Old Town of Lijiang丽江古城

The Old Town of Lijiang lies on the Lijiang plain at an elevation of 2，400 meters in Yunnan Province of China， which is one of the last surviving ancient towns in China. It has preserved a historic townscape of high quality and authenticity.

The architecture of the Old Town of Lijiang is well-known for the blending of elements from several cultures， and its ancient water-supply system of great complex5q74uvYyqrz/Q8aSZ2qJwg==ity still functions effectively today.

The Old Town of Lijiang is also known as Dayan town， meaning large ink stone， as it is laid out in the shape of a traditional Chinese ink stone.

With Square Street as the central thoroughfare， it has houses made of stone and wood， combining the architectural features of the Han， Bai and Tibetan ethnic groups， as well as the Naxi.

A typical house has two stories. A row of three main rooms on the ground floor faces south and is flanked on each side by a row of three rooms.

The three main rooms are for the elders， and the side rooms are for the younger members of the family. The roof edges over the gables are decorated with fish-shaped boards， known locally as “suspended fish”. In the Chinese language， “fish” and “surplus” sound the same， so the fish are a sort of prayer for auspiciousness and wealth.

丽江古城位于中国云南海拔2 400米的丽江平原上，是中国现存几座古城之一。它很好地保留了历史城镇的原始景观。

丽江古城的建筑以多文化元素的融合而闻名，其古老而复杂的供水系统至今仍在有效地发挥作用。

丽江古城也被称为“大研镇”（即大砚镇，古时“研”和“砚”相通），因为它是按照中国传统砚台的形状设计的。

丽江古城以四方街为中心大道，房屋建筑一般是石木结构，结合了汉族、白族、藏族以及纳西族等民族的建筑特色。

在丽江古城，有代表性的房屋一般有两层。一层有一排三间朝南的正房，正房的两侧各有一排三间厢房。

三间正房住的是家里的老人，厢房则住的是年轻人。山墙上方的边缘装饰着鱼形板，在当地被称为“悬鱼”。在中文中，“鱼”和“余”发音相同，所以悬鱼是人们祈求吉祥和财富的一种方式。

Word Bank

elevation /'elɪ'veɪʃn/ n. 海拔

authenticity /'ɔːθen'tɪsəti/ n. 真实性

thoroughfare /'θʌrəfeə（r）/ n. 大街；大道

be flanked by侧面（或两侧）有

The road is flanked by neat rows of trees.

suspend /sə'spend/ v. 悬；挂