Old town of Lijiang

Old town of Lijiang, also called Dayan town, is a central town of the Lijiang Autonomous County of the Naxi Ethnic Minority in Yunnan Province. It is a national historical and cultural city and was regarded as one of the four well-preserved ancient cities. In 1997, it was listed as the world cultural heritage.

Lijiang is a beautiful shining jewel in the Northwest Yunnan. It had a history of more than 800 years. It is home to the Naxi people, descendants of the Tibetan Qiang tribes, as well as the Dongba culture which is regarded as one of the few living fossils of ancient culture exist in the modern world. Scriptures, paintings, music, dances, everything here is expressing the beauty of the unique culture.

Besides its brilliant history, it is also known for its wonderful scenery. Its name Dayan literally means a “great inkstab”, which gives a vivid description of the town’s location. As its name implies, it is on a piece of rich flatland fed by a river and surrounded by green mountains. Here, houses are made of wood and have their own unique characteristics. Most of them consist of a living area and a yard. The town, surrounded by green mountains and facing a river, has no high walls. The old style and prosperous street will take you back to in history for hundreds of years. When you are tired, the bars near the river will be your best choice to have a daydream.

If you want to a place of harmonious combination of tradition and fashion, Make a trip to Lijiang and it will never disappoint you.

Notes:
1. The best time for traveling in the old town of Lijiang is autumn (September or October)
2. How to get to the town: cars are not allowed in old town, walking or cycling is a better choice.

Fenghuang County

Fenghuang County is located in Hunan province. It has been the region of Miao and Tujia （two ethnic minorities in China）since ancient times. It is a national historical and cultural city. This old city’s scenery fuses natural beauty and humanity beauty together.

Fenghuang County takes the ancient city as the center, east to Hongqiao, south to Yannao city, west to pond, north to Tuojiang River. It is one of the busiest sections in Fenghuang and was built in the Kangxi Reign (1661—1722). It is regarded as “the pearl of Xiangxi”. The city has a history of more than 1000 years. It comes into being many historic spots and interest places.

Fenghuang county’s attractions have become witnesses to a period of history. The whole mountain town still remains its original characteristics, especially the north gate and east gate of the old city. Ancient buildings can be found everywhere. There are the upturned eave brackets Sun Palace, Longevity Palace, Dacheng Hall, Tianwang Temple and other historic buildings. In the Reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820)，there had built about 50 temples. Nowadays, there still remain Wang Temple, Town God Temple, King of Hell Temple, Guandi Temple, Confucian Temple, etc. You may also have the chance to live in Diaojiao buildings, which is the typical living architecture of the inhabitants. They are wooden houses with tile roofs and always stand upright beside the lake.

Beautiful places can always cultivate talented people, not excepting Fenghuang County. Here has been the hometown of Shen Congwen (1902-1988), he described its beautiful scenery once in “the border town “.

A famous writer also said that,” Fenghuang county is one of the most beautiful towns in China.” I agree with him. If you want to witness the real west Hunan, you have to make that trip.

Best Travel Time:
1) Spring and autumn (the temperature is about 25 °)
2) Winter (it is cold but you can see a landscape of snow)

Accommodation:
It is very convenient, about 20 to 100 yuan per night

Wuyuan: A Village Forgotten by Time

Wuyuan, what I want to say is that it is a place has been forgotten by time. Lucky one, isn’t it? Compared with the modern world outside, Wuyuan still keeps its pristine beauty and traditional lifestyle.

Located in the northeast of Jiangxi province, Wuyuan is honored as one of the most beautiful villages in China. It is known for both its natural scenery and its colorful folk arts. It is home to some of the best-preserved ancient architecture in China. There are hundreds of ancient buildings here and each of them still has a distinctive shape and structure.

The Four Local Colors, refers to four kinds of local products, are also quite famous in China.

The Red – A dish named Fried Red Fish

The Green – green tea

The Black – a kind of ink stone named dragon-tail

The White – a kind of pear called Jiangwan Snow Pear

Come to Wuyuan, forget about the season and the time! Once you are here, you are in the eden which appeared only in your dreams.

Four Seasons in Wuyuan:

Tips:

• Main scenic spots:
Moon Bay, Likeng, Jiangling, Xiaoqi, Likeng，Dazhangshan

• Transportation
By Air:
The nearest airport to Wuyuan is 98 kilometers away from the county in Jingdezhen. Then you can transfer to bus.
By Train
There is no strain station in Wuyuan. The nearest city is Jingdezhen, where there are regular buses to Wuyuan.
By Bus
Quzhou long-distance bus station: 4 buses available to Wuyuan, taking 4.5 hours.

Water-Town within the Dream

As the “City of Waters”, Venice is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is a majestic symphony of rivers. Compared with it, without great palaces and large squares, water towns are just like folk songs.

They are the places existing in our dreams. When we are tired, they are the best places for rest.

Wuzhen Town – in Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province

Tongli Town – in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province

Xitang Town – in Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province

Xitang Town – in Kuanshan City, Jiangsu Province