Trip Overview
When: August (summer, best weather in Lijiang)
Duration: 3 days
Travelers: With friends
Budget: ~2,000 RMB (~$280 USD)
Transportation: Flight + local transport
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: Fly to Lijiang Sanyi International Airport (丽江三义国际机场). The resort is about 20 km from Lijiang Old Town. You can take a taxi, bus, or rent a car.
Money Matters: Most vendors accept WeChat Pay and Alipay. Bring 200-300 RMB cash for smaller vendors and tips.
Language: English is limited outside tourist areas. Learn a few Mandarin phrases or have your translation app ready.
The Dongba Culture: Dongba (东巴) is the indigenous Naxi religion—it's the world's only living pictographic script still in use. Don't miss the cultural shows!
Day 1: Arriving at Dongba Secret—Snow Mountain Canyon
Summer in Lijiang is pure magic. The snow-capped Yulong Mountain (玉龙雪山) watches over the ancient town, while boutique客栈 (inns) with their poetic charm make you never want to leave. Even the clouds seem to have stories to tell.
Every summer, I get restless—that inexplicable urge to fly to Lijiang. Whether it's the majestic Yulong Snow Mountain, the mysterious Dongba culture, the charming old town, or the warm Naxi people, there's always something pulling you back.
Tired of the concrete jungle? Head to Lijiang Old Town, leave your worries behind, and discover a different kind of summer. My friend told me about a trending photo spot that's blowing up on social media, so I dragged her along for a weekend getaway—we flew to Lijiang and stumbled into a mountain-water adventure at Dongba Secret.
Day 2: Time Travel in the Snow Mountain Canyon
This place that "travels back to ancient Lijiang" is the Snow Mountain Canyon Performance Park (雪山峡谷演艺公园), also known as Dongba Secret. Covering 3,000 mu (about 500 acres), it's located just ten kilometers from Lijiang Old Town, with the misty Yulong Snow Mountain as its backdrop. It's Lijiang's premier highland wellness cultural tourism resort, seamlessly blending natural scenery with ethnic culture—famous as "the Dongba holy land below the snow mountain, an ancient village in the canyon."
The park has diverse terrain: snow mountains, canyons, plateaus, cliffs, forests, flower seas, and lakes. Whether you love the picturesque highland pastures, the poetic secret flower valley, the scream-inducing sky walkway, or the peaceful canyon forest—you can check in at all your favorite spots!
Bonus: This place faithfully recreates the mountain-water scenes from the TV drama "The Glory of Mu Fu" (木府风云). Walking through, you can experience the history of Mu Fu, feel the Naxi customs, and soak in the unique Dongba charm. Plus, seven themed performance shows will treat your eyes to a spectacular audiovisual feast—an exotic cultural journey you won't forget.
The "Source of Snow Mountain" at the entrance resembles an Egyptian pyramid—it's revered as the faith of the Dongba people. Not only can you view the most beautiful Yulong Snow Mountain from afar, but it's also the place for worshiping the mountain god "Sanduo."
Right as we entered, an ethnic welcome show pulled us into a grand Lijiang folk celebration. Soldiers in traditional Mu Fu costumes beat drums to open the show, and within moments, blue-clothed fairy dancers descended from the sky in graceful dance. A 100-meter wire act, 30 meters high—where breathtaking spectacle and ethereal beauty combine on a stage straight out of paradise.
Lijiang's local figures—Master Mu (木老爷 木增) and Ale Qiu (阿勒丘)—walked through the faithfully recreated ancient architecture of "The Glory of Mu Fu," warmly greeting visitors beneath the Yulong Snow Mountain. What a lively scene!
A Sacred Naxi Blessing Ceremony by the Stunning Flower Sea
Continuing forward from the welcome show, we stumbled upon the trending flower sea. Beneath falling cherry blossoms, beside snow mountain forests—the blue-pink color combination looks especially elegant. Gesang flowers and cherry blossoms weave into a romantic, dreamy picture, like a real-life version of "Eternal Love" (Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms).
Emerging from the flower sea, we encountered a sacred and solemn Naxi blessing ceremony. The golden "Snow Mountain Golden Top" shines against the main snow mountain peak, surrounded by hundreds of totem poles. The performers, dressed in magnificent Naxi ethnic costumes, wearing Five Fortune Crowns, holding ancient instruments—blessing and praying in the most ancient way, bringing the most sincere blessings to all visitors. Legend has it this is a blessing ceremony that has been passed down for thousands of years in Lijiang. Today, fewer than 300 Dongba masters represent humanity in praying to Naxi's guardian deities.
The long corridor nearby is densely hung with Dongba wish-making wind bells. On thin wooden plaques are wishes written by visitors themselves. When the gentle breeze blows, crisp bell sounds echo under the blue sky and white clouds. Before you've even finished touring the park, you've already experienced the romance of the Naxi people.
Trending Photo Spots: Instagrammable Lijiang
Another area beneath the snow mountain has been carefully decorated as an Insta-worthy photo spot.
Under blue skies and white clouds, all the natural scenery reflects in this "Sky Mirror." Wear a long dress, dance freely upon it—whether standing or sitting, front or back, static or dynamic—it will definitely satisfy your inner model.
The sky mirror, reflecting distant mountains and clouds, seems to hang in the blue sky. Walking on it feels like strolling on clouds, moving suspended in air. The blue sky and white clouds beside you seem dreamlike, as if you could reach out and touch them—literally paradise.
Moreover, many photo spots are thoughtfully prepared nearby—whether it's the white transparent glass ball, or the white staircase extending toward the sky on the roof—every shot looks like an Insta masterpiece.
If you've gotten tired of these trending sky mirrors, don't miss the costume change experience next door—whether Hanfu, ethnic costumes, or Mu Fu drama costumes—you can perfectly transform and instantly time-travel back to ancient times!
If Hanfu can be found anywhere, I genuinely recommend trying the Mu Fu drama costumes at Snow Mountain Canyon! And this is a costume experience exclusive to this place. A few years ago, director Yu Rongguang and his team created the TV drama "The Glory of Mu Fu" (木府风云), which aired on multiple CCTV channels and maintained its ratings crown, achieving unprecedented success. This phenomenon-level drama later became a must-visit spot for many fans coming to Lijiang, Yunnan.
After half an hour of choosing, I picked a relatively elegant outfit, held a paper umbrella, and walked through the small bridges and flowing water—one lowering of my eyebrows was enough to convey the tender affection of the snow mountain's landscapes. Definitely photo-worthy material!
After the costume photos, on the right side is the first glass walkway bridge in northwest Yunnan's plateau—137 meters long, 4 meters wide, with a maximum vertical drop of 97 meters. Walking in it, up and down the air, with open视野 (view), distant mountains and rocky cliffs everywhere, forest scenery at a glance—the snow mountain seems to appear and disappear beneath your feet. Staying quietly on the glass walkway, you can not only enjoy the thrill of walking on clouds, but with good luck, you might also have a deep encounter with a sea of clouds!
A gentle wind blows through thin clouds, passing through the verdant green mountains and trees, caressing the blue mountains and green trees—this landscape is so beautiful and peaceful. In this quiet and remote, magnificent and harmonious scenic place, even every day seems light and carefree~
The red suspension bridge spans the entire Nuomeile Grand Canyon—not only satisfying your desire for thrills and excitement, but also a great place for viewing scenery. It lets you enjoy 360-degree unobstructed views of the fairyland-like Nuomeile Grand Canyon's stunning landscape. If you have time, go down into the valley to closely experience the pleasure and coolness of the green trees at the bottom.
Encountering the Gold Mine Robbery Show and Lover's Suicide Valley Show
Long ago, Yulong Snow Mountain was called "Gold Mountain," with the mountain range containing large amounts of gold and silver mines. At that time, gold mines were an important source of wealth for Mu Fu. Today, the park has restored scenes like the gold-mining sculptor group and the Xiazhe Gold-Seeking statue. Interestingly, everyone passing through here will be questioned by Mu Fu soldiers—visitors can have fun interacting with Mu Fu's soldiers here!
In "The Glory of Mu Fu," the love between Mu Zeng and Ale Qiu that couldn't be fulfilled is heart-wrenching. Coming to the Lover's Suicide Valley Show, you can closely see them wearing wedding costumes at the cliff beneath Yulong Snow Mountain, jumping together—a bittersweet, moving scene.
Culinary Journey: Sampling All the Local Snacks
After a day of fun, fatigue hits quickly—this is when only food can heal us! When you come to Snow Mountain Canyon, don't forget to taste the authentic delicious food at Muren Flower Street—Kunming braised noodles, crossing-the-bridge rice noodles, grilled stinky tofu, papaya water, brown sugar bean curd... These food stalls gathered in the ancient Lijiang residential courtyards of Muren Food Court are not only delicious but also super affordable!
The immersive ancient-style atmosphere gives a fresh visual experience. All the staff dressed in ancient costumes enthusiastically call out—truly interesting!
Of course, besides Yunnan's cuisines from various regions, there's also a restaurant by director Yu Rongguang's self-created brand—Yu Ba's Kitchen (于爸厨房). Those who like it can also go check it out!
After eating and drinking your fill, while waiting for the next show experience, why not calm down and enjoy a relaxing Hua Miao afternoon tea at the nearby Hua Miao—one cup of Pu'er, one flower cake, a few delicate sweet pastries, texture fine and soft, sauce fat fragrant and lingering, rose's fragrance paired with sweet honey—lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth, long aftertaste—absolutely delicious! The good afternoon time passes in fragrant floral scents!
The Snow Mountain Myth: A Must-See Live Performance
They say a thousand years in Lijiang, but only this one drama!
The grand Dongba fantasy epic "Snow Mountain Myth" (雪山神话) was what I was most looking forward to before coming—a live indoor performance that presents ancient traditional ethnic customs and culture in innovative performance forms. It completely reconstructs and reorganizes Lijiang's Naxi Dongba culture, interpreting it with modern trending performance forms as audio-visual explanation—creatively integrating the three epics "The Genesis," "The Black-White War," and "Lu Ban Lu Rao," with gripping plot, bringing visitors an all-encompassing immersive atmosphere and experience.
The gorgeous stage setup, all-around surround viewing experience is extremely震撼 (breathtaking). Whether it's naked-eye 3D technology, holographic projection technology, or the ultimate coordination of sound, light, and electricity—let the stage art have a completely released space. Meanwhile, the performance also extends the stage range into the audience seats through various technologies, plus the perfect matching of stage lighting—truly unmatched.
The story begins with a modern youth named A Jiang (阿江) who time-travels back to ancient Lijiang. A Jiang saves the tribal princess A Li (阿丽) and falls in love with her. Then, with the help of deities, he creates an army of justice, defeats the evil demon king, restores peace to heaven and earth, and finally meets "A Li" again in modern times—the story ends perfectly! The entire plot crosses through ancient and modern times, wonderful and splendid—truly令人拍手称快 (deserving applause)!
Travel Tips
Address: Baishui River Section, Baisha Town, Yulong County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province (云南省丽江市玉龙县白沙镇白水河段)
How to Get There:
A. Self-driving: The scenic area is 20 km from the city center—you can choose to drive yourself or pre-book a car to the scenic area.
B. Bus: Lijiang has opened buses to Dongba Secret Health Town. You can take the scenic专线 (special line) from the Ancient Town entrance (first bus 7:00 AM, last bus 4:00 PM), get off at Dongba Valley station, fare 10 RMB.
C. Bicycle: Rent a bicycle from the old town to cycle there, about 30 RMB/car/day.
D. Transportation within the scenic area: The attractions are far apart; scenic shuttle buses are available.
Opening Hours: Year-round 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Outdoor Performance Times: Daily at 10:00, 11:00, 14:00, and 15:00—one show each