Great Water Wheels of Lijiang

A pair of huge wooden water wheels marks the northern entrance to the old town of Lijiang from Yuhe Square. The wheels repeat the design of the old scoop mechanisms once used in the valley to lift water onto the fields, and they are turned by the flow of the Yuhe channel. Behind them stands a white marble wall carrying an inscription about the inclusion of the town in the World Heritage list. The spot serves as the main landmark for meeting people and as the starting point of a walk through the Naxi quarters. In the evening the wheels and the wall are lit.

On the map