the only towns of its age that has never had a city wall. The reason for this is superstition. The Mu family ruled Lijiang and the surrounding area for over 50 decades. The character for “siege” is written the same way as the character for “Mu”, except that “siege” also includes the radical meaning “wall” (? vs ?). So, the Mu family believed that if they built a wall around the city they ruled, they would themselves by under siege.
As you might expect, the lack of wall made Lijiang a particularly easy city to get into and out of, which in turn made the town attractive to both immigrants and traders. Thus, the city naturally developed a multi-cultural character and quickly became an important center for trade. Traders from far away places, India and even further, came to Lijiang to sell their wares.
Today there’s still much shopping to be done in Lijiang, especially for curios and souvenirs. But the shopping isn’t the main reason to go to Lijiang; the town is worth seeing for itself and itself alone. The streets are lined with traditional Chinese buildings, the sidewalks paved with smooth blue stones. Some 350 bridges, each one entirely unique, allow foot traffic over all of the streams. Despite the many waterways, the town is still constructed more or less on a grid, with a central square from which main streets branch in four directions, with most of the other streets running parallel to or at right angles to these.
Because Lijiang is so unique and well-preserved, it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
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