Exploring China’s peripheries: Southwest 西南
// Day 2: Lijiang 丽江 Prefecture-level city, Yunnan province
by WanderingChina
![Old meets new: Next stop was Lijiang, a historically rich city that harks back to the ancient southern silk route. Located in the Northwestern part of Yunnan, more than 1.2 million reside here.](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day-2-Lijiang-OldmeetsNew-300x224.jpg)
![The Old Town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No motorised transport is allowed here. This is Sifangjie:, the heart of the old town which once served as the most important hub on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Since the Ming Dynasty, merchants from the four corners of China and beyond have stayed here, bringing with them their own unique cultures. The street has been the center of cultural an economic exchanges in Lijiang for several hundred years.](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day2-LijiangOldTown-300x224.jpg)
![Would a developed area be complete without the hyperreal consumer culture of MacDonald's?](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day2-LijiangOldTownMaccas-300x224.jpg)
![As a keen drummer I usually travel with a mini djembe in tow. Little did I expect that Lijiang would be a drummer's haven. The global village at its finest: Djembes made in Indonesia and Africa are a dime a dozen around these parts - passionately played with traditional hilltribe music burnt onto ceramic discs, I had a terrific time jamming with many shop owners.](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day2-LijiangOldTown6-drummingculture-224x300.jpg)
![Local delights](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day2-LijiangOldTown-TraditionalFood-300x224.jpg)
![The English police may be misdirected. Access to recycling is far more prominent and easy compared to Singapore back home.](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day2-LijiangOldTown8-recycled-224x300.jpg)
![The waters here are fed by the glacial runoffs of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 玉龙雪山](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day2-LijiangOldTown-reflection-300x224.jpg)
![View of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the expanse of the city from Wan Gu Lou 万古楼 atop Lion Hill 狮子山](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day2-LijiangOldTown6-viewfromWanGuLou-300x224.jpg)
![#9 Again, more drum mania. Lijiang Old Town is famous for its live bands and pubs. This pub has its drummer seated rather precariously. I would think twice about jamming here too vigorously!](https://hiddenharmonies.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Day-2-Lijiang-CoffeeBar-224x300.jpg)
Exploring China’s peripheries: Southwest 西南
// Day 2: Lijiang 丽江 Prefecture-level city, Yunnan province
by WanderingChina
YinYang says
Glad to see you are enjoying Lijiang, WanderingChina. I have seen some pictures from my photography friends taken there – that place is magical! Next time you’ll have to share some video clips of you jamming with the locals. 🙂
Don’t mean to steal your thunder – I found the following image of the Black Dragon Pool, thought you and our readers would enjoy also: