Lijiang is named after the beautiful Jinsha River. It is located in the northwest of Yunnan Province, in the middle reaches of the Jinsha River, right at the junction of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. To its west and north are Lanping County and Weixi and Zhongdian in Nujiang Prefecture. To its northeast are Muli, Yanyuan, and Yanbian Counties in Sichuan Province. To its south are Jianchuan, Heqing, and Bin川 Counties in Dali Prefecture, as well as Dayao County in Chuxiong Prefecture.
The Lijiang area consists of 69 townships, covering an area of 20,600 square kilometers. The total population is 1.09 million, including 22 ethnic minorities such as the Naxi, Yi, Lisu, Bai, and Pumi.
Lijiang is located in the Hengduan Mountains, with significant altitude differences and a prominent three-dimensional climate. The vertical climatic differences and plant vertical distribution are evident. From the South Asian tropical to the plateau mountain climate, the seasonal changes are not significant, and there is a clear distinction between dry and wet seasons. The annual average temperature ranges from 12.6°C to 19.9°C, and the annual average precipitation is between 910 mm and 1040 mm. Due to its three-dimensional climate that includes cold, temperate, and hot zones, Lijiang has a rich variety of flora and fauna. According to statistics, Lijiang has more than 3,000 species of seed plants and 400 species of timber trees. It also produces over 600 species of medicinal animals and plants such as fritillary bulbs, musk, and caterpillar fungus, hence it is called the "hometown of medicinal herbs." Lijiang has 57 varieties of rhododendrons, 56 species of terrestrial mammals, and 290 species of birds. Among them, rare animals include the Yunnan golden monkey, red panda, red-bellied pheasant, black-necked tragopan, Tibetan partridge, wild donkey, etc.