The Ancient City of Lijiang is a largely Naxi settlement first built during the Southern Song Dynasty some eight centuries ago, and now completely surrounded by the new city of Lijiang.
In December 1986, the State Council designated it a famous ancient historical and cultural city of national caliber. In 1997, UNESCO made Lijiang a World Cultural Heritage Site.
With Sifang (Four Directions) Street at the center, the entire city spreads out from there, crisscrossed by a labyrinth of flagstoned streets and alleyways. Most of the dwellings, scattered at the foot of a mountain or by the river, are brick-and-tile structures with carved doors and painted windows. Traffic across the river is facilitated by a large number of tiny stone bridges. The city is similar to the water towns south of the Yangtze River.
