Naxi old town beneath a snowy peak
Lijiang's old town, a UNESCO site, is a maze of cobbled lanes, wooden houses and little canals fed by mountain springs, built by the Naxi people. It is busy, but early mornings and the quieter nearby villages of Shuhe and Baisha show a gentler side. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain towers to the north, with cable cars to high meadows, and the dramatic gorge hike at Tiger Leaping Gorge is within reach. Listen to Naxi music, and continue on to Dali or to Shangri-La for Tibetan culture.