Baisha Old Town - A Forgotten Gem of Yunnan

-

Situated south to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, north to Dragon Spring and east to Zhishan Mountain, Baisha Old Town was the part of the world-famous Lijiang Ancient Town and the origin of chieftain Mu family. It’s also a place with a strong Naxi flavor. People regard it as the “Kingdom of Ancient Naxi Nationality.” 

Some people say that Baisha is just like Lijiang in a decade ago. The fact is Baisha has its own charm. Everything here still maintained the original appearance. Along the streets, small shops are selling local handicrafts like tie-dye, antiques, and ornaments. Compared to Lijiang, Baisha is more archaic and quieter, making it a wonderful place to travel.

Baisha Old Town












History of Baisha Old Town

Baisha Old Town was the cradle of the Mu family regime and the capital of Naxi nationality. As early as in Tang Dynasty (618-907), the ancestors of Mu family (Lijiang King back then) built Basha Street and Beiyue Temple. During Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368), Basha remained the political, economic, commercial, and cultural center. In the early Ming Dynasty (1383), the Mu family moved to Dayan Town, where they built the Mufu Palace. 


During the days when Mu Family ruled, the spring water from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was introduced to Basha Old Town, nurturing locals for generations. Commerce and handicraft were very advanced in old times. Local Naxi people provided copper utensils and products for surrounding minorities. Baisha weaving and hand-made embroideries were also famous. Mu family rulers attached great importance to the Han culture. They hired a lot of Han people to cultivate mulberry, teach locals about silk making, embroidery, wood carving, Han architecture, and dyeing. The beautiful and diversified frescoes in Baisha are the best demonstration of cultural integration.

Baisha Street












Baisha Murals 

Baisha Murals are the primary embodiment of Lijiang frescoes. In the Ming Dynasty,

Baisha Murals
the chieftain of Naxi people paid allegiance to the Ming court and received a new family name of “mu” from the Ming emperor. Since the advanced culture and technologies were introduced here. Many temples emerged in Baisha Old Town and many Han, Tibetan and Naxi painters were invited to paint on the walls of these temples. Dabaoji Palace, Liuli Temple and Dading Pavilion house the most murals from the Ming Dynasty.

Entering the Dabaoji Palace, you will find 12 murals with 167 images. They are all religious figures from Buddhism, Taoist, and Lamaism, exquisite, soft, and colorful, including Sakyamuni, Four Heavenly Kings, Lamas, and Taoist Deities. Besides the religious figures, many paintings show local people's working scene, hunting, fishing, iron forging, chopping, and weaving. 


Yuhu Village

Located at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yuhu Lake is an old village still

Yuhu Village
preserving the original Naxi lifestyle. You will see gravel-paved road, stone houses and serene courtyards. Some houses are on the verge of falling. 

In 1922, an American named Locker traveled to Lijiang and found this human paradise. He lived here for 27 years and brought the enigmatic Naxi culture to the western world. It was because of Locker that Lijiang became known to the world, while the place he lived remained pristine and pure as usual. You can find his residence here. Same as other local houses, Locker’s old

Yuhu Village Alley
residence was made of stone, wood, and tiles. It’s a great place to understand his life and passion.

Yuhu Village was one of the birthplaces of the Tu family of Naxi nationality. The earliest people in Yuhu Village used to breed deer for Naxi King. Therefore, there is a deer farm not far from the village. Locals are also good at raising horses. It’s common to see people riding horses in the narrow alley. 


Dabaoji Palace & Liuli Temple

Dabaoji Palace and Liuli Temple are located in Baisha Town. The Liuli Temple is sitting in the west and facing the east. It’s a building with a double-eave resting hill roof. On

Dabaoji Palace
the brackets of the golden column remains 16 frescoes painted in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The early frescoes are plain, and the later works are rougher. Dabaoji Palace is also a building with a double-eave resting hill roof. Inside the palace, there are 12 best-preserved frescoes. The most famous one is a painting that Sakyamuni explaining sutra passages to his disciples. You can see the Sakyamuni is sitting in the center surrounded by 18 deities and four heavenly kings. The painting has figures from Buddhism, Taoism, and Lamaism, and the painting skills are quite masterful. 


Fuguo Temple

Built in 1601, Fuguo Temple was the private temple of family Mu, the chieftain of Naxi people. Mu family invited many Chinese Mahayana monks to practice at the temple,

Fugong Temple
making the place a center of Chinese Mahayana. Later, the Ming emperor granted the temple the name “Fuguo Temple”. Since then, Fuguo Temple became the mother temple of the five famous temples in Lijiang. Entering the temple, you will see the towering and exquisitely decorated Wufeng Pavilion. Served as the villa for Family Mu in Ming Dynasty, Wufeng Pavilion has five overhanging eaves resembling five phoenixes at any angle. Another beautiful building is the Jietuo Forest, which is different, but equally stunning. Besides enjoying the artistic architectures here, you will also see that classes and dormitories are set up for the impoverished children nearby. Many college students voluntarily came to teach.

Wufeng Pavilion














FAQ:


Where is Baisha Old Town?

Baisha Old Town is located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 10 kilometers north of Lijiang Old Town with Dragon Spring to the south and Zhishan Mountain to the west.


How to get to Baisha Old Town?

If you travel with us, we will drive there from Lijiang. If you are an independent traveler, bus No.6 (get off at Basha Road) or a taxi (costs you 40 CNY) will take you there. 


When is the best time to visit Baisha Old Town?

The best time to visit Basha Old Town is from April to October when the weather is pleasant, and the scenery is charming. 


Recommended Itinerary:

8-day Yunnan Classic Tour to Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-la


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Timeline of Modern Chinese History

-
Image
Modern Chinese history refers to the history between the founding of the People’s Republic of China and today. It's divided into the new democratic society and the socialist society. During this time, China has evolved from establishing and consolidating its regime to leading the Chinese people to a prosperous, democratic, and self-reliant path. The timeline below illustrates the difficult past and the outstanding achievements that have been made by today. Phase One: The Founding of the People’s Republic of China and the Consolidation of the New Regime On April.23rd, 1949, the Chinese People's Liberation Army built its first navy in the east China military area. In September 1949, the first Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was held in Beijing. Founding Ceremony On October 1st, a founding ceremony was held, indicating the official founding of the People’s Republic of China. From October 1950 to July 1953, China sent the Chinese People's Volunteer Army t...
Read more

A Complete Guide to Xian Food and Snacks

-
Image
Xian is one of the food paradises in China. In the past thousands of years, Xianese invented many food and snacks. Here is a list of must-taste food for you! 1.Rou Jia Mo Rou Jia Mo is one of the very popular snacks in the Xi'an area. It means "bread with meat stuffed in it." The meat put inside is most commonly pork belly, stewed for a few hours in the soup with lots of spices and seasonings, which will eventually make the meat quite flavorful. The hours-stewed meat and fat will be minced and chopped and then stuffed in those fresh-made plain taste bread together with small amount soup, and chili sources will present people a perfect combination. It is a remarkable equivalent to the Western hamburger and meat sandwiches. Rou Jia Mo 2.Guan Tang Bao (Soup Dumplings) While talking about soup dumplings, the one in Shanghai will come to mind for most people. However, Xi'an locals would like to tell you that their lamb or beef dumplings are much better.  The soup dumplings...
Read more

Culture of “Face” in China

-
Image
Chinese people are very concerned about face-saving. But what is "face"? Of all the idiosyncrasies, the concept of "Face" in China is perhaps the most difficult to comprehend. In the context of Chinese culture, the concept of "Face" is rich and subtle. It could be dignity, honor, prestige, authority, or personal connections. It's more subjective and personal. "Face" is most emphasized in front of acquaintances (family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc.). Chinese people won't give too much about the "Face" problem in a completely unfamiliar environment. However, if a Chinese is surrounded by acquaintances, he or she will be extra concerned about saving face.  How to Define “Face”? Over a hundred years ago, an American named Arthur Henderson Smith traveled to China as a missionary. He lived in China for 54 years and authored the book "Chinese Characteristics," which summarized more than 20 aspects of Chinese culture. ...
Read more