丽江市

Why this place

Lijiang's old town is a UNESCO site — a Naxi town of cobbled lanes, canals running beside every street, and timber houses, laid out in the thirteenth century and still lived in. Behind it stands Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and the Naxi have their own script, the only living pictographic writing system in the world.

What to see

• The old town's canals, bridges and squares — best at 7am before the crowds, and at night lit up
• Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, with the glacier park and the Yak Meadow
• Baisha village with its Ming-dynasty murals, and the Naxi Dongba script research centre
• Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Jinsha River, two hours north — one of the deepest gorges in the world
• Black Dragon Pool, with the classic view of the snow mountain reflected

What to eat

• Naxi 'baba' — a layered flatbread, grilled and eaten with chilli
• Lijiang 'guoqiao' and the local hot-pot mushroom dishes
• Yunnan coffee and the local 'sanwen' fish from the canals

How to plan

Three days: old town and Baisha one day, Jade Dragon one day, Tiger Leaping Gorge one day.

Best time

March–May and September–November; winter is clear and cold with the best mountain views

Practical tips

• Lijiang old town is very commercialised — the quieter Shuhe old town nearby is a good alternative base
• Altitude here is 2,400m and the glacier park is 4,500m — take the first day easily