Since there is no separate thread for such information, I am going to use this thread to place "tourist information" about a destination in addition to maps. If the moderators want to create a separate thread for this, that's OK by me.
LIJIANG AREA SIGHTS
* Old Town. Walk around, watch people, shop, drink and eat. There is bonfire at around 7PM at the Si Fang Jie, the central plaza. Many local folks dance there, apparently entertain themselves.
* Mu Palace (木府; Mùfǔ). The palace where the Mu Clan of the Naxi people ruled for over 400 years. It is a large complex that extends part way up the hill behind it. At the top is a Daoist temple, with a few Daoists ready to give fortunes to visitors for a donation. A taste of Mulaoye Wine (木老爷酒; Mùlǎoyejiǔ), a kind of local alcohol, is available for ¥5 (in a shot glass), and there is also a free tea tasting area.
* Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山; Yùlóngxuě Shān), (25km from Lijiang. Mules can be rented from the nearby Baisha Village or you can take a cable car to the top. Prices vary for the mules depending on what elevation you want to go to. ¥180 to ride to 3800 meters plus ¥5 for insurance. ¥300 to 4200 meters. ¥350 to 4600 meters. If you pay for the lowest elevation you might be able to bargain with the handlers when you reach the end and continue to the higher elevations for a lower price. Its highest peak is Shanzidou (扇子陡; Shānzidǒu) at 5,596m. The view of the massif from the gardens at the Black Dragon Pool in Lijiang is noted as one of China's finest views. The far side of the mountain forms one side of Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡; Hǔtiàoxiá). You might be asked to purchase tickets for electrical car, which they call it as "Little Green frog". It's not worth it. You would miss the 20 minute walk on a wood trail which was very enjoyable. A On you way to Yu Long Snow Mountain, you may stop by at the Dong Ba Valley culture center, a traditional village. They moved some families from other places to this village and let them live their normal lives. I have seen the husband in a family counting changes while the wife was comforting the baby. In another house, two youth siblings were baking their cookies and selling to visitors. This is way more alive. There are live singing and instrument performing at different corners. You would see some singers are actually pretty and sin well.
* Black Dragon Pool (黑龙潭; Hēilóngtán), (About 1 km from Square Street). 8AM-5PM. Quite large place with some nice natural scenery together with traditional building styles. Don't forget to take pictures on the center bridge where the Yu Long Xue Shan (The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) can be a perfect background. Popular with locals, whom you can find dancing or playing games such as mahjongg or Chinese chess. You can also hike up Elephant Hill if you're feeling energetic. Walk north along the canals from the waterwheels just to the north of the old town. Free, but you have to show your receipt of the Old Town Preservation, which costs ¥80.
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* Naxi Concert Hall. 8PM-10PM. Enjoy the traditional Naxi music Culture Show performed by the Naxi Orchestra, which includes some 70-90 year old men. The music itself is a combination of traditional Chinese music dating back to the Tang dynasty and local instruments and flavours. The music is well performed, however be prepared for long explanations of its musical history in Mandarin between each piece and the sometimes self-serving comments of Xuan Ke the Director. While the Naxi Ancient Music group of Lijiang is famous and well promoted, there are other excellent classical Chinese music groups playing in Lijiang's parks (for ¥10) or at weddings or house-warmings all over Yunnan. ¥ 120-160. edit
* Float styrofoam boats. Along the main streams are girls selling candles that float on delicate flower-shaped styrofoam boats. Tourists can purchase one, make a wish, and send their candle down the waterways. Late in the evening after groups have had significant amounts of alcohol you can see many floating candles sailing down the waterways.
* Walk the canal path. To get to the Black Dragon Pool you can walk the canal path north near the main water wheel. It will take you to the south entrance of the park. The north part of the park is free and you can get there by walking around the south entrance and keep heading north. You should reach a street with the main entrance to the park. Keep going north and you will see a small bridge that leads to a large white building. The white building is the Dongba Museum, everything north of that is free. If the guards bother you at the gate, just walk back to the street and keep walking north and there will be another path to get in to the free part with no gates or guards to bother you. Further north of the park is a local college, and northwest of that is a small reservoir. The reservoir is a good place to take photos of the snow mountain when it is visible. On hot sunny days in the summer there will be lots of locals swimming there in the afternoon.
* Visit Naxi villages. If you would like to visit some of the Naxi villages in the hills surrounding Lijiang, you can rent a small van to take you around for ¥100-300, depending on the driver and how much Chinese you speak. There are regular minivans on Shangrila Road, the main road on the west side of town, which take locals to and from the villages. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a mini-van to go back to Lijiang after 5PM if you do not make arrangements with the driver who took you there. The regular one way mini-van fee is ¥2 to Shuhe, and ¥3-5 for villages farther north (2007). It is highly recommended to ask a student at the local college on where to find the mini-buses and the prices of the village you want to go. Many drivers will try to rip you off if you do not speak Chinese, and the buses are not always easy to find as they look the same as the private "3-8" buses that travel inside the city.
* Impression Lijiang. A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou (director of Hero, House of Flying Daggers), Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses.
* Dry Sea Meadow (Ganhaizi). The closest chair lift up the mountain to Lijiang. It transports visitors to a large meadow located at 3050 meters. ¥160 return.
* Cloud Fir Meadow (Yunshanping). From the reception center which is located adjacent to Impression Lijiang on the Lijiang-Daju road a fleet of buses transports visitors to a cable car which then takes visitors to 4506 metres. Both bus transfer and cable car costs a total of ¥160 for a return trip. From the upper terminus of the cable car a walkway allows visitors to climb past a glacier to 4680 meters. If you make it this far you can have your name engraved on a medallion for ¥30.
* Yak Meadow (Máoniúpíng). The furtherest from Lijiang at a distance of 60km, this cable car, costs ¥60 for a round-trip. At an elevation of 3,500 meters and the least-visited of the three chair lifts this area offers grazing yaks, a Tibetan temple and a number of hiking possibilities. On the way to the chairlift’s lower terminus the road drips down and crosses a river. A number of yaks are located here where for a fee you can sit on one. Their owners seem to have no objection to visitors taking photos for no fee of the yaks standing in the river with awesome Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background. You can also access Yak Meadow by hopping aboard bus 7 across from the Mao Zedong statue which will take you to the Impression Lijiang Theater for ¥10. At the theater there is a ticket booth to the left of the show entrance which sells tickets to both Spruce Meadow and Yak Meadow (¥80) and provides a tour bus to and from the cable cars and a cable car ticket. Be sure to find out what time the last bus passes the Impression Lijiang theater or you may find yourself calling a taxi which could be expensive. Also see "Impression Lijiang" info for entrance fees to the park itself.
* Baisha Village (白沙村). A small village in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, part of Lijiang city, well-known for its Jade Dragon Snow Mountain range. It is the original settlement of the Naxi people who came to the greater Lijiang Valley over a thousand years ago. Made up of at least 12 smaller villages, the main village is Sanyuan (三元村), which has one main stone street called of course, Baisha Street. It has a typical Chinese "old-town" tourist setup, consisting of a stone paved street with a mixture of Chinese trinket sellers-shops and several quaint cafés to stop at relax, have a drink some Yunnan coffee eat a Naxi Pie and avoid the crowded Lijiang. A great escape from Lijiang Old-town tourist trap, only 12 km north of town, you can rent a bike and get there in about 40 minutes.
