Tourism written in the stars

"When the meteors streaked like diamonds across the snowcapped peaks, it felt as if I held the romance of the entire universe," Gao Qiuhong says, recalling watching the Geminid meteor shower from Yak Meadow, a site nearly 4,000 meters above sea level in the Yulong Snow Mountain scenic area of Lijiang, Yunnan province. "The sleepless night, the cold, and the thin air were all worth it."

Gao, 34, who works in destination planning, traveled from Kunming specifically for the celestial event. She chose Yak Meadow for its open terrain, the backdrop of Yulong Snow Mountain, and the absence of pollution — conditions that make it a rare, high-quality observation site.

"It's truly breathtaking and dazzling when meteors appear to slide down from the snowcapped peaks. Yak Meadow is absolutely a place worth experiencing in person," she says. "It's not just the meteors; the night sky is stunning. You can see the Milky Way clearly."

"At midnight, the snow mountains take on a gentle blue-gray hue, even more striking than during the day," Gao adds."The starry sky is genuinely healing. Under the Milky Way, all my worries are insignificant."

On winter nights in Lijiang, the Milky Way stretches across the heavens, with stars cascading over the glaciers and peaks of Yulong Snow Mountain. Here, night is not merely an extension of day, but a landscape worth traveling for in its own right.

A seasonal stargazing program themed "Unforgettable Lijiang, Seeking the Starry River" was launched in December and will run through May. As part of the initiative, Lijiang officially introduced the cultural tourism IP "A Place Where the Stars Feel Close" as a fresh calling card to the world.

With its high altitude, excellent atmospheric conditions and minimal light pollution, Lijiang has become a preferred destination for astronomy enthusiasts. Stargazing is no longer a niche pursuit reserved for professionals, but an increasingly accessible lifestyle experience.