Story Two : Lijiang

The first area we visited is Lijiang City, it is a fairly large geographical area that comprise of on district and four old towns, including the Lijiang new town, Dayan old town, Shuhe old town, Baisha old town, and a town of Tiger Leaping Gerge. The Lijiang old towns has a history going back more than 800 years and was once confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly systerm of waterways and bridges. It has been called the “Venice of the East”. Cars are not allowed in the old towns. When you walking on the cobblestone streets and bridges, follow the waterways go deep into the old town, taste the fragrance of Puer Tea (Itis a fermented tea, named after Pu'er County in Yunnan, China. It is an unusual tea, because unlike other teas which are consumed shortly after production, it can be over 50 years old and is usually aged at least 1-4 years. Over this time it acquires an earthy flavour due to fermentation) losing in the different style of the architecture, history and the culture, you will “fall in love” with the views in your sight, in your hearing, in your olfaction, and in your imagination.

(shuhe old town)

(baisha old town)

The old town of Lijiang differs from other ancient Chinese cities in architecture, history and the culture of its traditional residents the Nakhi people, who is are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China. The Nakhi are thought to have come originally from Tibet, and until recently maintained overland trading links with Lhasa and India. Nakhi culture is largely a mixture of Tibetan and Han Chinese influences, with some indigenous elements. The Nakhi women wear wide-sleeved loose gowns accompanied by jackets and long trousers, tied with richly decorated belts at the waist. Sheepskin is worn slung over the shoulder. The men's costume is much like that of Han Chinese. Dongba is the earliest script used by the Nakhi, Dongba is an intriguing pictographic script developed by the Nakhi. Although beautiful, the Dongba script is difficult to interpret and takes many years to learn. However, it is the only pictographic script still using in the world.

( In the front of pictographic script wall)

Evening in the old towns can be particularly rowdy, not least due to the many outdoor bars, where boisterous groups of tourists try to “out sing” other group. Evening in Lijiang old towns is really a vision of mixed ancient cities in modern style.

(Night in lijiang)

After the special trip in Lijiang, we start to go deep into Shangri-la area, which contains the myths of gorges and snow mountains......