Top 10 ancient cities: China's best kept secret
- By Xu Lin
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 12, 2012
Baoshan Stone City, Yunnan （云南寶山石頭城）
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Baoshan Stone City, Yunnan |
In addition to Dayan Ancient City, there is another old city in Yunnan Province, Baoshan Stone City, located by Jinsha River Canyon, about 120 kilometers north of Lijiang. Because it was built on a huge mushroom-shaped rock, the city is called “stone city.”
Baoshan Stone City is the original habitat of the Naxi Ethnic Group. Naxi people migrated here during the Northern and Southern dynasties (420AD-589AD) and built the city during 1277-1294 in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Their own language, houses and architecture have been well preserved in the city, reflecting the true life of the Naxi people.
One side of the city is a stone slope going straight to the Jinsha River, and its other sides are steep cliffs. With only two stone gates in the north and south for access, the whole city forms a natural strategic pass. Houses were built according to the terrain of the rock, and all the cultivable hillsides around the city have been turned into terraced fields.
Now over 100 Naxi families are still living in the city. They are very friendly to tourists and always greet the visitors with genuine smiles.
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