Visit Lijiang, China

Nestled beneath the snowy peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the narrow cobbled streets of Old Lijiang run with the clear waters of mountain streams.

Featured in the Channel 4 documentary ‘Beyond the Clouds’, this idyllic old place is now a World Heritage Town. Once among the ancient streets of the old town, flanked by traditional Naxi-style architecture, the magic of the area becomes apparent.

This region is the stronghold of the Naxi people, unique matriarchal Dongba culture combines shamanism with a unique pictographic language. From the 500-year-old Giant Camelia Tree and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the Baisha Frescoes and Lugu Lake, the region surrounding Lijiang is one of the most beautiful imaginable, and prompted the naturalist Joseph Rock to devote much of his life to the study of its flora and indigenous cultures.