An impromptu trip to Baisha Ancient Town

Because of work, I went to Heqing and found that Heqing is quite close to Lijiang, so I took the opportunity to play in Lijiang for two days. On the first day, I casually strolled around the Dayan Ancient Town of Lijiang. As someone from Yunnan, whether it's Dali Ancient Town, Lijiang Ancient Town, or the ancient town of Shangri-La, I've become numb to them. On the second day, I checked out the nearby Shuhe Ancient Town (which I had visited before, and I assume it has become as commercialized as Lijiang by now), and Baisha Ancient Town. I had heard about it from a friend before, and it's probably a newly developed attraction now, so I thought of going for a visit. Transportation: You can take a taxi from anywhere in Lijiang city, and it takes about 30-40 minutes to get there. The taxi fare is also about 30-40 yuan. Admission: There is no entrance fee for Baisha Ancient Town, but if you want to see the Baisha Murals, you need to buy a ticket for 20 yuan per person. Specialty food: Yak meat skewers, smoked pork rib hotpot, etc. Snacks: Personally, I think the 'Mu Zi Skewers' at the entrance taste good, with large skewers for 8 yuan, beef tenderloin for 4 yuan, small skewers for 5 yuan, freshly cut yak meat skewered and sold on the spot. There's also the 'Mantou Poet' downstairs in the writing Baisha, a poet who writes poetry while making steamed buns, making a living here. (His collection of poems is also for sale) Restaurants: After looking at several restaurants, I finally chose to eat the local specialty 'Grandma's Love Smoked Pork Rib Hotpot'. I personally think it's quite good. The smoked pork rib hotpots I had elsewhere were quite salty, and the meat had a bit of a stale taste, but this one didn't have that feeling, and the dishes were quite fresh. Most importantly, the service was very thoughtful, and the small courtyard environment was also nice. Attractions: Finally, I went to see the Baisha Murals, with a ticket price of 20 yuan per person. After entering, the environment was very serene, with buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Wenchang Pavilion is a small museum of Naxi culture in Baisha and even the whole Naxi community, where you can learn about the migration, transformation, and development of the Naxi people from ancient times to the present. The Dabaoji Palace and Liuli Hall contain the existing Baisha Murals, which date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The murals mainly depict Buddhist figures, and some of the murals' facial expressions are no longer clear. To protect the murals, photography is not allowed. It is said that the 55 existing murals in Lijiang are distributed in four temples: Dabaoji Palace, Liuli Hall, Dading Pavilion, and the Dajue Palace in Shuhe. Today, I was fortunate to see them. Additionally, there is a 500-year-old cypress willow at the entrance of Dabaoji Palace, which is the plant that the Bodhisattva Guanyin holds in the jade bottle. This season is just the peak of its blooming period, and it's very beautiful. Baisha Ancient Town is the ancient capital of the Naxi people, once the center of Naxi politics, economy, trade, and culture in Lijiang. It is the birthplace of the Mu family's regime, the Lijiang chieftains. This town is the most representative of the Naxi heritage and is the most original Naxi village.