Lijiang Old Town is famous for its natural beauty, cultural heritage and for being 'The Capital of Romance'

Lijiang Old Town in Southwest China's Yunnan province is a famous tourist destination. Life there is slower than in most Chinese cities.

The place is dominated by naturally beautiful scenery, and the large number of people from ethnic groups provide a colorful backdrop to a visit.

Historically, it's also a famous city for love, a factor that continues to the present day. The locals have a wealth of stories about people who died for love, or were revived by love.

Sometimes, the legends tell of young men and women who committed suicide to ensure that their mutual affection would never fade.

Nowadays, the city is regarded as a paradise of love and romance in the eyes of visitors, both Chinese and those from overseas.

Every aspect of the city - the blue skies, snowy white mountains, leafy trees, colorful flowers, and the architecture and cuisines of the area's large mix of ethnicities, to people from all walks of life speaking various languages and dialects - seems designed to clear the mind of all thoughts, except those related to the pursuit for happiness, pleasure and love, especially once visitors hear the local legends about love.

There are a lot of traveler 'must-dos' in Lijiang, including posting one's photos on the walls of bars and hotels. It's a very popular pastime. The local youth hostel has an entire wall covered by photos of travelers who have enjoyed their visits to the hotel and the city. 

The exterior of a bar in downtown Lijiang, known as a ‘city of love’, in Yunnan province.

One tourist wrote in English in the hotel's visitors' book that she/he had arrived in the morning. As the photo shows, the visitor felt that no only Lijiang would be the perfect place to spend time with a soul mate and enjoy the local beauty spots, but also that it's a good place to meet new people.