Short answer
Lijiang is 2,400 metres, which is high enough to cause mild symptoms but low enough that most people adapt in a day. The risk is much higher on Jade Dragon's 4,506-metre cableway. Ascend slowly and descend if symptoms worsen.
The risk at 2,400 metres
At Lijiang's altitude, mild breathlessness, headaches, and poor sleep are common in the first day. Serious altitude illness is uncommon at this height, but it can happen. People arriving from sea level should take the first day slowly.
The bigger risk is the mountain. The Glacier Park cableway reaches 4,506 metres, where oxygen is about 60 percent of sea level. Symptoms there can escalate quickly. The altitude briefing explains the full picture.
How to reduce the risk
Acclimatise in the basin for a day before going up, drink water, avoid alcohol on the first night, and eat normally. On the mountain, walk slowly, take the boardwalk at a gentle pace, and turn back if you feel unwell.
People with heart or lung conditions, pregnancy, or recent surgery should not go to 4,500 metres. Children under about six are usually advised against it. The lower meadows are safer and still spectacular; the planner can build a lower route.
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