Before coming to Lijiang, I had been to Yangshuo in Guangxi and was impressed. However, Lijiang is more attractive for its river, fish and antiphonal singing that are not found in Yangshuo.

A river quietly flows through the ancient town of Lijiang, Yunnan province, where you can easily find a shop or bar to relax and have some time alone. [Photo from Xinhua]

I have also been to Suzhou in Jiangsu province and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and admire the exquisite southern style gardens. Although the gardens in Suzhou are very charming, they are too small, and it only takes half a month to enjoy all of them. You cannot live in any of the gardens.

However, in Lijiang, you can spend two or more years wandering its streets and living in homestay hotels. You can forget about loss and gains, forget about time and even forget about yourself. All you do is immerse yourself in art.

Lijiang is usually referred to as a paradise of lovers. However, I think it is also a shelter for people who are suffering from despair.

If I had an incurable disease, instead of spending all my money at the hospital, I would bring all the money to Lijiang to settle down in a local homestay hotel and watch the flowing rivers until the last day of my life.