We had heard that Mr Mu's house was not to be missed, but we almost did. Mr Mu was the Naxi chieftain of this area and he and his clan ruled the area for many years, paying tribute to the emperor. He had the best scholars teach him the Han language, and ensured that his house, actually a palace was the match of any of the emperor's. The signs in the town sporadically take you to the building. However, they do not lead you to the entrance. We circumnavigated the walls of the palace until just as we were about to give up we found the entrance. The effort was well worth it. A series of large pavilions set in beautiful gardens and surrounded with water features enabled Mr Mu and his family to look out in any direction on beautiful vistas of the mountains, or the town they commanded. The cherry trees were just about to flower. In another month the gardens will be a blaze of colour to contrast with the bright colours of the buildings.

You can go inside the buildings full of unprotected artefacts and furniture. You can see the library where Mr Mu studied. He was a strong believer in education. The entrance arch proclaims the liberating effects of study. You can also see the throne where he met emissaries of the emperor and others, and at the far end of the site his private theatre.

From the ampitheater style theatre a small path winds up the mountain taking you to a series of pavilions with superb views back into the palace until eventually you arrive at the Lion Mountain Pagoda. A Buddhist shrine at the highest point in the city with commanding views. It is an exhausting climb but you are rewarded with splendid views, and the opportunity to ring the monk's bell and bash their drum.