Go Deep in Lijiang: Old photos by American explorer Rock

Joseph F. Rock, Austrian American bontaist and geologist, arrived in northwest Yunnan’s Lijiang in 1922, taking pictures for the National Geographic magazine and allowing the world to see local landscape and folk customs.

The Sifang Street in the old town of Lijiang is taken by Rock in the 1920s

In the following year, Rock became interested in Dongba culture of the indigenous Naxi people, and had devoted his life to studying the Dongba culture ever since.

The Sifang Street in the old town of Lijiang is taken by Rock in the 1920s

Staying in Lijiang till 1949, Rock took thousands of precious photographs, collected more than 8,000 Dongba scriptures, and authored 18 books on the Naxi people. He might be the first person to present Lijiang effectively.

The picture of Yulong Snow Mountain and the old town of Lijiang is taken by Rock in the 1920s

Source: Lijiang Net: trans-editing by Li Jingshuo and Mo Yingyi