Background

Lijiang, a beautiful, quiet ancient city, sits in the northwest of Yunnan Province. Established in late Southern Song Dynasty, it was once the capital of the ancient Naxi Kingdom. It has a mixed population of 10-odd nationalities including Naxi. The millennia-old, deep-rooted Naxi culture, blended with Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist cultures, has granted graceful charms to the city. Surrounded by verdant mountains, and with green streams meandering across, Lijiang is reminiscent of a waterside town in southeast China, hence it is reputed as "Suzhou on the Plateau". Inside the city, there are closely built folk houses, streets and lanes paved with pebbles, and numerous stores. Once a place where the Southern Silk Road and the ancient Road of Tea and Horses met, Lijiang is still an important city of trade between Yunnan and Tibet.

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