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Lijiang
Situated in the northwest plateau in
Yunnan, Lijiang(the Beautiful River) got its name from its
position at the middle reaches of the beautiful Jinsha River.
The Naxi Autonomous County is the seat of the administrative
commission of Lijiang Prefecture. Scattered on an area of
7,648 square kilometers, the population of 320,000 is made
up of the Naxi, Bai, Lisu, Pumi, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Hui,
Han and other ethnic groups. Among them, the Naxi people
constitute 57% of the total. Affected by the plateau wind
from South Asia, Lijiang has two distinctive seasons, the
dry and the wet. The temperature range of the four seasons
is narrow. The annual mean temperature ranges from12.6 C
to 9.9 C. The Dongba religion, a primitive religion, is
the common belief of the Naxi people.In addition, some of
them believe in Lamaism. These two religions have greatly
influenced the ideology of the Naxi people and their social
activities and life.
The Ancient
town of Lijiang
The Ancient town of Lijiang was built
in the middle of a flatland at the foot of the Yulong Snow
Mountain. It got its name "Dayan Zheng"(the Town
of Big Ink Slab) because the town is surrounded by tree-covered
mountains on all sides with crystal clear water running
in the middle of it. It has the appearance of a big jade
ink slab. The town covers an area of 3.8 square kilometerw
at an elevation of 2,400 meters.
The town was built in the late Song
dynasty and the early Yuan dynasty. Since then, it has been
the political, cultural, and educational center in this
area. For a time, it had been an important trading center
for business between Yunnan and Tibet, China and India.
And now ,the town is a Historical and Cultural Heritage
in China and it has been included in the World Cultural
Heritag. The roads in the old town radiate from Sifang Street(Square
Street) to form a network connecting every corner of the
city. Small squares are scattered along appropriate sections
of the main streets. Houses have been built on the mountain
slopes tier upon tier. "The city depends on water for
existence and water comes along with the city" has
become one of the main features of the old town.
Culture is the soul of Lijiang ancient
town. Dongba culture is an integral part of Naxi culture,
referred to as the ancient culture of the ethnic Naxi. It
is called so because it is mostly found in the Dongba religion,
which is believed to be one thousand years old. It chiefly
consists of scriptures, paintings, music, dances, ritual
implements and religious services.
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