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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 kilometer 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 Heritage. 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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