Jianchuan

Jianchuan (剑川; Jiànchuān) is a city in Yunnan Province in China famous for its old town and handicrafts. Jianchuan Ancient City is an ancient city with a strong flavor of Bai ethnic culture and city fireworks. The streets are clean and the people are simple. It is well worth a visit for those who are interested in humanities and history, and you will definitely get unexpected surprises and rewards.

Understand
Jianchuan County is located in the northwest of Yunnan Province and the north of Dali Prefecture. With a population of 160,000 (2020), there are Bai, Han, Yi, Lisu, Hui, Naxi and other ethnic groups. It is the main county inhabited by the Bai ethnic group in the state.

Jianchuan is located between Dali and Lijiang. It is a tourist area that has been ignored because of the ancient city of Dali. But it is precisely because it was ignored that the simplicity and tranquility of Jianchuan have been preserved. Jianchuan Ancient City is not as famous as Dali and Lijiang, and is not even as famous as Shaxi Town under its jurisdiction, but it is a living ancient city, and 90% of the original residents still live in the ancient city. This is where the Bai and Han cultures blend, and is a window to understand the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The ancient city still retains hundreds of Bai courtyards from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and ancient residential buildings account for more than 90% of the entire ancient city. It can be called the original ecological museum of Yunnan architecture.In addition to exquisite wood carvings, the handicrafts you can take away here include black pottery handmade tile cats, which come in different shapes and are particularly cute. There are also a lot of delicious things here, and each old store sells local food with its own characteristics.

By plane
The nearest airports are Lijiang Sanyi International Airport in Lijiang and Dali Fengyi Airport in Dali.

By train
The nearest train station is Heqing Railway Station in Heqing, which is about 63km by road from Jianchuan. Lijiang Railway Station in Lijiang is the second closest train station, being about 67km from Jianchuan.

By bus
In Dali, you can get a bus to Jianchuan from the Dali North Bus Terminal. The approximate fare is ¥42.

In Lijiang, you can get a bus to Jianchuan from the city’s main bus terminal. The bus fare from Lijiang is about ¥25 or ¥28.



By car
You can find them anywhere, but please keep in mind to lower the price slightly. The best way to choose a taxi is to use a meter to record the distance so that you won't be easily cheated.

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Do
Jianchuan is small, just like Dali a long time ago, simple and peaceful. You can experience using a wooden pen dipped in batter to paint on white sheep felt and then put it into a large pot filled with madder and other plant pigments to boil and dip. After drying, peel off the scab, and after a bit of repair, you will have a handicraft. (Prices vary and cannot be specified in detail.) Jianchuan orchids have a long history of cultivation, so you can go and watch Jianchuan orchids. Go and taste the wild matsutake mushrooms from "King of Mushrooms" and the porcini mushrooms from "Mountain Pearl" (there are usually restaurants in ancient towns or on the roadside, and the prices are relatively high). Go and listen to Jianchuan's "Baiqu, Benziqu, Jianchuan Ancient Music, and Dongshan Dage". You can also participate in the Shibenshan Festival, the Torch Festival, the Sea Circle Festival (the sea here is not a sea, but a lake called "Erhai"), and so on. Although the location is small, it is suitable for friends who like pastoral country life to visit Jianchuan. It will be a memorable experience.

Buy




Or if you encounter some cute trinkets or something you like very much while traveling, you can buy them according to your own preferences and take them home.

Eat
Roadside shops can solve the dining problem, and there are also local specialties such as ginseng seeds, matsutake mushrooms, and milk cakes to choose from.



Sleep
Accommodation and meals Shaxi Ancient Town is not big, and you can finish it by just wandering around for an hour or two. However, if you have enough time, it is recommended to stay here for one night, walk along the old streets, and slowly enjoy the tranquility and comfort that Dali Ancient Town does not have. There are youth hotels and various inns in the ancient town where you can stay at relatively affordable prices.

Connect
Mobile Phone Networks: You can use local or international roaming features to establish communication via your mobile phone. Internet: Many hotels, cafes, and public places offer free or paid Wi-Fi connections for browsing and staying connected.Landline Phones: In some places, you can use public phone booths or the landline phones provided by hotels to make calls.Social Media and Messaging Apps: Use social media platforms, instant messaging apps (such as WhatsApp, WeChat, etc.), or email to stay in touch with friends and family.

Go next
Most of the hostels and travel agents can organise bus tickets anywhere in Yunnan. They can also arrange flights farther afield.

A little further back from Jianchuan is Yulong. Yulong Naxi Autonomous County is located at the junction of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, at the southern foot of Hengduan Mountain. It is a Sichuan-Yunnan forest and biodiversity ecological functional area, a key forest area in Yunnan Province, and a key forest area in Yunnan Province and even the country. It is a county rich in tourism resources. Its main tourist attractions include Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the First Bend of the Yangtze River, Laojun Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Baoshan Stone City, and Lashihai Plateau Wetland. Featured products include Lijiang Baba, chickpea jelly, yak jerky, rice enema, Deyi preserved fruit, etc. It is very convenient to go directly to Lijiang and the climate is also very good.

There is also a sleeper service to Shangrila, coming from Xiaguan, and passing Dali at 20:30 (¥120). However, it fills up quickly and can only be booked at a few agencies in Foreigners road.