Delightful Dining by the Waterway at Lijiang Ancient Town 丽江古城
When I first arrived at Lijiang Ancient Town, I wasn’t blown away by the Ming and Qing style houses which abound in the old town. I have been to my fair share of ancient towns and it didn’t seem to be anything special. After all, I just came from another ancient town in Dukezong in Shangrila county in northern Yunnan province. I was wondering what was so special about this ancient town and that it was so popular to the local populace. As it turned out, the hostel where I stayed wasn’t exactly the prettiest area in town. It wasn’t until I ran into the numerous waterways of Lijiang that I finally changed my mind.
Wide Waterway at Lijiang Ancient Town 丽江古城
The waterways of Lijiang flow through the town starting from the faraway mountains where the water comes from. It seems that the town of Lijiang was built right on top of this source of water and they have made great use of it. The town itself incorporates much of the waterways in its layout. Most of the major streets here follow the major waterways. The smaller alleys also have their own smaller streams, especially in the central area. The fringes are were probably not part of the original town anymore. It was lovely to be walking down alongside these waterways. Combine them with the willow trees makes Lijiang Ancient Town a truly picturesque town worthy of its accolades.
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