Watch the old town light up from Wenchang Palace on Lion Hill
Lion Hill, Lijiang Old Town
Wenchang Palace is a temple first built in 1725, near the top of Lion Hill at its northern end, inside the old town, and the viewing terrace beside it looks out over the whole spread of tiled roofs. Walk up in the late afternoon, stay through sunset and wait for the lanes below to light up. The panorama is much like the one from Wangu Tower, the better-known lookout on the same hill, and the terrace costs nothing.
What locals sayVisitors who find it like it as a quieter, free alternative to Wangu Tower, and most say to time it for dusk, when the lights come on.
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- 1 hour · Sunset into dusk
- In Chinese
- 文昌宫 观景台
Old-town roofs and Jade Dragon in one frame from Bailong Square
A free square where photographers frame the old town's tiled rooftops with the snow peaks behind. It is the easy alternative to paid rooftop cafés.
Good to know Go on a clear morning; by midday haze and crowds flatten the view.
Cost: Free · Time: 20 min · Clear mornings
Checked on site by visitors
No visitor has checked this note on site yet. Been here?
Based on what locals and regular visitors share, checked against current sources · Updated September 2026. Details change — check opening times locally.
