Getting There
From Li Jiang's airport, 24km (15 miles) and a 30-minute taxi ride (around ¥80/$10) southwest of town, there are dailyflightsto Kunming (50 min.) as well as weekly flights to Guangzhou (3 hr.), Shanghai (4 1/2 hr.), and Xishuangbanna (30 min.). Tickets can be bought at theCAAC/Yunnan Airlinesticket office at Fuhui Lu, Minhang Zhan (tel.0888/516-1289). CAAC airport buses (¥10/$1.25) depart from the office 90 minutes before scheduled departures. There is another CAAC office on the first floor of the Li Jiang Dajiudian at Xin Dajie (tel.0888/518-0280;open 8:30am-6:30pm).
Though the flight from Kunming to Li Jiang only takes a half-hour or so, road transportation in last decade has improved exponentially, reducing a 20-hour journey to just 5 hours once the new Dali bypass opens in spring 2006. From the mainlong-distance bus stationat the southern end of Minzu Lu (tel.0888/512-1106),busesrun to Xiaguan (3 hr.; ¥32-¥51/$4-$6.30) every half-hour from 7:10am to 6:30pm; express buses to Xiaguan depart at 8:20am, 11:30am, and 2:30pm. Express buses run to Kunming (7 hr.; ¥152/$19) at 8:20am, 9:20am, 11:20am, and 3:20pm; a sleeper bus to Kunming (9 hr.; ¥105-¥115/$13-$14) runs every half-hour from 5:30 to 8:30pm. Buses also run to Zhongdian/Xianggelila, passing Qiaotou (5 hr.; ¥27/$3.40) every hour from 7:30am to 4pm; to Jinjiang/Sichuan (9 hr.; ¥52-¥66/$6.40-$8) at 7:10am, 8:30am, 12:30pm, 2pm, and 6pm; and to Ninglang (4 hr.; ¥23/$3) every hour from 7:50am to 3:30pm. A private bus company,YNTAC(tel.0888/512-5492), operates luxury air-conditioned buses to Xiaguan (3 hr.; ¥50/$6.25) at 8:30am, 9am, 10:30am, and 5pm; and to Kunming (8 hr.; ¥151/$19) at 8:30am, 9am, and 10:30am. YNTAC buses depart from the Naxi Dajiudian, at Nan Guojing Lu about 1km (2/3 mile) west of the bus station.
Getting Around
The old town, off limits to motor traffic, can be comfortably toured on foot.Taxiscost ¥6 (75¢) for 3km (2 miles), then ¥1.60 (20¢) per kilometer. From midnight to 7am, in-town taxis charge ¥10 ($1.25) per trip.Bikescan be rented from several cafes in the old town and also in Mao Square at Ali Baba (tel.013987047896) for around ¥15 ($2) a day.
Tours & Guides
Many of the cafes and hostels in old Li Jiang have travel agencies that provide day tours and air and bus tickets. TheDongba House,Xinyi Jie, Jishan Xiang 16 (tel.0888/517-5431), can help with backpackers' routes.Gallery Travel,diagonally across the way at Jishan Xiang 39 (tel.0888/666-0994), frequently organizes hikes to Tiger Leaping Gorge, skiing trips to nearby Haba Mountain and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and overland trips by Land Cruiser into Tibet (approximately ¥4,500/$562 per person for transportation and Tibet permit, based on four-person minimum). For the less adventurous, Old Li Jiang has aTourist Consultation Servicejust inside the northern entrance on Xinyi Jie (tel.0888/511-6666) which offers more sedate day tours of the surrounding areas (in Chinese only).
Fast Facts
Banks, Foreign Exchange & ATMs-- The main branch of theBank of China(open Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm) is on Xin Daje south of Fuhui Lu and has an ATM. In the old town, theIndustrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)across from the post office (open Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pm) can exchange cash and travelers' checks.
Internet Access-- A number of cafes in the old town offer Internet service for around ¥5 to ¥10 (65¢-$1.25) an hour. One of the most reliable is theDongba House Inn,Xinyi Jie Jishan Xiang 16. Dial-up is tel.163.
Post Office-- The main post office in new Li Jiang (open 8am-8pm) is on Xin Dajie. A smaller post office (open 8am-8pm) is in the old town at Sifang Jie just south of the Xinhua