In the Scorching Summer, Only Lijiang Captivates My Heart and Brings Peace

This summer has been unbearably hot. After coming back from Hangzhou, Chengdu has also been scorching. I was thinking of escaping the heat when a good friend called—we barely chatted before hitting it off and booking round-trip tickets to Lijiang.

This was my third visit to Lijiang. The previous two times, I only stayed for a day in a rush. This time, we finally experienced a deep tour, taking in the slow-paced Lijiang Old Town.

The last time I came to Lijiang was two years ago, during the Spring Festival, on a road trip south with my parents from Chengdu. I was deeply enchanted by Lijiang’s beautiful scenery then. Now, I’m back with a friend, just to soak up the slow life in Lijiang Old Town.

Although Lijiang has become rather commercialized, the street food is still there.

After dropping off our luggage and freshening up, we headed out to explore the old town again. I remembered last time we went up to Lion Hill to see the panoramic view. There’s a large viewing platform with stunning scenery. This time, we planned to climb up again for the panorama.

There’s a free viewing platform on the road side near Lion Hill with fantastic views—highly recommended. You can gaze out over Sifang Street and the bar street. The vibrant music from the streets makes you feel like you’re right there.

I had long heard from a friend that the Hangzhou Songcheng Eternal Love show was wonderful, and Lijiang also has a Lijiang Eternal Love scenic area. My friend and I decided to go see it in the afternoon. They say it’s a performance you must see at least once in your life. Coming to Lijiang, you definitely shouldn’t miss it.

Lijiang Eternal Love Scenic Area is 6 km from Lijiang Old Town, adjacent to Wenbihai natural landscape, and echoes with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It includes themed zones like the Tea-Horse ancient street, Nacuo Sea, snow mountain beach, ethnic villages, Eternal Love Square, and a large indoor tech entertainment complex.

The scenic area opens from 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. We arrived right at 2 p.m. and bought tickets for 'Lijiang Eternal Love' and 'Lijiang Love Song' amusement park. If you only want to see Lijiang Eternal Love and skip Lijiang Love Song, you can just buy a single ticket for Lijiang Eternal Love.

Stepping into Lijiang Eternal Love Scenic Area feels like entering a miniature Lijiang. Lijiang thrived because of the Ancient Tea Horse Road, and here they’ve built a living Tea Horse ancient city: passing through Tea Horse Ancient Street, Caravan Square, Lisu Village, Dai Village, with workshops lining the way—wine-making, tofu, tobacco, tea, and blacksmithing.

On the other side is Lijiang Paradise, where you can watch the live large-scale performance 'Lijiang Love Song.' The best part is there’s also a highland amusement park, perfect for family trips.

My favorite show is 'Climbing the Sword Mountain and Diving into the Sea of Fire,' one of the most popular. As soon as the drums started, visitors gathered around in layers, watching intently.

Flames blazed at a thousand degrees, and people whispered doubts—could anyone really walk through? But worry not. Amidst applause and cheers, a man calmly strode across the fiery path. Truly spectacular.

The performance began before we knew it. We lined up, entered the theater, took our seats, and eagerly awaited the once-in-a-lifetime 'Lijiang Eternal Love' show. The grand song-and-dance 'Lijiang Eternal Love' is the soul of Lijiang culture, using IMAX 3D visuals to recount the thousand-year history and legends of Lijiang, including 'Naxi Genesis,' 'Luguo Daughter Kingdom,' 'Caravan Legend,' 'Mufu Glory,' and 'Jade Dragon Third Kingdom.' It guides the audience through snow mountains, to primeval wilderness, by Lugu Lake’s Mosuo flower tower, along the stormy Tea Horse Road, to the magnificent Mufu Palace, to the romantic and tragic Jade Dragon Third Kingdom, and to the paradise-like Shambhala for a chance encounter of romance, feeling a beautiful moment.

The third act: 'Mufu Glory.' Lijiang prospered through the tea-horse trade. During the 471 years of Mufu governance, it maintained good relations with neighboring ethnic groups and countries like Myanmar, Nepal, and India, making Lijiang an economic and cultural hub of southwest China. In 1382, the Ming central government, to honor the chieftain’s loyalty and good governance, bestowed the surname 'Mu.' The news brought congratulations from various ethnicities and friendly neighbors.

The entire 'Lijiang Eternal Love' performance concluded amid prayer flags. The one-hour show let me feel Lijiang’s profound history and culture. On this beautiful land, in the earthly paradise of Shambhala, I encountered romance and cherished a wonderful moment. Lijiang Love Song: Coming out of the theater, we were just in time for the 5:30 p.m. 'Lijiang Love Song' performance. Seats are free, so if you want a good spot, be sure to arrive early. My friend and I smartly grabbed the best central viewing position.

In the 'Lijiang Love Song' performance, there are beautiful dances from Yunnan’s ethnic groups, giving us a feast of ethnic arts from the colorful cloud land. It also tells a touching love story witnessed by the snow mountain! Lijiang Love Song Paradise: The performance lasts about half an hour. It was only a little past six, still early, and we weren’t ready to leave. There are various amusement rides, so we rushed to queue for the Hurricane Swing.

They say Lijiang Old Town is a modern 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival.' On a nearly hundred-meter-long screen, a dynamic scroll unfolds, with nearly a thousand figures, combining scenes of busy water transport, lively streets, peaceful courtyards, and the shift of day and night, vividly recreating the urban life of the prosperous Song Dynasty. Step into the painting and travel back a thousand years.

Shuhe Ancient Town, called 'Shaowu' in Naxi language, got its name because the mountain behind it resembles a pile of treasure. It was one of the earliest Naxi settlements on the Lijiang plain and is a well-preserved important market town on the Tea Horse Road. They say Shuhe is like Lijiang Old Town ten years ago. Coming here, my fondness grew: the river water is crystal clear, the commercial atmosphere is less intense, and there is even a strong sense of daily life.

In Shuhe’s streets, horse carriages share the road. The only downside is having to watch your step to avoid stepping on horse droppings.

Speaking of a lived-in feel, the local residents’ atmosphere is very strong.

We arrived at Feishui Chuhua in Shuhe. I loved the environment so much that I wanted to stay longer. Coincidentally, I was hungry, so we found a restaurant with a great setting nearby. The food was great. I must praise the restaurants in Shuhe—compared to Dayan Old Town, they are a notch higher and much more affordable!

Then came dessert fruit: little pineapples. So cute, right?

My friend and I agreed: if Shuhe is a 5, then Lijiang Old Town only gets a 3. We simply loved it here.

An elderly lady washing vegetables by the canal.

The alley hung with lanterns during the day was now lit up at dusk.

Happy expressions on their faces. After three slow-paced days, my friend and I’s Lijiang journey came to an end. Maybe next time there will be a 4° Lijiang, a 5° Lijiang. Every visit brings a different feeling. That’s perhaps what surprises me most about travel.

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