- Old Town of Lijiang
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For other uses, see Lijiang.
Old Town of Lijiang * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country 
ChinaType Cultural Criteria ii, iv, v Reference 811 Region ** Asia-Pacific Inscription history Inscription 1997 (21st Session) * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List
** Region as classified by UNESCOThe Old Town of Lijiang (simplified Chinese: 丽江古城; traditional Chinese: 麗江古城; pinyin: Lìjiāng Gǔchéng) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China.
Contents
History
The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. The old town of Lijiang differs from other ancient Chinese cities in architecture, history and the culture of its traditional residents the Nakhi people, therefore people there are called 胖金哥 and 胖金妹 (male and female respectively).
Lijiang old town (including Dayan, Baisha and Shuhe) was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List on December 4, 1997.[1] Since then, the local government has taken more responsibility for the development and protection of the old city. Lijiang's tourism also boomed, and travellers from around the world flooded in; although many locals fear that due to much of the development, the old town of Lijiang will lose its appeal.
The entrance to the Mu Mansion in the Old Town of Lijiang, Yunnan
Recently, the government has started to develop additional "old city" sections adjacent to the site of the original old city. This is to accommodate the large number of tourists who walk the cobblestone streets (cars are not allowed in the old city), typically as part of package tours. Evenings in the old city can be particularly rowdy, not least due to the many outdoor bars, where boisterous groups of tourists try to outsing other groups.
Lijiang is also home to the Jade Water Village, a Dongba cultural centre and Lugu Lake, a lake which is a tourist attraction.
Culture
The Nakhi people perform Dongjing Music, an ancient form of Taoist ritual music, in Lijiang. Lijiang is also the site of the Lijiang Snow Mountain Music Festival (丽江雪山音乐节), which features Chinese rock music. The festival was created by Chinese pop musician Cui Jian.
See also
- Shaxi, Yunnan: a nearby historical town in Jianchuan County on the ancient tea route
- Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas: a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in the vicinity of Lijiang.
Threats
The influx of tourists that followed the inscription of the Ancient town of Lijiang onto UNESCO's World Heritage list has had dramatic effects. Many of the former inhabitants of the ancient city have had to move away due to rising costs of housing and food items, only to be replaced by tourist establishments.[2] The growth of these tourism businesses is largely uncontrolled.[3]
Gallery
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Lijiang at night
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Rivers and bridges can be seen almost everywhere inside the old town
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Shops along the street in Lijiang old town
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Look down at the old town of Lijiang
References
- ^ "Old Town of Lijiang". UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/811. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ "Reconciling Tourism and Conservation: The Case of Historic Towns". China Heritage Newsletter, China Heritage Project, The Australian National University, ISSN 1833-8461, No. 2, June 2005. June 2005. http://www.chinaheritagenewsletter.org/articles.php?searchterm=002_historictowns.inc&issue=002.
- ^ "UNESCO WHC-ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to the Old Town of Lijiang, China". UNESCO WHC-ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to the Old Town of Lijiang, China. 10–19 January 2008. http://whc.unesco.org/download.cfm?id_document=10058.
External links
- UN World Heritage Site Old Town of Lijiang
- Yunnan Government website on administrative divisions in Yunnan Province (Chinese)
- Lijiang preservation project summary at Global Heritage Fund
- Explore Lijiang with Google Earth on Global Heritage Network
World Heritage Sites in China East Classical Gardens of Suzhou · Fujian Tulou · Lushan National Park · Mount Huang (Huangshan) · Mount Sanqing (Sanqingshan) · Mount Tai (Taishan) · Mount Wuyi (Wuyishan) · Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion, Qufu · Ancient villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun · West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou
South Central Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains · Historic Centre of Macau · Kaiping Diaolou and Villages · Longmen Grottoes · Historic Monuments of Dengfeng, including the Shaolin Monastery and Gaocheng Observatory · Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Yin Xu
Southwest Dazu Rock Carvings · Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, including the Jokhang and Norbulingka · Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Old Town of Lijiang · Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area · Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System · Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries · Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
North Mount Wutai (Wutaishan) · Chengde Mountain Resort and its outlying temples including the Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Xumi Fushou Temple and the Puning Temple · Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang · Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian · Ancient City of Pingyao · Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing · Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing · Yungang Grottoes
Northeast Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom · Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
Northwest Multiple regions Yunnan topics General Geography Cities • Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau • Diqing Plateau • Honghe River • Dianchi Lake • Fuxian Lake • Erhai Lake • Lugu Lake • Yangzong Lake • Yilong Lake • Xi River • Yuan River • Pearl River • Red River • Pudacuo National ParkEducation Culture Music • Eighteen OdditiesCuisine Visitor attractions Coordinates: 26°52′00″N 100°14′00″E / 26.8666667°N 100.2333333°E
Categories:- World Heritage Sites in China
- Lijiang City
- Tourism in Yunnan
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