Lijiang is a large city in the northwest of Yunnan. The town sits at an altitude of 2400 meters in a rough and scenic mountainous area. The high elevation and low geographical latitude makes for a generally pleasant climate, although the summers can be very wet.

Close-by are the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains and the First Bend of the Yangtze River, since ancient times a favorite place for armies to cross. Mao's Red Army got its feet wet here in 1936.

Lijiang's history can be traced back to at least the Warring States period, some 2500 years ago.
Starting in the Tang period, the town flourished as an important trading post at the Old Tea Horse Caravan Trail, a branch of the Southern Silk Road.

The local population belong to the Naxi minority group that have lived here since ancient times.

Dayan, the old town of Lijiang, is pretty well preserved and has become a major tourist attraction, as the Naxi traditions and the Dongba culture are upheld here.

Like everywhere else this has led to soaring property prices that forced out the locals and caused an uncontrolled growth of tourist facilities. All this has caused tensions between the locals and mainly Han tourists.

The Jade Spring Park with the famous Black Dragon Pool  is a scenic park with, weather permitting, splendid views of the snow covered Jade Dragon Mountains in the background.