Old Town of Lijiang丽江古城

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The Old Town of Lijiang lies on the Lijiang plain at an elevation of 2，400 meters in Yunnan Province of China， which is one of the last surviving ancient towns in China. It has preserved a historic townscape of high quality and authenticity.

The architecture of the Old Town of Lijiang is well-known for the blending of elements from several cultures， and its ancient water-supply system of great complexity still functions effectively today.

The Old Town of Lijiang is also known as Dayan town， meaning large ink stone， as it is laid out in the shape of a traditional Chinese ink stone.

With Square Street as the central thoroughfare， it has houses made of stone and wood， combining the architectural features of the Han， Bai and Tibetan ethnic groups， as well as the Naxi.

A typical house has two stories. A row of three main rooms on the ground floor faces south and is flanked on each side by a row of three rooms.

The three main rooms are for the elders， and the side rooms are for the younger members of the family. The roof edges over the gables are decorated with fish-shaped boards， known locally as “suspended fish”. In the Chinese language， “fish” and “surplus” sound the same， so the fish are a sort of prayer for auspiciousness and wealth.

丽江古城位于中国云南海拔2 400米的丽江平原上，是中国现存几座古城之一。（剩余518字）