Spruce Plateau is a highland meadow situated on the mountainside of Shanzidou Peak (Fan Peak), the main peak of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. With an altitude of 3,100 m, the meadow is surrounded by spruces and firs, forming an enchanting scene. Yaks, goats, and Lijiang horses herd in this meadow, adding much vitality. The meadow is so beautiful and serene that, for thousands of years, the Naxi people regarded it as the "Ideal Kingdom," an extremely saintly place. Lovers who wanted to be rid of the shackles of arranged marriage and seek their true love came here to sacrifice themselves.

Situated half way up the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, at an altitude of 3,100 metres (10,171 feet) is the famous land meadow called Spruce Plateau. The meadow covers an area of one square kilometer (240 acres) midway to Shanzidou Peak (Fan Peak), next to the Dry Sea.

As its name implies, Spruce Plateau is a pasture surround by a forest of gigantic and straight spruces and firs, just like a beautiful green skirt laced by the perfect chiffons. The verdurous grassland, exuberant spruce forest, holy snow mountain and the clean blue sky tier up and represent a majestic sight. Yaks, goats, and horses roam freely and play leisurely on the meadow. Ringdove, cuckoo, titmouse and many other unnamed birds fly and sing freely in the forest. The beauty of natural serenity and harmony are thoroughly demonstrated here.

Legends say that a long time ago, a couple of lovers named Kaimei and Yulepai committed suicide on Spruce Plateau because their love was not accepted by the common customs. After their death, their spirits entered a fantastic ideal world called the Third Kingdom of Jade Dragon and found their true free love. Everyone in that kingdom lived a happy and rich life without bondage, feudalistic crackdowns, or mundane annoyances. Local people believe that the Third Kingdom of Jade Dragon is a wonderland and sanctuary of lovers and that Spruce Plateau is the entrance of this ideal kingdom. Spruce Plateau is a large natural stage for the beautiful girls and handsome boys of the Naxi and Yi ethnic Minorities. Wearing colorful characteristic dresses and accoutrements, they are the most dazzling stars on this expansive grassland. You can sit there and enjoy the graceful dancing and fair-sounding singing, or take part in the frolicking crowds and be a member of them. Passionate and hospitable local people will make your journey a most warm and memorable one.

At the southern foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 13 kilometers (nine miles) northwest of the Old Town is a small lamasery named Yufeng Temple - one of the Scarlet Sect lamaseries of Lijiang. First built in 1756 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Yufeng Temple used to have nine courtyards, but only the gate tower, the main hall, and two courtyards have remained after so many years' historical vicissitude. The beautiful scenery around Yufeng Temple is a special gift from the deity. The temple backs onto a snow mountain and faces a meadow. It is surrounded by the flourishing forest and a river.

Due to the cultural communion between different minorities and different areas in the Qing Dynasty, Yufeng Temple shows the distinctive and conjunct architectural style of Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism and the local Naxi Dongba Religion. It is these compatible and harmonious traits that have allowed the Naxi culture to develop and enrich so quickly.

The best times to experience the ravishing views of Yufeng Temple are in late spring and early summer because the famous camellia tree is in full blossom during this period. It is said that camellia tree was planted in Emperor Chenghua's era of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), that is to say, the tree is older than the temple. The flowers of the camellia tree can bloom for more than 100 days, and there are, altogether, twenty thousand flowers blooming in 20 batches. The camellia tree is three meters (ten feet) in height and 34 centimeters (one foot) in diameter. The Lamas at Yufeng Temple subtly plait the branches of the camellia tree into a 56 square-meter (67 yards) flowery canopy. When stepping close to the tree, you find yourself plunging into an ocean of redolent and beauteous flowers. Look at the flowers carefully and see if you can discover the uniqueness of this old camellia tree: the intoxicating flowers are of two different varieties. The bigger ones are pink and nine pistillate while the smaller ones are white and single pistillate; two trees, which originally grew side by side, have now, over the years, entwined.

Yufeng Temple is a historical witness of the peaceful coexistence and syncretism of multinational cultures and religions, and still plays a very important role in acculturation of Naxi Ethnic Group.

Located on the east foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Dry Sea - with an elevation of 3,100m - is a highland meadow about 23km from the old town. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Dry Sea used to be a highland lake. However, when the water dried up, a vast meadow formed, hence the name "Dry Sea". Extensive and tranquil, the meadow is about 5km long and 2km wide. Today, many ethnic group villages, resorts, parks, racetracks and golf courses have been built on Dry Sea, which has become an important tourist spot for Lijiang.

Dry Sea is a vast meadow with an altitude of 3,100 meters (10,171 feet). Just as its name implies, it had been a highland glacial lake before the 1940s and was formed after the water had dried up. Dry Sea is located at the east foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and is only 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) away from Lijiang Old Town.

Surrounded on all three sides by the superb mountains, Dry Sea is the closest, and also the best, place to get a panorama of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The 13 peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are covered by the undefiled white snow wriggle from the north to the south, like a white jade dragon flying and playing leisurely in the sapphire sky. The name of the highest peak, Shanzidou (Fan Peak) originates from its shape. From one angle of view, it looks like a gigantic unfolded fan cutting into the clouds.

On the heavily forested Dry Sea, spring is a busy season, for the meadow bursts into colorful blooms and is full of energy. In the sunny days of summer, fantastic green glittering glaciers can be seen clearly through the telescope. It is the flourishing plants all over the mountains that tinge the glaciers with the filmy green. When autumn comes, it brings a gentle breeze that kisses the meadow, turning the green leaves on the deciduous trees into bright yellow, orange, and scarlet. In winter, the pure snow covers this world, causing the meadow and the mountains to display a kind of holy beauty. Dry Sea is an abundant pasture; views of local herders, who intersperse their groups of grazing livestock (including cattle, goats, sheep and domesticated yaks), are plentiful.

Dry Sea is now a famous travel resort; many minority villages are built here and the establishments are self-contained. Tourists can take part in many kinds of activities by daylight, like skiing, grass sliding, gliding, and horseback riding, etc. When the moonlit night comes, visitors can enjoy the peace and harmony of the majestic snow mountains and the far-flung meadow or take part in the parties held by local people.

Tiger Leaping Gorge extends for 10 miles from the Yulong Xueshan Mountain in Lijiang to the Haba Xueshan Mountain in Zhongdian. It is one the longest, deepest, and narrowest gorges in the world. According to local legend, the gorge acquired its name because, at its narrowest point (90 ft/30 m), a tiger once leaped over the swirling waters. Hutiao Gorge, with a drop of 3,000 m, is believed to be one of the world's deepest canyons.

About 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Lijiang Old Town, lying between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan) and Haba Snow Mountain (Haba Xueshan) is Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Gorge), which is believed to be the deepest gorge in the world. From the top of the gorge, one can look down the steeply angled (70-90 degrees) mountain sides to the rushing Golden Sands (Jingsha) River, with its 18 frothing rapids more than 230 meters (about 700 feet) below.

Naturally divided into three sections, the first section, which is the narrowest and uppermost section, is the mouth of the fast flowing Jingsha River. In the midst of the river's mouth is a large rock that is positioned at the gorge's narrowest section-only 30 meters (33 yards) wide. An ancient legend says that a tiger used this rock as its stepping-stone so it could leap across from one side of the gorge to the other, which is how the gorge got its name.

As the river enters the middle section, it drops another 100 meters (330 feet) and its flow rate increases to an amazing speed. Here the thunderous rushing waters slam into sharp, large rocks and crash down into the river, forming swirling whirlpools. Can it get more exciting? Yes, it can. The third and lowest section is acclaimed for being the wildest attraction of all!

The cliffs over-looking this section are even steeper and much more dangerous. Here, the river twists and turns and vigorously surges forward, creating high waves and a frothy spew as it collides with the mountainsides. This is a view that inspires a sense of adventure and satisfies even the deepest yearnings for magnificent scenery.

Walking north from the Old Town of Lijiang, exactly at the foot of Elephant Hill, is the Black Dragon Pool (Heilongtan), an influx of limpid spring. Since the water of the pond is as green as shining jade, the park of Black Dragon Pool, which was built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty, is also entitled the Jade Spring Park (Yuquan Park).

Somewhat idiosyncratically known as Black Dragon Pool, the Jade Spring Park to the north of Lijiang derives its name from the waters that sparkle like jade and are as clear as spring water. The entire park is green with grass and shaded by swaying willow trees. Under the Shuocui Bridge, a waterfall creates a constant roar as it cascades downstream.

At the far side of the pool, there are renovated buildings used for art exhibitions, the Moon-Embracing Pavilion, with its own white marble bridge across the water, and the Five-Phoenix Temple, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). In a renovated complex on the hillside, there is the Dongba Research Institute and a small museum with Dongba scrolls and artifacts on display, including such invaluable treasures as the "Dongba Scroll Painting" and the "Art of Dongba Painting." Dongba culture originated in the polytheistic Naxi religion, which incorporated elements of Lamaism, Buddhism, and Daoism. The Dongba scriptures comprise a series of more than 20,000 books, done in Naxi pictographs, along with more than 2,000 hieroglyphs - a form of writing invented by the Naxi people more than 1,000 years ago. The name itself, Dongba, is the name applied to the shamans of this culture - wise men who combined the functions of witch doctor, scholar, craftsman, and artist. So far, 1,500 volumes have been translated at the Dongba Research Center in Dayan. Some have been published. These works are important ethnographic texts, providing some of the only information about the history, language, and social and religious customs of the Naxi people. In recent years, more and more domestic and foreign scholars have come to Dayan to use the facilities of the institute for research projects about the Dongba culture.