Discover Lijiang
Lion Hill, Wangu Tower and Wenchang Palace
狮子山公园、万古楼、文昌宫
The wooded hill in the middle of the old town, topped by the 32.8 m Wangu Tower and, at its northern end, the Qing-dynasty Wenchang Palace. The terrace gives the classic overhead view of Lijiang's tiled roof sea with the snow mountain behind.
The story
What makes this place special
Lion Hill is the wooded knoll the old town wraps around, behind Mu Palace. Wenchang Palace on its slope dates from the Qing and houses Daoist, Confucian and Buddhist worship in one building. Wangu Tower at the summit is modern: sources date it to 1997, a five-storey, five-eaved all-timber pavilion in traditional style, variously given as 32.8m or 33m tall, built as a viewing tower and a symbol of the restored old town.
What you’ll discover
A short, steep climb through old cypresses from the lanes above Mu Palace to an open summit terrace. Wangu Tower is a dark timber pavilion you climb inside, floor by floor, with carved panels and a gallery at each level. From the top you look straight down on the grey tiled roofs of Dayan laid out in their grid, east to the river and the new city, and north to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain when it is out. Wenchang Palace on the way up is a small, quiet courtyard temple that most visitors pass without entering.
A little local insight
Good to know before you go
- This is the one place that makes sense of the old town's layout. From the ground the lanes are a maze; from the tower you can see the grid, the water channels and where the commercial strip ends.
- You can get most of the view for nothing. The free terraces and cafe rooftops just below the summit, and the Wenchang Palace courtyard, look over the same roofscape; the ticketed tower mainly adds height and the northern view to the mountain.
- Climb up through Mu Palace and come down the other side into the lanes, or you will do the ascent twice.
- Sunset draws a crowd to the summit and the lanes down are then dark, cobbled and steep. Bring a phone torch or leave before the light goes.
- Go at opening or in the last hour. Midday light flattens the roofs and the terrace is at its most crowded.
When to come
Late afternoon and sunset for the roofs, or early morning for the clearest chance of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain behind them. October to April gives the best mountain odds.
Getting around
Not feasible for a wheelchair and hard on a bad knee. The approach is a sustained stepped climb on uneven stone from the old town, and the tower itself is five storeys of internal timber stairs with no lift. There is no vehicle access to the summit.
Worth knowing before you go
If you only want the rooftop photograph, the free terrace outside Wenchang Palace and the many hillside cafes give almost the same view without the ¥50 ticket — pay only if you want to climb the tower itself.
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