Lijiang, China

Lijiang, China is where about 60% of the Naxie minority group of people live in and around the area. The Naxie people are Tibetan people. We are actually about 150 miles from the Tibet and maybe 100 miles from Myanmar. This town is located at a higher altitude like Salt Lake and we were very cold today. We visited two Naxie villages . We stayed in our hotel this evening to get a little wash done and get warm! 

The sun was hitting the mountains just right this morning

The entrance to the Naxie (NaShe) park that was build about 15 years ago...so nicely landscaped

This is our Naxie guide - Dyana!  She was terrific - 32 yrs. old.  
The Naxie people have darker skin has she explained to us.  
She is not married as the right guy hasn't come along.
 She is a college graduate but only 9/1000 attend college. 
 She taught us so much today.

We find the most interesting signs

This is the guy that arranges our tours and goes everywhere 
with us.  Marvin...great guy, a wonderful sense 
of humor, married with an 8 year old daughter, is 41 yrs. old. 
 We are told that he is worth of lots of $$ from his travel agency.
  Good English and has worked with the BYU teachers for years. 
Knows his Chinese history and what is going on in the world.

Dyana and Lane

What a cute little girl

The dragon is considered to be the guardian and source of the water.  Water is life.

I am thinking about a bridge over my fish ponds.  What do you think?

Confucius Temple is 1000 years old.  They probably 
build the park around this historical site. 

The plum blossom trees are in full bloom.  
This is the tree that you always see on Chinese paintings.

The Naxie people have their own pictorial language

Can you find the year you were  born? This is the year of the Dragon. 
 In the center is a turtle, if you touch the turtle, you will have good luck.

All kinds of birds have been carved out of one piece of wood.

The Dongba (religious leader) of the Naxie people.  
He performs marriages, funerals, blessings -
 the chief spiritual leader.  When he isn't busy with 
his official duties, he writes the pictorial language
 in calligraphy.  He can be married and have children.  
There are 21 Dongba over the Naxie people.

The lunch was pretty tasty but we just about frozen while 
e were eating...no heat in the buildings

Our lunch was cooked outside

 

The rest of the kitchen - visited this after we ate!

I bought three of the large tangerines on the
 far left...they were delicious.

This is the Naxie village that we visited....Shuhu.  
  This has been here for over 1000 years with many 
buildings and road way improvements.

This is a beauty shop

Canal running all over the village

The first golden retriever that we have seen in China.  
ots of dog running in the houses.  Most of the doors
 were open.  No heat....just small open fires 
in the middle of the courtyard.

Many small garden plots

Pretty funny sign

You will see these  individual homes

Just "chatting" with the guys

These beautiful vegetables were just washed in the stream 
that runs through town.  The carrots didn't look 
real - such a beautiful color

Four families usually live together with one kitchen that 
everyone uses.  This is in the courtyard with the kitchen table.

Many roof tops makes a happy village

Our guide told us the stones we were walking on were 1000 year old.

Some people are lazy and have to take a cart ride through the village

This very interesting fence  was all over the Baisha  village.  
Notice there is no mortar.

Notice all of the different types of bricks used to build this house.

This Naxie is washing a coat in the stream by her
 house.  The water was so cold.

She is squeezing out the water.  Her hands were so red and cold.

Many years ago, this  little road was dirt...notice how clean it looks.

 A court yard of a home.

An older lady working in her garden

The family was doing some building with the wood and new
roof tiles.  The lady of the family would not let me take her picture.

Look at this crazy motor that was been rigged up.

The lady was frying some sort of bean curd.

Several spices were put on top and off the customer went.

 Art Institute that is funded by UNESCO to help revive the old art 
of embroidery with silk thread.  So amazing to watch. 
 This piece could take up to six months to complete.  
There are 232 students at the school with 21 teachers 
and 5 master teachers.  Amazing place...

 classroom...no heat but curtains can be drawn and plastic on 
the windows.  Dogs and cats run free

Snow Mountain - people come from all over China to hike in the mountains.