Another impression on Lijiang, Yunnan

We did horseback riding this morning. Along the way we can see the
local people and their houses. The large mountains are beautiful.
Lijiang the town is at the bottom of basin surrounded by them, some are snow-covered, glistening white under the blue sky.

The town itself is a big theme park, full of stores for tourists.
Quickly one will find it actually a big shopping mall. The rest are
retaurants, bars and inns. Aside from local culture(Naxi), another
major theme here is some type of softcore hippie life style, or maybe
more of kistch belongs to petit bourgois. The most impressive part is
its commercial success, which is a result of good management, some
cultural escapism and, I have to include, nice weather. Nevertheless,
as any successful product of capitalism, it does not immune to
eventual excess. There is now a copy of Lijiang old town five miles
alway. Taxi driver is boasting that the value of his license
appraciates 20 percent every year. New construction sites are plenty.

At night bars are crowded. They all have live performance. I couldn't take the music and show. I am wondering how many of those who come here to run away from big city can live without big city night life.

Although a visitor can tell immediately that much of the town is rebuilt recently, it is big enough for one to find pockets of original streets and buildings. The style is similar to that of Sichuan small towns, like the place where I was born. Either due to the rapid devolopment in China, or the simple fact that I am old enough, now those buidings have become cultural curiosity and one has to come here to see them.

The food is disappointing in old town. I have not found anything impressive so far. There are many good restaurants with reasonable price in new town. Do ask the taxi driver for recommendation.