Lion Hill stands at the north-western edge of Lijiang's old town, wooded and steep, and the Wanggulou Tower - the name means something like ten-thousand-generation tower - sits on its crest at the highest point of the old city. The tower is a modern reconstruction in traditional Naxi style, built in the 1990s as part of the heritage work on the town, but what it provides is not the building itself: it is the view. From the upper gallery the whole of the old town spreads out below, a dense sea of grey tiled roofs cut by lanes and canals, with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain behind it in the north.
The climb and the views
There are several ways up. The shortest begins near the northern end of the old town and climbs stone steps through the trees in about twenty minutes; more comfortable is the paid entrance from the park side, which includes the tower and the wooded slopes above the town. On the way up there are pavilions, a small temple and a drum tower, and several points where the rooftops open out between the trees. From the top, the view is best in the first two hours after sunrise, when the light comes across the roofs and the mountain is clearest; by afternoon haze often softens the distance.
The surrounding park
The hill is managed as a park, with paths through old trees, a bonsai garden, and a small collection of Naxi cultural exhibits including replica murals, traditional instruments and costume. It is also where the town's drum is kept. The walk down towards the old town on the north side leads through quieter lanes and past several of the larger courtyard houses, which is a better way to arrive in the old town than entering from the main square.
Practical notes
The tower and the park charge a small admission and open in the morning, closing in the late afternoon. Lijiang sits at about two thousand four hundred metres and the climb is steep in places, so take it slowly for the first day or two. Bring water and sun protection; the altitude makes the sun stronger than it feels. The area is busy in the middle of the day in high season, and a weekday morning in spring or autumn is by far the most comfortable time to be at the top of the tower with a clear view.
