We arrived in Lijiang in west Yunnan early on Saturday afternoon on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Kunming. There we were met by several Lijiang residents whom we had previously met when they visited Adelaide about a year ago. At that time we had taken them on visits to wineries and to see sights around Adelaide, and they in turn were keen to show us Lijiang, a city of which they are rightly very proud. Lijiang is in a beautiful natural setting, and the town itself, while now extremely touristy, maintains its old architecture. So much so that it is listed on a UNESCO register. On our arrival, our Lijiang acquaintances had a very full itinerary prepared for us, and their hospitality over the next few days was incredible. They treated us to banquet dinners and took us to see the sights in Lijiang and the surrounding countryside. Not a minute was wasted. A highlight in the old city of Lijiang itself was a performance of the Naxi traditional orchestra that was both visually and musically stunning. You can hear a sample here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUehZnTLcF8
