A Tribute to the Days I Lived with Shuhe in Lijiang

Spent a few leisurely days in the ancient town

—Shuhe Ancient Town

The accommodation was pretty good! Upon arrival, the host would come pick you up on a tricycle.

Waking up naturally in the morning, then heading out to explore Shuhe Ancient Town!

First things first: of course, settling the food issue.

On this street, there were many people trying to attract customers, but we walked straight to the restaurant we wanted to try. As expected, it was much more crowded than those places with touts!

Great environment, good service, delicious food, and reasonable prices—truly a highly recommended dining spot in Shuhe!

Shuhe, known as "Shaowu" in the Naxi language, got its name because the treasure mountain behind the village resembled a towering peak; over time, the name evolved to mean "the village under the high peak."

It is one of the earliest settlements of the Naxi ancestors on the Lijiang plain and a well-preserved important market town on the ancient Tea Horse Road!

Compared to Dayan Ancient Town, I prefer Shuhe. It is quiet, simple, and has a touch of charm, a place where you feel very comfortable staying.

These wishing plaques are another beautiful sight in Lijiang!

In the ancient town, there are all kinds of accessory shops, which girls especially love to browse!

Actually, if it weren't for my luggage being full, I still couldn't resist buying some random beautiful but impractical things.

Shuhe Ancient Town Sifang Tingyin Square

If the old Sifang Street is a traditional market, then the modern "Sifang Tingyin" is the cultural square of the ancient town, where people gather and arts meet.

It's said that during festivals, there are performances here.

Taking a taxi from Lijiang to Shuhe usually costs around 30 yuan. Don't get overcharged—the trip only takes 20 minutes.

In Shuhe Ancient Town, there are also horse-drawn carriages like this. Generally, I don't recommend taking them: first, Shuhe is already quite small; second, it doesn't feel that special, and the smell of the horses is a bit strong!

Exploring an ancient town is simply about slowing down and looking around! Quietly enjoying every moment here!

There are many shops selling ethnic-style clothing in Shuhe, and sometimes it's quite interesting to browse.

The next day, the outfits we wore were bought right on the streets of Shuhe!

Shuhe isn't actually big, but it's still easy to get lost!

Compared to Lijiang Old Town, Shuhe is a more tranquil place. Strolling through the ancient town, you can see Naxi-style dwellings everywhere, with houses arranged in a charming, orderly fashion.

People in Shuhe like to put bottled drinks, water, or beer directly into the river in front of their houses. The river water is cool, serving as a natural refrigerator; drinks taken from the water become nicely chilled.

In hot weather, having a drink chilled in the river water is absolutely refreshing and uplifting.

Mango juice—it felt like such a small bottle, finished in no time! It suddenly reminded me of the mango juice in Xishuangbanna, which was super delicious!

This seemed to be called a potato cake! While frying, it smelled great, but when I ate it, it felt rather dry, over-fried, and not very tasty!

In Lijiang, shops like this selling music discs are everywhere!

"Just at this moment, I realized you were right beside me..."

The voices of local resident singers float throughout Lijiang Old Town, emanating from these small music shops, and carrying the local customs and flavors of Lijiang to the whole country.

Coming to Shuhe is all about experiencing this kind of slow time!

In Lijiang, you feel that time is precious, because you don't want to waste a single second, yet you also feel so languid, idling away time: sleeping until you naturally wake up, basking in the sun, spacing out, playing with the guesthouse owner's dog, or even hiding away in a café, sipping coffee, reading a book, writing a few postcards to send far away, quietly savoring the moment.

Just letting time slip away quietly, may the years be peaceful and kind!

Peering out from the window of a small shop, you see ancient wooden storefronts, dark red paint, and the shiny dark flagstones in front of the shop—all these are the rustic, old-world hues of Shuhe.

The owner of this shop is quite romantic; the walls are covered with photos of him and his beloved traveling to various places—so affectionate and enviable!

How I wish I could find a partner like that too!

In fact, the saying "The ground is never flat for three feet, and the sky is never clear for three days" can describe Lijiang. From June to August is Lijiang's rainy season, when you can experience the town's rainy charm. It's advisable to carry rain gear, but the rain usually doesn't last long, so don't get too gloomy; find a place to shelter, and maybe soon it will clear up.

This was the weather I encountered during my days in Lijiang, and my enjoyment was not disturbed at all!

Because of its geographical location, at six or seven o'clock in Lijiang, the sky is still bright. By the time you feel it's getting dark, it's probably already after eight in the evening!

After a heavy rain, the ancient town looks especially clean, and even the air carries a faint freshness.

A Bite of China—The Eighteen Oddities of Yunnan

Baijiang tofu → tofu stuffed with soy milk

(Fragrance Shop)

It's a very small shop, but many people queue up to buy! The taste is great!

#StillSingle#!!!

But I believe that in this world, there must be someone, thinking similar thoughts, with a matching frequency, carrying a heart full of passion and heavy love, at some lonely exit of a station, arranged by God for you to meet! You must wait!

Sipping tea, chatting, zoning out, sunbathing—this is the whole of life!

What is travel? Some say it's going to a place others are tired of to find some surprises and fun.