Richard (US)

I have previously visited Hong Kong, Macao, Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Tianjin, Kunming, Lijiang, and Guilin/Yangshuo, always as a tourist. Defining a favorite city is difficult. China is such a vast country. I remember sitting in the square in Lijiang, watching Naxi people dance to local folk music and the expressions on the faces of the old men and women. The old town, perhaps restored for the many tourists that visit annually, is still a place to behold. Old town is a maze of narrow, twisting, cobbled brick streets lined with shop after shop. The layout of the city, with its many rushing streams that parallel the narrow walkways, adds to the experience. Buy a steamed bun or 2 or at 6 in the morning and sit by a fast running stream of water in Lijiang!