🏛️ 5A National Attractions
Last verified 26 Jul 2025
Lijiang officially has two 国家 5A 级 scenic areas—one glacier-topped mountain park and one UNESCO-listed canal town. Together they package snow peaks and Naxi stone lanes into a single weekend loop.
1 Quick Metrics
Total 5A sites
2
UNESCO share
1 / 2 (Lijiang Old Town)
Ticket range
Free (Old-Town maintenance fee only) → ¥160 peak (Yulong Snow-Mountain Glacier Cable)
Real-name booking
Required for Yulong Snow Mountain cable-car & park bus; Old-Town levy collected at hotel check-in (passport)
Altitude spread
2 400 m (Old-Town streets) → 4 680 m (Glacier Park deck)
2 Why It Matters
Roof-of-Yunnan drama — Jade-Dragon Snow Mountain drops a 13-peak saw-tooth behind turquoise glacial lakes; its 4 680 m deck is China's highest cable accessible lookout outside Tibet.
Living Naxi canvas — Dayan Old Town's stone lanes, canals and timber houses still echo nightly with three-string music, turning a 13th-century caravan stop into a lantern-lit maze.
3 Pro Tips
1
Yulong slots – Cable tickets open 08 : 00, 7 days ahead in "玉龙雪山智慧景区" mini-program; Glacier line (冰川大索道) sells out first.
2
Beat the altitude – Rent an O₂ canister at bus‐base ¥30, sip slowly; ascend Spruce Meadow (3 200 m) first if you're altitude-shy.
3
Blue-Moon Valley timing – Best colour 11 : 00–13 : 30 when sun angle lights glacier dust; shuttle bus stops right at boardwalk.
4
Old-Town levy – ¥50 maintenance fee paid once (QR or cash) at hotel; keep receipt for re-entry checkpoints.
5
Night-canal photos – Arrive South Gate 20 : 00; Sifang Street bridge rail provides unobstructed lantern-reflection shots before bars spike music.
4 The Full 5A List
🏔️
Yulong Naxi Autonomous County
Jade-Dragon (Yulong) Snow-Mountain Scenic Area / 玉龙雪山景区
13 snow peaks to 5 596 m • Glacier cable (4 680 m), Spruce & Yak meadows, Blue-Moon Valley • ID + health QR • Shuttle & O₂ rentals on-site.
🏮
Gucheng District
Lijiang Old Town Scenic Area / 丽江古城景区
UNESCO World Heritage canal town • Sifang Square, Mu-Fu Palace, Black-Dragon Pool • Maintenance fee ¥50 (hotel) • Vehicle-free lanes, bar street til 01 : 00.