Lijiang, An Ancient Town on the Highland

At the foot of the majestic Yulong (Jade Dragon) Snowy Mountain, west of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, there extends a flatland surrounded by ravines and rising mountain peaks and crossed by paths and roads lined by row upon row of tile-roofed houses. This is Lijiang, an ancient town in northwestern Yunnan Province.

The history of Lijiang goes back to the remote past. The members of the Naxi ethnic group who now live there are descendents of the Qiang tribe that migrated from the north. For thousands of years, the Naxi people have tilled the land and built their homes here.

Lijiang is situated near a narrow passage leading to Sichuan, Tibet, and the rest of Yunnan. In ancient times, Lijiang was frequently visited by merchants. Thus, the population flourished, the town expanded in area, and Lijiang became a major market center known far and near. It is generally held that Lijiang was officially designated as a town some time between the end of the Song Dynasty (960-1127) and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). In 1253, Kublai Khan (1215-1294), also known as Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, stationed his troops there on his punitive expedition to the Dali Kingdom.

For nearly 500 years, from the Yuan regime to the early days of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Lijiang area was ruled by a hereditary succession of chieftains from the Mu clan of the Naxi, under the jurisdiction of the royal court. In Notes on Travel in Yunnan, Xu Xiake (1587-1641), a renowned geographer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), described Lijiang as "tile-roofed houses standing in close order" and described the halls of the chieftain's office in southern Lijiang as "so magnificent as to be comparable to those at the king's palace." By the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were more than 1,000 families living in Lijiang.

The Yulong Snowy Mountain towers at the north of Lijiang and presents an imposing, variegated sight. "There are four seasons in one mountain," says a folk song about Yulong, "and the scenery changes within ten li (five kilometers)." The Lijiang area is known as a treasure house of animals and plants and a huge natural reservoir. Water flowing down from melting glaciers and snow high in the mountains irrigates the fields and provides water to the residents.

Water, in fact, flows everywhere in Lijiang. Streets paved with colored stones, including Sifang (Square) Street, a commercial center in the northern part of the town, are lined with willow trees whose hanging branches almost touch the crystal-clear streams winding around the houses and flowing through the courtyards. Stone bridges span the streams here and there.

The source of these streams is the Yuquan (Jade Spring) River, which meanders at the foot of Xiangshan (Elephant) Hill north of Lijiang. In addition, there are the Baimalong (White-Horse Dragon) Pool and wells sunk around the numerous springs. The local people have built tiers of ponds along the paths of the spring water. The upper ponds supply drinking water, the middle ponds are for washing vegetables, and the lower ponds are for washing clothes. The spring water that overflows the banks is used for washing the streets.Lijiang has neither high city walls nor boulevards, but it is beautiful and blends harmoniously with nature. All the houses are built according to the terrain. The houses are made of stone and wood and combine the architectural features of the Han, Bai, and Tibetan ethnic groups in a unique style.

A typical house has two stories. A row of three main rooms on the ground floor faces south and is flanked on each side by a row of three rooms projecting at a right angle and opening inward to form a sort of front courtyard hidden from public view by a wall in front. The design is practical and pleasing to the eye.

The three main rooms are for the elders, and the side rooms are for the younger members. The roof edges over the gables are embellished with fish-shaped boards, known locally as "suspended fish." In the Chinese language, "fish" and "surplus" sound the same, so the carved fish are a sort of prayer for auspiciousness and wealth. The doorway is decorated with exquisite carvings, and the courtyard is paved with pebbles, colored tiles, or colored bricks. The middle room of the main row has six latticed windows ornamented with designs of flowers, birds, and animals. A spacious veranda in front of the main rooms provides breathing space for the family members.

The Naxi people have traditionally placed a high value on education, and many are skilled in poetry, music, calligraphy, and painting. Songs, dances, and local operas are performed at celebrations, and the best known is the classical Naxi music, most often performed by amateurs. One example is Baisha Music, a combination of singing, dancing, and playing instruments. It is called "living fossil" music because it is so old.

The Dongjing (Taoist Scripture) Music maintains the rhythms and tunes of ci and qu, lost forms of classical verse from central China. The Longevity Music Ensemble, so named because most of the musicians are advanced in age, plays Naxi classical music and was well received when it toured Europe.

The renowned murals of Lijiang are to be found in the town and the 15 temples in the surrounding areas. These murals, of the Ming and Qing periods, depict religious themes. A large mural at Dabaoji Palace in Baisha Village shows a hundred deities and Buddhas of Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Taoism.

The most amazing feature of Lijiang is the Dongba writing, handed down through generations in the Lijiang area. The ancestors of the Naxi people used these picturelike characters to compile the Dongba scriptures, also known as the Encyclopedia of the Naxi Minority. The scriptures comprise more than 20,000 volumes recording the history and culture of the Naxi people. Dongba is the world's only living language using hieroglyphics, and many of the Dongba works are now in libraries and museums in China and other countries. Among the scriptures is Cuomo, a description of the stories, steps, costumes, stage props, and musical instruments for several dozen Dongba classical dances