Sifang Street [Lijiang]

(Also called Square Street).

At the center of the ancient town of Lijiang is the Square Street. It’s said to be shaped as a seal of a prefect, symbolizing an omnipresent power. In fact, the street is a marketing square developed from an open－air fair in the countryside. In the past, the bronze wares, Tibetan knives and Yunnan tea carried here by trains of horses from the ancient tea－and－horse road and Yunnan tea were exchanged with other things in this place or transferred from here to the other places

Four main streets radiate from Square Street and extend to the four different directions. Countless lanes extending in all directions form a network and connect every corner of the town. Streets in the Old Town are paved by the local bluestones which are neither muddy in the rainy season nor dusty in the dry season. The massive and fine-grained stones add a sense of antiquity and mystery to the Old Town . The sluice at the center of town is opened late in the night and the resulting current of water flushes and washes all the streets to keep the town clean. This practical use of water is part of the daily life of the residents in Old Town .