China...the long awaited part II

It has taken a while but here is the next installment of China.....

Lijiang is an absolutely delightful place to visit. The Naxi people, the indigenous group who live there, have maintained many elements of their traditional culture. The tour guides and workers dress in colorful native costumes and put on many demonstrations of dances and crafts. We even had the chance to join in on their line dancing, complete with native music, instruments and dancers. The steps were simple to learn, fortunately, and the women dancing were very serious about it. It was fun despite the gaijin missteps.
Lijiang town is nestled between snow-clad mountains and turbulent rivers that travel tamely throughout the town. The waterways are still prominent in the ‘old town’ area. The old town area has been designated a World Heritage Site, meaning money will be available to continue to preserve the area for the world….as well as the tourists. Unfortunately, it truly is a tourist trap but at least the old world charm has been preserved and there are a lot of wonderful photo opportunities. It truly is a unique place to visit.
The water has always been a source of life for the people, and regulated long ago. The day was divided into periods of time when one could draw water for drinking and cooking, and when to wash clothing, dishes or people. With everyone on the same schedule, they could guarantee fresh, clean water for all. The women of the town run EVERYTHING and they’re very proud of it. Men pretty much work on artistic endeavors and leave all of the money management and wheeling and dealing to the women. Things are changing a bit….young girls do look for Naxi men, but they seem to look for ones who have attended college outside of the area and have a broader view of life.
The Yulong Mountains outside of Lijiang are spectacular…well….according to the pictures we saw they are. We were there on cloud covered days and never saw the spectacular mountains in person. There were, however, numerous pictures available so that we could see what we were missing. They were fabulous…someday we’ll have to return.