四方街是丽江古城心脏，交通四通八达，周围小巷通幽，据说是明代木氏土司按其印玺形状而建。这里是茶马古道上最重要的枢纽站。明清以来各方商贾云集，各民族文化在这里交汇生息，是丽江经济文化交流的中心。这里是历代集市中心，每日万头躜动，热闹非常。从四方街四角延伸出四大主街，直通东南西北四郊，又从主街岔出众多街巷，如蛛网交错，往来畅通。街道全用五彩石铺砌，平坦洁净，晴不扬尘，雨不积水。几乎每条街道一侧都伴有潺潺流水。由此形成以四方街为中心，四周店铺客栈环绕，沿街逐层外延的稠密而又开放的格局，古老的集市就这样孕育了城市最初的形状，这与中国传统的四四方方的井字形街道是不是一样的。

四方街以彩石铺地，清水洗街，日中为市，薄暮涤场的独特街景而闻名遐迩。其四周6条五彩花石街依山随势，辐射开去，街巷相连。四通八达，交通极为便利。置身其中，令人仿佛步入了“清明上河图”的繁华景象。古城中至今依然大片保持明清建筑特色，“三坊一照壁，四合五天井，走马转角楼”式的瓦屋楼房鳞次栉比，既突出结构布局，又追求雕绘装饰，外拙内秀，玲珑清巧，被中外建筑专家誉为“民居博物馆”。更值得一提的是，古城居民素来喜爱种植花木培植盆景，使古城享有“丽郡从来喜植树，山城无处不飞花”的美誉。

Sifang Street (sometimes called Square Street).

This is the heart of the town which once served as the most important hub on the Ancient Tea Caravan. Since the Ming Dynasty,merchants have come over from all over the places, bringing with them the different cultures at same time.The steet has also been the centre of cultural an economic exchanges in Lijiang for sevearl hundred years.

Lijiang's famous Sifang Street (sometimes called Square Street). During the early years of the Yuan dynasty, about 1000 families inhabited Lijiang Ancient Town. The town continued to grow and reached its peak during the Ming (AD 1368-1644) and Qing (AD 1644-1911) Dynasties.

Sifang Street lies at the core of Lijiang, with the entire city spreading out in all directions from that point. Most of the dwellings are structures made of brick and wood with carved doors and painted windows. In order to conserve the structures and maintain the integrity of the buildings, no motorized transport is allowed inside the city and the only wheeled vehicles permitted within the old town are bicycles and carts.