Shuhe Old Town
- Chinese name: 束河古镇
- Foreign name: Shuhe Old Town
- Add：云南省丽江市古城区丽江束河茶马古镇
- Climate conditions: subtropical monsoon climate
- Famous scenic spots : Nine-Tripod Dragon Pond, Qinglong Bridge (Dashi Bridge), Sifang Tingyin Square, Museum, Sifang Street
- Dialects: Naxi, Chinese northern dialects, Southwestern Mandarin
- Honor: CCTV “China’s Charming Town”
- Opening hours: open all day
- Ticket price: 78 yuan (ticket + carriage + manual explanation);
- Suggested play time: 4-5 hours
- Suitable season for play: all seasons
Shuhe Old Town
Located in the northwest of Lijiang Old Town, Shuhe Ancient Town was an important stop on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The ancient town is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and its structural layout is similar to that of the ancient city of Dayan. What is rare is that due to the late development of tourism, Shuhe Ancient Town is much quieter and simpler than Dayan Ancient Town.
walk along the street
Walk in from the large archway with the words “Shuhe Ancient Town” hanging on the carved beams and painted buildings, and walk along the stone pavement with shops on both sides to the center of the ancient town. Like Dayan Ancient Town, it is also called Sifang Street. Back then, Sifang Street was a place where caravans traded fur goods. Now Sifang Street is surrounded by various shops, and you can vaguely feel the prosperity of that year.
Jiuding Longtan
Go upstream along the stream along Sifang Street, walk across the Qinglong Bridge, and there is a bay of clear and green water on the side of the road. This is the source of the stream: Jiuding Longtan. There are a large number of rainbow trout growing in the pond, because of the biting meltwater of Yulong Snow Mountain, it has become a natural breeding ground for rainbow trout. There is Longquan Temple beside the pool, also known as Sansheng Palace, which is dedicated to Sun Bin, the patriarch of the cobbler. Climbing up the hill behind Sansheng Palace, there is a relatively open flat land, which is a good place to overlook the panoramic view of the ancient town.
Tea Horse Road Museum
The Ancient Tea Horse Road Museum, located on Zhonghe Road in the ancient town, is a place worth visiting. The museum was originally a part of the wooden chieftain’s “Shuhe Bieyuan”. It mainly introduces the history of the ancient tea-horse road, including tea-horse trade, leather goods trade, and the origin of Shuhe cobblers. You can have a simple understanding of the history of Shuhe . In addition, the mural painting exhibition hall is not to be missed. The murals on display are the Dajue Palace murals in Liupu, which were painted in the Ming Dynasty. Although they are later than the Baisha murals, they are also superb.
Catering and accommodation
The area of the ancient town is small, and there are many restaurants and bars in the town. You don’t need to worry about catering when you visit the ancient town. If you are tired from walking, you can find a small shop and eat local specialties such as chickpea jelly, rice enema, and rainbow trout. Because the ancient town is not restricted by many conditions such as “world cultural heritage”, many inns have unique architectural styles. If you are entangled in the hustle and bustle of Dayan Ancient Town, you might as well come here for a few days to feel the leisure of Shuhe Ancient Town. The vicinity of Old Sifang Street is a place where accommodation is relatively concentrated. Different from the hustle and bustle at the entrance of the ancient town, this place is relatively quiet.
Surrounding recommendation
Walking around, 3-4 hours is enough. If you still have energy and strength, you can go out of the ancient town from the back of Sansheng Palace, and you can reach Baisha Ancient Town not far away. This is also a quaint and quiet town. Don’t forget it when you are wandering around. It doesn’t take too long to enjoy the same old and famous Baisha murals, and you will never delay returning to the ancient town for accommodation.
Shuhe Old Town Video
Shuhe Old Town Photo
Shuhe Old Town Tourist Map
Shuhe Old Town Travel Guide
The inns in the ancient town of Shuhe basically follow the traditional architectural style of the Naxi people and have a strong ethnic customs. Many inns have introduced water features and are unique. If you want to feel the life of the local Naxi people, the first choice must be in the ancient city.
What you need to pay attention to when staying in Shuhe Ancient Town: If you plan to travel to Lijiang during the peak tourist season (Spring Festival, May Day, Summer Holiday, and October Holiday), you must book a room before departure.
