Tourism and language are closely related. Language not only serves as a communication tool between hosts and guests but also can be developed into tourist attractions. Tourism development has proved to have important impacts on languages, such as the spreading of English. Yet, most of previous research investigate the phenomenon superficially, focusing only on oral language rather than the written characters. This study attempts to fill this gap by investing the impacts of tourism on the Dongba language in Lijiang, one of the most famous tourism destinations in China. Dongba script, which is used in Dongba religious books, is regarded as a world intangible heritage and is in an endangered status. Dongba script seems to be widely used in public spaces. Linguistic landscape refers to the written languages used in public spaces, such as road signs, warning signs, and private business signs. Linguistic landscape analysis was used in this study. Qualitative research method was adopted and field work was carried out. The research is mainly based on first hand data which were collected through participant observations and interviews with various stakeholders. Secondary data were also collected from relevant agencies and research institutes to supplement the research findings. By comparing the use of Dongba scripts in three historical towns that are at different tourism developmental stages, the study finds that the use of Dongba script in the public and private signs are closely related to the process of tourism development. Governments and small business entrepreneurs are the major drivers to use Dongba scripts. The wide use of Dongba scripts in the public signs is due to the governments' regulations to enhance the ethnic cultural atmosphere of the destination. Business people tend to use Dongba scripts to add an "exotic" flavor to the business attractiveness. However, the use of the script is only for its symbolic function rather for communication and information. None of the guests, entrepreneurs, local residents and even the governments staff interviewed understand the Dongba scripts and ever use these scripts in their daily lives. Most of them also show no interests in its cultural meaning. These scripts are only aware in the tourism context as the symbol of unique Naxi ethnic culture. Due to the lack of need for communicating using Dongba script, the use of Dongba language is very causal and lack of rigorous attitude. This causal and often wrong use of these scripts in the long run will further bring barriers for its information function since these scripts cannot communicate the right meaning. The study concludes that the role of tourism in the revival of the Dongba script is very limited and more efforts should be made to increase the number of Naxi intellectuals who use Dongba scripts to communicate messages.