Lijiang Old Town is the old town of the Naxi people, with cobbled streets, canals and timber houses, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The question visitors most often miss is the old town maintenance fee (古城维护费). A Guangming Daily report of 18 July 2025 says Lijiang issued rules charging CNY 50 per person per entry, valid for 365 days, from 1 August 2025. Wikivoyage still says the fee was abolished in 2017. The two statements conflict, and we believe the newer report. But we could not open the original text on the Lijiang government site (it refused connections from our machine), so we have not read the full rules ourselves, and we do not confirm how foreign visitors are checked or pay on site.
This page covers the old town. The route overview is in the Yunnan travel guide, the mountain is on the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain page, hotels are on where to stay in Yunnan, and entry rules and payments are on the China hub.
The maintenance fee, as far as we can verify it
Checked on 16 and 17 October 2026. The table comes from the Guangming Daily report (18 July 2025), which cites the rules on the Lijiang government site. It is not original text that we read ourselves.
| Item | Detail | Source and status |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | CNY 50 per person per entry | Guangming Daily citing the rules |
| Validity | 365 days, unlimited entries after verification | Guangming Daily citing the rules |
| In force from | 1 August 2025 | Guangming Daily citing the rules |
| Area | Dayan old town (including Black Dragon Pool), Baisha ancient houses and Shuhe ancient houses, the three Lijiang sites in the UNESCO listing | Guangming Daily citing the rules |
| Exempt groups | Widened from three categories to eight, including children under 1.2 m, military personnel, national model workers and disabled people with a Chinese disability card | Guangming Daily; we have not seen all eight categories from the original |
| Document number | 丽政规 [2025] No. 4, dated 30 June 2025 | Lijiang government document list seen through search; page would not open |
The discrepancy: Wikivoyage says the fee was abolished in 2017 and the old town is free to enter. The 2025 report contradicts this, and we take the newer one. Separately, some news reports seen through search results say that tour groups usually have the travel agency pay on their behalf, and that independent travellers are not certain to be checked. We did not read those reports in full and do not endorse them. If you meet a checkpoint, ask the staff and keep your receipt.
What we suggest: ask your hotel or guesthouse before you arrive where to pay now and what to show, and keep the proof of payment for the whole 365 days if you plan to return.
Sights in and around the old town
Prices and hours in this table come from Wikivoyage, which is unofficial. Several entries are dated 2019 (the list prices are marked March 2019), and we have not checked them with the sights themselves.
| Place | What Wikivoyage says | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Lijiang Old Town (Dayan) | Open 24 hours; bonfire and dancing at Sifang Square at about 19:00 | Unofficial |
| Mu Palace (木府) | 08:30 to 17:30, entry CNY 40 (March 2019); concessions for children over 1.2 m and ages 61 to 69; free for under 1.2 m and ages 70 and over; the Lion Hill behind costs another CNY 40 | Old, unofficial |
| Black Dragon Pool (黑龙潭) | 07:00 to 19:00, entry CNY 50, free over 60, about 1 km from Sifang Square | Old, unofficial |
| Shuhe (束河古镇) | About 8 km north; buses 5a and 5b take up to 30 minutes | Unofficial |
| Baisha (白沙) | A quieter Naxi ancient town, a half-day trip; Baisha murals open 08:00 to 17:30, entry CNY 30 | Unofficial |
Black Dragon Pool falls inside the area where the report says the fee applies. We do not know whether someone who holds the maintenance-fee pass also pays a separate fee for the pool. Ask at the gate.
Walking the old town
- Wikivoyage says taxis cannot enter the old town. You stop at a gate and carry your own luggage, or call your hotel to send someone with a cart.
- The rounded cobbles are very slippery when wet, and some canals have no railing (Wikivoyage).
- The old town is most crowded around Sifang Street and the main shopping streets. For a quieter feel, go very early or head for Shuhe and Baisha (Wikivoyage).
- Wikivoyage says small alleys are not safe at night and advises not walking alone. That is an unofficial statement; use your judgment.
- Lijiang is at about 2,400 m and nights cool fast, so carry a layer (Wikivoyage). See the route guide for altitude advice.
Tours from intermediaries
Several intermediaries sell private cars or tours around Lijiang. We saw a KKday product through search results but could not open the product page on the check day, so we give no price. If you buy a tour, ask whether the price includes the old town maintenance fee, which is the item buyers most often forget to ask about.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lijiang still charge a maintenance fee for the old town?
A Guangming Daily report of 18 July 2025 describes a rule of CNY 50 per person per entry, valid for 365 days, from 1 August 2025. Wikivoyage's statement that the fee was abolished in 2017 is out of date, but we could not open the original text on the government site.
Do foreign visitors have to pay, and where?
We found no readable official text on whether foreign visitors are exempt or where they pay. We do not confirm either. Ask your hotel and the staff at the gate.
How many times can I enter once I have paid?
According to the report, the pass is valid for 365 days with unlimited entries after verification.
Does it cover Shuhe and Baisha?
According to the report, the rule covers Dayan old town (including Black Dragon Pool), Baisha and Shuhe, the three Lijiang sites in the UNESCO listing.
Do children pay?
The report lists children under 1.2 m among the exempt groups. We have not seen all eight categories, so ask at the gate.
Can taxis enter the old town?
Wikivoyage says they cannot. You get out at a gate and walk, or have the hotel send someone for your bags.
Should I stay inside the old town or outside?
See the area table on where to stay in Yunnan. The hotels we checked are near or outside the old town. We have not checked guesthouses inside it.
When was this page checked?
On 16 and 17 October 2026 against the Guangming Daily report (18 July 2025) and Wikivoyage, which is unofficial. We could not open the Lijiang government site. Prices and rules change.
How this page compares
We read Travel China Guide's Lijiang page (about 690 words), which describes the old town as a main attraction without any fee information, and China Highlights' 7-day Yunnan itinerary, which on the text we read does not mention the maintenance fee. This page puts the one thing visitors tend not to know, the CNY 50 fee that differs from older information, near the top, with the source and the check date, and says plainly that we could not open the original. Where we are weaker: we do not have the full text of the rules or the payment procedure for foreign visitors.
Links on this page and our earnings
This page has no booking buttons, because there is no old-town ticket that we can check being sold in advance through an intermediary as of 17 October 2026. We have no registered affiliate link for Lijiang and have earned no commission. Our disclosure page explains how affiliate links work and what we never do.
Official sources and further reading
- Guangming Daily (m.gmw.cn): report of 18 Jul 2025 on the Lijiang old town maintenance fee rules
- Lijiang government: list of regulatory documents in force (via search result; cites "丽政规 2025 No. 4", 30 Jun 2025; page would not open)
- Lijiang government: public-consultation report on the draft rules, Jan 2025 (via search result; page would not open)
- Wikivoyage: Lijiang (sights, hours, prices; old, not official)
- Travel China Guide: Lijiang travel guide (benchmark)
- China Highlights: Yunnan 7-day itinerary (benchmark)
Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
