Lijiang Basin

Lijiang Basin

Millions of years ago, a tremendous geological force pushed the Indian Plate northward, colliding with the Eurasian Plate. The two plates, being of comparable density, resulted in a massive crumpling of the Earth’s surface. After millions of years of uplift and evolution, these folds gave rise to the Tibetan Plateau and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.

Yunnan is precisely located at the point where these two plates meet.

From the northern peak of Mount Kawagebo (卡瓦格博峰), standing at 6,740 meters, to the southern end at Hekou County (河口县), which is only 76.4 meters above sea level, the linear distance is a mere 960 kilometers, with an elevation drop of 6,663.6 meters. This makes Yunnan a giant staircase, high in the north and low in the south. At the northwestern end of this staircase, the Nu River (怒江), Lancang River (澜沧江), and Jinsha River (金沙江) flow downward, creating the famous Three Parallel Rivers (三江并流) region.

Three Parallel Rivers

The Nu River and Lancang River traverse Yunnan, flowing into Myanmar. The Jinsha River, obstructed by mountains, makes a sharp 150-degree turn at Shigu Town (石鼓镇), forming the renowned First Bend of the Yangtze River (万里长江第一湾). Subsequently, heading north, the Jinsha River carves the world-famous Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡) between the Yulong Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山) and Haba Snow Mountain (哈巴雪山). The river surges from the gorge, only to be blocked by Yulong Snow Mountain, which causes it to turn southward, embracing the Yulong Mountain Range (玉龙山脉).

This north-south shift creates a vast river bay area, providing the land with distinct spatial independence. Because the Jinsha River was historically known as Lishui (丽水), this area came to be called “Lijiang Basin” (丽江坝子).

Lijiang Basin

Note: Nowadays, when people refer to Lijiang, they mostly mean the Mu Mansion (木府) built by the Mu family during the Ming Dynasty, along with the surrounding residential small town. Strictly speaking, this small town should be called “Daiyan Ancient Town” (大研古城), while Lijiang refers to the basin area nestled between the Jinsha River and Yulong Snow Mountain, also known as “Lijiang Basin.”

The Naxi People and Baisha

It is said that during the Warring States period, the Qiang ethnic group, located in northwestern China, migrated southward to avoid war, eventually settling in the upper reaches of the Min River and then the Yabi River basin, finally stopping south of Yulong Snow Mountain. From then on, this group, distributed at the intersection of Sichuan and Yunnan, came to be known as the Mosuo or Naxi (纳西人), with their dwelling place called Baisha (白沙).

Lijiang Tourist Map

Baisha, backed by Yulong Snow Mountain, features flat terrain and abundant water sources, providing favorable conditions for agriculture and animal husbandry for the Naxi people. From a military perspective, the mountain’s edge also served as a strategic retreat point. The Naxi people’s decision to settle here reflects early human reverence for and dependence on nature.

Before the Song Dynasty, the scattered Naxi groups in Baisha existed in a state of “independent chieftaincy” with no central governance. Among these groups, a few relatively powerful tribes emerged, one of which was reportedly the ancestor of the Mu family—the Yegunian Tribe (叶古年部).

In 1252 AD, Kublai Khan passed through Lijiang on his way to conquer Dali, targeting the Southern Song Dynasty. Many Naxi people in the Sichuan-Yunnan region chose to resist the Yuan army, but the Naxi tribe led by the Yegunian family opted to submit and assist the Yuan forces in attacking Dali.

History shows that this decision determined the fate of the family for the following centuries.

In 1253 AD, Emperor Möngke of the Yuan Dynasty established the “Chahanzhang Guanmin Official” in Luobo City (罗波城, present-day Shigu Town), appointing the leader of the Yegunian family to this position. After the short-lived Yuan Dynasty fell, the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang took over Central China.

Tubo and Nanzhao

At that time, the Nanzhao Kingdom no longer existed, but Tubo (吐蕃) still posed a threat to the empire. The disorganized Ming government urgently needed a force to contain Tubo. The Yegunian tribe, located at the junction of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Tibetan Plateau, naturally came into Zhu Yuanzhang’s view.

Thus, Zhu Yuanzhang removed the horizontal and diagonal strokes from his surname “Zhu” and granted the surname “Mu” to the then leader of the Yegunian tribe, A Jia Ade (阿甲阿得), as a sign of legitimacy. In 1383, A Jia Ade changed his name to Mu De and went to Nanjing to pay homage to the emperor, being appointed as the governor of Lijiang. In 1385, Mu De was further honored with the hereditary title of local chieftain for his military achievements.

From then on, the Mu family officially entered the political map of the Central Government, becoming an inseparable part of the Chinese nation.

With their new identity, the Mu family, influenced by Central Plains culture, gradually developed a sense of political consciousness. This consciousness manifested in their actions, notably through grand construction projects to build lavish mansions, establishing centralized authority and showcasing their identity as regional rulers.

They sought to break away from the old Baisha and create a new world.

Dayan

The Mu family turned their attention to Dayan (大研), located 15 kilometers south of Baisha.

Here, Lion Mountain (狮子山) lies to the west, and Black Dragon Pool (黑龙潭) is to the north, providing favorable conditions for establishing a political capital.

Spatial Distribution in Lijiang

In terms of construction methods, the Mu family modeled their designs after the relationship between the Forbidden City and Shijingshan, placing the Mu Mansion under Lion Mountain. They utilized the natural mountain terrain to mark their presence and create a central point. Thus, the Mu Mansion became the “Forbidden City” (紫禁城) of Lijiang Basin, enduring through 22 generations for 470 years.

After the Mu Mansion was completed, the Naxi people’s living space expanded southward, but Baisha was not completely abandoned. Under new historical conditions, due to its numerous religious facilities and long-standing cultural ties, Baisha gradually took on the role of a religious and cultural center.

From then on, a clear spatial axis was formed from Yulong Snow Mountain to connect Baisha and Dayan, supporting the Lijiang Basin on the Yunnan Plateau.