Lijiang

This city only has one Drawback - it's beauty. Lijiang would have been the best places in the world to visit about 10 years ago but it's beauty has resulted in the economic benefits as well as the death of traditional culture that mass tourism on a Chinese scale brings. Canals flow through it's winding lanes, there are weeping willows all over the place, beautiful ornate housing and an awesome mountainous backdrop. The local Naxi people are the only people left in the world who still use a hieroglyphic alphabet. They are traditionally a matriarchal society, not keeping track of their paternal linage. The women gained social status by having multiple sexual partners and although this aspect of their culture is not widespread any more (Mao's cultural revolution put an nd to all of that), many a single desperate Chinese man can be seen walking it's streets looking for love. Tourism has killed the traditional culture within Lijiang itself but the surrounding towns and villages haven't changed much or so I've been told. I was more interested in heading to Dali than spending more time here. I don't even know why I'm mentioning Lijiang. I arrived, had a wander and left. I quite like it in fact. The traditional local culture isn't completely dead, not for now.

 A man and a pipe

Card players

The most iconic view in Yunnan, I would have refused to pay the entrance fee but the guards were lazy, so I just walked through. In the background is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain which is supposed to have snow on it.

Naxi hieroglyphics