Lijiang Photos

It's a bit fuzzy, but the view from our guesthouse over the old Lijiang was just beautiful. It's UNESCO Heritage-Listed, so I think there is an obligation to look after the town and keep it from development.



These red lanterns seem to be the done thing in Lijiang - at dusk most restaurants fire them up for the tourists, and the effect is really nice. Lijiang has an amazing system of canals and wells that in the old days would supply the town with fresh water. Some of the old wells are even in use today, in fact there was one right next to our guesthouse.



Although it was a little bit touristy (like everything in Dali and Lijiang), you could purchase these little lanterns and float them down the canals. Lots of parents were buying them for their children for the photo opportunity. As you can see, I was sucked in too and it makes for a great photo.

I had to get up early to get these next two pics - since the crowds generally start picking up at about 8.30am. The cobbles, canals and red lanterns were so beautiful, especially the cobbles from a geologists' point of view. They were mostly a colourful silicified breccia with the odd bit of limestone thrown in.



And finally, some beautiful old buildings, some of them even a bit crooked for effect. Lovely really. Except imagine the image below with about three thousand tourists crammed in shoulder-to-shoulder........


That's it for now, I'm off for a nice lunch and maybe another of those delicious smoothies that they do so well here in Laos. xox