Three Wells in Lijiang Old Town

Chinese Name:三眼井
English Name: Three Wells of Lijiang Ancient Town
Chinese Pinyin: San Yan Jing
Location: Lijiang Old Town, Lijiang, Yunnan Province

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Lijiang Ancient Town: Three-Eyed Wells (三眼井) Travel Guide

💧 Where 800 Years of Naxi Wisdom Flows Through Stone Pools

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In Lijiang, a Three-Eyed Well crystallizes Naxi people’s 800-year ecological wisdom: top tier for drinking 💧, middle for food prep 🍚, bottom for laundry 🧺 – still echoing with daily life today.

🗺️ Location & Access

• 🏯 Old Town Core: Baima Longtan Well (白马龙潭三眼井) – beside “Holiday Inn” at 150-2 Xinyi St. Square
• 🏞️ Shuhe Town (束河古镇): 2-min walk from Square Listening Stage (四方听音广场)
• ⛩️ Baisha Town (白沙古镇): East of stone archway

🚶 All open-air | Walkable or e-bike accessible

📜 History & Water Ethics

Built in late Song/early Yuan Dynasty, using natural springs and elevation to create a tiered water system:

• 💧 Top Pool (上饮): Drinking water – NO washing
• 🍅 Middle Pool (中食): Washing vegetables/rice – before 10:00 AM only
• 🧼 Bottom Pool (下衣): Laundry – residue must be rinsed in basins first

📜 These rules – carved on the “Water Ethics Stone (水德碑)” – remain enforced by locals today.

📸 Must-See & Photo Spots

• 🌿 Structure: Blue-stone tiers cascading beneath ancient trees + bridges
• 🌅 Mirror Shots: 6:30-7:30 AM – sunlight casts perfect roof reflections
• 🎥 Living Culture: Morning market hours – film locals drawing water/washing veggies
• 🏮 Night Magic: Lantern-lit wells + alleys = cyber-traditional fusion

🎯 Immersive Experiences

• ⏱️ 15-Min Micro-Tour:Listen to well’s song → Photos → Try Naxi grandma’s pea jelly 🍜 at nearby stall → 3-min walk to Mu Mansion (木府)
• ✍️ Dongba Script Class:Tue/Thu/Sat 10:00 AM – Learn to write “water” in ancient Dongba script (free card souvenir)
• 👘 Photo Package:Rent Hanfu/Naxi shawls (¥30/hr) – wells + alleys as instant backdrop

ℹ️ Practical Info

• ✈️ Arrival:– Airport bus to South Gate (30min) → 10-min walk

  – Train: Bus 13 to “Ancient Town Entrance” → 5-min walk

• 🎫 Admission: FREE | 24/7 access
• ⏰ Best Times:– 📸 Photography: Misty dawn (6:30-8:00) or lantern-lit dusk (19:00-20:30)

  – 🧑🤝🧑 Culture: Morning market (7:00-9:00) / Sunset laundry (17:00-18:30)

• 🚶 Water Culture Route:Three-Eyed Wells → Mu Mansion (3min) → Square Street (四方街 5min) → Water Wheels (大水车 8min)

⚠️ Etiquette Rules (Bilingual On-Site)

• ❌ NEVER wash hands/throw trash in drinking pool
• 🙏 Don’t block wells during water-collection hours
• 🚫 NO low-altitude drones – protect well’s ecosystem

✨ Why Visit?

Lijiang’s Three-Eyed Wells aren’t just photo spots – they’re flowing history books. Watch water journey from spring to lips, to fingertips, to fabric… carrying Naxi people’s reverence and romance to every traveler who pauses here. 🌊✨

Other Attractions in Lijiang Old Town

▪ Mu’s Residence 

Mu’ Residence is a splendid ancient architecture first built in Yuan Dynasty, which not only reflects ancient architectural style in central plains of Ming Dynasty but also remains the lingering charm of Tang and Song Dynasty. Mu’s Residence was called the miniature Forbidden City. Looked from a far distance, it likes a grand imperial palace and it is famous for the grandness and architectural buildings.

▪ Wangu Tower 

Located on the top of Lion Hill, Wangu Tower is 32.8 meters in height with 123,000 dragon head of Naxi style on the top, which ranks the world’s greatest. Standing on the top of the tower, you can hace panoramic view of the whole Lijiang Old Town and rivers to the east, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the north and Naxi villages to the south, which is magnificent.

▪ Black Dragon Pool

Black Dragon Pool Park, also called Jade Spring Park, is located at the foot of Elephant Hill. The well-arranged ancient architectures, exquisite temples, pavilions and bridges over the pool offers a spectacular landscape to the visitors. Standing on the white marble bridge, visitors can also have a view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which is holy and pure.

▪ Dongba Culture Museum

Lijiang Dongba Culture Museum is located in the north of Black Dragon Pool Park, established in 1984. Built according to the traditional Naxi architectural style with four sets, the museum has more than 12,000 rare Dongba relics including unearthed cultural relics, paintings and calligraphy of all ages, Dongba scriptures and religious articles, etc.