The old town of Lijiang is well-known as one of the famous cities in China and world cultural heritages. is the “Grand View Garden” of this old town. The Mu’s Residence was the mansion of the Mu family, the hereditary ruler of Naxi people that ruled Lijiang for about 470 years since the Yuan Dynasty. They are known for their “elegance and knowledge” among all the local rulers in the Southwest.

In Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the leader of led his people to come over and pledge allegiance to Zhu Yuanzhang the first emperor of Ming Dynasty, and be given the family name Mu. After being appointed as Tu Si, a kind of official position in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the Mu family built large-scale imperial style architectures such as the Mu’s Residence. Unfortunately, most of the architectures were ruined by the war in late Qing Dynasty. Later the descendants of Mu rebuilt some part of Mu’s Residence but it was just a small part with three rooms. The current Mu’s Residence was rebuilt on May 1, 1999.

The Mu's Residence is made up of two areas: the office area and the living area. Upon entering the gate, one can see Meeting Hall at the end of a vast square. This is the beginning of the office area. The meeting Hall is the place where Tusi conducted official business surrounded by dignified white marble balustrades.Pavilion, meaning numerous books, is behind the meeting hall. Hall, the place of sacrificial activities is behind the pavilion. To the north there is a vast area dispersed with a series of courtyards. This is the living area of the Tusi and his families.

Mu's Residence reflects the architectural style during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Its layout is arranged according to the pattern of the Forbidden City. Decorative work, including carvings and paintings of buildings,similar in style to those in the palace of Ming. Most of the decorations arebut sublime showing the dignity of the ruler. Some of the buildings show the delicate characteristics of landscape gardens in south China.