With a new foreword by Jim Goodman. Goullart arrived in Lijiang in 1939 as a representative of the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives and lived there for nine years. As a long-time resident and keen observer of the local society, he recorded not only everything he admired about Lijiang and the Naxi people but also his encounters with neighboring groups such as the Lolo (now known as Yi), Tibetan, Miao, and White Lisu. The book is a deeply personal account, told through vivid sketches, anecdotes, and reflections, all imbued with a profound affection for the land and its people.