Quick Travel Guide to Baisha Old Town in Yunnan

Baisha (白沙) is a small ancient town just 20 minutes from the more famous Lijiang Old Town. Find out why it is worth visiting.

If you’ve visited Lijiang and Shuhe and are looking for another place to spend a few hours, Baisha might be just what you’re after. Located near Lijiang Old Town, it is a very charming town, quite similar to the other two, but until recently it was relatively unknown (though that’s no longer the case).

The town was the first settlement of the Naxi people (纳西族) after they migrated south from the Tibetan plateau. Its history dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907), when ancestors of the Mu family settled here and began building temples and streets beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Baisha flourished during the Song and Yuan dynasties, serving as the seat of the Mu clan and becoming a hub for trade, crafts, and administration until the Mu family moved to Dayan (now Lijiang Old Town) in the early Ming Dynasty. Yet, it remained a religious and cultural center thanks to its temples and the creation of the famous Baisha Murals, which reflect a unique blend of Naxi, Tibetan, and Han influences.

How to get to Baisha and where to stay

Baisha is located very close to Lijiang Old Town, right after the other old town in the area, Shuhe. The best and easiest way to get there is by Didi. You won’t normally need to spend a night there, since you can stay in Lijiang, but if you want to, you can check on Trip.com. Booking.com doesn’t offer many options, and its prices are often overpriced.

What to do and what to see

Baisha is composed of many smaller towns. The main one, where the market square is situated, is called Sanyuan Village (三元村) but is more often referred to simply as Baisha Old Town (白沙古镇).

Dabaoji Palace (大宝积宫)

A good stop is Dabaoji Palace (大宝积宫), where you can see an impressive collection of large mural paintings (白沙壁画). One section of this building is dedicated to Joseph Rock, an Austro-American explorer and botanist who spent several years in Yunnan and was based in the village of Yuhu (玉湖村), about ten kilometers north of Baisha. Joseph Rock is quite a “celebrity” and deserves an entire blog post.

Naxi Embroidery Institute (白沙纳西传统手工刺绣院)

You can also visit the Naxi Embroidery Institute (白沙纳西传统手工刺绣院), situated only a few steps north of the main market square. It was established to preserve local embroidery, which often features motifs inspired by nature, such as suns, flowers, animals, and human figures, each of which tells stories of Naxi beliefs, spirituality, and daily life.

Many pieces were recently donated after their owners had long hidden them to save them from the Cultural Revolution.

Walking around the Old Town

There isn’t much else to do in Baisha besides wandering through its charming alleys, stopping at one of the many excellent coffee shops, or enjoying a meal in one of the local restaurants.

The Naxi culture and writing

Before becoming part of the Yuan empire (under Kublai Khan 1271-1368), Baisha was the capital of the Naxi Kingdom. Interestingly, Naxi means “Black People,” probably because they are dark-skinned due to the high elevation where they live.

Over 1000 years ago, the Naxi created a unique written language that uses pictograms. Today, it’s the only language in the world still using hieroglyphs (composed of about 1,400 pictures). You’ll see their characters everywhere around Lijiang, but few people can read them. It has become more of a marketing strategy than a real need for people to use this writing. Regardless, it’s pretty cool, and preserving this heritage is always a good idea.

The most famous text is a Dongba manuscript about the Creation. Dongba were the Naxi shamans. Ancient copies of this text can be found in Lijiang and some American universities. On August 30, 2003, UNESCO accepted the Dongba classical literature as a written world heritage.

Dongba played a vital role in Naxi culture, serving as custodians of the written language and mediators between the people and the world of the spirits. This religion originates from the Tibetan cult called Bon, which is the precursor of Tibetan Buddhism.

Torch Festival

One of the sacred celebrations of the Naxi people is the Torch Festival, and it’s also celebrated by the Yi, Bai, Hani, Lisu, Lahu, and Pumi ethnic groups. The festival falls between the 24th and 26th days of the sixth lunar month.

During the festival, vast torches of tied dry pine and lightwood are erected in all the villages, with smaller torches placed in front of the door of each household.

The origins of this celebration are a bit unclear. According to some, this festival was one of the two yearly Star Returning Festivals.

Other legends say the Torch Festival includes offerings to deities, scaring away spirits, and a wish for a good harvest. However, one of the most popular stories is the legend of Atilaba. This fantastical wrestler supposedly drove away a plague of locusts by using torches that he made from pine trees. Thus, the Torch Festival is to celebrate this victory.

I hadn’t planned to visit Baisha for this celebration, and I discovered it would be held on the same day I was there, which was a pleasant surprise.

Final Thoughts

Baisha is a small village that used to be very quiet, but unfortunately, in recent years, it has undergone an incredible wave of gentrification. What still makes it special and interesting is that some local families live there, unlike in Lijiang. It’s still worth visiting since you are probably already in Lijiang, and it’s located very close to the other main attractions.

Don’t forget to get a VPN before coming to China. If you need an eSIM, this one works well. This is a good travel insurance if you need one.

If you want something else to do in the area, don’t miss my travel guide to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Shangri-La.

This is a place in southern Yunnan that few people know about, and it’s definitely worth a visit: Jingmaishan.