Jianchuan County

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.

Getting there

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.

1 Jianchuan Bus Terminal (剑川县汽车客运站), Jianhe Road, Jinhua Town (金华镇剑鹤路) (diagonally opposite the People's Hospital of Jianchuan County), ☏ +86 872 452-1297. The main bus terminal in Jianchuan. (updated Feb 2024)

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.

See

1 Shaxi Ancient Town (沙溪古镇), County Road 084, ☏ +86-0512-53221815. All day long. Shaxi Tour route After walking through the Yujin Bridge, an ancient stone bridge on the bank of the Heihui River, and walking about 100 meters along the ancient road, you will arrive at the Dongzhai Gate, which is called the "Jiezi Gate" by the villagers. Two horses passed through at the same time, retaining the original appearance of the village gate on the Tea Horse Ancient Road. Further inside is Sideng Street, which is the only surviving market on the Tea Horse Road and the center of Shaxi Ancient Town. The entire street is paved with red sandstone slabs. To the east is the ancient stage facing east, and to the west is the Xingjiao Temple facing east. The two echo each other and divide Sifang Street into two halves, north and south. There are shops around the street. There are many horse shops and three ancient lanes extending to all directions of the ancient town. free. (updated Sep 2023)

2 Shibao Mountain (石宝山) (25 km southwest), ☏ +86 872 478-7029. Daily 09:00-17:00 (17:00 stop selling tickets,17:00 stop entering the park). Because of its unique landform and many strange peaks and rocks, it is named "Shibao". On the mountain there are relics such as Baoxiang Temple, Jinding Temple, and Haiyunju built in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as precious grottoes and cliff statues. The statues are exquisite and have southwest characteristics, and are well worth a visit. Various scenic spots in the scenic area are connected by highways, and there are paid shuttle buses in the scenic area. Go forward about 200 meters after entering from the gate of the scenic spot. The stone steps on the left lead to Qingjing Buddhist Temple Haiyunju. The murals in the main hall of Haiyunju are worth stopping for. ¥45. (updated Sep 2023)

3 Shizhong Grottoes, ☏ +86 872 478-7029. Daily 09:00-17:00. The Shizhongshan Grottoes, also known as the Shibaoshan Grottoes and Jianchuan Grottoes, are the l

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. Rafting on Longwei River. about 2-3 hours. It is located in the north of Longshan River. 118¥. (updated Sep 2023)

Buy

Jianchuan Woodcarving (剑川木雕). Jianchuan County is known as the "hometown of carpenters". Carpenters are good at carving various figures, flowers and birds, landscapes, dragons and phoenixes, auspicious patterns and other patterns to decorate doors, windows, furniture, etc. about ¥1600. (updated Sep 2023) Jianchuan kidney beans (剑川芸豆). Jianchuan kidney beans are a specialty of Jianchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Jianchuan kidney beans have been certified as "AA-level green food" by the China Green Food Development Center due to their high protein content, good quality and no pollution, and are favored by consumers. (updated Sep 2023) Jianchuan Boletus (剑川牛肝菌). Jianchuan Boletus is a specialty of Jianchuan County. Porcini mushrooms are delicious and you won’t get tired of eating them. They are commonly known as delicious porcini mushrooms. It is rich in amino acids, high-quality protein, monosaccharides, disaccharides and anti-cancer polysaccharides. It is a precious "treasure". (updated Sep 2023) 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.

Mountain old legs. (山老腿). Mountain old legs.Shan Lao Leg, produced