Baisha Old Village

Baisha Village nestles beneath the lofty Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and 8km away on the north of Lijiang Old Town. As the first Naxi minority ancestor settling stronghold, this town has accumulated rich experiences for the later construction of Lijiang Old Town in its wood dwelling architecture, the labyrinth layout and the canal system. This village airs heavy old touch: the elderly sitting by the paint-peeled door sill, Naxi-dress locals hurrying with the worn bamboo crate of vegs or livestock feeds, the train of horses carrying goods on the dusty paths. And yet the outside modern touristy influence still makes their way in the few spring-up new houses and some touristy cafes and canteens with English signs.

As one part of Kublai Khan in Yuan Dynasty and the capital of Naxi Kingdom, rich history takes root in this old village, exemplifying in the story-filled temple frescoes. The frescoes are at their best in Dabaoji Palace (boasts the largest collections with 558), Liuli Temple and Dading Ge. Different religion schools in different times have translated their understandings about life into the special colors, shapes of the paintings. And yet the maintenance neglect has taken its toll on the frescoes colors that are fading away. Baisha Xi Music is also the local special that bestowed to the local emperor in Yuan Dynasty and it is a no-miss after you come out of the fresco temple. The rhythms out of the old instruments are played by the field-work-weathered fingers of the local farmers.

And another attraction in this village is a living person--Dr. Ho Shixiu, an old Chinese herbal doctor that has been featured by BBC, National Geographic and some serious magazines for his herbal cures. His clinic is at the Baisha Street and easy to spot with the signs advertising all the TV shows and magazines that are devoted to his work. His simple clinic is piled with gallipots of herbs of all shapes and smells that are picked up from the nearby mountain forest and his own herbal plant garden. Besides his endless cure prescription, the up-own-and-filled life stories behind this English-fluent old man also deserve a stop-by and listen.