Lijiang Ancient Town
The Old Town of Lijiang, also known as Dayan Town in Lijiangba, was included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1997. It was first built in the Southern Song Dynasty and in 1253; Kublai (the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty) was stationed here on his march into the south. In Ming and Qing dynasties, it became much larger.
This ancient town is surrounded by the Lion Mountain in the west, and by Elephant and Golden Row Mountains in the north. These mountains in the northwest shelter it from the cold wind. In the southeast, there are fertile fields. The city is favored with plentiful sunlight, an east wind and clear spring water flowing to each family.
The streets are paved with the local stone slabs, not getting muddy in the rainy season and being free of dust in the dry season. Many stone bridges and arches in the city were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Orderly roads and lanes extend in four directions from the central square. Residential houses are made of timber. Local people plant flowers in their courtyards.
Some information on Naxi ethnic group:
The ancient traditional culture of the Naxi ethnic group is the Dongba culture, which is based on the Dongba religion. Most believers are skilled in medicine and the culture is passed on through literature and art.
There are many traditional festivals for Naxi people, such as the Sandu Festival, Torch Festival (the 24th and 25th of the sixth month of the lunar calendar) and Stick Festival on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year.