Lovely Liangshan

Located in southwestern Sichuan Province， near the border with Yunnan Province， Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture is home to China’s largest concentration of members of the Yi ethnic group. More than 10 other ethnic groups also inhabit the autonomous prefecture， including Han， Tibetan， Mongolian， and Naxi. The prefecture’s population of 4.7 million is spread across a total area of 60，000 square kilometers with one city and 16 counties， of which Muli is a Tibetan autonomous county. Since ancient times， Liangshan has been an important place along the Southern Silk Road， a trade route that started in Sichuan， passed through Yunnan， and finally ended in India. Gifted with warm winters and cool summers， Liangshan has long enjoyed the reputation of having“spring for all seasons.”

Liangshan’s large area includes many scenic spots worth visiting such as Lugu Lake， Qionghai Lake， and Xichang Satellite Launch Center， a new type of attraction in China.

Lugu Lake， perhaps its most-celebrated destination， is located between Liangshan and Yunnan’s Lijiang. Covering a total area of more than 50 square kilometers at an altitude of 2，700 meters， the lake is picturesque to say the least. However， the natural scenery is actually secondary to the lake’s main attraction： the Mosuo people living along its shores， as well as some Naxi and Pumi people. The Mosuo people， considered a subset of the Naxi ethnic group， have preserved an ancient family structure considered a “living fossil of human marital developmental history.” The lake is also dubbed “The Kingdom of Women”and “Home of the Matriarchal Tribe，” highlighting the dominant role of Mosuo women in their society.

Snail-shaped Qionghai Lake is located five kilometers southwest of the prefecture seat of Xichang. Covering 31 square kilometers and one of the largest lakes in Sichuan， Qionghai Lake’s crystal water makes it ideal for swimming， boating， and fishing. Xichang Satellite Launch Center， once mysterious to most of the public， has become a hot tourist spot since China’s wider and deeper reform and opening-up. Like its nickname indicates， Liangshan’s weather is welcoming almost any time of the year. Of course， visiting Liangshan in September to avoid the National Day Holiday in early October would be particularly savvy.