LijiangRiverisabrightpearlamongChina'sbeautifulmountains.The84-kilometer-longsegmentfromGuilinCitytoYangshuoCityresemblesagreensilkbelt,windingamongthepeaksandthechainsofmountains.Themiraculouspeaks,greenmountainsandbluewatersmutuallyembellish,justasa100-kilometer-longscroll.Forseveralthousandsofyears,agreatnumberofbookmenandscholarshavebeenintoxicatedwithit.

　　Lijiangisafairlylargegeographicalareathatcomprisesonedistrict(theoldtowndistrict)andfourcounties,includingtheLiijangnewtown,Dayanoldtown,Shuheoldtown,Baishaoldtown,andpartsoftheTigerLeapingGorge.

　　TheLijiangoldtownhasahistorygoingbackmorethan800yearsandwasonceaconfluencefortradealongtheoldteahorseroad.TheLijiangoldtownisfamousforitsorderlysystemofwaterwaysandbridges.Ithasbeencalledthe"VeniceoftheEast".

　　TheoldtownofLijiangdiffersfromotherancientChinesecitiesinarchitecture,historyandthecultureofitstraditionalresidentstheNaxipeople.OnethirdofthetownwasdestroyedbyanearthquakeinFebruary1996.

　　LijiangoldtownwasregisteredontheUNESCOWorldHeritageListinDecember4,1997.Sincethen,thelocalgovernmenthastakenmoreresponsibilityforthedevelopmentandprotectionoftheoldcity.Lijiang'stourismalsoboomed,andtravellersfromaroundtheworldfloodedin;althoughmanylocalsfearthatduetomuchofthedevelopment,theoldtownofLijiangwillloseitsappeal.

　　OneoftheadvantagestovisittheLijiangRiveristhatthetouristsdonotneedtoworryaboutthechangeoftheweather,sincetheviewsoftheLijiangRiverhavedifferentcharacteristicsindifferentweatherconditions:Touristscanviewtheinvertedimagesofgreenpeaksinsunnydays;viewthecloudsandmistscoveringthehillsinovercastdaysandviewthemistyrainoftheLijiangRiverinrainydays.