The Old Town of Lijiang shows a unique water alley layout by using water. Due to the introduction of the water element, the construction of the city cannot be completely in accordance with the construction methods used in central China but adopted a free urban space layout. There is no orderly road network and strict urban axis. All the streets and buildings in the old town are near the mountains and by the river, forming a radiation-shaped system with Sifang Street as the center and four main streets, namely Xinhua Street, Wuyi Street, Qiyi Street and Huangshan Road, as the skeleton. The location of Sifang Street had been where the Lotus Pool was and afterwards, it was filled to build the street by the official Mu according to the shape of his seal. The street has been prosperous for centuries and its name implies a meaning of "having shocking rights."

The Old Town of Lijiang

The water systems in the Old Town of Lijiang are usually small in size. According to their external forms, they can be divided into three types: branch water system, flat surface water system and dot water system. The branch water system means the network of Jade River. The Jade River originates from the Black Dragon Pool, and when it reaches the Jade Dragon Bridge in the north of the Town, it is divided into three branches: Eastern River, Middle River and Western River. Then, the three branches are divided into many even smaller branches, forming a branch-shaped water system. The flat surface system includes the Black Dragon Pool and White-Horse Dragon Pool. The former one is at the foot of the Elephant Mountain, to north of the county seat, where the spring water sprays out from the cracks of the mountain and joins together so that this pool forms. This pool is the source of the Jade River and can regulate the flow of the water system of Jade River. The latter pool is at the southern foot of the Jade Lion Mountain and also called the “Lion Milk Spring.” The dot water system means wells and small pounds. The most typical form of this system is the “three-eye well.” The water in the upper eye is for drinking, in the middle for washing vegetable, and in the lower for washing clothes. In the Old Town of Lijiang, the main street is on the riverside and many small alleyways are also close to water channels. Over 300 old stone bridges harmoniously coexist with the river water, green trees, ancient alleyways and old house, making this plateau water town a place with high value in aesthetics.