In the Summer Heat, Lijiang Is the Dream Destination
Wondering if any of you are planning a trip to Lijiang for the holidays? Lijiang is truly a lovely place, especially perfect for couples traveling together~ Here’s a complete guide for you to enjoy:
If your holiday schedule allows, it's best to avoid the golden weeks (peak tourism periods). July and August are the peak season for student travel to Lijiang, and also Lijiang's rainy season, but it's also a great time for escaping the summer heat. Mid-May and early June see fewer tourists compared to peak season, and the scenery is beautiful. After that, September comes next. Although the rainy season hasn't fully ended, Lijiang's crisp autumn weather offers a unique charm.
Be sure to book your accommodation in advance, and don't be tempted by overly cheap guesthouses—they might be very remote, have poor facilities, or be in bad hygienic conditions. About guesthouse locations: 1. South Gate area: convenient for coming and going, but mostly new buildings lacking the characteristic atmosphere of Lijiang Ancient Town. 2. Qiyi Street and Mufu area: a quiet fringe area near the core, personally I find it very suitable. 3. Wuyi Street: many quiet bars and unique little shops, with a chic, bourgeois vibe. Adjacent to Sifang Street, convenient to get around, a place of tranquility amidst the bustle. 4. On Lion Hill: great views, an excellent spot to overlook the entire ancient town, some places allow you to watch the sunrise from your window. Climbing up and down is tiring and access is not convenient. 5. Shuhe Ancient Town: 6 kilometers from Dayan Ancient Town, currently the most suitable area for staying, rustic and elegant, with well-preserved ancient town character. 6. Sifang Street area: central location, easy to get around, but close to the bar street, high foot traffic, expensive, noisy. If you like a lively scene, this is for you.
When traveling to Lijiang, you must sample the local cuisine. The most famous are snacks and hotpots. Snacks like Jidou Liangfen (chickpea jelly), Naxi Grilled Fish, Lijiang Baba (local flatbread), and Dongba Roasted Meat are among the most popular. Hotpots such as Cured Pork Rib Hotpot, Potato Chicken Hotpot, Black Goat Hotpot, and Wild Mushroom Hotpot are especially renowned.
Snack locations: Snacks are concentrated near the Big Stone Bridge in the ancient town, as well as Zhongyi Market. Sifang Snack Street specializes in folk snacks like small-pot rice noodles, clay pot rice, and ham fried rice—it's one of the most concentrated food streets in Lijiang. Big Stone Bridge Snacks, located at the Big Stone Bridge in the ancient town, is the earliest and most authentic traditional noodle snack shop in Lijiang, with a history of over 80 years. In the new town, you can find snack places at Huadu Commercial City on Qixing Street. If you're lazy, you can grab a KFC by the Big Waterwheel. For restaurants: in the ancient town, they are concentrated around Qiyi Street and the Cherry Blossom Gourmet Square area. Personally, I don't recommend eating in the ancient town—it's expensive and the food is just average. In the new town, Xiangshan Market, Huama Street, and Jinkai Square are the three main restaurant clusters.
When traveling to Lijiang, keep the following tips in mind: 1. Shoes are very important: The streets in Lijiang's ancient town are paved with rough flagstones. Ladies who care about style, remember to bring a pair of flat shoes—walking in high heels will be a real ordeal. 2. Buy a map: It's important to get a map in Lijiang! For first-time visitors, the ancient town is an absolute labyrinth. Maps cost between 4 and 8 yuan. 3. Watch the weather: No matter the season, Lijiang is cold in the morning and evening, and hot at midday; cold when it rains, hot when it's sunny. Apart from winter when you need a down jacket and thick sweaters, in all other seasons you should bring a thick coat and light sweater—even during the dog days of summer. 4. Sun protection: Lijiang has strong solar radiation. If you don't want to get tanned, make sure to take sun protection measures. The best sun protection isn't just sunscreen, but physical cover. A brimmed hat, sunglasses, and a face scarf (or a shawl/pashmina as a substitute) are essential.
When traveling to Lijiang, consider visiting these 7 scenic spots:
1. Lugu Lake
Lugu Lake is a highland fault-dissolved sag lake, formed by a northwest-southeast trending fault and two east-west faults.
When visiting Lugu Lake, you can go to Luoshui Village or Lige Village. Tour groups usually prefer the larger Daluoshui, while independent travelers favor the more scenic Lige. The Grandmother's House is the oldest in Lige—try the home-brewed wine made by the host, learn about the Mosuo people's walking marriage culture, and enjoy the dances of the most beautiful Mosuo woman.
2. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a mountain range within Lijiang City, Yunnan Province. It is bounded by the Lijiang–Mingyin Highway to the east, Tiger Leaping Gorge to the west, Yuhu to the south, and Daju Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge to the north. In the Naxi language, it is called "Oulu," meaning "Sky Mountain." Its 13 snow-capped peaks stretch endlessly, resembling a giant dragon soaring through the sky, hence the name "Jade Dragon." Due to its rock composition of mainly limestone and basalt, which appear distinctly black and white, it is also called "Black-and-White Snow Mountain." It is the sacred mountain of the Naxi people, believed to be the embodiment of the Naxi protector deity "Sanduo."
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is 30 kilometers from Dayan Ancient Town. You can hire a car; prices vary by vehicle type, generally around 200 yuan for a round trip. You can arrange to share the ride with fellow travelers from your inn and split the cost. You only need to take one of the cableways; any of them will give you access to sites like Blue Moon Valley, Ganhaizi, Dongba Valley, Yushui Village, Dongba Wanshen Garden, and the 'Impression Lijiang' show.
3. Baoshan Stone Town
Baoshan Stone Town is located in Baoshan Township, Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, within the Jinsha River canyon northeast of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Covering about 0.5 square kilometers, it is built on a natural mushroom-shaped rock uplift, using the terrain to form a complete defensive system—hence the name Stone Town. In the Naxi language, it is called "La Boluopanwu," meaning "Baoshan White Stone Fortress." It's usually a two-day trip. From Lijiang, it takes about 4–5 hours by car to Baoshan Township, then another hour on foot to reach Stone Town. There are two inns in the town. Meals can be arranged at your inn, typically a chicken hotpot with greens.
4. Meili Snow Mountain
Meili Snow Mountain is known as "Kawagebo Snow Mountain" in the Tibetan region. The local Tibetan people named it, imbued it with divinity, and have maintained a deep, enduring connection with it. The term "Meili" is a Chinese transliteration of the Deqin Tibetan word "mainri," meaning "Medicine Mountain," so called for its abundance of precious medicinal herbs.
It is famous for the spectacle of "Sunrise on the Golden Mountain," but whether you see it is entirely a matter of luck. Some visit ten times without catching it, while others see it on their first trip. For larger groups, you can choose a private tour with a reputable travel company—prices are higher, but reliability and travel experience are better. Generally, a pure-sightseeing tour costs a few hundred yuan more than a shopping tour, and an in-depth tour costs a few hundred yuan more than a pure-sightseeing tour.
5. Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge, renowned worldwide for its precipitousness, is one of China's deepest gorges. It has sections in Shangri-La and Lijiang. The Shangri-La section is a national AAAA-level scenic area, encompassing Upper, Middle, and Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge, as well as the High Trail hiking route.
Tiger Leaping Gorge is 80 kilometers from Lijiang Ancient Town. After about a 3-hour drive, you'll hike for one hour to reach Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge. It's possible to make a round trip in one day. If you prefer not to hire a car, you can take a bus from the passenger station to Qiaotou Town, then walk 10 minutes to the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge ticket office.
6. Shangri-La
Shangri-La City was originally named Zhongdian County. In Tibetan, it is called "Jiantang," and according to legend, along with Batang and Litang, it was part of the fiefs of the three sons of a Tibetan king. The character "Dian" is believed to be from the Yi language, meaning "flatland" or "plain." Another interpretation says that Zhongdian comes from the Naxi language, a transliteration for "land," meaning "chieftain's residence" or "a place where yaks and cattle are raised." Shangri-La in the Diqing Tibetan language means "the sun and moon in one's heart."
Summer and autumn are the best seasons to visit Shangri-La. Other seasons are not the best, but each has its own charm—vast and desolate, or wrapped in silver snow. You can visit Shangri-La any time of year and experience different landscapes and moods.
7. Lashi Lake
Lijiang's Lashi Lake is located 10 kilometers west of Lijiang Ancient Town. Lashi Lake is the first nature reserve in Yunnan Province named after "wetlands." In recent years, protective development of Lashi Lake has advanced rapidly. Situated along the ancient Tea Horse Road, Lashi Lake has become a core tourist attraction in Lijiang, with some visitors even calling it the first stop of a Lijiang trip.
This is a spot most tourists visit, and you can combine it with a day trip to Shuhe Ancient Town.
