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About Lijiang Hinterland
Lijiang Hinterland (including Dayan, and two villages to the north, called Baisha 白沙 and Shuhe 束河 respectively) was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List on December 4, 1997. Since then, the local government has taken more responsibility for the development and protection of the old city. Lijiang’s tourism increased over the past twenty years, and travelers from around the world visit, though most tourists are still Han Chinese from other parts of China; the old town of Dayan has been extensively redeveloped with an eye to enhancing its commercial appeal to Han Chinese tourists and the genuinely old buildings are now in the minority.
Baisha Village. If you want to witness the authentic life of the Naxi People and appreciate their culture but are tired of overcrowded Lijiang and Shuhe Ancient Town, then Baisha Village is the place to go. The village, at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, is about 8km to the north of Lijiang Old Town. It is much quieter because it is not commercialized. Here, you can experience the Naxi people’s peaceful daily life.
Baisha Murals. Heading for this village, the Baisha Murals cannot be missed. These Murals are representative of Lijiang Murals and their creation took about three hundred years, from the early Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). The paintings were finished by Han, Tibetan and Naxi painters as well as painters from other nationalities, so they are not a symbol of Naxi Culture but a fusion of art from different nationalities. The peak of the Lijiang Murals was at end of the Ming Dynasty. Now only 55 pieces of murals are preserved in religious sites around Lijiang Town.
The Baisha Old Town was the political, commercial and cultural center for the local Naxi people and other ethnic groups for 400 years from the year 658 AD to 1107AD. The Dabaoji Palace of the Baisha Fresco, very close to the Baisha Naxi Hand-made Embroidery Institute, was built in the year 658 AD in the Tang Dynasty (618 AD to 907 AD).
Shuhe Old Town. Four kilometers (2 miles) to the northwest of the Lijiang Old Town, at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, lies a compact village hidden in the forest, the Shuhe Ancient Town. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has listed it as an important component of Lijiang as it is a well-preserved example of a town along the ancient tea route and one of the earliest settlements of the ancestors of Naxi people. It is called ‘the hometown of springs’.
The First Bend of the Yangtze River. Yangtze River, considerd the mother river of China, flows majestically through the center of China and is the third longest river in the world. Starting from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Yangtze River surges southeastward until it meets the Hengduan Mountain Range. About 71km outside of Lijiang, unusual geological phenomenons force the Yangtze to make a sudden V-shaped bend and flow to the northeast. This extraordinary turn, nearly 180-degrees, creates beautiful and marvelous views that startle the imagination. Here, the river is wide and the water flows in a gentle, slow pace. Large willow trees grow luxuriously alongside the river that is banked on both sides with lush, fertile deep green vegetation and immense, steep mountains that rise from the river to touch the clouds in the blue sky above. The whole sight is like a wonderful landscape painting that never ends. This is the First Bend of the Yangtze River – a world-famous geological phenomenon and an extraordinary panoramic scene whose vistas you will long remember with great pleasure.
Stone Drum. On the mountain at the river’s bend stands Stone Drum (Shigu) Town, named after a drum-shaped marble plaque. Built during the Jiaqing era (1548-1561) of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), the stone drum is a monument commemorating the victory of Lijiang’s Naxi ruler over an invading Tibetan army. It is one point five meters (five feet) in diameter and zero point five meters (two feet) in thickness. The stone drum has an obvious vestige of what appears to be a “rip” in it. It is said that the stone drum would rupture prior to any war and then fold when peace returned.
Throughout time, Stone Drum Town was always a significant and vitally strategic military area where many famous historical events have been taken place. It was here that Zhuge Liang, the famous and highly acclaimed military strategist of the Three Kingdoms Period, chose to cross the Yangtze River and gain “battle advantage” over his opponents. The first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 – 1368), Kublai Khan, used this place for his expeditionary forces to ferry across the river. In April 1936, the Second Route of the Red Army, led by General He Long and Ren bishi, crossed the river here and continued to march north. There are memorials here honoring the people whose histories are entwined with the Stone Drum Town.
This whole area abounds with attractive stories and dazzling visions. Stone Drum Town, together with the First Bend of the Yangtze River, and so many other spots nearby such as the Tiehong Bridge and Rock Gate ensure that a trip here will be an exciting one that you will greatly enjoy.