Lijiang Old Town

I got on a bus to Lijiang from Dali that worked its way around beautiful canyons and plateaus. I couldn't quite get used to the fact that China is a huge country and the great variety and vastness of its topographical wealth always left me awestruck. It is akin to the greatness of the Lord Almighty that humbles the most arrogant soul into a tiny little speck and cradles it in His bosom. The picturesque villages, the green and brown fields, the waterfalls and rivers, the tall mountains, wide plateaus and valleys were all enthralling.

Lijiang City is not as captivating as some modern Chinese cities are but once you get to the old town, the atmosphere changes and the world moves back in time. The cab I hailed dropped me off at the entrance to the old town. I made my way to the lane I believed led to Wang Gu Cheng Inn, then I got perplexed with the alleys. They were too close compared to the illustrations in the map and I was looking for a big river, at least wide enough to row a boat in like the one's in Zhuzhuang and Tongli but the rivers described in the guidebooks were now more like an open drainage system to say the least. I called the inn and the owner came to fetch me.

After depositing my backpack and having a meal of Yangzhou chao fan and greens, I got on my feet and wandered into cobbled lanes and alleys. I peeked in some of the shops selling mostly ethnic garments, jewelries, art pieces, antiques, leather bags and accessories and of course local foods. The best way to discover Lijiang is to get lost in its maze-like lay out. So I went drifting away into the streets poking my nose on glutinous rice and pig's blood sausages and deep fried larvae. Ah, there's always something interesting coming up at every corner. At the square by the two big waterwheels, I chanced upon a Naxi family doing an open air concert of traditional Naxi songs. There were about 12 of them playing different local instruments, the youngest of which was somewhere around 10 to 13 years old and the oldest was about 60 years of age. Then there were the arts and trade shops that spoke of handed down skills that were passed through generations like paper making, cloth weaving, wood carving, leather bag/accessories making, theater arts, singing of traditional ethnic songs and many others. Being able to locate these family traditions took me a lot of meandering and going back and forth the same streets that were becoming more and more familiar.

The mood of the town changed with the weather. On the three days that I was there, I saw lots of sunshine, the rain and snowfall come to Lijiang. When the town wasn't wet Square Street was full of people and Naxi women held a dance around a bonfire. Everyone joined in the dancing whenever they could and local people and tourists had fun keeping up with the music. The snowfall made the whole place sober but it didn't dampen the spirits of determined visitors. It even made the buildings look more interesting and scenic.