The Old Town of Lijiang is a fascinating market with its marble cobblestone lanes and cute stalls. It is easy to get lost exploring the side alleys but it is one of those places you really don't mind being lost in. Besides, there are several waterways to help orientate you back towards the town center; find one and follow it upstream.

The market stalls, even though there are literally thousands of them, will sell the same kind of thing from one lane to another (mostly local products like yak leather goods, marble carvings and the standard tourist shirts and caps), so if you don't want to pay $3.20 for a Pashmina scarf, there will be another stall somewhere that sells them for $3.

As well as market shopping there are a fair many trendy restaurants and bars, a few of which are owned by European ex-pats. In the morning, it is a bustling marketplace, but at night, the main streets of the Old Town turn into a sensation of bar and club music competing with each other while charming red lanterns dotting the eaves outside don't even try to shed light on anything.

Old Lijiang is one of my favorite places in China and if I ever went back, I would stay in one of the several backpackers hostels within the Old Town itself instead of a hotel in the New Town.

it has very beautiful night view, and you can go to the peak of the temple to see the city from upstairs, also you can see the jade snow mountain. the traditional naxi dance is fantastic too. i love the life rhtym in lijiang, not that fast but also not that slow but yet fun, they know how to enjoy their life

I had a great time in Lijiang. A UN heritage site, the old portion of the town is car-free and very walkable (though you'll probably notice the elevation!) Be sure to get out in the evenings and check out when the locals walk around in groups and sing/chant funny songs to one another.