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There are over 2,100 species of ornamental plants and botanists from around the world more specifically come to see the camellias and rhododendron, the province's special pride, since all species of this splendid shrub trace their ancestry to Yunnan. Indeed, the vast expanse of highland with luxurious growth of flowers is a wonder of Yunnan.
Lijiang and its easily accessible alpine meadows offer some of the best opportunities to come close to such a profusion of natural wonders. Unlikely as it may seem, in this age of technology and nonperil mountaineers, the mighty Jade Dragon Snow Range still remains to this day unconquered by mankind.
Largely because of bad weather, all expeditions have failed in their attempt to scale Shanzidou, at 5,596 metres. However, if storms frequently rage around the perpetual snowfields of the five primary summits, the alpine meadows on the lower slopes are excellent hiking ground.One such place is Dragon Spruce Meadow, a favourite of many visitors for it can be reached by a rope-way or on horse-back.
The Lijiang horse, plump, sturdy and docile, has enjoyed a good reputation ever since the Tang Dynasty.The scene is particularly colourful upon reaching the meadow. Women and children from the area's local tribes are there to offer fancy ethnic costumes for visitors to wear and take souvenir photographs of themselves with the mountain as a backdrop. Still, a few minutes walk is enough to get away from the lively scene and reach the serenity of the deep forest. There, the sheer beauty and profusion of Yunnan's nature unfolds.
The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain area, about 30 sqkm, is like a huge museum of plants. Over 600 species of medicinal plants are found in the country, making up over 50 per cent of the province total! The mountain abounds with flowers of all kinds and from spring to autumn, one is sure to be enchanted by the variety of blossoms.
Seasonal flowers such as the famous azaleas and rhododendrons (altogether 57 kinds), camellias, primroses, lilies, wild magnolia can be seen at the right time of the year but there are, however, countless little flowers of a more discreet character that will delight any poet at heart.
The richness of Lijiang's flora was first studied in depth in the early part of the 20th century by a most remarkable man whose name is forever associated with Lijiang's history. Joseph Rock first came to Lijiang in 1922 after a trip to Myanmar on a search for a plant to cure leprosy. An Austro-America self-taught botanist and explorer, he had already led a rather eventful life and produced among things, three indispensable books on Hawaiian flora. Having taught himself Chinese characters at the age of 13, settling down in China didn't present much difficulty.
He made the small village of Nguluko at the foot of Jade Dragon Mountain his country home and for the following 27 years kept roaming around Lijiang's country documenting its flora as well as producing the first rigorous works on Naxi ethnology.
The Naxis are the original inhabitants of Lijiang district.Joseph Rock was a contrary man of tremendous energy and terrible temper who lived like a foreign prince in the wilds of western China at the expenses of his American backers, ate off gold plates, and played records of Caruso to mountain villagers. His house in Nguluko was where he kept his retinue a dozen Naxi servants constantly busy, pressing plants for herbaria, summing up discoveries of the last expedition and preparing for the next one.
Strangely enough, he never wrote a paper on the botany of China, although he introduced hundreds of new and rare plants to western gardens and sent off thousands of herbarium specimens.Instead, his main written works focused on the customs, ceremonies and unique pictographic script of the Naxi, a life long study he complied in his book The Ancient Nakhi Kingdom of SouthWest. His house in Nguluko still stands, now occupied by Li Wenbiao, his own muleteer. Around it, the village continues to unfold its tranquil rustic life. High above, the Jade Dragon Mountain preserves its tales. In between the blooming secrets of Lijiang await.
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