Lijiang is actually two places but the tourists come for only one place, the old city of Lijiang. It's history goes back over 800 years. The area experiences earthquakes on a regular basis, five severe ones in the 20th century alone. The latest one in 1996, took out much of the new city and severely damaged the old city. The new city was rebuilt and extensive repairs were carried out to the old city.
The old city has a bit of a Disneyesque feel about it. It is too perfect. But if you look closely you can still see some of the 800 year old City. The old city is filled with souvenir shops and way too many tourists. The streets are narrow and so full of tourists that at times, we felt like salmon clawing our way up stream, sometimes the wrong way.
The old city is crisscrossed by small canals and waterways with the shops and restaurants built right up to and in some cases over the water. This closeness to water is considered very feng shui.
No one actually lives in the old city except for tourists who inhabit the quaint little hotels and guest houses.
But even so, one should always take the chance to do a little laundry if the opportunity arises.
But despite the crowds and the Made in China feel of the old city, we had a very nice and restful stay here. If you were not afraid to explore, you could always find a quiet and beautiful place to sit and reflect. The weather was cloudy and cool, a perfect respite from Chengdu.
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