Yes - it's quite galling, being thrust into a UNESCO world heritage site, vaunted for its stunning landscape and mountain backdrop, with truck loads of tourists with flag waving guides and loud speakers hollering down the street lanes every 5 minutes.been to Lijiang, frankly, i didn't like it, totally fake and commercialized. Dali would be a better choice.
Even in low season, I'm finding Lijiang rather trying - its still worth visiting, particularly early mornings.
Dali is more conventional - it does not have the charm of the older smaller Song Dynasty Towns like Ci Xong; Shuhe and Bai Sha. The outlying villages and the forest parks are superb.
If anything, Li Jiang is relatively easy to get to, and travel around if you do not speak Mandarin. Plenty of Japanese and French visitors there, and it is still relatively cheap compared to cities in China. Best to visit as soon as possible: once the new airport and road is completed, it will be a nightmare with even more tourists, so see it before it becomes commercialised beyond reproach.
Fujian's Yong Ding is quite splendid for traveling around (but not easy to get to, unless joining a terrible tour).
My favourite destination - I'd rather not say, since places in China have a habit of becoming rapidly commercialised and plagued by badly behaved tourists. I'd agree with Zhang Jia Jie being a superb destination. Over 20 years ago, before the mountain roads were completed, it was a far more natural and stunning landscape - a friend's father has photographs from his travels when he was a student. In contrast, in the past few years, there were truck loads of American tourists with their flag waving loudspeaker guides almost squashing visitors off the cliff tops in a desperate effort to catch the best views of Tian Zhe Shan. A mountain tour guide (with a porter) and residence in a mountain lodge is quite an experience! I don't remember itching so much in the bed, and with hot water only between 7.30pm and 8.00pm, with 4 degrees Celsius, the only heater was under the mahjong table with a local family who were very welcoming.