UNESCO World Heritage SiteNational 5A Scenic AreaSouthwest China
Lijiang Old Town
丽江古城 · Yunnan, Lijiang
A historic Naxi market town of stone lanes, wooden houses and flowing canals below Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Lijiang Old Town (Dayan) is a maze of cobbled lanes, wooden Naxi houses and crystal canals, free of city walls and set against the snow-capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Once a key stop on the ancient Tea-Horse Road, it blends Naxi, Han and Tibetan culture, with lively square-street markets, the Mu Residence and quiet canal-side corners.
Settled for over 800 years, Lijiang became a prosperous Tea-Horse Road trading hub governed by the Naxi Mu chieftains, whose old residence still stands. The Old Town of Lijiang was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as an exceptionally well-preserved traditional ethnic minority settlement.
Day-by-day routes you won't find online — now starting with an 8-day, 1,500 km loop through western Sichuan. New regions are added regularly; tell us where you want to drive next.
