Location: Lijiang Old Town, Yunnan, China (26° 53′ 0″ N, 100° 14′ 0″ E)
Date: 26 August 2007, 8.45am
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5
Lijiang Old Town in the north of Yunnan was mainly inhabited by the Naxhi minorities. The town is well known for its innovative ancient drainage system- where water from glacier melts were brought all the way to town- and its huge centuries-old cobblestone streets. It is a tourist magnet and as a result its character had changed tremendously from what it was. When I went to Lijiang the first time in 2003, the Old Town was still a pleasant place with many Naxhi residents. The older Naxhi used to gather at the square in the later part of the day to catch up with each other. There was a community hall where Naxhi's will get together to sing and engage in cultural activities. There was also an orphanage which caters to Naxhi orphans within the Old Town.
All of these were in the past. Nowadays there are very few Naxhi residents in the town; most of the houses are being taken over by commerce and converted into shops. The place is now basically a huge shopping town; tourists mainly engaged in shopping activities.
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