Lijiang is a town built around water. Numerous icy streams flow down from the nearby (and aforementioned) Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and the town was designed so that every house would be next to a stream. The streams run between housing on one side and cobblestone sidewalks on the other (right), which now allows Lijiang to claim something like 500 bridges in a three square-mile radius. It's all very calming and, dare I say it, quaint.
Traditionally, there were sets of three adjoining pools set up around the city: the one furthest upstream was used for drinking water, the second for washing vegetables, and the third for washing clothes. Although the water is still relatively clear, the residents no longer consider it clean enough for drinking, and I'm not sure how much the rest of the system holds, either.
These days, the streams seem to be used mostly for keeping beverages cold.
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