Lishui lies in the southwest of Zhejiang Province, neighboring Wenzhou in the southeast. The city is bordered by Fujian Province in the southwest boundary. It is 126 kilometers (78 miles) from Wenzhou, 292 kilometers (181 miles) from Hangzhou, and 512 kilometers (318 miles) from Shanghai. Lishui is the prefecture-level city with the largest land area in Zhejiang Province.

With 81.7% of forest coverage rate, it is known as the green valley of Zhejiang. If you always cherish the love of nature and yearn for the simple life in the countryside, you may come to Lishui, where many beautiful villages are scattered among the lucid waters and lush mountains, especially the Guyan Painting Town with Tongjiyan Irrigation Structure, quaint villages, and thousand-year-old camphor trees. Lishui’s cultural customs here are also fascinating. People can enjoy the traditional culture and colorful customs, including food, marriage, and religion, in Jingning She Autonomous County, the largest She inhabited area in China.