But the trip to Lijiang was for pleasure and, for the first time, I decided to cross the border to Shenzhen and take an internal flight from there, which would be cheaper than flying to a Chinese destination from Hong Kong airport. I did it, although not without long lines at Lo Wu on both sides of the border, hassles with airport buses and hotels, and with a taxi driver. My friend Gavin Bei made all the arrangements for flights and the first hotel in Lijiang, and my earlier "shadow" from the trip to Jinan, Mao Dan, accompanied me for four days in Lijiang. I also hired a guide, Haba, mainly for the hike on Tiger Leaping Gorge. In fact, Haba was with me, on and off, from the first day in Lijiang.
Why Lijiang? Everything I'd read about the ancient town was enticing and its location in Yunnan, one of the few forested areas in China, was another attraction.
I reached Lijiang on December 16. The small airport, with a pretty, spanking new terminal building was a refreshing change from the busy airports I usually arrive at. The minivan ride to the hotel (really a guest house) was dusty because the road was being widened. But the old town lived up to my expectations. Dusk was probably the best time to reach it as the red lanterns hanging from buildings all over town were being lit and the ambiance turned magical.
All I wanted was for a hotel with Western toilets, and we booked the Mujiayuan Hotel 丽江木家苑酒店, The rooms looked lovely on the website. At first, I wasn't disappointed. After a beef hotpot dinner, we strolled into town.
Entrance to Mujiayuan Hotel
After walking along numerous alleys, we saw a girl singing plaintively at a bar and walked into the "Waiting for my lover in the night" ("Daiyuexixiang") bar (More about this bar in another blog entry.) Mao Dan and I shared a bottle of wine and enjoyed the music till 11pm, and then we got lost at the location shown below till someone from the hotel came by and guided us back.
The next morning I awoke with a back pain and realized that the electric blanket (a mattress warmer) didn't work. The only solution was a long hot shower but a mild backache stayed with me for a number of days.
Haba arrived in the morning with maps and suggestions for the next four days, and we enjoyed a leisurely chat in the hotel's nice coffee shop. Haba also told me that some hotels had heating and I decided to move out. But I had paid in advance for two days so insisted that the mattress warmer be replaced for the night. From then on, I would keep the mattress warmer switched on the whole day and spread my nightclothes on the sheets beneath the comforter. I would be assured of warm night clothes.
A light snow, the first since 2004 according to Haba, had fallen in the night and Lijiang was even more attractive. We strolled along the flagstoned lanes above town, getting a good view of the rooftops flecked with snow. The ancient town was just coming to life after the late nights it keeps. Shops were opening their doors and the first tourists were wondering in.
Some visitors, mainly Westerners, criticize Lijiang for being "glossed over" to make it more touristic, bringing in its wake "rows of shops selling identical, machine-made replicas of traditional handicrafts, overpriced noodle stands, and incredible crowds". The criticism is granted (many shops sell useless knick knacks) but how else could the 800-year old town be sustained? The declaration of Lijiang as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1997 spared it the Chinese government's tendency to bulldoze traditional neighborhoods to build glass and concrete skyscrapers, but a town cannot live on ancient, dilapidated houses and flagstoned paths alone. So, I can live with the "glossing over" and thankfully, I escaped the crowds because Winter does not attract many visitors to Lijiang.
In fact, I learned that a devastating earthquake in 1996 had destroyed the ancient town, but the reconstruction had been faithful to the old plans and appearances.
Water, water everywhere. This is one of the most attractive features of the old town. These canals, which probably originate at the Black Dragon Pool north of town, are not merely ornamental. I saw vegetables, clothes and dishes being washed in the ice cold water.
The town was coming to life early in the morning. The lanes were numerous, branching off in all directions from the larger streets, and themselves leading to narrower paths lined with numerous shops, guest houses, and eating places. I made no attempt to memorize directions or even follow maps: all I needed to know was how to get to KFC for breakfast and to the main squares. I learned that quickly.
Lijiang appeared to have hundreds of guest houses, most charging very reasonable rates (Yuan 200+ for a double room) in winter. The rates are supposed to double in summer. At many guest houses, family members chipped in for the various tasks. One problem I had was with the toilets: soluble toilet paper appeared to be a rarity in this part of China and used toilet paper had to be placed in a bucket, not flushed down. I had trouble with this unhygienic practice.
I stopped twice at this shop which served fresh coffee and sold very good roasted beans, including Yunnan Arabica.
This Naxi priest would dress in full regalia and stand outside his shop, turning this way and that. He would pose for photos for a small fee.
A Naxi woman at her shop, which sold trinkets. I wondered how these shops could survive, considering they were many and appeared to sell the same items. Haba told me that they regularly closed down (going bankrupt, I assume) but that a new shop would soon open on the premises. The usual rent was about Yuan 5,000 per month. Many of these shops are operated by young (Han Chinese) men from other provinces who came here seeking their dreams, so Lijiang must be full of broken dreams.
On the plus side, these premises are owned by Naxi people and can only be leased or rented, not sold. That way, the Naxi owners are assured of a regular income. Those who let their premises for shops or guest houses apparently move to the new town which surrounds old Lijiang.
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Rooftops on a snowless morning. Unlike in the picture postcards, the distant peaks were not snowcapped.
The Town Management Board had gone to great lengths to make tourists welcome. They had installed helpful maps throughout town, provided "5 Star" toilets, and installed information booths. The paths and alleys were clean. There were also signs all over town exhorting visitors to shop rationally and eat sensibly, not always written in the best English. The most frequently used term was "civilized", probably an attempt to subdue the more boisterous visitors.
- "Don't forget to keep civilized behavior during outing, and also shopping should be rational".
- "Do not make noise in the civilized ancient town".
- "Everyone please strive to be a civilized resident that push the bike or motorcycle to walk".
(Meaning: Don't ride bicycles or motorcycles.)
- "Deep love of ancient city, careful thought of fireproofing".
- "Wine and dine quietly and healthily. Do not waste food!"
- "Take care of all your way when traveling, safe and civilized are golden."
Haba showed me where KFC and Pizza Hut were (they were at the same square, side by side) and led me to N's Kitchen ("Yummy food serving with smile") at Forage Park. I am wary of Chinese food, which often contain pork and sugar, two items I avoid, so these Western eating places were a relief.
Silver ware glistening in the morning sun. Silver shops were numerous. Other shops sold shawls supposedly made by local people, illegally downloaded music, touristy trinkets, yak meat, sweets, tea, handicrafts. Many restaurants and noodle shops dotted the paths and alleys.
The second guest house I moved to, on a quiet neighborhood on Wuyi Street. This was run by a family. My double room had heating in addition to the mattress warmer, all for Yuan 230.
The placid, easy going lifestyle appeared to calm visitors down. On previous visits to other cities in China, I had seen angry arguments between shopkeepers and customers. I did not see a single argument in Lijiang, although every tourist bought something.
Lijiang old town is for dreamers who want to get far from the pressures of cities. The music shops, which were numerous, were all run by young men who played the same plaintive hit songs day in and day out. I hardly saw any customers at these shops. Instead, the owners would be seated on cushions, often playing a drum held between their knees, surrounded by a few friends who appeared to have little else to do. They opened their shops only around noon because they stayed up late.
One morning, I came across a concert being held by the various minority tribes in the region. The performers were all senior citizens and the event was organized by the Old Town Management Board for the seniors of Lijiang who sat in the audience in identical yellow caps.
This was a memeorable performance, conducted in sprakling sunshine under a blue sky. I enjoyed it a lot more than the so called Mountains Rivers show which I had attended the previous evening at the Lijiang International Ethnic Culture Center, for which I had to part with Yuan 180.
We strolled along to the Black Dragon Pool Park. Though full of visitors, many disobeying the "No Smoking" signs, the walk reminded me of similar walks in Japan.
Signs around Black Dragon Pool:
- "Grass is napping. Please do not disturb".
- "Do not disorder rubbish bin" (Meaning: No Littering.)
- "Don't stand bridge railing alone".
Graves of Communist soldiers who died in battles with the Kuomintang. Mao's Long March had passed through this region.
My loyal guide Haba. He's not from a minority tribe but a Han Chinese from Fujian. After completing university, he had qualified as a licensed guide in Kunming and come to Lijian. His parents wanted him back home but he preferred to live in Lijian and seemed troubled by not being there for his "elderly" parents. (They were only in their mid 50s.) Haba said there were "thousands" of guides in Lijiang. He works mainly with Japanese tourists and business is down because few Japanese are visiting Lijian due to the ongoing conflicts with China.
I admired his PLA cap but couldn't buy one during my visit.
Later that day, we visited Shuhe, a short taxi ride from Lijiang. Shuhe was actually a smaller version of Lijiang, with a broad stream running through it and numerous shops strewn all over. The house seen above, built with mud bricks, must be one of the last originals remaining.
We met this couple sitting in a summer house by the water, singing, and selling CDs containing their music and handmade greeting cards. They, too, were dreamers and lived in Shuhe with their two year old daughter.
A typical "well" showing the pattern of water use. At the extreme left, the first water was for drinking, the second for washing vegetables, and the third for washing clothes.
Naxi women selling fruits and nuts. They don't like being photographed.
A motorcycle with a sidecar. In my childhood, they were to be seen in Sri Lanka but I haven't seen one in years.
I stopped for gelato in Shuhe and was surprised to be served by an Italian.
Perhaps the best time in Lijiang was evening. The lanterns would be lit, and the flagstones glimmered with reflected light. Most of the visitors were college students on their Winter break, usually couples walking hand in hand. The air was thick with romance.
In polluted China, where cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Jinan are covered by thick grey clouds, old town Lijiang was a welcome change. I actually saw the moon and a sky filled with stars. The higher elevation helped and so did the lack of factories.
As I walked along these paths in the evening, the lovely sound of guitars being strummed to plaintive singing drifted from small bars, both at ground and first floor levels, adding to the dreamy ambience. I visited the "Waiting for my lover at night" bar five times, and Haba also took me to an "underground" bar where the music was loud (they kept the door firmly closed) and the singing was passionate.
A quiet morning at Forage Square. Haba and sat here for about an hour on my last morning in Lijiang, enjoying the sun and the passing scene. I also bought some jewellery at a nearby Naxi store. I got a well earned massage before lunch.
The previous evening, I discovered an young American chef running a small restaurant at LMC (Lijiang Millionaires' Club!), where I had excellent past and shared a bottle of Australian wine with the chef and the two other customers. I returned there on my final day for the best pizza I had in Lijiang and tasty carrot cake.
The above view if of the rooftops seen from LMC. The photo below shows me waiting for my pizza. LMC is upstairs in the Water Nymph Cafe/Bar near the Bai Sui Fang stone bridge.
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