Go Deep in Lijiang: Time of leisure lingers on in Shuhe town

In every tourist’s mind, there may be an ancient town with little bridges and flowing streams shrouded in mist. The Shuhe ancient town of Lijiang city, is just the right place.

With more than a thousand years of history, Shuhe is the place where Naxi ancestors gathered in their earliest years. It is a key stop on the Ancient Tea Horse Road which is still well kept. In 1997, Shuhe was listed as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites. It is an integral part of Lijiang ancient town.

Its prosperity started in the ancient times of China. At that time, Shuhe is one of the only hubs that must be passed along the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The merchants have helped promote the economic and cultural exchanges with the roadside areas when they traveled from south Yunnan province to Lasa, Xizang Autonomous prefecture.

Today, the bustle and hustle of Shuhe has gone. But the ancient remains are still seen everywhere. For example, the Qinglong bridge. It is the eldest arched stone bridge in Lijiang. It is said that it could bring fortunes to the villagers.

Another spot, the Sansheng palace, is of the siheyuan style. The originator of leather-making work is worshiped in the palace. If you walk around the town, you may find that there are still many leatherware shops here keeping their original faith.

Today, Shuhe is also of modern atmosphere. There are many types of cafés with various features. Here, you may get up whenever you like to walk around in the alleys. You may have a cup of coffee and read something in any café along the streams. The time you spend in Shuhe is unique.

Reporting by Zhang Guoqin (Micro Lijiang): Trans-editing by Wang Yunya