Black Dragon Pool and Baisha Village

Dan and I rode bicycles a few kilometres out of Lijiang to Black Dragon Pool. Apart from the pond, the surrounding parks contain a few old temples, pavilions and bridges as well as an (unfortunately closed) museum of Dongba culture (the culture of the ethnic minority group the Naxi people).

 Looking over the Black Dragon Pool towards the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. These mountains lead into the Himalayas and into Tibet.

 Dan at the Shuocui Bridge.

I don't know what this thing is, but I do know the animal in the centre is a frog and the Naxi people had some kind of frog-god figure. My guess is that is some kind of calendar?

After Black Dragon Pool, we rode our bicycles out to Baisha Village. Or tried to. We got horribly lost and ended up pointlessly riding our bikes along a Chinese highway. We then turned off onto a random dirt road which, eventually (and unexpectedly) led us to a resort. The resort workers (who were all out front having a smoke) were able to give us directions to the village. Baisha Village is one of the oldest villages in Lijaing and was an early settlement of the Naxi people.

 The village is close to the foot of the moutains, which makes for a very impressive back-drop for the store-houses! 

 Dan outside a traditional house.

 Local transport.

 Yay! We found it and now we are heading back to the heated hotel!