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