Baoshan Stone City

People enjoy ancient towns for their multicolored architecture and the leisure time they provide. Whether in Lijiang or Fenghuang, tourists can always enjoy the charming landscape. There are many ancient towns in China that are kept a secret to tourists. Some ancient towns are actually located near to famous scenic spots, but are ignored by tourists for various reasons. Let’s take a look at the unique glamour of an unknown ancient town.

Lijiang Baoshan Stone City – the final paradise of the Naxi people

Baoshan Stone City is situated in the Jinsha River Valley, 110 kilometers north of Lijiang city. It was named after an independent mushroom-shaped boulder, on which about a hundred families are living. In Naxi language, the city has the meaning of “Baoshan white stone stockade”. In the city, houses are covered by tiles and roadways crisscross. Naxi residents built their houses by breaking rocks, polishing pillars and edging stones in a simple, natural way. On three sides of the city there are steep precipices and cliffs. The rock slope on one side directly leads to the Jinsha River. There are only two stone gates in the north and south for people to come in and out of the city.

Baoshan Stone City was built under Daoyuan in the Yuan Dynasty (1206 – 1368 A.D.). Inhabitants in the city are good at farming. They built their houses on huge rocks and cultivated land beyond these rocks. They plough terraced fields, implement water conservation projects, plant rice, wheat and corn with the layers of terraced fields encircling the rocks. Wheat matures in May and rice in October. The green and golden wheat and rice paddy waves lift the city and, in those two months, the landscape scenery is magnificent.

Travel tips:

Traffic: Baoshan Stone City is about 110 kilometers away from Lijiang. It is the dirt and stone road beyond the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain scenic area. The road conditions are poor with many curves. There are private minibuses in Lijiang that can take you directly to Baoshan Stone City once a day. The fare is 30 yuan.

Tickets: 20 yuan