Souvenir shops line streets in the Old Town of Lijiang. [Photo by Wang Hongyu/For China Daily]

Three old towns in one

The Old Town of Lijiang is a World Culture Heritage site that actually comprises Dayan, Shuhe and Baisha old towns.

Boasting culture, history and natural beauty, the Old Town of Lijiang was first built in late 13th Century by the ruling Mu family as a trading spot along the ancient Tea and Horse Road connecting Yunnan province and Tibet.

Walking is the best way to explore the cobblestone streets lined with wooden houses with black-tiled roofs.

Boutiques and stores line the streets selling hand woven cotton scarves, ethnic embroidery, clothes and silver jewelry, copperware and flower cakes.

Settling into a good vantage point on Shizishan, a small hill above Dayan Old Town, offers the opportunity to take in some grand panoramas of the numerous well-preserved Naxi buildings.

Once back in town, there are plenty of bars to go for a drink, music and perhaps a little romance when it gets dark.

However, many people complain Dayan is too crowded and commercialized today, and I preferred Shuhe, about 4 kilometers north, which is equally prosperous, but more peaceful and easier to explore.

Tian De Neng cafe in a quiet courtyard house in Shuhe is a good place to relax after you get tired of souvenir shopping. Tian De Neng was the Chinese name for the French missionary who first brought coffee plants to Yunnan in the 1890s.