Nearly 100 top craftsmen and artists work on the street.

They practice such folk arts as paper-cutting, embroidery, tambourine playing and pottery.

Some make traditional Dongba paper, which is one of the world's oldest type of paper made by Dongba people. Others paint thangka, traditional Tibetan Buddhist paintings, on cotton or silk.

Tom Tate, mayor of the Australian city of Gold Coast, who was visiting Lijiang to attend the opening ceremony of the adjacent Snow Mountain Town holiday complex, was impressed by the street. "For me, it is relaxing but I'm also learning about the history of Lijiang at the same time," he says.

Najie, which the city government has recognized as a culture park, also offers picturesque views of the surrounding natural scenery.