Geography and climate

Lijiang ancient town is is surrounded by the Lion Mountain to the west and by the Elephant and Golden Row Mountains to the north.[Photo provided by Li Jincan for chinadaily.com.cn]

The 3.8-square-kilometer old town of Lijiang is located in the Yunnan Guizhou Plateau, 2,400 meters above sea level.

The town is surrounded by the Lion Mountain to the west and by the Elephant and Golden Row Mountains to the north. These mountains in the northwest shelter it from the cold wind. In the southeast there are fertile fields, which are dozens of kilometers long. The city is favored with plentiful sunlight, an east wind and clear spring water, which flows in three streams and reaches every family.

Water flowing down from melting glaciers and snow high in the snow-covered Yulong Mountains irrigates the fields and provides water for the residents.

Water, in fact, flows everywhere in the old town of Lijiang. Crystal-clear streams wind around all the houses and flows through the courtyards. Stone bridges span the streams. Streets paved with colored stones, including Sifang (Square) Street, are thus kept free from dust and mud in all seasons. The source of these streams is the Yuquan (Jade Spring) River, which meanders past the foot of Elephant Mountain. In addition, there is the Baimalong (White-Horse Dragon) Pool and wells sunk around the numerous springs. The local people have made ponds along the courses of the springs. The upper ponds supply drinking water, the middle ponds are for washing vegetables, and the lower ponds are for washing clothes. The spring water that overflows the banks is used for washing the streets.

The climate of most regions in Lijiang is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, with an annual mean temperature of 12.6 C-19.8 C. The mean temperature in the hottest months is 18.1 C〜25.7 C, while the coolest is 4 C〜11.7 C. The annual range of temperature is small, while the daily range is larger. Precipitation is most frequent in July and August. Hours of sunshine per year amount to 2,530 due to the town’s location on a low latitude plateau. Under a plateau southwestern monsoon climate, Lijiang also sees a large temperature difference between day and night.

Autumn is the most pleasant season in Lijiang—with fresh air, colorful vegetation and the elegant Mt. Yulong in the distance.

Ideal traveling seasons: pleasant temperature in summer and autumn, with September and October as the most favorable time.