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A "Little Venice" in south-west China? Not as farfetched as you might think. Snow melting from surrounding mountains formed rivers and streams on which the city of Lijiang was built around canals which roam alongside the streets and wind their way among the twisting lanes of this ancient city in China’s Yunnan Province. The province’s 26 ethnic nationalities live in strikingly different regions: snowcapped mountains in the north and tropical rainforests in the south. Kumming, the capital, easily accessible from anywhere in the country, is the hub from which to explore an endless variety of unique sites such as Lijiang, a city of 200,000, a short 40-minute flight away. It was settled by the Naxi 800 years ago and, to this day, the Naxi community tills the land or inhabits the bustling city’s “Old Town”. "Old Town" covers 1.4 square kilometres, centred by Rectangular Street, a square from which a warren of passageways lined with earthen-walled houses, reinforced with wood frames and sporting tiled roofs, branches out. The square is filled with vendors selling everything from Mao Zedong memorabilia to outfits made of fabrics woven in the area.    At sunset the “Old Town” fills with crowds, shopping, eating or on their way to hear Dongjing music played nightly by members of the Dayan Naxi Ancient Music Association. Established in 1987, the group is made up of talented musicians, well into their late eighties, and young players-in-training who play century-old pieces on authentic antique instruments. The concert hall is always filled to the rafters and evokes the atmosphere of Preservation Hall in New Orleans where jazz legends keep alive the music of the past. The unique sounds and melodies of strings, percussion and voice that make up Dongjing music were originally conceived as part of elaborate rituals. Disciples of Confucius practiced it to promote inner peace and Taoists use it during physical and spiritual exercises. Four thousand Naxi households live in “Old Town” amidst dozens of excellent restaurants, bars, tea and rice rooms, herbalists, souvenirs shops, even a cappuccino/mochaccino cafe. Small bridges cross the canals from one street to another. Steep inclines are tricky to manoeuvre along pavements cobbled with large, natural rocks. Plants, flowers and birdcages adorn the closely clustered roofs and balconies. Delicious meals are served in the small restaurants or “al fresco”. The cuisine takes full advantage of the local meats and produce and the incredible variety of mushrooms from the local forests. Mild to fiery peppers add spice to dishes like stir-fried wild mushroom and chickpea jelly salad with hot chilies. The source of these delicacies can be traced to a nearby outdoor food market. Row upon row of tables overflow with fruits, greens, dozens of lettuces, squashes, cucumbers, and radishes of rarely seen shapes and sizes. Great mounds of meat, mainly pork, are available, some grilled by a man wielding a blowtorch. There are large, plastic-lined poops of live fish, huge buckets of pickled vegetables and tiny fire-hot peppers that burn the eyes and nostrils as one passes. Dozens of varieties of wild mushrooms are ubiquitous. Small adjacent shops sell necessities from clothing to kitchenware, definitely places to haggle.   The serene beauty of Lijiang’s Jade Fountain Park helps one understand why the Naxi espoused the Dongba religion which worships nature. The waterlily-filled lakes of the park, with majestic mountains in the background, are a haven of beauty and tranquillity. Bridges lead to pagodas nestled in a profusion of azaleas and white roses. Examples of Dongba pictographs, its written language, are displayed in a pavilion run by the Lijang Institute of Dongba Cultural Research. Thirteen kilometres northwest of Lijang, Nadu Lama protects a 500-year old camellia tree at the Yufeng Lamasery. He has been a lama (monk) at the lamasery (monastery) for most of his life and protected the amazing tree, which produces 20,000 flowers from February to May each year, from the Red Guards who wanted to destroy it during the Cultural Revolution. Vendors of apples, pears, corn-on-the-cob, roasted potatoes, walnuts, lichees, medicinal herbs and mushrooms line the path to the lamasery, where three lamas join Nadu in prayers and services. Nadu Lama mixes willingly with visitors, but heaven help anyone who dares touch his beloved tree. At Bait Village, close by, there is the sense of going back in time. Sundered mud brick dwellings are built around courtyards in this farmers’ village. Spring water runs through open trenches along the dirt pathways. Women pick the crops while men plow the fields behind oxen. Hay is dried on long wooden poles as in the past. Pigs root around a courtyard in which a heated game of mahjong absorbs a group of elderly villagers. Nike jackets, runners and cell-phones are the only indicators of the present. The village temple remarkably survived both the ravages of the Red Guards and the massive earthquake which registered 7 on the Richter scale. It is decorated with murals from the Tang Dynasty(618 - 907) which depict the many religions worshipped in the area at the time – Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, Lamas and Dongba. Opportunities for hiking and camping in the Lijang region are endless. Fifteen kilometres to the north, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain has 13 peaks of which the highest rises to 5,596 metros. A year-round ski facility is in operation at the 4,000 metre level. Accommodation at Lijiang is varied and plentiful. The Grand Lijiang Hotel, a Thai joint venture, provides five star amenities and service. “Old Town” is filled with quaint, reasonably priced rooms and there are countless lodging opportunities in between. Discovering China is like discovering the world – best achieved by concentrating on one region at a time. Lijiang is an ideal introduction to the natural, historical and cultural treasures of Yunnan Province. Photos: China National Tourist Office  Travel Tips Hotel Accommodation Calendar of Events Transportation Shopping Guide |
