Wednesday April 5th and Thursday April 6th, 2017 - Chinese Tourists and I Agree: Lijiang Is a Winner!

It's always hard to come from the wilds to the crowded spaces where most people live, and Lijiang was no exception.

First, because it is an old city that does not allow cars to enter, Sue and I had to figure out how to find our hotel without just being able to just give the address to a taxi driver who can read Chinese! Following a rather interesting bus ride during which it appeared the driver was going to sleep, we arrived after the three plus hours with me desperate to find the nearest toilet!



Then we took a taxi to what we thought was the correct city gate and waited for some time, before being herded into a hotel which we were assured was the one we had booked! It took some time and Google translate to finally figure out that this was NOT the correct hotel!

Wise to this strategy, when we waited at the next (we hoped correct!) city gate, we refused several attempts to be taken to other hotels instead of the one we had booked.

Although our hotel was very adequate, we discovered that it was quite a distance from the things we wanted to see, so off we set for an afternoon and evening with lots of walking.

As this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there was a $10 fee charged for passage to enter the city. Happily this meant that things were well maintained and that the toilets were plentiful, clean and even sometimes 'sitters' rather than 'squatters'! It also has the UNESCO recognition for the diversity of ethnic populations represented here and it was frequent to see people wearing ethnic dress - some of it authentic, some of it commercial, and some of it looking like the young embracing a new 'fashion'. The most common groups were the Naxi and the Bai.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you which group this costume belongs to. I only saw it several times and thought it was brilliant! Shades of 'flying nun' here!

One of our first destinations was an area called the Black Dragon Pool Park to the north of the old city and offering a spectacular view of the Jade Dragon Mountain we had been looking at from Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain could be seen from many locations in town, but was most spectacular from the Black Dragon Pool.

The tags hung at the Longevity Pavilion reminded me of the Shinto traditions I had seen in Japan.

We then enjoyed some dancing from the elderly Naxi community.

The Qi Xing (seven stars) on the back of the Naxi costume represents the woman's diligence and willingness to work from early morning to sundown. Sue and I felt they were reminiscent of American Indian dress.

In stark contrast to their staid, respectable dancing (the name Naxi actually means 'respectable people') we were astounded at the intense noise and brightness of the multiple nightclubs spilling over each other in a noisy, competitive cacophony.

This old town is very energized by Chinese tourists and locals coming in for night life.

The next day began with a walk to Starbucks for breakfast, followed by a visit to a local market as opposed to the tourist markets which typified the entire town. While the quality of products was generally pretty good, it was basically repeated all over the city - same style shops everywhere selling simolar goods. Sue was in search of one of the very practical woven baskets worn by the people in Shangri-La and Tiger Leaping Gorge and she knew the fancy 'city' stores would not sell these.

Because we had different shopping interests, we decided to head off in different directions, so I explored a number of sites Sue had suggested. I started with Mu's Mansion, a large, spread typical of wealthy Chinese families in the past.

This led me to the top of the hill - Lion Hill - which gave me a really nice view of the city.

Here, too, were lots of different things hung about - a cross between prayer flags and shinto-like hangings.

There I also had a pleasant encounter with a Bai woman who was selling books. She even had some in English, so I took one off her hands.

Happily she was then willing to pose for me.

I loved the complexity of the roofs.

The curved ends apparently discourage bad spirits from sitting on the rooftops.

Sadly, I think the bad spirits had already got to this one!

The next goal was to head up to Black Dragon Pool again in order to visit the Dongba Museum and learn more about the Naxi and their hieroglyphic writing - the only people known to be activiely using hieroglyphs in the modern world. The Dongba are actually the priests of the religion practiced by the Naxi - and these traditions are maintained by them.

It was somewhat interesting - but perhaps not worth the trek. One theme that interested me was stories that were attempting to discourage suicide - especially teen type suicide a-la Romeo and Juliet. It even mentioned that these occurred when the families did not approve of the match. Human issues that span geography and time.

Finally I managed to get to the main square in the middle of town to see some more polished dance performances which was enjoyable.

I liked the presence of this drummer.........

........and the men's furry coats!

It is nice to think they might have also been enjoying themselves! Or perhaps it was a private joke?

Finally done with my 'touristy' goals, I set about purchasing some pu-er tea, the local tea specialty. It is prepared in a somewhat elaborate and ritualistic manner and is definitely a whole new tea experience for me. It comes in fermented cakes which one has to cut apart with a sharp object. The first brew has to be thrown away as it has the nasty by-products of the fermentation process. The next cups are highly regarded and the leaves can be re-used three or more times according to one's pleasure. Cups and pots are washed with boiling water to keep things hot and this is all done on a specially designed tray that drains the unwanted liquid into a bottle under the table - sort of like a specially designed sink. I can hardly wait to get home and try my new tea! Of course, it is supposed to have all sorts of health benefits!

I had also been looking for a new bag that will accommodate my camera. Most of the ones I saw were either too fancy or too mass produced. Finally I found one that I really liked - although it was 'made in China', it is the work of a craftsman and it led me to spend more money than I had imagined I would. However, it helps take the load off my shoulders when I'm carrying things around during the day.

Following dinner, we enjoyed socializing with the young women running the hotel.

(picture given to me by Sue Morrell Stuart)

One of them seems to live there so they were visiting around the pu-er table. When we suggested pictures, the one girl who had a face mask on insisted on washing it off. It seemed like a timeless experience and a lovely ending to our time there.

Next day, on to Dali - another old town.