Lìjiāng is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Yunnan province, China. It is famous for its UNESCO Heritage Site, the Old Town of Lijiang. The old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. The old town of Lijiang differs from other ancient Chinese cities in architecture, history and the culture of its traditional residents the Nakhi people, therefore people there are called 胖金哥 and 胖金妹 (pàng jīn gē, pàng jīn mèi, male and female respectively).
The city has a history of at least 800 years and may date as far back as the Song Dynasty. It guards the division of the Jade River into three streams, among which canals and waterways were cut to flow along the old town streets.