麗江古鎮經係明朝麗江軍民府同清朝麗江府嘅府衙署所在地，明朝稱「大研箱」(大研即大硯，因為古城周圍都係山，流水縈迴，外型好似一個大硯)。清朝嗰陣改叫「大研裏」，喺清鹹豐年間(西元1860年左右)，古城大部分建築都因為戰禍而摧毀。民國以後改叫「大研鎮」。
Lijiang Ancient Town is the location of the Lijiang Military and Civil Mansion of the Ming Dynasty and the Lijiang Mansion of the Qing Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed "Dayanli", and during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty (around 1860 AD), most of the buildings in the ancient city were destroyed due to war. After the Republic of China, it was renamed "Dayan Town".