Yuhu Village

Yuhu Village, also known as Xuehao Village, is a small Naxi village on the slopes of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Lijiang Old Town, Yunnan Province. Not far from the village is Jade Lake, which is the origin of the village name, literally meaning Jade Lake Village.
 

More Yuhu Village Pictures

The earliest inhabitants of the village were palace guards and deer-keepers of the Mu Family, who were the rulers of local Naxi people during Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. From 1922 to 1949, the Austrian-American botanist and explorer, Joseph F•Rock, lived here and explored Lijiang, and subsequently introduced Lijiang local culture to the western world, making Lijiang popular from his time.

Today, visitors can still see the former residence of Rock, the stone and wooden houses of local Naxi people, and the beautiful natural scenery, including Jade Lake and Skyreach Pillar of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
 

Yuhu Village is more than a thousand years old and most of the villagers’ houses still follow the old style. The bases and walls are mostly layered blue-grey stones, the roofs are paved with blue-grey tiles and the doors and windows are made from wood. Moreover, large numbers of local Naxi people hang fish on their houses’ ridges. This is because fish represents water in the Five Elements and water is not compatible with  fire; hanging fish on the houses’ ridges symbolizes that wooden houses will not catch fire.
 The residence is located in the center of Yuhu Village. During his 27 years’ stay in Lijiang, Joseph F•Rock lived in this house most of the time. After Rock left, his residence was restored into a traditional Naxi courtyard residence which now displays many historical materials and some utensils used by Rock. On the second floor of the main building was Rock’s living room and bedroom and now contains partially preserved beds and stools.

A Local Residence Built of Stones and Woods

Joseph F·Rock’s Former Residence    More Pictures

Jade Lake is an artificial lake dug by the Mu family. It is in the embrace of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The blue sky, white clouds and snow capped mountain reflect on the clear lake, forming one of the “Top 12 Scenes of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain’’.
 This is the most worthwhile location near Yuhu Village to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. On the stone cliff, about 30 meters (98 feet) above ground, the Chinese characters “Yuzhu Qingtian” are engraved. It is said that those characters were written by an official of Lijiang City during the Qing Dynasty. These words remain vigorously and powerful, although they have been eroded by centuries of wind and rain. The steep rocks and ancient characters complement each other and the scenery is very spectacular. In addition, Grasshopper Dam, Insect Lawn, Snow Sea, and Grand Canyon are sites around Skyreach Pillar worth visiting.
 1. Lijiang has strong sunshine and strong ultraviolet rays. If you are engaged in long periods of outdoor activities, wearing a sun hat and applying sunscreen to protect your skin is necessary.
2. At the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, it can be a little cool; it is therefore recommended you wear warm clothing.
 Take the bus line 17 at Xiangshan Rd. bus stop in Lijiang Old Town and get off at Yuhu Village Square Station.
 

Entrance Fee	Free CNY 25 for Joseph F·Rock's Residence
Opening Hours	The village is accessible all day. Joseph F·Rock’s Residence: 08:00 - 18:00