Greetings from the City of Love
Updated: 2014-07-26 09:30
By Liu Zhihua, Xue Dan and Li Yingqing | Photos by Xue Dan (China Daily)
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Lijiang Old Town is famous for its natural beauty, cultural heritage and for being 'The Capital of Romance'
Lijiang Old Town in Southwest China's Yunnan province is a famous tourist destination. Life there is slower than in most Chinese cities. The place is dominated by naturally beautiful scenery, and the large number of people from ethnic groups provide a colorful backdrop to a visit.Historically, it's also a famous city for love. The locals have a wealth of stories about people who died for, or were revived by, love. Sometimes, the legends tell of young men and women who committed suicide to ensure their mutual affection would never fade.Nowadays, the city is regarded as a paradise of love and romance in the eyes of visitors, both Chinese and from overseas.Every aspect of the city - the blue skies, snowy white mountains, leafy trees, colorful flowers, and the architecture and cuisines of the area's large mix of ethnic groups, to people from all walks of life speaking various languages and dialects - seems designed to clear the mind of all thoughts, except those related to the pursuit for happiness, pleasure and love, especially once visitors hear the local legends.
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There are a lot of traveler 'must-dos' in Lijiang, including the popular pastime of posting one's photos on the walls of bars and hotels. The local youth hostel has an entire wall covered with photos of travelers who have enjoyed their visits to the hotel and the city. Their smiles and memories are captured forever, and seem to promise other visitors that they will enjoy their time in the city. |
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A traveler wrote on the message wall of the Naxi Flavor Restaurant: 'Everyone says Lijiang is the city for romance and affairs, but in my experience it's not true.' |
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One traveler wrote: 'All the handsome guys are with other people, and all the stories that people find love here are lies. Only one thing is true - it costs an arm and a leg to travel here!' |
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A message wall in a restaurant in Lijiang acts as a travel diary. The patrons attach all kinds of tickets for buses, trains and flights. |
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One tourist wrote in English in the hotel's visitors' book that she/he had arrived in the morning. As the photo shows, the visitor felt that Lijiang would not only be the perfect place to spend time with a soul mate and enjoy the local beauty spots, but also that it's a good place to meet new people. |
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One woman wrote on the wall of the Old Town Bar: 'I wish I had come here with my husband. But where are you, my future husband?' |
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The wall of the Lijiang Youth Hotel serves as a meeting board. People write their personal preferences, such as age, weight and height, under the heading 'husband/wife wanted', and leave their contact details. |
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The message wall of the Naxi Flavor Restaurant features this line from a tourist: 'I'm happy to finally be in Lijiang, because it's also the wish of my ex-wife. I wonder if I will ever come here again?' |
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The exterior of a bar in downtown Lijiang, known as a 'city of love', in Yunnan province. Xiao Yi / for China Daily |
(China Daily 07/26/2014 page19)
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