Square Street

This is the heart of the town which once served as the most important hub on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Since the Ming Dynasty, merchants from the four corners of China and beyond have stayed here, bringing with them their own unique cultures. The street has been the center of cultural an economic exchanges in Lijiang for several hundred years.

During the early years of the Yuan dynasty, about 1000 families inhabited Lijiang Ancient Town. The town continued to grow and reached its peak during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties.

Square Street is in the core of Lijiang, with the entire city spreading out in all directions from that point. Most of the dwellings are structures made of brick and wood with carved doors and painted windows. In order to conserve the structures and maintain the integrity of the buildings, no motorized transport is allowed inside the city and the only wheeled vehicles permitted within the old town are bicycles and carts.