A Thousand-Year Date with Lijiang Ancient Town

🌙【A 4-Day-3-Night Guide to Lijiang Ancient Town - A Thousand-Year Date】✨ ——Touch time on cobblestone streets and unlock the romantic secrets of Naxi culture 💫 About Me A travel blogger just back from Lijiang! Driven by dreams of "gentle moments," I spent 4 days exploring Lijiang Ancient Town and its surroundings. Here's my detailed guide including ✅ancient town navigation tips ✅photo spots guide ✅Naxi food map ✅off-the-beaten-path activities. Follow this guide for a perfect trip! 🌿 Day 1: First Encounter with the Ancient Town - Slow Down in the Bustle ▫️ Morning | Crossing Through Thousand Years of Naxi Heritage - 🏨 Accommodation: "Tinghua Inn" at South Gate (garden terrace facing Lion Hill, Naxi woodcarving + floor heating) - 🌅 Wandering: Start from the Water Wheel, stroll along Yuhe Corridor, watch morning mist over willows brushing the cobblestone path - 🔥 Must-visit spots: - Water Wheel: Town landmark, fewer crowds at 8am, take dynamic looking-back shots with the "World Heritage" stone tablet as background! - East Street: Best-preserved Ming and Qing architecture, capture carved eaves against blue sky and white clouds, perfect for artistic photos in linen dresses! - Mu's Mansion: "Forbidden City of Lijiang," recommend getting a guide to learn about Naxi royal culture, Wanchun Tower in back garden offers panoramic views! ▫️ Afternoon | Lost in Time in the Alleys - 🍽️ Lunch: No. 88 Snack Shop (next to Zhongyi Market), must-try free-range chicken rice noodles + Naxi grilled rushan cheese, appetizing sour-spicy soup! - 📸 Photography: - Square Street: Best light at 4pm, learn traditional dance with Naxi aunties (free), capture moments of swirling skirts - May 1st Street: Art boutique district, flower wall at "Da Bing's House," red lantern alley at "Encounter BAR," warm evening light creates perfect ambiance - Lion Hill Viewpoint: Arrive 1 hour before sunset, watch golden light blanket the ancient town, magical when city lights come on! ▫️ Evening | Experience the Town's Many Charms - 🌃 Night tour: Walk along Bar Street, pick a folk music bar (recommend "Jianghu"), enjoy live performances of "Little Baby," perfect tipsy atmosphere - 🍢 Street food: Zhongyi Market night market, grilled erblock (add fermented tofu and minced meat), fried tofu, flower cakes (freshly baked with amazing rose fragrance!) 🗻 Day 2: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain - Touch the Closest Glacier to the City ▫️ All Day | A Date with the Snow Mountain (Recommend joining a tour group for convenience!) - 🚗 Transportation: 1-hour drive from ancient town, book Snow Mountain tickets + cable car 1 day ahead through "Lijiang Tourism Group"! - 🔥 Must-visit spots: - Glacier Park (4,680m): Wear down jacket + oxygen bottle (buy in ancient town to save money), capture rolling clouds from cable car, take photos with "4680" monument, meaningful couple photos at the top! - Blue Moon Valley: Four lakes - "Jade," "Mirror," "Blue Moon," "Wave-listening," water color changes between blue and green with light, best at 10am for clear reflections, stand on wooden bridge in white dress for painting-like photos! - Impression Lijiang: Live show directed by Zhang Yimou, featuring caravan culture + Naxi song and dance, spectacular finale with everyone shouting "Lijiang!" ▫️ Helpful Tips: - Altitude sickness: Move slowly, no running/jumping, bring glucose solution - Clothing: Mountain is cold (0-10℃), wear light jacket from ancient town, rent down jacket at mountain 🌾 Day 3: Lashi Lake + Shuhe Ancient Town - Encounter Poetic Countryside ▫️ Morning | Time Travel on the Tea Horse Road - 🚗 Transportation: 30-min taxi from ancient town to Lashi Lake (choose "Wetland Park," ignore roadside touts promoting "Tea Horse Road"!) - 🔥 Activities: - Horseback riding on Tea Horse Road: Listen to horsemen's caravan stories, climb to "viewing platform" for panoramic lake views - Wetland Park: Flower seas April-May, migratory birds November-December, recommend kayaking through reed marshes, beautiful backlit silhouette photos! ▫️ Afternoon | Shuhe Ancient Town - More Peaceful Than Dayan - 🍽️ Lunch: "Grandma's Food" in Shuhe, Naxi preserved pork ribs hotpot (small pot 88 yuan, with water spinach), broth so good you'll want three bowls! - 📸 Photography: - Qinglong Bridge: Town's oldest stone bridge, capture horse hoof prints on stone path in early morning, afternoon sun filtering through ancient trees - Jiuding Dragon Pool: Clear springs reflecting snow mountains, Naxi houses with white walls and black tiles on shore, wear ethnic clothing for "pretending to be in Kyoto" series ▫️ Evening | Back to Dayan - Feel the Night's Gentleness - 🌌 Night tour: Avoid bar street, walk July 1st Street alleys, see lanterns reflected in water lanes, buy an oil paper umbrella for classical style photos 🌅 Day 4: Baisha Ancient Town + Return - Where Time Stands Still ▫️ Morning | Explore the Most Original Naxi Village - 🚗 Transportation: 20-min taxi from ancient town, or electric bike - 🔥 Must-experience: - Baisha Murals: Ming Dynasty Naxi paintings, listen to guide explain fusion of Dongba and Han cultures - Baisha Old Street: Quieter than Shuhe, spend afternoon at "Simple" cafe, view Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, pet owner's Maine Coon cat - Tie-dye experience: At "Hechuang Workshop," create your own unique souvenir ▫️ Afternoon | Reluctant Departure - 🍽️ Lunch: "Kitchen No. 8" in ancient town, black goat hotpot + Naxi fried rice, pack two boxes of flower cakes (3-day shelf life when freshly baked) - ✈️ Transportation: Lijiang Sanyi Airport 40 mins from ancient town, allow 2 hours, duty-free shop sells Pu'er tea 📜 Practical Guide | Things Even Locals Might Not Tell You 1. Ancient Town Navigation Guide: - Remember "follow water in, against water out" (Yuhe River enters South Gate, exits North Gate) - Download "Gaode Maps," accurate positioning in town alleys 2. Accommodation Choices: - For buzz: Stay in Dayan Ancient Town center (around Square Street), but note bar street noise at night - For quiet: Stay in Shuhe/Baisha, or Dayan outskirts (near South/North Gate) 3. Food Guide: - Must-try: Preserved pork ribs, black goat, water spinach, chickpea jelly, fried tofu 4. Photography Formula: - Props: Oil paper umbrella, flower cake, Naxi shawl - Light: Best at 10am/4pm, avoid harsh noon light - Spots: Mu's Mansion Wanchun Tower, Lion Hill viewpoint, Shuhe Qinglong Bridge, Baisha snow mountain viewpoint 5. Best Travel Time: - March-May (cherry/rhododendron blooms), September-November (pleasant weather, less sun) - Avoid summer vacation (crowded), Lunar New Year (doubled prices) ⚠️ Pitfall Guide | Watch Out for These Traps! - 🐎 Lashi Lake horseback riding: Refuse street touts, only buy official "Wetland Park package," confirm if boating + lunch included - 💍 Silver/jade: Ancient town shops overpriced, buy at local market near Zhongyi Market (but still bargain!) - 📸 Trip Moments traps: Beware "99 yuan portraits," post-processing/frames can cost thousands, choose reputable studios 🌟 Conclusion: Lijiang is a Dream You Don't Want to Wake From Here, time can slow down— Sitting on inn terraces watching clouds, learning to say "hello" from Naxi grandmas (Muhuali), feeling small beneath snow mountains yet awed by nature's grandeur. 4 days is enough to fall in love, taking home memories of "poetry and distant places." 📌 Itinerary Reference Day 1: Dayan Ancient Town core area (Water Wheel→Mu's Mansion→Square Street→Lion Hill) Day 2: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain full day (Glacier Park→Blue Moon Valley→Impression Lijiang) Day 3: Lashi Lake Wetland Park + Shuhe Ancient Town Day 4: Baisha Ancient Town→Return