Xiǎodàndāng

Xiaodandang lies in the highlands north of Lijiang, among the mountain valleys leading toward Zhongdian. The district appears in accounts of the territory governed from Lijiang under local hereditary rulers. During the Ming the Mu family extended its influence over the neighboring mountains, including Zhongdian and the country farther west. Their domain included mines and salt wells, while paths over the ridges connected communities separated by steep river gorges.