Pioneering New Discoveries in China: Lijiang Old Town - Emerging Adventurers

      07/17/2025 - 07/18/2025

      Take a look at zzlangerhans's travel map to see Asia 2025. After an exhausting day at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, returning to our home base in the old town of Lijiang felt refreshing, especially with a few hours left to explore and seek out dinner. Although it was our third day, we had not explored much of the town itself as we had focused on the outskirts. While I recognized that I was witnessing a reconstructed version of the old town rather than an authentically preserved one, I couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship and charm of the winding alleys. It would have been easy to overlook the intricate details that contributed to the antique ambiance—the dark bricks, wooden shutters, and slender trees. Along one street, polished boulders seemed to have been left behind by a long-gone glacier. Darkness fell quickly, yet the flagstone paths remained illuminated by lamps and cleverly placed recessed lighting. The light bounced off the wooden walls and the colorful streamers strung above the paths. We passed a temple adorned with vibrant hearts bearing the prayers and wishes of its visitors. In another alley, a group of guitarists played for a relaxed audience sitting on mats and folding chairs, sipping beer. As night wore on, we began to look at nearby restaurants in hopes of finding a suitable dinner spot. Despite their inviting appearances, their reviews on Chinese apps were uniformly poor. Almost all were low-quality tourist traps set in picturesque locales. Mei Ling found a few promising options, but navigating the alleys proved challenging, and when we finally located our choices, they were fully booked. Our last attempt led us to the ornate northern gate of the old town, a beautifully illuminated pailou. Again, the restaurant we sought eluded us or simply didn’t exist, so we settled for the nearest acceptable place. It was a local eatery with minimal decor, vastly different from the enchanting atmosphere of the old town. The food was as expected—adequate but forgettable. We returned to the old town where tourist restaurants were now packed, low reviews or not. One large eatery was situated on an artificial island surrounded by a moat. Steam rising from hidden pipes cloaked the water's surface, and colorful flowers surrounded the dining area. It was a design masterpiece, surpassing anything I had seen in the west, in a Chinese city few westerners have heard of. We found an observation area with lovely views of the golden lights of the old town and saw a bright pagoda perched on a high hill in the distance. I recognized it as Lion Hill, a location on my Lijiang checklist. Had it been a couple of hours earlier, we might have ventured that way, but the kids were already worn out. Lion Hill would have to wait until the next day.

      On our final day in Lijiang, we had only four hours to explore the old town before our afternoon train to Dali. Rising early, we left our luggage at the front desk and set off in a direction that took us away from the main commercial area, discovering intriguing alleys and canals we hadn't seen before. Most shops had yet to open by eight in the morning. After the previous evening’s lackluster dinner, we were keen to find a memorable final meal in Lijiang. Based on its curb appeal rather than an app, we chose a place offering a Yunnan specialty known as crossing-the-bridge noodles. This dish features boiling chicken and pork soup with other ingredients served uncooked or partially cooked on a separate platter. Diners then add the noodles and other components to the soup, where they cook completely in a few minutes. The name comes from a local legend about a devoted wife who crossed a bridge daily to bring her husband food, keeping the solids separate from the soup so they wouldn’t become soggy by the time she delivered them. Our bowls were presented on a platter shaped like a bridge in homage to the tale. The soup was delicious and provided a fun experience for the kids, marking our best restaurant meal in Lijiang.

      The entrance to the Mu family mansion is centrally located in the old town. The Mu were historical leaders of the Naxi from medieval times until the end of imperial China in 1911. Their family residence covered a vast area at the base of Lion Hill, largely destroyed during warfare in the Qing Dynasty. After a significant earthquake devastated much of Lijiang in 1996, local authorities decided to reconstruct the Mu mansion as it may have appeared during its prime. As is often the case, the Chinese interpretation of history can be quite liberal, leaving the authenticity of this modern iteration of the estate uncertain. The compound included a series of ornate buildings arranged along a linear axis. The first was Yishi Hall, serving as a meeting room for the Mu ruler, known as the Tusi, and his advisers. Within the building,

Other articles