Friday, December 03, 2004
The Naxi Kingdom
The former Naxi kingdom is in the northwest of the Yunnan province. Its people are related to the Tibetans. They have developed a unique hieroglyphic writing, practise a blend of ancient form of buddhism and shamanism (Dongba), and their women are in control of most aspects of the daily life (one of the Naxi sub-groups, the Mosuo, have matriarchal lineage).
Lijiang and around
To explore the region, we based ourselves in Lijiang, the Naxi capital. The UNESCO World Heritage old town is quite picturesque, but we feel it has been spoilt by mass tourism. Nearly every traditional house has either a souvenir stall, a trendy bar/restaurant, or a hotel.
The Dragon Pool park of Lijiang offers one of the most famous sights of China. The concrete temple, pavillon and bridge are perfectly arranged to provide a "perfect" postcard view with the 5500m high Jade Dragon Snow mountain in the background.
The traditional lifestyle of the Naxi is more preserved in the little villages around Lijiang (with the exception of Shuzhu, which is a newly built tourist trap!). We rented bikes to go to the villages.
...Naxi women in Baisha:
Tiger Leaping Gorges
The Tiger Leaping Gorges are 100km north of Lijiang. They are supposed to be the deepest in the world.
We did a beautiful 2 days hike there, and stayed in a very friendly Naxi family guesthouse on the way. The sceneries we crossed looked very alpine, with the
adjonction of palmtrees and cactus!
...path along the steep slope:
Lijiang and around
To explore the region, we based ourselves in Lijiang, the Naxi capital. The UNESCO World Heritage old town is quite picturesque, but we feel it has been spoilt by mass tourism. Nearly every traditional house has either a souvenir stall, a trendy bar/restaurant, or a hotel.
The Dragon Pool park of Lijiang offers one of the most famous sights of China. The concrete temple, pavillon and bridge are perfectly arranged to provide a "perfect" postcard view with the 5500m high Jade Dragon Snow mountain in the background.
The traditional lifestyle of the Naxi is more preserved in the little villages around Lijiang (with the exception of Shuzhu, which is a newly built tourist trap!). We rented bikes to go to the villages.
...Naxi women in Baisha:
Tiger Leaping Gorges
The Tiger Leaping Gorges are 100km north of Lijiang. They are supposed to be the deepest in the world.
We did a beautiful 2 days hike there, and stayed in a very friendly Naxi family guesthouse on the way. The sceneries we crossed looked very alpine, with the
adjonction of palmtrees and cactus!
...path along the steep slope:
