Brief information on Mu’s residence (Mu fu)  

There is an old saying that in the North there is the Forbidden City, and in the South, there is Mu Fu. Situated in the southwest of the Old Town of Lijiang, Mu’s residence is comparable to the Forbidden City for the Naxi People, and presents the ebb and flow of a big and well-known local family.

The Mu family, as the chiefs of the Naxi people in Chinese history, had descended generation by generation from the Yuan, Ming, Qing Dynasties, and twenty-two generations in total. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor invaded the Yunnanese area with 300,000 soldiers in 1381. The local Chiefs, the Mu family, then submitted to the Ming Dynasty in 1382. From then on, the emperor conferred the family name “Mu” (means wood in Chinese) to the family, which has been kept until the present day.

The Mu’s residence nowadays is a famous scenic spot which attracts numerous travelers from home and abroad. Stepping into the old town, visitors also step into the prosperous history of the Naxi people, because Mu’s residence is regarded as a symbol of Naxi pride and a means to admire their ancestors. The building is a great piece of architectural art because it presents a primitive simplicity and roughness, combining the construction style of the Naxi and Bai people. In addition it is also an imperial garden with green woods and beautiful flowers.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Mu’s residence (Mu fu) if you plan to visit Mu’s residence (Mu fu) and have language problems.

   

Transportation: 10mins walk along the west riverside of the Square Street