Lijiang overview

Lijiang is at once the best and worst of all that China has to offer the traveller. A gloriously rickety collection of picturesque canals, cobblestone streets and quaint historic shop fronts, Lijiang is also drowning in a sea of package tour group shirts and loudspeaker guides. Put simply, Lijiang is too popular for its own good. The most visited of the many Yunnanese ancient towns, moving along the streets becomes nigh impossible during peak periods. Once the home of the Naxi chieftains the city seems overrun by kitsch souvenir stalls, as 21st Century Han merchants are inexorably taking over from the indigenous Naxi people. Some respite can be found in the early mornings, when keen photographers seek out mystic postcard shots of a truly soulful and charming town. Just be gone before the tourist bus frenzy begins by 09:00. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lijiang is frustratingly beautiful.