The old town at dawn

At dawn, the old town is a workshop. Shopkeepers sweep the stone in front of their doors. Delivery carts loaded with vegetables and cardboard navigate the lanes. Cooks light stoves, and the first steam rises from noodle pots. The water channels are loud because there is no crowd noise to cover them.

This is the part of the old town that tourism depends on but rarely shows: the labour that resets the stage every night. It is not picturesque in the postcard sense, which is exactly why it is worth seeing.

The light arrives late in the lanes because the roofs are close and the streets are narrow. It comes in slabs, catching a wall here and a doorway there. Photographers should work with the contrast rather than wait for a wide view; the old town is a place of detail.

The sound is what changes most. By 10am, speakers, tour guides, and shop music fill the main streets. At 7am you hear water, footsteps, shutters, and conversation. If you only do one thing in Lijiang before breakfast, do this.

Start at the northern water wheels, walk south along the main channel, then take any lane that climbs away from the shops. The residential lanes are quieter and often end in a courtyard or a view. Do not enter private doorways, and ask before photographing people at work.

Carry a warm layer in winter; the basin is cold at dawn. The stones can be slippery. The old town guide covers the landmarks, but the point of a dawn walk is to ignore the list and follow the water.

• Start before 7:30am.
• Follow the side lanes uphill.
• Ask before portraits.
• Bring a warm layer and grippy shoes.