Li Jiang Scenic Area is situated in Li Jiang Naxi Nationality Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, which is the famous cultural city of history. The ancient city of Lijiang in southwest Yunnan Province is magnificently situated on a plateau 2,600 meters above sea level.It covers an area of 1.5 square kilometers. At its center there is a square.

Lijiang is world renowned as an ancient city built in a simple and artistic style and scientifically laid out. It was listed as a national historical and cultural city in 1986.In the shadow of Yu Long (Jade Dragon) Mountain, the home mainly of the Naxi nationality people, Lijiang continue the language and customs of an ancient matriarchal society.

The wonder about Li Jiang is that you will be very surprise to see the existence of an ancient city which people still live in houses more than 500 years old. An interesting fact about this city is that, each house have a stream passing by it either at the front of at the back of the house. No cars are allowed within the Gu Cheng.

Lijiang city is surrounded by Lion Mountain in the west and by Elephant and Golden Row Moutnains in the north. These mountains in the northwest shelter it from the cold wind. In the southeast there are fertile fields which are dozens of kilometers long. The city is favored with plentiful sunlight, an east wind and clear spring water which flows in three streams and reaches every family. The streets are paved with the local stone slabs which do not get muddy in the rainy season and are free of dust in the dry season.

Hei Long Tan (Black Dragon Pond), otherwise known as Jade Spring, irrigates the surrounding area. The verdant and luxuriant trees, a carpet of grass, crystal clear spring water in which the snow capped Jade Dragon peak is reflected, all make a picturesque scenery. De Yue (Moon Catching) Tower is built in the middle of the pond. Fayun Pavilion in the northern part was built in 1601, the structure of which is exquisite and delicate with beautiful style, a unique piece among ancient buildings.

Snow Mountain of Jade Dragon. It is 5596 meters above sea level, and its 13 peaks look like a crystal jade dragon dancing in the air with snow capped peaks touching the cloud, a magnificent scene indeed.

Tiger Jumping Gorge. On the western of it there stands high the precipice with narrow bottom. From the river surface to the peak, the relative height is 3900 meters, while the width of the river is only 30 meters which forms a grand gorge. Within the 20 km long gorge, there are 18 dangerous shoals, one of the deepest and largest gorges in the world.

Many stone bridges and arches in the city were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties and orderly roads and lanes extend to four directions from the central square. Residential houses are made of timber; most have a screen wall in front and some have a quadruple courtyard. Local people plant flowers in them.

The ancient traditional culture of the Naxi ethnic group is the Dongba culture which is based on the Dongba religion. Believers practice witchcraft, are skilled in medicine and the culture is passed on through literature and art.

The Dongba language has more than 1,300 separate words which are written in primitive pictographic characters. There are more than 1,400 types of Dongba scriptures written in these characters and they take up 20,000 volumes. The scriptures cover religion, philosophy, history, local customs, literature, art, astronomy, medicine, the calendar, geography, flora, fauna, dancing, painting and music.

Lijiang is also the home of ruals painted by people from Han, Tibetan and Naxi ethnic groups who were invited to do so by herdsman Mu during the Ming Dynasty. They cover a total area of 139.22 square meters on 55 walls of Dabaoji Palace, Liuli hall, Dabao Pavilion and Daque palace in Laihe. The largest is 2.07 meters by 4.48 meters and contains 600 figures.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1997.