I showed a picture of Lijiang to a Japanese lady if she thought Lijiang looked like Kyoto on a good day. In her typical succinct fashion, she replied ‘Yes. Similar. Very beautiful.’ And that was good enough for me as a compliment to my photographic skills.
Lijiang is so lushly plumed that it is easy to forget that I was in a tour group and that I had to keep up or get lose in the maze of cobblestoned streets. It’s just one of those incredibly varied places which I classify as having infinite photographic opportunities. It was agony just to be led about relentlessly with no time to absorb the sights.
I suppose if I were a woman, I would also dress in my traditional best, to complement the picturesque ancient city.
Some people travel in style.
Some people find solace on top of a random rock.
A waterwheel by the edge of the city. Lijiang is served by hundreds of canals, bringing clear fresh water around the city.
Lijiang has a huge fascination with these bells and wind chimes. I bought a couple of them myself, in spite of knowing that I’d never think about them again the moment I got home.