Lijiang is located in China’s Yunnan Province and has become a favorite tourist spot over the past few years.

Lijiang is described as a place where you can see running water from any street corner and babbling brooks from every doorway. Running water is always visible when walking along any of the streets. The water comes from the melting snowcaps and natural springs of the nearby Yulong Mountain. The locals have built two reservoirs to guarantee a steady water supply. Water flows from the in from the northwest and spreads into innumerable small channels along the streets and alleyways throughout the city. This irrigation system was first constructed several hundred years ago.

The layout of the city neighborhoods, bridges and buildings, conforms with the sound of the flowing water. The channels pass through courtyards, outside of windows and in front of doorways. The inhabitants of the older section of Lijiang harness the flowing water as an energy resource, using it to power mills which process rice and noodles. An old water wheel is the very symbol of Lijiang. Lijiang’s west side is at a higher elevation than its east.

When the time comes to clean the streets, the water gate on the West River is closed. The water overflows its embankment and runs onto the streets before, eventually, flowing to the Middle and East Rivers. The people of the city pick up any fish that get stranded ashore and put them back in the river. They believe the fish belong to the Dragon King and are not meant to be eaten. Many of their customs and rites are meant to protect the area’s water resources. Lijiang benefits a lot from its abundant water resources. Visitors there find a nice bar by the river, sit in the sun, read a book, or just relax by the riverbank.