Experiences at Amandayan

Rows of white prayer flags strung across red-walled monastery courtyards at Amandayan.
Two people stand before a traditional Asian building with blue walls and ornate roof details at Amandayan.
Yangtze River valley landscape with dramatic limestone cliffs and forested slopes, Amandayan.
Yaks grazing in a valley beneath snow-capped mountains at Amandayan, China.
Aerial view of Amandayan hillside settlement with residential buildings overlooking distant mountains and valley landscape.
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Framed by snow-capped peaks and carved by deep river gorges, Lijiang reveals the dramatic beauty and rich cultural heritage of northwest Yunnan. Beyond the winding lanes of its UNESCO-listed Old Town, the landscape unfolds from the 4,680-metre heights of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to Tiger Leaping Gorge, considered one of the world’s top ten hiking routes, and the villages of Baoshan and Shaxi. Closer to Amandayan, historic Wenchang Palace offers a window into local traditions through Dongba calligraphy and Yunnan Jiama woodblock rubbing, completing a year-round collection of experiences shaped by place and season.

Master craftsperson practising traditional Dongba calligraphy at Amandayan in China. Stone-paved street lined with traditional wooden buildings in Lijiang Old Town, near Amandayan.

Dongba calligraphy

An ancient pictographic script used during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Naxi Dongba is one of the world’s only surviving hieroglyphs. Guests of Amandayan are invited to discover its origins and learn to write it with a Naxi expert, before creating their own Dongba wishes to take home as a souvenir. 

Kungfu Taichi

Rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy, Tai Chi is a flowing practice that harmonises movement, breath and intention. Led by a professional Kungfu Tai Chi Master, guests are invited to practise in tranquil surroundings, cultivating inner vitality and finding calm in the mountain air.

Gateway to a Living Past

Wander through the historic towns of Dayan, Shuhe and Shaxi, or venture into the mountains and valleys of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge, continuing onwards to Shangri-La. From ancient towns to dramatic landscapes, northwest Yunnan unfolds around Amandayan.

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Cultural Experiences

Rooted in the traditions and customs of Lijiang, Amandayan’s year-round cultural experiences offer a deeper connection to local life. Practise Tai Chi beneath ancient trees at dawn, wander through Zhongyi Market or discover Dongba calligraphy, Pu’er tea culture and the art of Yunnan Jiama woodblock rubbing. As evening falls during local festivals, gather around the bonfire for traditional Naxi music and dancing, sharing in customs passed down through generations.

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Performers in traditional blue costumes dance the Leba during a cultural performance at Amandayan.

Naxi Cultural Heritage

Experience the living heritage of the Naxi people through four traditional performances: Leba Dance, Sword Dance, Remei Cuo and Naxi Ancient Music. Presented in collaboration with local cultural heritage practitioners, each offers a vivid window into centuries of Dongba culture and tradition.

Pu-er tea tasting session at Amandayan, with guest examining dried tea leaves.

Pu’er Tea Tasting

Steeped in centuries of tradition, Yunnan’s tea culture is closely entwined with the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Led by a tea master, this tasting explores distinctive Pu’er teas, the rituals of their preparation and the stories carried along this historic mountain route.

Herbal sachets arranged in small wooden containers at Amandayan, with traditional Chinese medicine ingredients and wooden tools.

Herbal Sachet Making

Rooted in the ancient Chinese medicine practice of ‘clothing therapy’, herbal sachets are a traditional wellness ritual. Guests select aromatic herbs, prepare and fill their own sachet, creating a fragrant keepsake to wear or gift to family and friends.

Vendors and visitors at Zhongyi Local Market in Amandayan, with snow-capped mountains beyond.

Morning walk To Zhongyi Market

Experience the essence of Lijiang at Zhongyi Market, where the ancient city’s diversity comes to life. Stroll through the vibrant market, discovering Naxi and Bai culture, traditional dress and local life, while enjoying light morning exercise along the way.

Lijiang in Celebration

Throughout the year, Lijiang’s rich cultural heritage comes to life through festivals and traditions. From the Lantern and Sanduo festivals to Mid-Autumn, Dragon Boat and the fiery Torch Festival, each reveals a different facet of local culture. Amandayan also marks Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year with thoughtfully curated dining experiences, cultural activities and moments of celebration.

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Traditional Chinese architecture entrance at Amandayan adorned with red lanterns during Chinese New Year celebrations.

Spring Festival

Welcome the Spring Festival at Amandayan with traditions inspired by Lijiang’s cultural heritage. Create Dongba couplets and fortune pouches, try Wama clay sculpture and Yunnan Jiama woodblock rubbing, or make traditional tanghulu, with each ritual inviting good fortune for the year ahead.

Torch Festival fire blazes against twilight sky at Amandayan, silhouetted pines nearby.

Torch Festival

Celebrate the Torch Festival, a vibrant tradition shared by the Yi, Naxi and other ethnic minorities. Guests craft flower-decorated torches before enjoying traditional performances, a bonfire and Naxi folk music, with the option to join local celebrations in the old town.

Naxi cultural performance at Amandayan, with traditionally dressed performers engaging in interaction under tree shade.

Seasonal Chinese Festivals

Mark the Mid-Autumn Festival by making traditional Naxi mooncakes, sharing a reunion dinner and admiring the moon over tea at Wenchang Palace. As summer arrives, the Dragon Boat Festival brings its own time-honoured rituals, from wrapping zongzi to crafting herbal sachets.

Natural Wonders

From the 4,680-metre heights of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the rushing waters of Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan’s landscapes invite exploration. Ride through wildflower meadows, watch migratory birds gather at Lashihai Lake in winter or journey further to Shaxi and Shangri-La. Home to extraordinary biodiversity and dramatic natural scenery, the region unfolds around Amandayan, an ideal base for discovering its mountains, valleys and ancient towns.

Snow-capped peaks of Jade Dragon Mountain rise above forested slopes at Amandayan.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Rising above Lijiang, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches across 13 peaks, its snow-covered range resembling a dragon among the clouds. Ascend by cable car to 4,506 metres before hiking to the 4,680-metre viewpoint, or explore the alpine meadows of Yunshanping and Maoniuping.

Traditional Chinese architecture with upturned eaves and red doors in Lijiang Old Town.

Lijiang Old Town

A UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 800 years of history, Lijiang Old Town unfolds along flagstone lanes, ancient bridges and traditional Naxi courtyards. From its heart, a stone path winds past 300-year-old Wenchang Palace to Amandayan, perched peacefully above the town.

Baoshan Stone Village nestled into a mountainside above a river valley, Amandayan.

Historic Yunnan

Once a trading post on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, Shaxi preserves its flagstone lanes, old shops and horse inns. Deeper in the Jinsha River gorge, thousand-year-old Baoshan Stone City rises dramatically from a single red sandstone rock above the river.

Amandayan rises above mist-covered valleys where mountains meet the Yangtze River in Shangri-La.

Shangri-La

Meaning ‘sun and moon in the heart’ in Tibetan, Shangri-La is a land of sweeping grasslands, snow-capped mountains and Buddhist monasteries. Journey through dramatic mountain gorges to Songzanlin Monastery, rising above the hills and known as the ‘Little Potala Palace’.

Turquoise river flowing through towering cliff walls at Tiger Leaping Gorge, Amandayan.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Carved between Jade Dragon and Haba Snow Mountains, Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of Yunnan’s most dramatic landscapes. Named for the legend of a tiger that leapt across its rushing waters, its high trail reveals sweeping views over the river and sheer mountain slopes.

Seasonal Experiences

Lijiang sits at the junction of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a high-altitude, low-latitude region with four distinct seasons. From mountain cycling in spring and wild mushroom foraging in summer, to highland trekking in autumn and golden mountain views and festive warmth in winter, every season offers its own unique scenery and experiences.

Traditional Chinese courtyard with blooming flowers framing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain at Amandayan.

March–May

Spring

Spring awakens Lijiang with wildflowers, cherry blossom and warmer days. Cycle beneath blossom-lined avenues and through rapeseed fields and Naxi villages, tee off beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, or savour seasonal menus at Man Yi Xuan inspired by Yunnan’s spring produce.

Two woven baskets filled with foraged wild mushrooms at Amandayan, China.

June–August

Summer

Cool summer days and seasonal rains bring wild mushrooms to Lijiang’s forests. Forage for matsutake and boletus with a local guide before sharing a traditional mushroom hot pot, while Torch Festival celebrations illuminate highland evenings with bonfires, music and dancing.

Autumn sunrise over snow-capped mountain seen from Amandayan's traditional wooden buildings.

September–November

Autumn

Clear blue skies and golden landscapes define autumn in Lijiang. Chrysanthemums fill the lanes of the Old Town, while crisp days invite hikes through Tiger Leaping Gorge and journeys to Shangri-La. At Amandayan, Naxi fireside dining brings warmth to cooler evenings.

Snow blankets the courtyard and traditional architecture of Amandayan in China.

December–February

Winter

Winter brings bright days and the ‘golden mountain’ spectacle, as sunrise gilds the snow-covered peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Festive celebrations bring warmth to Amandayan, while herbal baths and traditional Chinese medicine treatments offer restorative rituals throughout the colder months.

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Snow-capped mountain peaks rise behind a manicured golf fairway at Amandayan in China.

Lijiang Golf Escape

Lijiang Snow Mountain Golf Club, at the southern foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, stands out among the world’s golf courses for its 3,100-metre elevation. Around an hour’s drive from Amandayan, guests arrive at this highland course to enjoy dramatic scenery and satisfying play. Thanks to the altitude, ball flight distance increases by up to 20 per cent. Whether for seasoned golfers or first-time players, these 18 holes beneath the snow mountain offer an unforgettable highland golf experience.

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