Rich in cultural and biological diversity, the Lashi Lake watershed is home to two minority ethnic groups, the Naxi and the Yi, and provides critical habitat for the endangered black-necked crane. The watershed is also the primary water supply to a large downstream population and the rapidly growing tourism industry in the historic city of Lijiang. Around Lashi Lake lives the Naxi People, who shows such enthusiam towards life, and nature. They love festivals and find joys through simple things in thier simple primitive life. They worship nature, and have different festivals and ceremonies for gods of Nature, God of Wind, God of water. And the Black Yi people, who are still keeping the best traditions of thier own, grow seas of potatos on the moutain side. While from a poorer class, Yi women are the only women who walk with straight back, full of dignity and elegance.

The village people now set up boating and horse-riding service facing visitors, which is such an enjoyable experience getting closed to the lake and the villages around there.

Mini bus from Zhongyi Vege Market, Lijiang Old Town.

Laojun mountain is Located in the border of Lijiang, Dali and Shangrila, It is the mountain range between Yangtze river & Mekong river which continuous stretch hundreds of miles ,  One of the main body part of the natural heritage " Three rivers flows in parallel" , the main peak  is 4240 meters above sea level,  historians  called it as "the father of the mountains in Yunnan province".

 Laojun mountain is a world of plants and animals, a paradise of nature .  Nowadsys with global deforestation and damage to vegetation,  laojun mountain's natural ecology is still well preserved, retains the massive primitive forest.   in less than 10 square kilometers area on the mountain, almost all plant species were collected ,  Mt.laojun is known as "refuge", "natural botanical garden".   According to the survey, the park has more than 10 kinds of class  of national rare and precious plants, there are 79 families, 167 genera and 280 species of seed plants.  

The good ecological vegetation, unique geological structure has become "the images of the earth's original", It is  one of the representative landscape and the most spectacular place in 3 river parallel region .

The best travel time:  May to November

May-June: Hundreds of Azalea flower ;   October to November: Autumn color

Black dragon pool  is also called Jade spring park ,it was firstly built in 1737, 1km north of lijiang oldtown,  it is the  water source of lijiang Dayan oldtown.  You can see 400 years old five phenix pavilion, black dragon temple, old theatre & five arch briage inside.   

It  is the most popular park in lijiang ,  local people go there for morning exercise, singing, dancing  . black dragon pool is also famous for the reflection of jade dragon snow mountain.

WenHai is a Naxi village located south of Jade Dragon Snown Mountain. Best season is mid June to mid July.

 It is 3070M above sea level. 20KM drive from ShuHe Village. The road condition is bad. It takes about 50 minutes to get there from ShuHe village. You should consider to use 4 wheel drive vehicle to get there(RMB400). Some visitors hire a horse from ShuHe village and take another route through forest to get there. A horse ride will take about 4 hours (single trip) and cost about RMB150 (round trip).

Liming is 120KM west of Lijiang CIty. 2200M above sea level. Liming is famous for its "Danxia Landform". Next to Liming village is "Thousand Tortoise Hill" The hill is a typical example of the "Danxia Landform"in geography. Walking up the trail to 2700M hill top, you can see amazing red sandy rock in form of  "Thousand Tortoise".

Public bus from Lijiang city to Liming takes 3 hours at RMB25. Most visitors charter a mini van for a day trip at RMB300.

Baoshan Stone Town is an old and small town with one hundred families built on a huge stone on the upper Yangtze riverbank, located 110km to the North of Lijiang, Yunnan Province. This town was built in the late 13th century and resided by Naxi Ethnic Minority ever since then. With one side facing the Upper Yangtze River, the other three sides are steep cliffs.

Yangtzi River, considerd the mother river of China, flows majestically through the center of China and is the third longest river in the world. Starting from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Yangtze River surges southeastward until it meets the Hengduan Mountain Range. About 50 miles outside of Lijiang, unusual geological phenomenons force the Yangtze to make a sudden V-shaped bend and flow to the northeast. This extraordinary turn, nearly180-degrees, creates beautiful and marvelous views that startle the imagination. Here, the river is wide and the water flows in a gentle, slow pace. Large willow trees grow luxuriously alongside the river that is banked on both sides with lush, fertile deep green vegetation and immense, steep mountains that rise up from the river to touch the clouds in the blue sky above. The whole sight is like a wonderful landscape painting that never ends. This is the First Bend of the Yangtze River - a world-famous geological phenomenon and an extraordinary panoramic scene whose vistas you will long remember with great pleasure. Public transportation,car renting

Yuhu, located right at the southern foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, is a gorgeous village far enough away from the tourist centers of Lijiang to maintain a more genuine authenticity, while still close enough to be convenient to visit. Meander around the cobble-stone paths of this ancient village, visit the former residence of the famous Austrian-American botanist Joseph Rock who called this village home for 28 years until 1949, visit the nearby Yufeng Monastary, Jade Water Village, and Dongba Gardens. Stay a night at the Naxi homestay-style guesthouse, where you can eat with the family and have an experience of really living in a village (www.yuhuhome.com). Yuhu Village is a great place to go if what your looking for is a relaxing time in a beautiful environment where you can experience the true Naxi culture and lifestyle.