Shuhe Old Town

Shuhe (束河), also “Shaowu” in Naxi language, means “the village at the foot of the high hill”. The old town, about 5 kilometres away from Lijiang Old Town, is is home to the local Naxi people. With a history of over a thousand years, it was an important trading place on the famous Tea-horse Road between Tibet and Yunnan. When Lijiang was granted title of World Culture Heritage City in 1997, Shuhe was included as an indispensable component part.

Shuhe Old Town

Shuhe was built along the mountainside and faces the river. There are two rivers on each side of it that go through the whole village. Channels were dug so that the water would pass by each house. Rivers, channels and stony roads make a dense web and link the town in a tight honeycombed structure. People use stones in the nearby mountains to make the walls of their houses. Compared to those in the Lijiang Old Town, the houses here are even more natural.

Shuhe Old Town

Like Lijiang old town, right in the middle of Shuhe, there is a square market, which is called Shuhe Square Market. Occupying an area of over 400 square meters, this square serves as the activity center of local residents. It is the most populous place in Shuhe, especially during the market-day. Shuhe residents and people of neighboring small towns and villages will come here to buy and sell their articles for daily use.

Shuhe Old Town

Walking in Shuhe, people will have the feeling that the old town of Shuhe is the model of the Lijiang Old Town, which is the extension and development of Shuhe. It is recommended having a soft hiking in Shuhe before the dark comes. Follow the stone-made paths, and discover the local featured houses with the sound from the streams.