Lijiang Ancient City, Mufu, Lion Mountain, Wangu Tower
Lijiang is located on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the northwestern Yunnan Plateau, bordering Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Panzhihua City to the east, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture to the south, and Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture to the northwest. Late Homo sapiens were active in Lijiang during the Paleolithic Age. During the Warring States Period, it belonged to the Shu County of the Qin State. After Zhuang Qiao of the Chu State conquered Yunnan, it belonged to the Dian Kingdom. Lijiang has three world heritages: cultural, natural, and memory. It also has Naxi Dongba culture, Lugu Lake matriarchal culture, etc.
Lijiang Ancient City includes Dayan Ancient Town, Shuhe Ancient Town, and Baisha Ancient Town. Lijiang Ancient City was built in the late Song and early Yuan dynasties. The ancestors of the Lijiang Mu family moved the ruling center from Baisha Ancient Town to Lion Mountain and began to build the city. The establishment of the Tusi system in the Ming Dynasty made Lijiang Ancient City enter the first glorious period in history. The streets in Dayan Ancient City are built along the mountains and rivers, with attractions such as Mufu, Wangu Tower, Sifang Street, Kegongfang, and Wenchang Palace.
Mufu, the Tusi government office of the Mu family, originated in the Yuan Dynasty and flourished in the Ming Dynasty. The main building was built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in 1988. Mufu reflects the architectural style of the Central Plains in the Ming Dynasty and also witnesses the spirit of Naxi traditional culture. The central axis building faces west and east, welcoming the rising sun and gaining wood energy. The Azure Dragon (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) is on the left, the White Tiger (Tiger Mountain) is on the right, the Red Bird (Turtle Mountain and Snake Mountain) is in front, and the Black Tortoise (Lion Mountain) is behind. Along the central axis, Loyalty Archway, Council Hall, Wanjuan Building, Yuyin Building, Dharma Hall, Sanqing Hall, and Guojielou are built according to the terrain. On the north side is the Mu family courtyard with three courtyards. Between the two groups of buildings is a garden. Xu Xiake, a travel geographer, was invited to Lijiang by Tusi Mu Zeng. The two hit it off at first sight and had a deep relationship.
Driving from Dali to Lijiang, first check in to the InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort. The hotel has an excellent location. You can walk to the ancient city after exiting the back door. This time, we mainly visited Lijiang Ancient City, which mainly refers to Dayan Ancient Town, and also visited Baisha Ancient Town. We took the cable car to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and stayed at the most beautiful snow mountain hotel, Jinmao Purelax Mountain Hotel Lijiang, at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Good times in Lijiang