When you are overwhelmed by the crowds in Lijiang Old Town, you can come to this snowy mountain town, Baisha Ancient Town, to experience the Naxi culture.
Known by UNESCO as the “living museum of Naxi culture”, Baisha Ancient Town is attracting more and more travelers looking for in-depth experience with its untouched original charm.
Table of Contents
Three Cultural Codes
Heartbeat of the Ancient Tea Horse Road for a Thousand Years
As the birthplace of the Naxi Tusi regime, Baisha was born 300 years before Lijiang Ancient Town. Strolling along the green stone road, you will meet with the memory of the horse gang era: the Sifang Street in the center of the town used to be the most important material distribution center of the Ancient Tea and Horse Trail, and the ruins of the post station in the Ming Dynasty are still preserved to this day. Recommended to visit the east of the town’s “lock Cui Bridge” – the bridge was built in the Yuan Dynasty, the piers can still be seen when the caravan carved the Tibetan mantra.
The living legacy of Dongba civilization
Stop by the Baisha Mural (admission ¥30) and you’ll witness a visual feast spanning three centuries. Created by Naxi painters, these religious murals combine the mandala of Tibetan Buddhism, the eight trigrams of Taoism and the nature worship of Dongba, and were hailed as “a miracle of oriental religious art” by the French newspaper Le Monde. Do not miss the town center of the “Naxi hieroglyphics painting experience museum”, where you can use the Dongba paper to make their own “living fossil words”.
The magic collision of Christianity and Naxi culture
Next to the ruins of Wenchang Palace at the west end of the town, there is one of the most unique Christian churches in China, a gothic building built by French missionaries in the 19th century, which is just one wall away from the traditional Naxi houses, and the century-old ginkgo trees in the churchyard are still blooming golden in late fall. This magical sense of cultural intermingling has led National Geographic photographers to make a special trip to photograph the area for three consecutive years.
Architectural Aesthetics
Naxi Wisdom: The Survival Philosophy of Three Square and One Shining Wall
Walking into the “Jishantang” (free of charge), this century-old mansion will show you the ecological wisdom of the Naxi people: the wall not only blocks the cold wind from the snowy mountains, but also reflects the winter sunlight into the patio through a special angle; the plaque of “Ziwei Gaozhao” hung in the center hall alludes to the “unity of heaven and mankind” of the Naxi people. Naxi people “unity of heaven and mankind” concept of the universe. It is recommended to visit early in the morning, when the first ray of sunlight penetrates through the wooden lattice windows, you will be rewarded with an excellent light and shadow blockbuster.
Snow Mountain Observation Deck: a secret spot known only to locals
As you head north along Hydrangea Lane, order a cup of Yunnan coffee on the second floor of the 7 Sea Bar (free), and the 13 peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain will appear before your eyes. But an even more stunning view is hidden on the rooftop of the Inn in the Clouds in the north of the town – not only can you capture the wonders of the snow-capped mountains reflected in the roof tiles, but also the magical moments of smoke and sunset in the evening.
Alien Landscape: Stone Town Built by Volcanic Rock
The “Stone Village” at the west end of the town looks like the surface of the moon. The houses built by the Naxi people in volcanic rock form a surreal contrast with the snow-capped mountains. It is recommended to bring a wide-angle lens, as this is a private collection of Instagram bloggers as “the setting of the Lord of the Rings in the East”.
Baisha Ancient Town 2-Day Tour Guide
Day 1: History and Food
Morning: Rent an AR guide device (¥ 50) at the Bisha Mural Museum to bring the thousand-year-old murals to life!
Afternoon: Watch traditional brocade weaving at the Naxi Embroidery Art Institute and try your hand at creating a 10-centimeter piece of fabric on a loom.
Late afternoon: walk into the courtyard of “Steamed Bun Poet” (free), listen to the owner tell the story of his business venture that was inspired by hiking the Meili Snow Mountain, and the steamed buns with rose sauce and homemade caper juice is a healing dinner at the foot of the snowy mountains!
Day2: The creative collision of nature and handicrafts
Early in the morning: spend ¥80 on horseback riding through the “Jade Lake Village”, watching the reflection of snow-capped mountains and dancing with swans on the shore of the Dragon Lady Lake.
Afternoon: Make Dongba paper lanterns (¥68) at the Hexi Theme Café, where you can discover the secret of the thousand-year immortality of the paper made from local wolfsbane.
Night: Stay at the “Things and Arashi Boundary” Design Hotel (¥2000+/night) and watch the Milky Way flow over the snow-covered mountain tops as you lounge by the suspended infinity pool.
Taste Adventure
Must-eat in Baisha Ancient Town
Chickpea Cold Noodles (¥15 for long-established): Cold noodles made with spring water from snow-capped mountains, topped with papaya vinegar and a secret spicy sauce, hot and sour with a sweet aftertaste.
Naxi Mixed Vegetables (¥40 per person): local chicken, matsutake mushrooms, and wild mushrooms are cooked in a copper pot, which is the right way to open Yunnan’s mountain treasures.
Snow Mountain Fish (¥70 at Yunxueli Restaurant): steamed, salted and stewed, the fish is so tender that you can taste the freshness of the snow.
Hidden Menu
At 7:00 a.m. in the “Baisha Ancient Town Morning Market”, spend ¥ 5 to buy a piece of freshly baked barley poop, dipped in granny’s freshly squeezed ghee tea, which is the Naxi people’s “Morning C, Night A.”
Try the Snowy Mountain Special (¥38) at the Tiger’s Tooth Café: Yunnan small-grain coffee mixed with rose honey and sprinkled with Dongba sugar frosting on the rim of the cup.
Transportation
Lijiang Airport taxi ¥120 (45 minutes), or take the airport bus to Lantian Hotel and transfer to bus 17 (¥4).
We recommend renting an electric bike (¥50/day), which takes only 20 minutes to ride from Baisha to Yuhu Village.
Accommodation Guide
Backpackers preferred “White Sand and Moon Pavilion” (¥200+), the top floor terrace can shoot the starry sky.
The luxury camp must stay at “Both Downhill – Glean Wild” (¥800+), each room is equipped with underfloor heating and snowy mountain view windows.
Cultural Eggs
Every Wednesday at 2:00 pm, “Baisa Xueluo” (free of charge), a requiem played on the Sugudu (Naxi guzheng), which is listed as an “Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by the United Nations.
On the 15th of every month, Dongba priests will hold a blessing ceremony in the Yulong Academy, and tourists can participate in making blessing wind chimes.
Reminders for avoiding pitfalls
Refuse the “10 yuan braid” sales pitch, the Naxi traditional hair ornaments need to use black cotton threads
Purchase of silverware recognized “Naxi hundred years Square” old, handmade 40% lower than the scenic area vendors
Photographer’s private location
Point A: 7 sea bar second floor terrace (sunrise time to shoot the snowy mountain golden top)
Point B: the backyard of Jixiantang (during the rainy season, you can shoot the rain curtains on the eaves of the roof and the snowy mountains in the same frame)
Point C: Longmai Lake trestle (black-necked cranes are often photographed in the early morning of winter)
Point D: Baisha Fine Music Training Center (take a close-up of the wrinkles of the non-genetic inheritor while he is playing)
Point E: The Land of Wilderness (a fairy tale castle transformed by Qiao Xiaodao from a junk car)
When tourists from all over the world are still competing for the “best spot” in Lijiang Old Town, the real travelers are already by the fire pit in Baisha Ancient Town, listening to the mumblings of the Dongba scriptures and watching the snow-capped mountains slowly melting in the barley wine cups.
Here there is no “love affair of the city” of the hustle and bustle, only the time precipitation of calm – perhaps, this is the original appearance of Lijiang.