4.5
(128)
4.5
(128)
•
#3 on "Top 45 things to do and attractions in Lijiang"Attraction
Park
About
Lijiang Old Town is a pretty old town in China, that has been listed as a World Heritage Site. The town is mostly known for its delicate inns and hostels with beautiful decorations, which makes it a great place to stay while in Lijiang. Hotel prices in Lijiang Old Town are usually good, making it an ideal choice for tourists on a budget.
Why you should go
- Experience the vibrant nightlife with spectacular lights and lively atmosphere
- Explore the serene beauty of cobblestone streets and water canals during daytime strolls
- Enjoy unique shopping experiences for local goods like food specialties and handicrafts
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Highlighted reviews
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Beautiful old town to take a walk. Night time can be very crowded and chaotic, many local tourists clamouring to take photos and pushing. It is much more restful in the daytime/morning. Fewer shops open, but it is much more serene and relaxing to take a walk in. It is beautiful either way. Nighttime it is lit up with spectacular lights. But daytime you see the quiet beauty.
Incredible experience visiting this place at night. The colours, the energy. Vibrant and incredibly surreal. It is like having night markets, restaurants, bars and bistros, night clubs all in a same area. So many people, so alive; all framed into an ancient city setting of cobblestone streets, water canals and very old buildings and structures. Overwhelming.
Very nice place to walk around, most of the stall operate till late night
Beautiful old town to take a walk. Night time can be very crowded and chaotic, many local tourists clamouring to take photos and pushing. It is much more restful in the daytime/morning. Fewer shops open, but it is much more serene and relaxing to take a walk in. It is beautiful either way. Nighttime it is lit up with spectacular lights. But daytime you see the quiet beauty.
Incredible experience visiting this place at night. The colours, the energy. Vibrant and incredibly surreal. It is like having night markets, restaurants, bars and bistros, night clubs all in a same area. So many people, so alive; all framed into an ancient city setting of cobblestone streets, water canals and very old buildings and structures. Overwhelming.
Very nice place to walk around, most of the stall operate till late night
We gathered reviews from Google and Tripadvisor, and summarized helpful tips as well as commonly mentioned things others might find useful.
- Visit in February to April for pleasant weather conditions
- Avoid eating at Food City or Food Street near the entrance; explore better dining options within town itself
- Use moisturizer due to cold temperatures ranging from -2 to 15 degrees Celsius depending on time of day
- Escape crowds by walking towards quieter outskirts away from touristy areas in January for more traditional experiences
Reviews
Lijiang Old Town, also known as Dayan Old Town, offers a vibrant and surreal experience at night with its colorful lights and bustling atmosphere. During the day, it transforms into a serene and beautiful place to stroll around. Visitors can enjoy the ancient city setting of cobblestone streets, water canals, old buildings, and structures while exploring shops offering various goods like food, flower cakes, silverware, tea, and ethnic textiles. The town's architectural flair stands out amidst the crowded tourist spots in China. Climbing up to WenChang Palace provides a magnificent view of the entire village illuminated at night. Despite some crowded areas filled with similar shops catering to tourists' needs, Lijiang Old Town retains its charm through its historical significance dating back over 800 years.
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Beautiful old town to take a walk. Night time can be very crowded and chaotic, many local tourists clamouring to take photos and pushing. It is much more restful in the daytime/morning. Fewer shops open, but it is much more serene and relaxing to take a walk in. It is beautiful either way. Nighttime it is lit up with spectacular lights. But daytime you see the quiet beauty.
Incredible experience visiting this place at night. The colours, the energy. Vibrant and incredibly surreal. It is like having night markets, restaurants, bars and bistros, night clubs all in a same area. So many people, so alive; all framed into an ancient city setting of cobblestone streets, water canals and very old buildings and structures. Overwhelming.
Very nice place to walk around, most of the stall operate till late night
Beautiful old town, perfect weather to stroll around.
This is definitely a destination made for tourists but it also has a kind of charm about it. The buildings are beautiful and it’s fun to meander and get lost through the alleys (don’t worry, it’s pretty easy to find your way back to the main entrance).Like most tourist destinations in China, it’s filled with shops after shop of the same thing (in this case: food, flower cakes, silver, tea, “ethnic” textiles). But the public bathrooms are pretty clean here and free!Make sure to walk up the village to the WenChang Palace (文昌宫). There you will have a magnificent view of the entire village and at night, you can see it all lit up.Oh also, don’t eat the food in the Food city or Food Street (美食城/美食街) just near the entrance of the Old Town. It’s terrible. Just walk into the town itself and there are plenty of better options.
All Google Maps reviews
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Popular road trips from Lijiang
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Lijiang toBangkok
Lijiang toHong Kong
Lijiang toHanoi
Lijiang toSiem Reap
Lijiang toBeijing
Lijiang toHo Chi Minh City
Lijiang toChiang Mai
Lijiang toShanghai
Lijiang toLuang Prabang
Lijiang toXi'an
Lijiang toPattaya
Lijiang toHoi An
Lijiang toChengdu
Lijiang toMacau
Lijiang toPhnom Penh
Lijiang toKathu
Lijiang toYangon (Rangoon)
Lijiang toShangri-La County
Lijiang toDali
Lijiang toChiang Rai
Lijiang toKrabi Town
Lijiang toKathmandu
Lijiang toHue
Lijiang toBagan
Lijiang toHalong Bay
Lijiang toKolkata (Calcutta)
Lijiang toNha Trang
Lijiang toGuangzhou
Lijiang toHua Hin
Lijiang toMandalay
What's the weather like in Lijiang?
It depends on when you visit! We've compiled data from NASA on what the weather is like in Lijiang for each month of the year: see the links below for more information.
- Weather in Lijiang in January
- Weather in Lijiang in February
- Weather in Lijiang in March
- Weather in Lijiang in April
- Weather in Lijiang in May
- Weather in Lijiang in June
- Weather in Lijiang in July
- Weather in Lijiang in August
- Weather in Lijiang in September
- Weather in Lijiang in October
- Weather in Lijiang in November
- Weather in Lijiang in December
All road trips from Lijiang
- Lijiang to Bangkok drive
- Lijiang to Hong Kong drive
- Lijiang to Hanoi drive
- Lijiang to Siem Reap drive
- Lijiang to Beijing drive
- Lijiang to Ho Chi Minh City drive
- Lijiang to Chiang Mai drive
- Lijiang to Shanghai drive
- Lijiang to Luang Prabang drive
- Lijiang to Xi'an drive
- Lijiang to Pattaya drive
- Lijiang to Hoi An drive
- Lijiang to Chengdu drive
- Lijiang to Macau drive
- Lijiang to Phnom Penh drive
- Lijiang to Kathu drive
- Lijiang to Yangon (Rangoon) drive
- Lijiang to Shangri-La County drive
- Lijiang to Dali drive
- Lijiang to Chiang Rai drive
- Lijiang to Krabi Town drive
- Lijiang to Kathmandu drive
- Lijiang to Hue drive
- Lijiang to Bagan drive
- Lijiang to Halong Bay drive
- Lijiang to Kolkata (Calcutta) drive
- Lijiang to Nha Trang drive
- Lijiang to Guangzhou drive
- Lijiang to Hua Hin drive
- Lijiang to Mandalay drive
Explore nearby places
- Lijiang
- Yulong County
- Heqing County
- Jianchuan County
- Yongsheng County
- Ninglang County
- Ludian County
- Eryuan County
- Lanping County
- Weixi County
- Huaping County
- Binchuan County
- Shangri-La County
- Fugong County
- Yangbi County
- Yunlong County
- Yanyuan County
- Dali
- Panzhihua
- Muli County
- Yun County
- Xiangyun County
- Yanbian County
- Dayao County
- Yongren County
- Yongping County
- Midu County
- Lushui County
- Gongshan County
- Yao'an County
- Weishan County
All related maps of Lijiang
- Map of Lijiang
- Map of Yulong County
- Map of Heqing County
- Map of Jianchuan County
- Map of Yongsheng County
- Map of Ninglang County
- Map of Ludian County
- Map of Eryuan County
- Map of Lanping County
- Map of Weixi County
- Map of Huaping County
- Map of Binchuan County
- Map of Shangri-La County
- Map of Fugong County
- Map of Yangbi County
- Map of Yunlong County
- Map of Yanyuan County
- Map of Dali
- Map of Panzhihua
- Map of Muli County
- Map of Yun County
- Map of Xiangyun County
- Map of Yanbian County
- Map of Dayao County
- Map of Yongren County
- Map of Yongping County
- Map of Midu County
- Map of Lushui County
- Map of Gongshan County
- Map of Yao'an County
- Map of Weishan County
Lijiang throughout the year
- Lijiang in January
- Lijiang in February
- Lijiang in March
- Lijiang in April
- Lijiang in May
- Lijiang in June
- Lijiang in July
- Lijiang in August
- Lijiang in September
- Lijiang in October
- Lijiang in November
- Lijiang in December
Looking for day-by-day itineraries in Lijiang?
Get inspired for your trip to Lijiang with our curated itineraries that are jam-packed with popular attractions everyday! Check them out here:
- 1-Day Lijiang Itinerary
- 2-Day Lijiang Itinerary
- 3-Day Lijiang Itinerary
- 4-Day Lijiang Itinerary
- 5-Day Lijiang Itinerary
Best top-ranked places nearby
- Old Town of Lijiang
- Shuhe Ancient Town
- Baishazhen
- Dongba Culture Museum
- Lijiang Ancient Town (South Gate)
- Shuhe
- Impression Lijiang Booking Office
- InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort