Cityscape and trade history
Lijiang Old Town lies on the Lijiang Plain in southwestern Yunnan, China, at an altitude of 2,400 metres. Its high-quality, authentic historic cityscape combines architectural elements from different cultures. The old town comprises three parts: Dayan, including Black Dragon Pool, as well as the residential districts of Baisha and Shuhe. This layout makes clear that the old town encompasses more than Dayan and also includes the two residential districts.
Since the 12th century, the old town was an important goods distribution centre for trade between Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. At the same time, it was a hub where the Southern Silk Road met the ancient Tea and Horse Roads. Together, these details describe two aspects of its historic role: Lijiang distributed goods between three regions and lay at a hub of named long-distance trade routes. Its trade history thus adds a regional perspective to the built cityscape. It places the town in a historical timeframe, while the three constituent areas describe its spatial layout.
Architecture, Naxi culture and manuscripts
Mufu is one of the old town’s cultural landmarks. Founded during the Ming dynasty, it is now a complex comprising a wooden archway, a stone archway, the Assembly Hall, Wanjuan Tower and Hufa Hall. The founding period and the buildings provide different points of reference: the Ming dynasty places Mufu in its historical context; the named structures describe its composition.
The former residence of Fang Guoyu is a protected cultural heritage site in Yunnan Province and a representative building featuring Naxi architecture as well as influences from other cultures. Its ten exhibition rooms were devoted to his educational journey, the Kunhao Haoxue Studio, the architecture of the family residence, his academic achievements, teaching career and social activities. Other topics included commemorating him, the memory of his hometown, the family school and the history of the residence’s opening. In contrast with Mufu, the focus here is on a former residence and topics associated with Fang Guoyu, rather than a list of halls and archways.
The Museum of Ancient Naxi Dongba Manuscripts is located in Black Dragon Pool Park. An exhibition on the manuscripts brought together text and images with original objects, paintings, animation and audiovisual media. The museum differs in focus from the buildings mentioned above: the manuscripts and the different ways they are presented take centre stage, while Mufu and the former residence are described in terms of architecture.
Waterways in the urban landscape
Yulong Snow Mountain feeds Black Dragon Pool through rivers and springs. From the pool, streams flow into a network of canals and channels that supplies the city. This sequence connects the landscape with the urban water supply: water flowing down from the mountain first reaches the pool; from there, streams flow into the inner-city network. The pool thus lies between the inflows from Yulong Snow Mountain and the canals and channels that supply Lijiang. In this way, the water system adds a concrete connection between mountain, pool and city to the cultural themes.
Discover more destinations: Kunming, Pu'er, Dehong, DĂŞqĂŞn, Chuxiong, Honghe, Haikou, Yuxi.
For the broader travel overview: Yunnan.
