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Lijiang Prefecture lies in Northwest Yunnan Province. With an area of 21,200 square kilometers, Lijiang has a population of 1.14 million. Lijiang is about 400 kilometers northwest of Kunming and is easily accessible by plane or coach. Lijiang is a National Scenic Area. The Ancient Town of Lijiang is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. Every ethnic group in Lijiang has a special festival, such as the Naxi people's Sanduo Festival and the Yi people's Torch Festival.
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The Lijiang UNESCO site is well known for its well-preserved ancient buildings and the distinctive Naxi culture. The aged wooden buildings decked with hanging red lanterns, and local musicians playing centuries-old Naxi instruments in the time worn streets, display a lifestyle and culture that seems lost in time. It is an idyllic place that seems far away from the cement, steel and busyness of the new section of the city. Lijiang is the gateway to many other tourist attractions in the region, including Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with its Ski Resort, the First Bend of the Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Top Attractions
The Ancient Town
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Lugu Lake and Mosuo Village
Nakhi
Lijiang is the hometown of Nakhi, one of the ethnic minorities in China. The Nakhi are thought to have come originally from Tibet and, until recently, maintained overland trading links with Lhasa and India. They were brought to the attention of the world by two men: the American botanist Joseph Rock and the Russian Taoist doctor Peter Goullart, both of whom lived in Lijiang and travelled throughout the area during the early 20th century. Peter Goullart's book Forgotten Kingdom describes the life and beliefs of the Nakhi and neighbouring peoples, while Joseph Rock's legacy includes diaries, maps, and photographs of the region.
The Nakhi celebrate the annual Torch Festival on the 24th and 25th of the sixth month of the Lunar calendar, which corresponds approximately to July 8th-9th, and the Sanduo Festival on February 8.
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