Lijiang, a World Heritage City, is a must-visit destination.

Lijiang is a large ancient city that has preserved its unique and traditional beauty almost entirely. However, some areas have been modernized to cater to the tastes of younger travelers. During the day, the pub zone is quiet, beautiful, and empty, but at night, the pedestrian street along the canal becomes very crowded, and the pubs 🥳🥳 have glass walls that allow passersby to see all the activities inside (I'll review this next time as I was there on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2024). I recommend staying in the old town because even if you spend 3-4 days there, you'll still feel like you haven't seen all the beautiful spots. The advantage of staying in the old town is that you can rest and relax whenever you get tired and then go out again. Walking around can be quite exhausting due to the thinner oxygen at the higher altitude compared to sea level. Additionally, the weather gets very cold, dropping below freezing at night and early morning in late December when I visited. The clothes I brought were almost not enough for the cold weather, but luckily, it was sunny and clear every day, making the daytime warm and comfortable. The overall atmosphere and lighting of the city change throughout the day. There are restaurants in every corner of Lijiang, and the food is delicious, especially the wild mushroom hotpot, which is a must-try! The food prices are standard, with fancy restaurants being slightly more expensive. However, the small local restaurants often offer better-tasting food than the fancy ones. The best places to eat are those recommended by locals. It took me two days to find a hidden gem because Google Maps lacks detailed information and is somewhat difficult to use in Lijiang. If you want beautiful photos with hardly any tourists, I recommend going out between 7-9 AM. The sun rises at 8 AM, and every corner of the city looks stunning 💙🩵💙.