Lijiang Minority Tour

Upon your arrival at Lijiang County,"an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage" site, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at your own leisure. Overnight in Lijiang.
- Lijiang County: located in the northwest of Yunnan Province, 544 km away from Kunming, perched at bottom of the Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is one of the National Scenic Areas and famed for its Ancient Town of Dayan, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, rich culture of different ethnic minorities and so many more.

Today, you will enjoy a full day trip to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Baisha Mural Paintings, the Black Dragon Pool Park and Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture inside the park. Overnight in Lijiang.
- The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: it is so called because it looks like a flying jade dragon from afar. The mountain consists of 13 peaks and sprawls 35 km from north to south, its glacier is the modern oceanic glacier closest to the equator in the Northern Hemisphere. By taking the cable car up to certain height, you can enjoy the expansive mountains views and snowy scenery.
- The Baisha Mural Paintings: located in Baisha Township, 8km north of Lijiang, there are altogether 53 groups of mural paintings in different temples with fine and smooth lines, bright colors, vivid pattern and harmonious composition. Painted from the early days of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911),these mural paintings are an artistic representation of the different religious cultures such as Buddhism, Lamaism, Daoism and the Naxi Dongba religion.
- Black Dragon Pool Park: where you can see the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from afar and the reflection of the mountain in the pool in a clear day, this park is the source of the water system of the Old Lijiang Town as the clean spring from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain gathers here.
- Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture: where you will see the exhibitions of Naxi culture and dress, Dongba script, information on Lijiang's old town and so on.

After breakfast, you will have an excursion to the Ancient Town and the Lion Hill before the 6-hour drive to Lugu Lake, overnight at Luoshui Village beside Lugu Lake.
- The Ancient Town: also called Dayan Town, built in the late song dynasty and the early Yuan dynasty with a history of more than 800 years, this ancient town consists of clean streams flowing freely through the raod network, the colorful cobbled streets, age-old swaying willow trees, age-old buildings and stone bridges. There are over 22 different ethnic minorities making Lijiang their home, now and then you may see local folks in their own tradtional dress. Strolling around this charming ancient town, you will be attracted by the unique atmosphere and surprised by its ancient yet simple sense of "Harmony of Heaven and Man."
- Lion Hill: the name is derived from its resemblance of a lion playing a ball, the mountain is best known for its vast and green pines and cypresses planted mostly in Ming Dynasty with over 500 years old, from the Tower of Eternity (Wangoulou) on the top of the mountain, you can enjoy a bird's eye view of the ancient town and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain far away.
- Lugu Lake: situated in the center of Ningliang Yi Autonomous County with 2700 meters altitude. With 8 islands, 14 bays and 17 beaches, surrounding by high and sublime mountains, it offers one of the most spectacular natural view in China and it is remarkably well preserved and maintained.

Have a canoe ride on the beautiful Lugu Lake and then pay a visit to a Mosuo Family in the morning, in the afternoon, enjoy a leisure time by yourself by the serene lake. Overnight in Luoshui Village.
- Mosuo Tribe: called as "a Women's Kingdom", Mosuo people is one of the few remaining Chinese minority groups that is completely matrifocal. A typical Mosuo family consists of a dozen or so individuals, all descendants of one ancestral mother. Each family is led by the grandmother of the oldest generation, and daily life is run by a capable female member who also controls the finance of the family, while the uncles are in charge of production and take care of the children born by the females out of their "visiting marriage"--the couple will stay together during the night in the woman's house, but the man leaves the next early morning, making sure that nobody sees him. This unique marriage system and the survival of the ancient family structure is a rather peculiar phenomenon and gives rise to unique traditions among the Mosuos, that is why scholars and specialists throughout the world regard the Mosuo Tribe as "the last domain of the matriarchy society in the world".

After breakfast, drive back to Lijiang County to catch your flight to Kunming. End of tour.