Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Looming over Lijiang is magnificent Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. A mighty glacier clothes its 18,360 foot summit, and a cable car took us almost to the top. The air was thin, but the view was incredible.

Black Dragon Pool

In Lijiang, Yunnan is Black Dragon Pool. The temple has a commanding view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and is a justly famous tourist spot.

Once an Ocean

Some 400 million years ago, the mountain was part of the ocean floor. The collision of India with the Chinese landmass shoved up the Himalayas, and they are rising still. This region abounds with wildlife, sheltering a quarter of China's biodiversity.

Into Thin Air

We took the cable car up to 16, 600 feet on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and were left breathless by the exhilirating view and the lack of oxygen. Many of the Chinese tourists had a hard time, their lungs are often in poor condition from the intense polluti

Happy New Year

Chinese New Year, or lantern festival,is the most important holiday. It is marked with displays of red lanterns and copious fireworks. Hundreds of millions travel home and transport becomes extra challenging for the foreigner.

Old Ways

Despite the attempts of the communist party to eliminate religion and ancient customs during the cultural revolution, the old ways live on. This statue brings luck for those who caress it, and it is worn smooth from millions of hands.

Guesthouse

Lijiang is famous for its traditional buildings, and is a UNESCO world heritage site. This lovely guesthouse was our home for a few days. It exuded almost as much charm as our friendly hosts.

Life in the Dragon's Shadow

Surrounding the mountain are lovely villages where life is little changed from centuries past.