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| Lijiang Old Town is a big ancient town and Shuhe Ancient Town which is a smaller version of it is located at 4km to the northwest of the Lijiang Old Town, at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, lies a compact village hidden in the forest, the Shuhe Ancient Town. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has listed it as an important component of Lijiang as it is a well-preserved example of a town along the ancient tea route and one of the earliest settlements of the ancestors of Naxi people. It is called 'the hometown of springs'.. To get to here: |
- Daily shuttle buses depart from Lijiang Ancient City to Shuhe Ancient Town, a great convenience for travelers.
- Visitor also can take a taxi there, which takes about 20 minutes, or they can bike, which takes about 1.5 hours.
- Take bus 11 to Shuhe Lukou station.
- Take bus 6 to Shuhe Shangcun Wenmingcun station.
*NOTE*: If you entering from the main entrance, there is an entrance fee of CNY40. If you enter from other entrance, it is free.
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| Shuhe Ancient Town is the earliest habitation of the Naxi ancestors. It is also an important and well-preserved post of the Ancient Tea Horse Route, an international trade route in Southwest China that uses the horse as its main vehicle. |
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| Shuhe Ancient Town, also named Longquan Village (which literally means dragon spring village), is located in the north of Lijiang Ancient City. In Naxi language, Shuhe means “a village at the foot of a peak”. As the earliest habitation for Naxi ancestors, Shuhe Ancient Town is regarded as a living specimen of the Naxi ancestors’ transition from an agriculture civilization to a commercial culture. Similar to Lijiang Ancient City, Shuhe Ancient Town is surrounded by a murmuring river and interlaced with smooth flagging. It is a compact village hidden in the forest, and it lies near mountains and rivers. It is a more peaceful, smaller version of Lijiang Ancient City. |
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| Qinglong Bridge has a history of more than 400 years; it is the landmark building in Shuhe Ancient Town. The entire bridge was built with stones, and is 25 meters (82 ft) long, 4.5 meters (15 ft) wide and 4 meters (13 ft) high. In early spring, the old bridge is decorated by verdant willows, which form a famous scenic spot in Shuhe. |
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| Sifang Street, a market in the center of Shuhe village, covers an area of about 250 square meters (2,691 sq. ft). It is very lively during market days. Visitors can buy many leather products at the market. Surrounding the market are shops, all of which have archaic wooden facades. Travelers can buy various handicrafts here, such as unique ornaments and costumes reflecting ethnic styles. |
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| Along the street about 100 meters (328 ft.) away is the fountainhead of a river surrounding the ancient town, a deep pool named Long Pool (Dragon Pool). From Long Pool, the overflowing water winds through the village and the bubbling sounds can be heard miles away. The locals regard this as a sacred spring, and built Beiquan Temple (North Spring Temple) here as a place to pray. Master leatherworking is enshrined in Sansheng Palace, which is the most unique part of the temple. |
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| Some places are deserted with no single people except tourists who accidentally ended up there. It is quite eerie to be at. There are some part which is used as the route of the tourist horse cart. This part of the town is so smelly with horse shit. The only place that is worth to go is the 100m Dragon Pool. That's where the crowd mostly at. You only need 2 hours to finish the whole tour. Personally, I do not recommend this place unless you have no other better things to do. |
Ticket Price: CNY40
Operating Hours: 10.00am - 10.00pm. Bar and bistro opens till late.
Recommended?: 1/5
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