Old Town of Lijiang, Yunna province, China
The Old Town of Lijian is located
in the north west of the Yunnan province,
in the People’s Republic of China and is
home to the Naxi ethnic minority. The Old Town
of Lijian, also called Dayan Old Town, has become
one 
of China main tourist attractions, thanks
to its good state of preservation and its unique
architecture different from any other Chinese
ancient towns. The Old Town of Lijian, which has
more than 800 years history, became part of the
UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997 and it is also
called the Venice of the East, because of the
presence of several canals and bridges.
Old Town of Lijian, China – location
The Old Town of Lijian is located on a plateau at about 2,500 metres altitude in the autonomous Lijian county, Yunnan province, China. The Old Town of Lijian is surrounded by mountains on two sides (the Lion Mountain in the west, Elephant and Golden Row Mountains in the north) and fertile fields on the other sides (south-east). Also, the city is crossed by several canals, looking like a perfect dream town.
Old Town of Lijian, China – history
The Old Town of Lijian was first built more than 800 years ago by the late Song Dynasty and the early Yuan Dynasty. Under Kubla Khan, the town of Lijian became very rich and flourished, being at the centre of Kubla Khan’s reign. Lijian was at the centre of commercial routes connecting various Asian countries such as India, Tibet, Yunnan and China.
Old Town of Lijian – architecture
The architecture of the Old town on Lijian is unique, because of its historical background, multiracial inhabitants and geographical location. The Old town on Lijian is the only old city that is not surrounded by a wall.
Extra Pages on China to visit:
- The Great Wall of China tours - Travel information.
- Learning Chinese - information about the Chinese languages.
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