Trip Report for Lijiang, Yunnan province.

Trip Report for Lijiang.

FYI this is my 4^(th) time to China and my 1^(st) time to Lijiang, so my itinerary and interests are very specific.

My travel dates was May 8^(th) – June 9^(th) 2026 and travel route was Lijiang – Shangri-la – Dali – Kunming – Guiyang – Chongqing.

I hope this information will be useful for those planning a trip to Lijiang. I’ve tried to list and describe as much as possible and highlighted some important parts. I’ve added some prices, the hotels that I stayed at, reviewed attractions that I visited in each city or town. Feel free to ask questions and I will respond as soon as I can... Thanks for reading!

HOTEL = I stayed at Galsang Heyue · Gesang Yunduo | Yunmengze Sun | New Chinese style | Lvju Garden Meisu (Yes, it has a very long name!).Address is No. 45 Wensheng Lane, Wuyi Street, Gucheng District, Lijiang, Yunnan 674100, China. I can’t upload the link so please search in Trip.com. This hotel (more like a x12 room family-run homestay) is located inside the Old Town. I recommend booking a room with the airport / train transfer so the driver can drop you off right at the door or contact the hotel and ask for the airport / train transfer (apparently it costs 40 CNY as you need to pre-book access to drive inside the Old Town). Hotel location is on the far right side of the Old Town and close to a main street (about 2min walk north but its more like 5min walk as you’ll walk slower due the high altitude and its on a slope) where you can catch a taxi DiDi easily and quickly....

I stayed here for 7 nights and paid $153 AUD. Rooms are of a simple Chinese décor design and has everything you need for a comfortable stay including air-con / heater, wet / dry bathroom with western toilet, free laundry service (machine-wash and hang dry on balcony). The staff are really nice and helpful with restaurant suggestions, attraction ticket discounts, maps, etc. The staff even suggested a great studio for hanfu rental and professional photography with editing options (they’ll WeChat and email you the photos later). Yes, I would definitely stay here again!

HIGH ALTITUDE = During the whole time that I was in Lijiang, I could feel the high altitude. After I checked into my hotel, I had a little headache and it didn’t go away until the next day… The air is definitely thinner here... Within 5min of wandering around the Old Town, I was out of breath! Every 30+ steps, I needed to stop and catch my breath! I’m a fast walker – a power walker, so slowing down was a real challenge for me! I highly recommend to plan your Lijiang visit with extra time, at least another day / night if you can, to help you adjust to the high altitude. Oxygen tanks are sold everywhere and prices vary depending on the brand and tank size. Most oxygen tanks cost around 10 CNY, but I did see 15 CNY, 20 CNY etc.

DAYAN OLD TOWN / ancient town = The Old Town is a UNESCO world heritage site and a must visit as it has a few worthwhile attractions such as Sifeng Street & Square Market which is in the centre with a daily bonfire dance party at 7:30pm and 9pm. See photo 7 which was taken at 7pm – it doesn't get dark til about 8:30pm in May. The main streets with the most crowds are Xinhua Street, Wuyi Street, Guangyi Street and Qiyi Street as they all lead to the Square Market. Some other famous attractions are the Giant Waterwheel, Three-eyed Well Wencheng Palace with viewing platform opposite the entrance, Dayan Flower Alley, Dashiqiao Bridge – photo 8 (very popular photo spot), Bar Street / Jiubajie, and Zhongyi Farmers Market. I also visited Puxian Temple, which is hidden in an alleyway… I’ll post some maps soon and I recommend to use Amap to help you navigate the Old Town...

To walk from one end of the Old Town to the other, it takes approx 45min-1hr but probably longer due to the high altitude (you’ll keep stopping to catch your breath and take photos). To wander around the Old Town, I recommend to allocate least a full day, especially if you need time to adjust to the high altitude. If you want to visit places like Mu Mansion, Wangulou Tower on Lion Hill and watch the Naxi Ancient Music Performance then its best to add another day so you can relax and enjoy your time – not rush. I’ve read a lot of people visit this Old Town only for a few hours… I think it deserves more time. Yes, its quite commercialised with all the shops and restaurants but there are some really worthy attractions!

If you want to sit down and eat, enjoy a panoramic view of the Old Town and area, then head to Lion Hill – there’s quite a few choices near the main entrance to Lion Hill. I stopped at Two Cats Coffee Cafe as it was the first place that I came across. Since I didn’t have my usual appetite due to altitude sickness, I just ate when I was hungry and small simple meals... I didn’t go out of my way to find any of the social media recommended places to eat. I did have crossing bridge noodles a few times, and an interesting chicken noodle soup dish (but it looks and tastes like fish!) for only 29 CNY, location near the blue North Gate – see photo 20 top image. Another place that I ate at is a little restaurant that specialises in noodles and serves dumplings, which is very popular and was suggested by the hotel staff.

With shopping for souvenirs, you’ll see the usual stuff like bottle opener magnets, key-rings, mobile phone charms, paper or silk fans, stone jewellery, Chinese hairpins, tea, snacks etc. One store that I do recommend visiting is Dongba Paper Workshop store (179 Cuiwen Duan, Xinhua Jie) that sells paper products made from bark, plant fibre and by the Naxi people for over 1,200 years... bookmarks cost from 12 CNY depending on the design, they also sell postcards, notebooks, lanterns etc. If you need a CCC powerbank, I suggest going to Miniso – they cost from 69 CNY to 99 CNY (depending on design) for a 10,000 mah fast charging one and fast charger cords from 20 CNY to 50 CNY.

MU MANSION = also known as Mufu’s Residence is huge! I was really impressed with this place and enjoyed my visit. It’s inside the Old Town and from the main entrance, you can’t tell how big it is inside. Allocate at least 2hrs – 3hrs is even better, if you want to explore the place and climb the stairs to Sanqing Palace that offers a panoramic view of the Old Town. If you have the time and energy, climb up further to another building (I don’t know the name, sorry) for the highest point in Mu Mansion – I didn’t as I was already out of breath, many times... A few buildings and halls have been turned into museums showcasing the Mu family history, local art, customs etc. There’s several small garden areas with stone tables and stools that you can relax in between visiting each building. There’s a little souvenir store and clean toilets – really important! Do make the time to visit Mu Mansion, I think its a must visit.

WANGULOU TOWER & LION HILL = Wangulou Tower itself is a wonderful building but the views from the tower were really disappointing. It’s not like what you see online… There are way too many trees that block the panoramic view. 1hr is plenty here as you’ll need time to climb up / down the staircase – there’s no lift. It’s located on Lion Hill. It wasn’t crowded when I visit, maybe 20ppl were here? If you visit, just lower your expectations about the views from the tower...

NAXI ANCIENT MUSIC PERFORMANCE & MUSEUM = The 1hr music performance is worth your time. You’ll see about 12ppl to 16ppl playing various music instruments, sing songs that have been past down through the generations and there’s a host that explains the importance of each song in Chinese and English. Before you attend the music performance, do wander through the museum to see the numerous musical instruments, learn about the history etc – allocate 30mins or so, its not big. You can book tickets on Trip.com or at the door. I went after dinner and there was about 15ppl in the same session as me, but the hall can fit over 100ppl easily. I think its a shame that not a lot of people make the time to appreciate Naxi ancient music…. As you sit down and just watch and listen to the music, its a good opportunity to be still and adjust to the high altitude as well as have a cultural, musical experience.

ZHONGYI FARMERS MARKET = this is located on the far south end of the Old Town. Its about 20min+ walk from Square Market. I came here after 6pm and it was packed as many people were having dinner. It’s mainly market stalls and vendors selling street food, snacks, little takeaway bowls of noodles or rice-based dishes where you eat and walk around or can sit down on a plastic stool and share the foldable table with other people. I think its worth coming here as there’s also a section that sells fresh fruit and vegetables – like x5 bananas for 5 CNY, there’s also a bakery...

ROMANTIC SHOW OF LIJIANG / SONGCHENG = I wasn’t planning on visiting Songcheng or watching any high-scaled shows but it was raining (not heavy but constant and very cold) and the hotel staff strongly advised not to walk around the Old Town (polished stones are very slippery so wear well-gripped shoes) and to stay indoors (don’t wander around outside in the rain to avoid getting sick). I’m glad that I took their advise as I really enjoyed my visit and the shows are definitely worth seeing! There are 3 recommended shows but the main event is available twice a day. You’ll get to see lots of different cultural style outfits and ceremonial costumes, there’s singing and dancing, with a huge digital screen as the backdrop.

Songcheng is not located in the Old Town but you can catch a free shuttle bus to take you there and back to the Old Town – ask hotel staff for information. Allocate half a day here – make sure to check the show schedule before going. There’s a few other attractions like a little petting zoo for the kids, ghost house (funny experience if you walk in with people who are scared of the dark), about a dozen different 5min 3D shows, street performances, shops, gardens, etc to keep you occupied in between the shows. I especially liked Dawa Village, the leather workshop store, and how there’s many Naxi and Tibetan designed photo spots.

LIJIANG INTERNATIONAL SHOPPING PLAZA = Before I went to Songcheng, I went to this mall to hide from the rain. It looks huge from the outside but was empty and quiet inside. Most of the stores are local brands, there’s some restaurants…. The street shops seemed more interesting and there’s a local indoor market about a block away that I didn’t have time to visit but might be worth going if you want cheap clothes, shoes etc…

HANFU PHOTOSHOOT = There are many hanfu rental stores and photoshoot studios in the Old Town and you’ll see many people dressed up taking photos professionally or with their family and friends. Allocate at least an hour to select your outfit and for hair / make-up. If you’ve paid for a photographer, then you’ll need another hr to walk around the Old Town area to get your photos taken. I went where my hotel staff recommended and they were great – also very popular, it was crowded. The photographer spoke a bit of English as well which made the photoshoot easier.

After I had my photos taken, I went back to the studio and sat with the photographer to select which photos that I wanted edited, which takes about a day to complete. I chose a Naxi outfit and a Tibetan outfit with 45 photos and 9 edited photos for 200 CNY. Prices will vary depending on the outfits that you choose, how many photos you take and want edited (like it cost me an extra 9 CNY per extra edited photo). The photographer then WeChat the photos and emailed me the photos in HD, he also edited the photos a few times til I was satisfied!

BLACK DRAGON POOL / HEILONGTAN = one of the best places to see Yulong Mountain / Jade Snow Dragon Mountain from afar, is Black Dragon Pool – but apparently only in the morning, like at sunrise... I’m not a morning person so I went later on in the day and it was really overcast, so I didn’t get to see the whole mountain – top half was covered in clouds. While you’re here, definitely visit Dongba Cultural Museum to learn more about the Naxi people, handicrafts, their religion and rituals, some cultural outfits, artefacts and antiques etc – will take 45min+. There’s Chinese and English translations on what you’re looking at.

A place worth visiting inside the Black Dragon Pool, is the Five-Phoenix Pavilion which was built in the Ming Dynasty, in 1601, and has been turned into a museum and gallery showcasing Yunnan province nature side (photos and information about the flora and fauna, Naxi culture, the arts and ceremonies, Dongba pictographs, history of the Old Town and architecture, etc – will take 30min+. The building has been well-maintained, renovated and restored...

The Dragon God Temple, built in the Qing Dynasty, in 1737, is another great place to learn about the Naxi people. The side halls and buildings have large photographs of their ceremonies, paintings, calligraphy works, etc – will take 30min+. Opposite the Dragon God Temple is the Ancient Opera Stage and the Moon-Embracing Pavilion which was built in the Qing Dynasty, in 1876, and rebuilt in 1963. To get to the pavilion, you must walk across a little footbridge. You can’t enter the pavilion (wasn’t open when I was there) but the building is beautiful and a really nice place to sit down and enjoy the lake view.

The Five-arched Bridge and the Green-locking Bridge are the most popular photo spots inside Black Dragon Pool. Tour groups stop here to take photos so it can get really crowded and you’ll have to wait to take your photos... Keep an eye out for the One-Penny Pavilion which is located in the centre of the pool and can only be reached by boat – its really small but a nice feature... About 5min walk uphill and on the right side of the Green-locking Bridge is the Naxi Dongba Literature Manuscripts Museum and Jietuolin Temple which has English explanations about the Naxi displays. Most people visit Black Dragon Pool for the Yulong Mountain view but I think there’s a lot more to see here. I suggest 3hrs+ to enjoy Black Dragon Pool. There’s a few cafes, restaurants, shops etc.

BAISHA ANCIENT TOWN = I had high expectations for this ancient town and unfortunately it wasn’t what I expected. I arrive before 3pm and stayed for 3hrs+ or so wandering the streets... The ancient town is flat, there’s no stairs to climb. You do get a great view of Yulong Mountain but it depends on the weather. The shops and restaurants are very similar to the ones you’ll see in Dayan Old Town. The main square area is most busy and crowded. I managed to visit Naxu Embroidery Institute which was great for 30min+ and the store had some interesting items that you can purchase such as playing cards with the Dongba pictographs for 20 CNY. By the time I reached Dabaoiji Palace and the Baisha Murals, it was closing so I didn’t enter. When I return to Lijiang, I’ll come back in the morning to visit these attractions, along with Dading Pavilion, Liuli Temple and Fuguo Temple. If you want to see it all, I suggest a full day for Baisha as it depends on how you’re coping with the high altitude as well...

SHUHE ANCIENT TOWN = I was pleasantly surprised with Shuhe – I think it’s a lot “prettier” that Baisha. With the stream running through the ancient town and all the flowers, I found it more colourful and photogenic. Yes,to many people, its just another overly commercialised attraction, but I live in Sydney, Australia and we don’t have ancient towns like these so I like visiting them!The main street is called Sifang Street, there’s Qilong Bridge / Green Dragon Bridge, Juidong Dragon Pond, Sansheng Palace, and the Ancient Tea Horse Culture Museum. I spent about 5hrs here but mainly because I got “stuck” in a few stores! I’m happy to revisit Shuhe and get lost wandering through all the alleyways as I felt I didn’t get to see it all… Do allocate at least 3hrs+ to explore Shuhe. I saw a horse and carriage that you can rent to take you around...

DAY TRIP 1 = I hired a private guide / driver / car for one day (8am to 8pm) to take me to the following places and in this order: Tiger Leaping Gorge, 1**^(st)** Bend of Yangtze River, Shigu village, Jade Water Village & Dongba Temple, Yun Ti Yang Cafe, and Royal Banquet Dinner & Show. My guide spoke really good English and was a safe driver – if you need a private guide for Lijiang, Shanri-la, Dali etc then DM me and I’ll give you her contact details.

DAY TRIP 2 = I joined a group tour, booked via Trip.com, to visit Yulong / Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Apparently, only 10,000 tickets are released per day and its extremely popular thus hard to get tickets. The group tour that I was part of only had 7 other tourists and all from South Korea! The guide was also the driver and only spoke Chinese so we communicated via translation apps. Everything was included in the booking price including the shared hotpot lunch meal, except the electric golf-cart ride along the Blue Moon Valley to visit various sections which was an extra 40 CNY.

I will post about my Day Trip 1 & 2 separately as this is already a very long post!

FYI = I wish I can add photos to the post but I can't. I've sent a message to the mods and they said they're working on it...