Amandayan
Lion Hill, Lijiang Old Town (Dayan), Lijiang, China
Thirty-five suites in Nakhi-style courtyards on Lion Hill, above Lijiang's Old Town and facing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Why we recommend it
Lijiang's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, is one of the most visited places in China, and its lanes are crowded for much of the day. Amandayan answers that with height: the town is a short walk below, and the hill above it is quiet. The view takes in the grey roofs and, to the north, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
The buildings follow local practice rather than imitating it, and the preserved Wenchang Palace of 1725 gives the property a real centre. It suits travellers who want the Nakhi town without staying inside it, and it works as a base for the villages of Baisha and Shuhe and the wider Yunnan circuit. It sits with Amanfayun and Aman Summer Palace among Aman's addresses in China.
Location
On top of Lion Hill, immediately above the Old Town of Lijiang in north-west Yunnan, at about 2,400 metres, and a short walk from the lanes of Dayan. Aman's address is 29 Shishan Road. The airport (Lijiang Sanyi) is about 30 kilometres away, around 50 minutes by road. The hotel can arrange visits to Tiger Leaping Gorge, Baisha, Shuhe and the monasteries of the valley. Spring and autumn are the best seasons.