That Town, That Mountain, That Water, That Lake (A Heartfelt Lijiang Journey)

That Town, That Mountain, That Water, That Lake (A Heartfelt Lijiang Journey)

Shuhe Ancient Town, called "Shaowu" in the Naxi language, got its name because the shape of Jubaoshan Mountain behind the village resembles a high peak, and the village was named after the mountain, evolving over time to mean "the village beneath the high peak." It is one of the earliest settlements of the Naxi ancestors in the Lijiang basin. Shuhe Ancient Town is located at 26°55' N, 100°12' E, at the heart of all scenic areas in Lijiang, serving as a hub for visiting Lijiang Old Town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lugu Lake, the First Bend of the Yangtze River, and the Three Parallel Rivers Scenic Area. Shuhe Ancient Town is a well-preserved important market town on the Ancient Tea Horse Road and a living specimen of the Naxi ancestors' transition from agricultural civilization to commercial civilization. It is a model of market town development shaped by opening up to the outside world and caravan activities. Shuhe is an integral part of the World Heritage Site Lijiang Old Town, and was selected as one of CCTV's "China's Charming Towns" in 2005.

We also had an amazing meal experience in Shuhe Ancient Town.

Claypot Rice: Incredibly aromatic, the rice was cooked so fragrantly with many ingredients inside—truly impressive to make rice that delicious.

Sour Broth Enoki and Beef: Went perfectly with rice; the beef was very tender and super comfortable to eat.

Water-Nymph Flowers: A local specialty vegetable of Lijiang, the name sounds a bit funny, but it tasted great.

Iced Jelly: Complimentary from the owner, very refreshing.

Goddess Bay is famous for supposedly offering the most beautiful sunsets, but we came in summer, the cloud cover was thick, and colorful clouds were extremely rare, lacking the grandeur of autumn. However, I came across a line I really like: "Beauty does not distinguish between off-season and peak season, only between the four seasons." Even under a gray sky, there was a unique charm.

We boarded a boat and set off, glancing back fleetingly as the light hit our faces just right.

2) Caohai – Lover’s Beach

The driver took us on a lake circuit, and driving around the lake was indeed the best choice. Our original plan was to go clockwise from Goddess Bay to Caohai’s Marriage Bridge, Langfang, Sanjiacun, Da Luoshui, Gemu Goddess Mountain, and Lige. But the driver said the scenery along that section wasn’t nice, so he planned a route for us to go south to the Millennium Grassland, then turn back to Marriage Bridge, Lover’s Beach, Dazu Village, Nisai Village, and Lige.

The driver steered the boat straight into the reeds, then stopped and let us fully indulge our feminine instincts, shooting from every angle.

Next stop, Caohai Marriage Bridge.

The driver dropped us off before the Marriage Bridge, telling us to walk across and meet him at the temple on the other side. The current Marriage Bridge is no longer the one where Mosuo boys and girls enacted countless love stories. Due to safety concerns, it has been rebuilt, and my impression is it’s purely for tourists to take photos and cross.

It was just past noon, and there were quite a few people on the Marriage Bridge. It’s impossible to take shots facing forward or backward, but the backgrounds on both sides are open, so a photo-savvy person can make full use of them.

At the intersection in front of the lamasery north of Marriage Bridge, the road to the west also leads to Luowa Pier, making it a traffic dead end. In spring and summer, it’s worth cycling this stretch to enjoy Caohai, about a 10-kilometer round trip. That’s the filming location of the reality show Dear Inn, but we were too lazy to go. However, looking at online pictures, it seems quite pretty?

Lover’s Beach in Sichuan

It was around 2 p.m., and the sunlight was still dazzling, with the water surface gleaming white. But the flowers floating on the water are worth mentioning; they have a very unique name, "Water-Nymph Flowers," and in many Yunnan restaurants, you can find dishes stir-fried with them.

There is a white table at Lover’s Beach, unguarded, so it seems free. So the three of us quickly took another round of photos.

In places like this, you should wear a skirt, or at least slim-fit pants. Like me, wearing very loose white pants with no shape, I was repeatedly criticized by Congcong, who was taking photos: "I really want to chop your legs off." So scary.

3) Lige – Nisai – Xiao Luoshui – Dazu

After a good rest, everyone decided to go to the higher viewing platform and walk around Lige Island.

A classic tourist photo spot.

Overlooking Lige Village from the mountainside; the inn we stayed at is right at the bottom right, hidden behind the triangular tree. Prime location, highly recommended.

Congcong seemed to suffer from altitude sickness here; she and the other girl nearly fainted just climbing up to the viewing platform. I felt so bad for them. In comparison, my physical fitness is amazing—I had no trouble climbing up, feeling as light as a feather, even though I’ve been staying up late these two days to finish tasks and wasn’t in top form. Okay, I’ve gained a new understanding of myself.

Going down from the viewing platform and heading toward Lige Island, along the lakeside there were many small boats for tourists to take photos, most owned by inns and costing 10 yuan. But we found a discarded wooden boat that required no payment.

Because the light was so strong and directly overhead, faces in my camera shots were all dark. Congcong complained that my camera made people look ugly and pulled out her iPhone with dual-camera portrait mode for shooting, and the results were superb.

Ending the trip~ Lugu Lake is indeed the most beautiful travel destination~ Well worth our long journey!

Travelogue Contents: 1. Lijiang Old Town 2. Shuhe Ancient Town 3. Lugu Lake Travel Information

Hotel Index, Strategy Index, Flight Index, Website Navigation, Travel Index, Cruise Index, Corporate Travel Index, Affiliate Cooperation, Distribution Alliance, Friendly Links, Corporate Gift Card Purchasing, Insurance Agency, Agent Cooperation, Hotel Affiliates, Destination & Scenic Area Cooperation, More Affiliate Cooperation, About Ctrip, About Ctrip, Ctrip Hot Topics, Contact Us, Careers, User Agreement, Privacy Policy, Business License, Security Center, Ctrip Content Center, Intellectual Property, Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure