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The Lijiang Old City lies in the Lijiang County, the northwest part of Yunnan Province, with the altitude of 2,400 m and an area of 3.8 km2. At present, there is a population of 25,379, of which 66.7% belongs to Naxi nationality and 30% is making a living with the traditional handicrafts. The Old City was firstly built at the very beginning of Yuan Dynasty when the first emperor of Yuan Dynasty, Hu Bilei led his army to be on a southern expedition to Dali and reached Lijiang crossing the Jingsha Rive by the leather bags. The roads and lanes to the north of Dashi Bridge are called "Aying Chang" in Naxi language. "Aying" just refers to Mongol forces and "Chang" means stockaded village. And the Old City with a long history of eight or night hundred years, can be traced back to South Song Dynasty when it had a certain scale.
Since Ming Dynasty, the Old City has been named "Da Yan Xiang" because it is located at the center of Lijiang plain, surrounded by green mountains and threaded with the green rivers, just like a jasper inkslab.
The Lijiang Old City had been built under the lead of Mu ancestors of past ages. The building history of the Lijiang nationality has experienced from the ancient residence in caves, trees and wood plates houses with courtyard to its own residence model as "three houses with one screen hall facing the gate" and "quadrangle and quin-courtyard with lofts". The plain of the residence is characterized as the combination of central courtyard and inwards houses. The outer railings (Xia Zi) is also a main part of the residence.
In 1254, Mu ancestors in Lijiang area submitted to the leadership of Hu Bilei, the first emperor of Yuan Dynasty. Then it set up San Dan Administrative official under the submission of Cha Han Zhang administrative official. In 1276, it was switched to Lijiang Administrative Prefecture. In 1382, it set up Lijiang Military Prefecture when the former magistrate of the prefecture Ajia Ade was granted the surname as Mu and the rank as the magistrate of the prefecture of Ming Dynasty in hereditary system by the first emperor of Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. The Old City of Lijiang and the buildings of Military prefecture (The buildings of Mu ancestors) are a symbol of politics, economy and power of the Mu's family with a distinctive style and imposing manner. The famous traveler in Ming Dynasty, Xu Xiake ever recorded it as "The magnificence of the palace can be compared with the emperor", and "the people's residence is scaled closely side by side" when he was passing here, which just truly reflects the prosperity and splendor of the Old City.
The Naxi nationality keeps absorbing from the outer culture. Lijiang located at the southern Silk Road and the road of tea and horse trade, is the trade distributing center of Yunnan and Xizang province in ancient times. The culture is continuously influenced by the outer factors ranging from inner land culture such as Buddhism, Taoism since the Hu Bilei military forces stationing in 1253 to the later Christianism at the beginning of the 20th century. The culture, while absorbing others, improves itself with its original Dongba Church, Dongba sutra, Dongba pictograph, Dongba paintings and the ancient music known as the heretages from Yuan Dynasty. In the way of incorporating everything of different nature, the Naxi culture really enriches the mystery and connotation of the Lijiang Old City.
The beauty of the Old City is also due to the integrity of geographical nature and harmony. In 30 km northwest to the Old City lies the unconquerable Yulong Snow Mountain of 5,596 m and the relics of glacier in the Quaternary Period. The spring is divided into three branches to flow into the Old City relatively from east, middle and west. The countless small branches are threading among the stone-paved lanes, just as the poem describes "spring crossing around each household forms a poem while flying willow before every household draws a painting". Many architects give highly praise for it and it has gained such a beautiful name as "Suzhou in Highland" and "Eastern Venice". A great number of travelers are attracted by the beauty and charm of the Old City and the Snow Mountain, keeping pouring and lingering on their primitive simplicity, retiredness and quietness. And, now, the Lijiang Old City is being reported as one of China Historical Cultural Cities in the whole world's cultural heretages. Thus, as a bright pearl of our country, it will be more splendid.