Lijiang is the Instagram-worthy place you don’t want to miss out on during your trip to Yunnan province. It was unlike anything I’ve seen before. And I think it tells a story about the new Chinese generations and their relationship to traditions. Nowhere else have I seen such a fusion of cultural elements like food, fashion, technology, innovation. When you enter Lijiang, it’s like everything you see was planted there to either support traditional ways or create new surprising and unconventional trends. When you walk in these narrow streets, you’ll see people from agricultural backgrounds selling fruits, or a shop offering tastings of yak cheese, and next to it you’ll see photography studios or a seller of roasted marshmallows with an ice-cream heart.
From rooftops with different types of couches or blankets or props, everything is staged to help you take the best pictures of the city and of course to promote it on social media. A man filming a woman dancing for a Tiktok video will be a common sight. And to be honest, I understand why. When you stroll around the city, you’ll have many opportunities to see cool sights. There was this restaurant that created a heart with light using smoke in the air to attract visitors. I didn’t capture it well but you can see the beginning of the heart forming. It’s like every corner or street has some interesting detail to it. It is time to tell you I met a blue hen that matched my hair?
In Lijiang, you’ll have to cross the Old Town to reach Lion Hill, where the best rooftops are. It’s a little high up, and it takes 30 minutes from one side of the city to the other. It is a nice walk, so I recommend you enjoy the journey as well. There is always something interesting to see here. In Lion Hill, there are two cafes that I recommend for pictures. Both are a bit pricey but you can just get a drink if you don’t want to spend too much.
The first cafe is Yue Gu Lou. It is famous so you’ll see a lot of tourists there. It’s also very social, and the atmosphere is vibrant.
The first cafe is Yue Gu Lou. It is famous so you’ll see a lot of tourists there. It’s also very social, and the atmosphere is vibrant.
I advise you to check out the cafe on its left, on the same narrow street. The owner was super sweet and I think he deserves more love haha. He doesn’t speak English but will show you a menu in English. When we went, he was unsure about the type of coffee my friend wanted so he called his daughter so that she would speak to us and clarify it. I thought that was adorable, because he didn’t want to make a mistake. He treated us very well, and when we decided to take pictures on his platform he told us to be careful and you could tell he was worried for our safety. If I came back to Lijiang, I would go back to this one, even though the other has more options and might be more “accessible” to foreigners.
What to eat
In Lijiang, you will have many food options. The first thing you should do is try yak cheese, flower cakes and the roasted ice-cream marshmallow cubes.
If you want to eat a pizza, you can check out N’s Kitchen.
We also tasted crickets, larvas and other insects at a marketplace but honestly it was expensive and I was just for fun, I didn’t love the taste haha. Lijiang is also famous for its mushrooms.
If you want to eat a pizza, you can check out N’s Kitchen.
We also tasted crickets, larvas and other insects at a marketplace but honestly it was expensive and I was just for fun, I didn’t love the taste haha. Lijiang is also famous for its mushrooms.
Where to stay
I personally stayed at Gemmel Hotel, which is at the entrance of Old Town. I thought that was the perfect location because it was less crowded while being 2 minutes walking distance from all the touristy parts. It was literally across the street. It was basically an apartment with an extra floor and two private balconies. The hotel also had free breakfast and a 360-degree view from the rooftop. Check it out here.
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