Top 5 Dream Wedding Venues in Lijiang for Foreign Couples
By EverVows Team on
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When couples say they want to marry in Lijiang, what they usually need is a real venue — somewhere they can hold the ceremony, seat a dinner and put their guests up for the night, not just a scenic spot to photograph. The good news is that Lijiang has a small but excellent line-up of international hotels and resorts that do exactly this, most with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain somewhere in the frame. Here are five worth knowing, from an intimate hilltop Aman to a 500-seat ballroom.
| Venue | Setting | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Banyan Tree Lijiang | Foot of the mountain, by Shuhe | Mountain-view flagship, up to ~200 |
| Amandayan (Aman) | Lion Hill, above the Old Town | Intimate ultra-luxury, ~50–80 |
| Jinmao Purelax (Hyatt) | Base of the mountain | Grand ballroom, up to 500 |
| Pullman Lijiang Resort & Spa | Beside Shuhe, mountain views | Private-garden villa resort |
| InterContinental Lijiang | Inside the Old Town | Garden resort, walkable to town |
1. Banyan Tree Lijiang — Mountain-View Flagship
Best for: a full-scale celebration with the peak as your backdrop. Banyan Tree sits at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, next to the historic Shuhe Ancient Town and about a 40-minute drive from Lijiang Sanyi Airport. Its 123 villas and suites each face the mountain with a private garden, so your whole party can stay on-site. Ceremonies take place on the platform in front of the Moonlight Pagoda or on the prairie facing the peak, with receptions in the Jade Dragon Grand Ballroom (part of roughly 568 sqm of event space). The team can also arrange a traditional Naxi ceremony with a Dongba Master's blessing. It comfortably scales from an elopement to about 200 guests. See our viewpoint guide for framing the mountain.
2. Amandayan — Intimate Ultra-Luxury Above the Old Town
Best for: small, private, design-led weddings. Amandayan, the Aman resort in Lijiang, is set atop Lion Hill directly above the UNESCO-listed Old Town, with 34 Nakhi-inspired suites spread across 1.6 hectares of mountain-ringed gardens. Couples exchange vows on the Tea House Terrace overlooking the ancient rooftops or beside the 20-metre pool (up to about 50 seated), then celebrate in The Lounge (up to about 80) or the Man Yi Xuan Chinese restaurant, which looks out to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. This is the choice when you want exclusivity and polish over guest numbers.
3. Jinmao Purelax Lijiang, the Unbound Collection by Hyatt — Grand Ballroom
Best for: larger, ballroom-style weddings. At the base of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the pillarless Jinmao Ballroom runs 788 sqm with floor-to-ceiling windows and natural light, seating up to 500 guests. If you are bringing a big list and want a grand indoor reception with the mountain as a backdrop rather than an open-air setting exposed to the weather, this is the most capable room in the region.
4. Pullman Lijiang Resort & Spa — Private-Garden Villa Resort
Best for: a relaxed, multi-day celebration where guests settle in. This low-rise resort, inspired by local Naxi architecture, sits beside Shuhe Ancient Town with uninterrupted views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, set among gardens, canals and a central lake. Villas come with private courtyards and outdoor hot tubs, and there are event spaces and a spa on-site — an easy, comfortable base for a wedding weekend rather than a single ceremony.
5. InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort — Inside the Old Town
Best for: couples who want resort comforts and the Old Town on foot. It is the only international five-star resort set inside Lijiang's Old Town, spread over 51,000 sqm of gardens and ponds with 267 rooms and suites, overlooking Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Sifangjie, the market square at the heart of the town, is about a 10-minute walk away, so guests get the ceremony, the resort and the cobbled lanes all in one place.
Ceremony Venues vs. Photo Locations
One thing worth clearing up: the images that sell Lijiang — the turquoise water of Blue Moon Valley, the meadows high on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain — are photo and portrait locations inside a scenic area, reached with permits, not places you host a seated dinner. The hotels above are where the celebration actually happens. Most couples do both: mountain and lake portraits during the day, ceremony and reception back at the resort. Our viewpoint guide covers the best photo spots, and the cost guide shows how the two fit into one budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best wedding venues in Lijiang?
The most established are international hotels and resorts you can both marry at and stay in: Banyan Tree Lijiang and Jinmao Purelax (the Unbound Collection by Hyatt) at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the Aman-run Amandayan above the Old Town, Pullman Lijiang Resort & Spa beside Shuhe, and the InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort inside the Old Town itself. Each pairs a ceremony setting with on-site rooms for your guests.
Can you hold a Western-style wedding at a Lijiang hotel?
Yes. These international resorts run dedicated wedding teams and handle Western, Chinese and symbolic ceremonies, and most can also arrange a traditional Naxi blessing from a Dongba Master. English-speaking coordination can be arranged in advance.
How many guests can a Lijiang wedding venue hold?
From two-person elopements to around 500. Amandayan suits intimate weddings of roughly 50–80, Banyan Tree Lijiang handles up to about 200, and the pillarless Jinmao Ballroom seats up to 500.
What is the difference between a wedding venue and a photo spot like Blue Moon Valley?
A hotel or resort is where you actually host the ceremony, dinner and guests. Scenic spots such as Blue Moon Valley and the Jade Dragon meadows are photo and portrait locations reached with scenic-area permits — many couples do both: portraits at the scenery, the celebration back at the hotel.
Are Lijiang wedding venues expensive?
Even the five-star resorts are a fraction of a comparable Western destination. A fully-styled package starts around US$4,800. See our Lijiang wedding cost guide for the full breakdown.
Where to Read Next
- Blue Moon Valley — the turquoise-water portrait location up close.
- Choosing the Perfect Viewpoint — how angle and altitude change the shot.
- What a Lijiang Wedding Costs — sourced 2026 pricing.
- Lijiang vs. Iceland vs. Switzerland — how it compares to Western options.