Lijiang City
Encyclopedia
- For the river in Guangxi Province, see Lijiang RiverLijiang RiverThe Li River or Lijiang River is a river in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.-Background:The Li River originates in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an County and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle....
. Other uses see LijiangLijiangLijiang may refer to:*Lijiang, Yunnan , prefecture-level city in Yunnan Province, China*Old Town of Lijiang, World Heritage Site, in Lijiang City*Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County, formerly a county in Lijiang, Yunnan, China before 2002...
and Old Town of LijiangOld Town of LijiangThe Old Town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China.-History:The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and...
.
Lijiang is a prefecture-level city
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
in the northwest of Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
Province, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It has an area of 21219 square kilometres (8,193 sq mi) and a population of 1,244,7690 as of 2010 census.
History
Lijiang City replaced former administrative region Lijiang Prefecture. Lijiang Prefecture no longer exists today. It was under the rule of the Mu family (木氏) local commanders (土司) during the Ming DynastyMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
Fictional history and literature
Lijiang or "Li-gion" is referenced and used as the ancestral home of the "Lost Legion" of Rome and of one of the main characters, Frank Zhang, in the American work of Fiction "Son of Neptune" by Rick RiordianAdministrative divisions
The government of Lijiang City sits in Gucheng District.Lijiang City comprises one district
District (PRC)
The term district, in the context of the People's Republic of China refers to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China....
and four counties:
| Map | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Population (2003 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Gucheng District Gucheng District Gucheng District is located in Lijiang City Prefecture, Yunnan, China.Its county seat is the large community Dayan .-External links:**... |
古城区 | Gǔchéng Qū | 140,000 | 1,127 | 124 |
| 2 | Yongsheng County Yongsheng County Yongsheng County is located in Lijiang City Prefecture, Yunnan, China.-External links:**... |
永胜县 | Yǒngshèng Xiàn | 380,000 | 5,099 | 75 |
| 3 | Huaping County Huaping County Huaping County is located in Lijiang City Prefecture, Yunnan, China.-External links:**... |
华坪县 | Huápíng Xiàn | 150,000 | 2,266 | 66 |
| 4 | Yulong Nakhi Autonomous County | 玉龙纳西族自治县 | Yùlóng Nàxīzú Zìzhìxiàn | 210,000 | 6,521 | 32 |
| 5 | Ninglang Yi Autonomous County Ninglang Yi Autonomous County Ninglang Yi Autonomous County is located in Lijiang City Prefecture, Yunnan, China.-External links:**... |
宁蒗彝族自治县 | Nínglàng Yízú Zìzhìxiàn | 240,000 | 6,206 | 39 |
Geography
Lijiang City is located in the northwestern portion of Yunnan and borders SichuanSichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
. It is in a region where the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau converge.
Climate
Owing to its low latitude and high elevation, the city centre of Lijiang experiences a mild subtropical highland climate (KoppenKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cwb). Winters feature mild days coupled with nights that may go below freezing, as well as the driest and sunniest conditions of the year; January averages 6 °C (42.8 °F). Summers are warm and damp, with a June average of 18.4 °C (65.1 °F), which is much cooler than lowland areas. The annual mean temperature is 12.7 °C (54.9 °F), while precipitation averages around 970 millimetres (38 in), focused heavily from June to September.
Transport
- Lijiang AirportLijiang AirportLijiang Sanyi Airport is an airport serving Lijiang, Yunnan province, China. Built in 1995, the civil airport is to the south of the city proper.-History:...
(LJG); Lijiang Airport is located in the south of Lijiang city, 28 km away from downtown. There is an airport shuttle bus service in downtown Lijiang. The airport was opened in July 1995 and has flights to KunmingKunming' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, ChengduChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Xishuangbanna, BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, GuangzhouGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, ShenzhenShenzhenShenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, Xiamen via Chongqing and GuiyangGuiyangGuiyang is the capital of Guizhou province of Southwest China. It is located in the centre of the province, situated on the east of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters...
. It also offers chartered airplane service. There are flights from Kunming to Lijiang every day and is about 30 minutes flight time.
- There are bus services to, amongst others, Kunming City (8 hrs), Dali City (3 hrs), the Tiger Leaping GorgeTiger Leaping GorgeTiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon on the Yangtze River – locally called the Golden Sands River – located 60 km north of Lijiang City, Yunnan in southwestern China...
and Shangri-LaShangri-La CountyShangri-La County is a primarily Tibetan county in northwestern Yunnan province, Southwest China and is the location of the seat of the Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.-Name:...
.
- There is a train service to Kunming with one overnight and two day trains, and one day train to Dali.
The Baisha Hand-made Embroidery Institute
Nearby Lijiang is the Baishui TerraceBaishuitai
Baishuitai is the name of a village between Lijiang and Xianggelila in north-western Yunnan province, China. Located slightly north of Haba near the upper Yangtze river valley, it is noted for its natural mineral terraces....
Baishuitai (白水台, literally "White Water Terrace") is an area where spring water flows over a sinter terrace, leaving behind travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
.
The world famous Old Town of Lijiang is located in Lijiang City. It is a UNESCO Heritage Site.
The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. The old town of Lijiang differs from other ancient Chinese cities in architecture, history and the culture of its traditional residents the Nakhi
Nakhi
The Nakhi are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China....
people, therefore people there are called 胖金哥 and 胖金妹 (pàng jīn gē, pàng jīn mèi, male and female respectively).
There are three old towns in Lijiang , Dayuan Old Town, Shuhe Old Town and Baisha Old Town.
The three old towns were listed as the World Cultural Heritage by Unesco in the year 1997.Among the three towns, Dayuan Old Town and Suhe Old Town have been spoiled a lot by tourists in recent years,so they are touristic and commercialized, but the Baisha Old Town is very genuine, nice ,simple and attractive. This Town is famous for The Baisha Fresco and The Naxi Hand-made Embroidery Institute.The Fresco was made in the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago, the Naxi Hand-made Embroidery Institute was built 800 years ago, it is the head quarter of the Naxi embroideries and also ,it is like a school for the Naxi embroiderers. There are many Naxi embroidery masters, teachers, students and local farmers there. They are very nice and friendly, meanwhile,many gorgeous and unbelievable embroidery arts can be found there.It is a very special place.
The Baisha Old Town use to be the political, commercial and cultural center for the local Naxi people and other ethnic people for 400 years from the year 658 AD to 1107 AD. The Dabaoji Palace of the Baisha Fresco where is very close to the Baisha Naxi Hand-made Embroidery Institute was built in the year 658AD in the Tang Dynasty (618 AD to 960 AD).
The Baisha Old Town use 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. The Ancient Southern Silk Road started from Myanmar, crossed Lijiang, Shangeri-la, Tibet, Iran, Israel after the Mediterranean Sea eventually got to France, Italy, Spain, Germany, England, Switzerland and other European countries and African countries.It Played an very important role for trade and cultural exchange between different regions and countries.
The Naxi women were well-known for their hand-made embroidery before the year 1972 during the Great Cultural Revolution.The most famous Naxi masters were arrested and put in the jail, some of them were died in the jail during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
because they did hand-made embroidery only for the Naxi Emperors when they were young.
Sister Cities
- KazanKazanKazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, TatarstanTatarstanThe Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
, - RoanokeRoanoke, VirginiaRoanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, - New WestminsterNew Westminster, British ColumbiaNew Westminster is an historically important city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and is a member municipality of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. It was founded as the capital of the Colony of British Columbia ....
, British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
,
CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... - Takayama, GifuTakayama, Gifuis a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of July, 2011 the city has an estimated population of 92,369. The total area is .Takayama was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the...
,
See also
- Riding Alone for Thousands of MilesRiding Alone for Thousands of MilesRiding Alone for Thousands of Miles is a 2005 Chinese / Japanese drama film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Ken Takakura. It premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival on 22 October 2005 and was released in China on 22 December 2005....
: a film by Zhang YimouZhang YimouZhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum....
which takes place in the Lijiang area