When the bus from Dali rolled in to Lijiang, I was a bit disheartened to see a new, modern city under full construction, much like any other city in China these days.  Not to worry: the wonderful old part of the city, pictured here, was nearby and this is where much of my time in Lijiang was spent.

The people native to this area are Naxi (pronounced “nah shee”); its women are easily recognizeable by the blue and black in their clothing.  Like a number of other minorities in this area, the Naxi are traditionally a matriarchal society - women are in charge - but it is difficult to tell how true this is today.

The old part of Lijiang has many beautiful canals of pure, clear mountain water running along the pathways - a welcome contrast to the murky canals of Suzhou.

The townspeople regularly use the canals for cleaning clothes and vegetables.  Every morning finds people lined along steps leading to the canals doing their chores.

Cobblestone streets in the old town are worn shiny from years and years of foot traffic.  No cars are allowed in the area; even if they were, few could fit through the narrow streets.

The traditional Naxi orchestra onstage.  During the Cultural Revolution, members buried their instruments to keep them from being discovered and destroyed, and Xuan Ke, the music scholar who leads the group, was imprisoned.  The performance is as much about Xuan Ke and his opinions about music, China, and the world as it is about the music itself, a mix of old Naxi and Han Taoist temple music.  The pictures above the performers here are original orchestra members who have died.

A detail of a temple entrance within the old town.  While the town looks ancient, much of it is actually quite new: an earthquake not long ago destroyed much of the old city, and the government has had it fully restored for the sake of tourism and history.

The beautiful Yulong Bridge graces a park in the northern section of the old town.

Rooftops in the old town’s southern section.

One of my favorite pictures from the trip.  This sweet and beautiful young Naxi girl, the daughter of the shopkeeper next to the Well Bistro where I was having dinner, paid a visit to my table.

Unlike Shaping, where most of the goods sold cater to the local people, many shops along the canals of Lijiang cater to tourists.  For a foreigner, the feel of Lijiang is somewhat similar to Dali; though less bohemian, it too is old and exotic, mixing a little Western culture into its restaurants and cafes.

Morning in Lijiang.  A Naxi woman selling eggs and a young mother doing her daily shopping negotiate a price.

Naxi street vendors wind yarn.

Even in the farthest reaches of China, Disney is ubiquitous.

And thus begins an occasional series, “Great Signs of China.”  I came upon this in the new part of Lijiang, not far from the old city.  Despite the various misspellings, the store does indeed sell, uh, items to enhance one’s pleasure and potency.  I didn’t go in.