Sights in Shuhe

Shuhe's Sifang Street, similar to that of Dayan Ancient Town, is only about 30 meters long and wide. It's one of the oldest markets in the Lijiang Basin. Once a hub for fur trading, it was bustling with activity on market days. In ancient times, Sifang Street was also a bustling market. Every evening, pedestrians carrying lanterns would stroll along the banks of the Qinglong River, resembling fireflies on a summer night, earning the phrase "night market fireflies." Today, Sifang Street Square is surrounded by shops. The old wooden facades, painted dark red, the glossy bluestone in front of the shops, the mottled stone slopes beneath your feet, and the elderly sitting idle, all embody the quaint, natural charm of Shuhe.

Designed by the Mu clan chieftains and built during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, Qinglong Bridge boasts a history of over 400 years and stands as a landmark of the Mu clan's heyday. Constructed entirely of stone, it measures 25 meters long, 4.5 meters wide, and 4 meters high, making it the largest of Lijiang's ancient stone bridges. Hundreds of years of wind and rain have left the bridge deck mottled and aged, yet it retains its majestic and imposing presence. Every spring, the willow trees lining the bridge sprout new buds, smoky and veiled, as if a green wave is about to surge onto the bridge. The phrase "Smoke Willows and Flat Bridge" evokes this scene.

At the foot of Longquan Mountain, towering ancient trees tower over the horizon. A stream of water forms the Nine Tripod Dragon Pond, a crystal-clear pond where graceful aquatic plants dance and fish swim freely. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is reflected within, its majestic beauty and boundless artistic conception making it one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Shuhe, known as "Reflected Snow Mountain." Beside the pond lies a broken stele, the age of which is unknown. When struck with a stone, it produces a resonant sound, known as "The Sound of the Broken Stele." When visitors pass by and feed the fish, the fish leap in competition for food, splashing water into the feeder's face. This intimate scene of human and fish is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Shuhe, known as "Fish and Water Intimacy."

The Ancient Tea-Horse Road Museum, also known as the Dajue Palace, is part of the Shuhe Courtyard complex, a former Mu clan chieftain complex during the Ming Dynasty. It features six murals, which, like the Baisha murals, are among the only surviving examples of Ming Dynasty murals in Yunnan. The museum is divided into five exhibition areas: the Preface Hall, the Mural Exhibition Hall, the History Hall I, the History Hall II, the Shuhe Life Hall, and the Shuhe Cobblers Hall, offering a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road.

According to legend, there's a cave on Shilian Mountain whose entrance resembles a tiger's gaping mouth. The tribe considered it an ominous omen, so they built a temple there, named Shilian Temple. Prayer flags dance wildly in the wind in front of the temple. Lotus-like plants grow on the rock walls from the foot of the mountain to both sides of the temple, extending all the way around the walls, creating a truly magical scene. Climbing Shilian Temple offers a panoramic view of Shuhe Ancient Town, making it a perfect spot for reminiscing about the past. During the Republican era, many people gathered around fires to read at night, hence the phrase "Shilian Night Reading."