I shamefacedly admit that I’d never heard of Lijiang before the Olympic torch hit the region this week. But then, in the way these things always work, I seemed to start hearing about it all over the net. And apparently it’s an absolute gem.

Paul3879 posted a thread in Travellerspoint forums asking for advice on where to spend a short, quiet, relaxing holiday in south China, and a couple of members have recommended Lijiang as a beautiful base for a chilled break. Then in the magnificently named supercalifragilisticexpialidocious blog, I found some awe-inspiring photos as the blogger explores the UNESCO heritage old town and the local Naxi culture, including an ancient music concert and a horseback ride through the mountains. And Suzette is a frequent traveller and mum whose travel blog has a thorough series of posts about her time in Lijiang which are definitely worth a read for anyone thinking of visiting the area.

So it was no surprise to come across a Lonely Planet member asking for advice on whether to spend time in Yuanyang, Zhongdian or Lijiang - and find that loads of people were piping up to recommend the latter:

Personally i think Lijiang is pure and charming and would recommend that you go there before it goes commercial!

Note to self: Lijiang don’t half sound bad.

by Molly on 19 June 2008
share with
leave a comment, permalink