1、(Chinese: 丽江市 ; pinyin: Ljingsh) refers to an administrative division comprising of urban and rural areas in northwestern Yunnan Province, Peoples Republic of China. Its population is 1,100,000. The famous “Lijiang old town“ (as it is commonly known) is more correctly called the Dayan old town (大研古镇
2、).Lijiang City is a fairly large geographical area that comprises one district (the old town district) and four counties, including the Liijang new town, Dayan old town, Shuhe old town (束河古镇), Baisha old town (白沙古镇), and parts of the Tiger Leaping Gorge.The Lijiang old town has a history going back
3、more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. It has been called the “Venice of the East“.The old town of Lijiang differs from other ancient Chinese cities in architecture, history
4、 and the culture of its traditional residents the Naxi people, therefore people there are called 胖金哥 and 胖金妹 (male and female respectively).One third of the town was destroyed by an earthquake in February 1996.Lijiang old town (including Dayan, Baisha and Shuhe) was registered on the UNESCO World He
5、ritage List in December 4, 1997. Since then, the local government has taken more responsibility for the development and protection of the old city. Lijiangs tourism also boomed, and travellers from around the world flooded in; although many locals fear that due to much of the development, the old to
6、wn of Lijiang will lose its appeal.Recently, the government has started to develop additional “old city“ sections adjacent to the site of the original old city. This is to accommodate the large number of tourists, particularly Han Chinese, who walk the cobblestone streets (cars are not allowed in th
7、e old city), typically as part of package tours. Evenings in the old city can be particularly rowdy, not least due to the many outdoor bars, where boisterous groups of tourists try to “out sing“ other groups.Lijiang is a beautiful shining jewel on the Northwest Yunnan Plateau neighboring the southea
8、st side of the Tibetan Plateau which is considered to be the “Roof of the World“. It is impressive because of its scenery and lush vegetation.Lijiang boasts of breath-taking wonderful sights such as Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and its modern maritime glacier, the only one of its kind in the southern e
9、nd of the Northern Hemisphere; Tiger Leaping Gorge; the world - famous grand canyon; Lugu Lake, the cultural cradle of the “Matriarchy“ of the Yongning Mosuo people in Ninglang. Lijiang Town is officially called “Dayan Town“ “Dayan“ literally means a “great inkstab“, a graphic description of the tow
10、ns location on a piece of rich flatland fed by a river and surrounded by green mountains. There is no other town in China like Dayan which incorporates the folkways of so many people and the architectural styles of both north and south China.The people of Naxi, while developing their land of snow-cl
11、ad mountains and turbulent rivers since ancient times, have to their credit the “Dong Ba Culture“ seen as one of the world wonders, a culture all-embracing while unique.All these natural sceneries and these cultural treasures of the minority peoples have been continuously drawing tourists from all over the world and have recently vote Lijiang as one of the favorite destinations in China.Notes:1. Lijiang 丽江2. Roof of the World 世界屋脊3. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 玉龙雪山4. Tiger-leaping Gorge 虎跳峡5. Lugu Lake 泸沽湖6. Dayan Town 大研镇
