Baisha Village

Introducing Baisha Village
As a component of the World Heritage Site “Old Town of Lijiang”, Lijiang Baisha Village is located on the foot of the Yulong Snow Mountain, 10 km from the Old Town of Lijiang. Lijiang Baisha Village is the hometown of Mu family, the first family of Lijiang. In Lijiang Baisha Village, many complete Naxi architectures and cultural sites are well preserved.

Baisha Village Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Bai Sha Gu Zhen 白沙古镇
• Best Time to Visit: April to October
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 2 to 3 hours
• Things to Do: Photography, Architecture, Frescos, Naxi Culture
• Opening Hours: All day
• Entrance Fee: Free; CNY 30 for Baisha Frescoes
• Address: Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang, Yunnan

What to expect at Baisha Village

The Baisha Old Town was the political, commercial and cultural center for the local Naxi people and other ethnic groups for 400 years from the year 658 AD to 1107 AD. The Dabaoji Palace of the Baisha Fresco, very close to the Baisha Naxi Hand-made Embroidery Institute, was built in the year 658 AD in the Tang Dynasty (618 AD to 907 AD). In ancient times, the Baisha Old Town used to be the center of silk embroidery in the southwest of China and the most important place of the Ancient Southern Silk Road, also called the Ancient Tea and Horse Road or Ancient tea route.

In the central part of the village, there are a group of temples which boast access to the stunning Baisha Frescoes, of which there are only 55 still in existence. The frescoes were painted by artists from the Han, Naxi, Tibetan and Bai ethnic minorities and they are religious paintings reflecting famous stories from Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Taoism.

How to get to Baisha Village
• Take bus 6 from Lijiang Old town to Basha Village.
• Rent a car/bus from GGC to enjoy a hassle free private transfer from hotels in Lijiang to Baisha Village.

Additional travel advice on Baisha Village
• Please wear sunscreen, hat and sunglasses to prevent sunburns.
• Keep the entrance ticket (receipt of maintenance fee) of the Lijiang Old Town along with you. It may be required to show the ticket when visiting the Baisha Frescoes.
• To protect the relics, do not touch or do scribbles on the frescoes. Do not use flash to take pictures.