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Lijiang (s=), formerly romanized as Likiang, is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Yunnan, China. It has an area of and had a population of 1,253,878 at the 2020 census whom 288,787 lived in the built-up area (metro) made of Gucheng District. Lijiang is famous for its UNESCO Heritage Site, the Old Town of Lijiang, which contains a mixture of different historical architecture styles and a complex, ancient water-supply system. and borders Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Panzhihua in Sichuan Province to the east. It has one municipality and four counties.
Lijiang City is located on the Yungui Plateau, abutting the Tibetan Plateau It is one of the key forest areas in Yunnan, and one of the west-east power transmission bases of China's hydropower industry. Lijiang City is a multi-ethnic settlement: apart from the Han Chinese, there are a total of 22 ethnic minorities.
Lijiang is the only prefecture-level city with three World Heritage Sites. It is rich in tourism resources, with 104 widely recognised tourist attractions, including the Old Town of Lijiang, Yulong Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge, and Laojun Mountain.
During the Warring States period, today's Lijiang was part of the Shu Prefecture of the Qin state. At the end of the Warring States period, it was incorporated into the Dian Kingdom. The Dian Kingdom submitted to the Han dynasty, and today's Lijiang City belonged to the Yuezhi Commandery, known as Suijiu County. By the time of the Three Kingdoms, it was part of Yunnan Prefecture. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the Nakhi people migrated to the area. During the time of the Tang dynasty it was incorporated into the Tibetan Empire, and subsequently the Nanzhao kingdom, coming under the jurisdiction of the Jianchuan Jiedushi (military commission).
The Baisha Old Town was the political, commercial and cultural center for the local Naxi people and other ethnic groups for 450 years from the year 658 AD to 1107AD. The Dabaoji Palace of the Baisha Fresco, very close to the Baisha Naxi Hand-made Embroidery Institute, was built in the year 658 AD in the Tang dynasty (618 AD to 907 AD).
In ancient times, the Baisha Old Town used to be the center of silk embroidery in the southwest of China and the most important place of the Ancient Southern Silk Road, also called the Ancient Tea and Horse Road or Ancient tea route.Forbes, Andrew; Henley, David (2011). China's Ancient Tea Horse Road. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books. ASIN: B005DQV7Q2 The Ancient Southern Silk Road started from Myanmar, crossed Lijiang, Shangri-La County, Tibet, continued through Iran, the Fertile Crescent before finally reaching the Mediterranean Sea.
Lijiang submitted to Kublai Khan as he led his troops against the Dali Kingdom in 1253. Though the kingdom was incorporated into the Mongol Empire, then the Yuan dynasty, it was given the status of tusi, or indigenous office, which gave autonomy to the local Naxi rulers. During the Ming dynasty, the Naxi were one of the few border peoples to support the Ming immediately. As the Naxi helped the Ming expand in Southwest China the ruler family was given the title of Mu. During this period the Kingdom of Lijiang was able to expand into Sichuan and Tibet bringing many Tibetan peoples into its territory as well as their cultural and religious influence. It was under the rule of the Naxi ruling house of the Mu family (c=木氏) during the Yuan (not yet named Mu), Ming dynasty, and Qing dynasty. The Mu "held this position until 1723, when Lijiang became directly incorporated under the authority of the Qing central government."
In the 15th year of the Ming dynasty's Hongwu Emperor's reign (1382), A Jia A De, the local chief of Lijiang, "led the people to submit," and the Lijiang Lu XuanfuSi (Lijiang Road's pacification commissioner's office) was restructured into the Lijiang Prefecture. By the 30th year of the Hongwu Emperor (1397), it was promoted to the Lijiang Junmin Fu (Lijiang Military and Civil Administration), which governed over four states, one county, and one patrol inspection office: Tong'an State, Baoshan State, Ju Jin State, Lin Xi county, and Shimen pass patrol Inspection office.
In the 17th year of the Qing dynasty's Shunzhi Emperor's reign(1660), the Lijiang JunminFu was established again, with the Mu family continuing to hold the hereditary position of the chief. In the first year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign(1723), the implemented the "reform of the native chieftain system" in Lijiang, replacing the hereditary chief with an appointed official from the court, and demoting the Mu family to the position of the Qianlong Emperor's reign(1770), Lijiang County was established.
In the second year of the Republic of China (1912), the Lijiang Prefecture was abolished, retaining only the county, and the county government moved into the former Lijiang Prefecture's office building.
In the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931), three counties were established within the current area of Lijiang: Lijiang, Yongbei, and Huaping.
In 2002 Lijiang City was established, replacing the former Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County.
Lijiang City has a terrain that is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast. The highest point is the main peak of Yulong Snow Mountain, with an elevation of 5,596 meters, and the lowest point is at the mouth of the Tangba River in Shilongba Township, Huaping County, with an elevation of 1,015 meters, resulting in a maximum elevation difference of 4,581 meters. To the west of Yulong Mountain lies the high mountain and gorge sub-region of the Hengduan Mountain Range, characterized by high mountains and deep valleys, with steep and towering mountain ranges and rivers cutting deeply through them. To the east of Yulong Mountain is part of the Dianxi Basin's mountainous plateau region, specifically the northwestern sub-region of the Dian Plateau, which has a higher elevation and more robust mountainous terrain. On both sides of the main mountain range, there are also extensive east–west oriented valleys, creating a complex and intricate landscape of landforms with undulating terrain and a significant difference in elevation. There are 111 large and small basins scattered among the mountain ranges, generally at an elevation of over 2,000 meters, with the Lijiang Basin being the largest, covering an area of about 200 square kilometers and an average elevation of 2,466 meters.
The Jinsha River, which flows through Lijiang City, along with the three major mountain ranges that rise abruptly on both sides—the Yun Range' Laojun Mountain, Yulong Mountain, and Mianmian Mountain (commonly known as Xiao Liangshan), form the basic framework and backbone of the topography of Lijiang City. Laojun Mountain stretches like a barrier from north to south on the west side, with its main peak reaching an elevation of 4,247.4 meters. Yulong Snow Mountain, which is located 15 kilometers from the seat of the city government of Lijiang, features high mountain glacier landforms and is covered with snow all year round. Its 13 peaks are connected end to end, pointing towards the sky. To the east lies Mianmian Mountain. There are 12 high mountains in Lijiang City with an elevation ranging from 3,500 to 5,000 meters. Middle mountains with an elevation between 2,500 and 3,500 meters are distributed across all counties. The areas of Ninglang and Yongsheng County have a particularly high number of these mountains, and low mountainous areas below 2,500 meters are widely distributed in the southeastern and southern parts of the city.
In addition to Lugu Lake, there are two larger natural lakes in Lijiang city, Chenghai Lake and Lashihai Wetland. Among them, Chenghai is located in Yongsheng County and is one of the three lakes in the world that are rich in natural spirulina. It is also the only lake in China where spirulina can grow naturally. It covers an area of 77.2 square kilometers, with a water storage capacity of 1.987 billion cubic meters, an average water depth of 25.74 meters, and is the fourth largest lake in Yunnan Province.
Lashihai Wetland is located in Lashi Town, Yulong County, 8 kilometers away from the urban area of Lijiang. The lake area is oval-shaped with an altitude of 2450 meters, a water depth of 2.5 to 4.5 meters, a water storage area of 241 square kilometers, and a lake surface area of 8.5 square kilometers. In 1998, it became the first highland wetland nature reserve and a migratory bird habitat in Yunnan Province, and in 2005, it was included in the list of Internationally Important Wetlands.
Yongsheng County and Ninglang Yi Autonomous County have relatively larger areas of arable land, making up 64.28% of the total arable land in Lijiang City. All the arable land is located in regions with a double cropping system per year and in areas with an annual precipitation of 800-1200 millimeters (inclusive of 800 millimeters).
Lijiang City has recorded a variety of animal species, including:: 112 species across 8 orders, 21 families. : 446 species across 17 orders, 46 families. and : 51 species across 3 orders, 14 families, and 35 genera. Fish: Over 70 species across 5 orders, 15 families. In terms of , there are 4,163 species (subspecies), belonging to 224 families and 1,120 genera. The number of seed plants is over 3,200 species across 145 families and 758 genera, with more than 2,000 species of medicinal materials. There are 2,266 species that are endemic to China and 617 species endemic to Yunnan Province.
Yulong Snow Mountain within the city's boundaries is a world-renowned site for plant specimen typification. There are also over a hundred new species and varieties of plants named after Lijiang's landscapes and place names on the international stage. As a result, Lijiang City has been dubbed the "Kingdom of Alpine Plants" and the "Hometown of Medicinal Herbs."
Lijiang City comprises one district and four counties:
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| 1 | Gucheng District | 古城区 | 211,151 | 1,127 | 187 | |
| 2 | Yongsheng County | 永胜县 | 392,024 | 5,099 | 77 | |
| 3 | Huaping County | 华坪县 | 168,028 | 2,266 | 74 | |
| 4 | Yulong Nakhi Autonomous County | 玉龙纳西族自治县 | 214,697 | 6,521 | 33 | |
| 5 | Ninglang Yi Autonomous County | 宁蒗彝族自治县 | 258,869 | 6,206 | 42 | |
The residents in the county are mainly Naxi, and there are also Bai people, Yi people, Lisu people, Pumi people and other minorities. Among them, the Dongba of the Naxi nationality is known as the only "living Hieroglyphs" in the world that has been preserved intact. Among the resident population in 2010, the Han people population was 537,893, accounting for 43.21% of the total population; the ethnic minorities population was 706,876, accounting for 56.79% of the total population.
| + Ethnic Composition of Lijiang City (November 2010) Yunnan Provincial Census Office, Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Statistics (2012). 9787503765483, China Statistics Press. ISBN 9787503765483 |
The Yi people have a long history, and their ancestors are "Kunming" people who have a relationship with them. They were called "Wu Man" in the Tang and Song Dynasties. The Yi people have their own language and words. The language belongs to the Tibetan-Burmese language branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. There are six dialects. The Xiaoliangshan Yi people belong to the northern dialect Shizha. Originally an ancient ideogram, some people think it is a pictographic syllable. In the history of the Yi people, they wrote historical, literary, astronomical and medical books, religious classics and so on. Most of the Yi villages are surrounded by mountains and waters, and the environment is beautiful. Generally, there are two or 30 households, and three or five households or single households are rare. The people living in Xiaoliangshan are generally low in order to avoid the cold of the mountains. Mostly, it is a timber frame with a multi-column landing structure. The four walls are made of wood or fenced with bamboo and wood. There are many festivals for the Yi people, such as the Lunar Festival, the 15th Festival, the February 8th, and the March 3rd Festival, especially the Torch Festival.
The Lisu language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family. The Lisu people live in a high-slope area. Due to the influence of the terrain and habits, there are no villages that live in dozens of houses. Generally, there are dozens of households on two or three hills as a village. The villages are far apart, and the houses are mainly wooden rafts. The Lisu people have oral songs and long poems, as well as many myths and legends. Every December, the people of Huaping and other places will hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the "Wide Season" (New Year's Day). There are also the Dragon Boat Festival "Hangshan Festival" and Lixia "Holy Water Festival" in Lijiang Dawn Township.
The language of the Pumi people belongs to the Yi language branch of the Tibetan-Burmese language group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The local dialects have little difference and generally can talk to each other. There are no words in the Pumi people. The Pumi people in Ninglang and Muli used to spell the Pumi language in Tibetan language to record historical legends and songs, but they are not popular and are now widely used in Chinese. The Pumi people live in a multi-clan, mostly on the mountainside, and the houses are mostly the layout of the wooden courtyard. The Pumi people have their own unique culture and art. Among them, the myths, legends and stories are the most numerous. The Pumi people can sing and dance. In the event of a wedding or funeral festival, a "song to the song" competition is held. Pumi men also like sports such as shooting, archery, wrestling, and martial arts. The most popular national traditional festival of the Pumi is the "Ohwa Festival" (the New Year) on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. In addition, there is the "Turning Sea Festival" on the 15th of the first month, and the "Taste of the New Festival" in the spring and autumn harvest season.
Fifteen kilometers north of Lijiang is the village of Baisha, famous for the Baisha Fresco and the Naxi Hand-made Embroidery Institute. The Fresco was built in the Ming dynasty 600 years ago, the Naxi Hand-made Embroidery Institute was built 800 years ago, it is the headquarters of the Naxi embroideries and also, a school for the Naxi embroiderers. There are many Naxi embroidery masters, teachers, students and local farmers there. Their embroidery arts can be found there.
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