Lijiang · Yunnan Province · China · Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Private pool villas at 2,400 metres in the ancient Naxi kingdom — where Jade Dragon Snow Mountain frames every window and Dongba shamans perform ceremonies the rest of the world cannot book.
Lijiang sits at 2,400 metres above sea level in northwest Yunnan Province, where the ancient Naxi kingdom flourished at the convergence of Han China, Tibetan, and Southeast Asian trade routes. The UNESCO-listed Ancient Town below preserves one of the world's most intact medieval streetscapes: the cobblestoned canals and willow-draped pathways of Dayan, still navigated by Naxi women in traditional dress.
Banyan Tree Lijiang stands at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain — the 5,596-metre peak sacred to the Naxi people, whose Dongba script is one of the last living pictographic writing systems in the world. The Valley Villas frame the mountain through floor-to-ceiling windows with private heated pools set against the snow-capped backdrop at 2,400 metres.
The award-winning Banyan Tree Spa draws on Naxi herbal traditions and Yunnan's extraordinary highland botanical pharmacy, while the Dongba cultural programme — shamanic ceremonies, traditional weaving, and guided visits to Tiger Leaping Gorge — offers what no single day tour of Lijiang can provide.
Banyan Tree Lijiang's Valley Villas are positioned to face Jade Dragon Snow Mountain through floor-to-ceiling windows, with private heated pools set against the 5,596-metre sacred Naxi peak. Each villa combines spacious bedroom and living areas in Naxi architectural style — dark timber beams, stone walls, and handwoven textiles — with every modern amenity at 2,400 metres of elevation.
The resort also offers Pool Villas and Courtyard Villas with different orientations and garden configurations, and a range of Banyan Tree Suite categories in the main pavilion. Private dining is arranged in the villa or at a Naxi courtyard setting chosen by the concierge.
Banyan Tree Lijiang's dining celebrates Yunnan's extraordinary culinary diversity — one of China's richest provincial food cultures, drawing on Naxi, Bai, and Yi ethnic traditions. Signature dishes include over-the-bridge rice noodles, wild mushroom hotpot from the mountains above Lijiang, and Yunnan-cured ham with rose petal preserves.
The resort's organic garden supplies the kitchen with high-altitude herbs grown at 2,400 metres — lemongrass, Sichuan pepper, and mountain greens that appear in the morning's menu. Private dining is arranged in the villa, at the lakeside, or in a Naxi courtyard setting chosen by the concierge.
Four nights at 2,400 metres in the ancient Naxi kingdom — Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as your private backdrop, Dongba shamanic ceremonies, pre-dawn UNESCO cobblestone walks, and one of China's most distinctive spa experiences.
Add-ons: Tiger Leaping Gorge full-day trip +¥3,500pp · Private Dongba ceremony upgrade +¥4,000 · Yunnan tea ceremony master class +¥2,000
Lijiang sits at 2,400 metres above sea level in the shadow of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the sacred peak of the Naxi people whose Dongba pictographic writing system is one of the last living scripts on earth. Banyan Tree Lijiang frames this mountain through every villa window, while providing what no tourist itinerary can: a private Dongba shamanic ceremony, a pre-dawn walk through UNESCO cobblestoned canals before the crowds arrive, and a spa drawing on Yunnan's extraordinary highland botanical traditions.
A 4-night stay at 2,400 metres in the ancient Naxi kingdom — private pool villa at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, UNESCO Ancient Town walks, Dongba shamanic ceremony, and Yunnan's most celebrated botanical spa.
Cable car to 4,506 metres. Tiger Leaping Gorge. Liming Valley red rock trek. Over-the-bridge noodles at the organic garden table. Four nights where China's most dramatic landscape becomes a private view.
All components are fully flexible — this is a curated starting point, refined with your Richseen specialist prior to confirmation.