Lijiang

A UNESCO Naxi old town where the Black Dragon Pool frames the snowcapped Jade Dragon Mountain.

Sightseeing map

Major local sights pinned on a satellite map — tap a marker for its name.

1 Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
2 Lijiang Old Town
3 Baisha Old Town
4 Blue Moon Valley
6 Shuhe Old Town
11 Lashihai Wetland
12 Yuhu Village
14 Tiger Leaping Gorge
18 Black Dragon Pool

Best season: Autumn is the photographer's season: clear skies, gold leaves against the snow peak. Summer (Jun–Aug) is cool but carries 80% of the year's rain, changes without warning, and is the busiest time — Jade Dragon tickets sell out and entry is capped. For snow, come between November and May.
Time to allow: Three days.
Altitude: 2418 m

About

The town sits at about 2,418 m in the Naxi heartland, its old town a UNESCO World Heritage site. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain rises 15 km to the north, its main peak at 5,596 m — Yunnan's second highest. Forest covers 72% of the area and the air quality ranks among China's best.

Getting there

Sanyi airport is about 30 km out; the airport bus is ¥20 and takes about 40 minutes, a taxi around ¥90. Kunming to Lijiang by train is roughly 3.5 hours for about ¥200, and Dali and Shangri-La are both under 3 hours away.

Getting around

With around 60 bus routes, city transport is the best of these towns. Between the outlying sights, though, there is nothing — no direct bus from Baisha to Jade Dragon, only taxis. Budget upwards of ¥100 per person per day for getting around.

What to eat

Cured pork rib hotpot, chickpea jelly, Naxi grilled meat and Lijiang flatbread.

Know before you go

The big cableway on Jade Dragon lifts you above 4,506 m, and oxygen drops roughly 10% per 1,000 m of gain — do not go up with a cold, which raises the risk of pulmonary oedema. Buy oxygen in town for ¥15–20 rather than ¥60 at the mountain. The old town is heavily commercialised, which surprises people expecting something untouched.

Sights here

Routes through here

Email us for free travel info: lijiang@turtlecharter.com