The old town of Lijiang was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as a "historic townscape of high quality and authenticity".

In 2003, the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, that traverse Lijiang, were added to the list. This protected area spans the upper reaches of three rivers — the Jinsha, Nujiang and Lancang.

The city's introduction of new tourism products rooted in local culture has contributed to its appeal.

According to He, various efforts have been made to enhance rural tourism in Lijiang, including the establishment of demonstration villages and towns to serve as role models, making forward-looking plans to preserve the ecology and cultivated land while promoting tourism, attracting capable nongovernmental investment and using innovative methods to implement tourism initiatives.