Jianshui Ancient Town

Jianshui Ancient Town is located in Jianshui County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, 220 kilometers south of Kunming, Yunnan. It was historically called Butou and also known as Badian.

Jianshui Ancient Town is a cultural tourism attraction.

: Jianshui was historically known as Lin’an and also called Badian. It is a famous historical and cultural city, located 220 kilometers south of Kunming. The earliest form of Jianshui was an earthen city built during the Nanzhao period, which was expanded into a brick city in the 20th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1387). The city wall spanned six li and three zhang, stood two zhang and five chi high, and had four gates with three-story watchtowers, each standing four zhang tall, making for a very spectacular sight. Jianshui has a rich cultural heritage, having established temple schools as early as the Yuan Dynasty. During the Hongwu years of the Ming Dynasty, the Lin’an Prefecture School was built, and in the Wanli years, the Jianshui State Confucian School was established. In the Qing Dynasty, four academies were successively built: Chongzheng, Huawen, Chongwen, and Qujiang. The area produced many talented individuals. At that time, Jianshui was known as "Lin Half List," meaning that about half of the successful candidates in Yunnan’s imperial examinations came from Lin’an Prefecture, ranking it first in Yunnan. Hence, it earned reputations such as "Famous Land of Culture," "Dian Nan Zou Lu" (a reference to Confucian heritage), as well as being called the "Museum of Ancient Architecture" and the "Museum of Residential Architecture."

Located 220 kilometers south of Kunming, Yunnan, it was historically called Butou and also known as Badian. The Nanzhao regime built Hui Li City here around the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty (around 810), under the jurisdiction of Tonghai Duhu. Hui Li is an ancient Yi language term meaning “sea.” Translated into Chinese, it became Jianshui. During the Yuan Dynasty, Jianshui State was established, under Lin’an Road (with its administrative center in Tonghai), and the Lin’an Guangxi Yuanjiang Pacification Commission was set up in Jianshui, governing Lin’an, Guangxi (now Luxi County), and Yuanjiang Roads. During the Ming Dynasty, it was still called Jianshui State, but the road was changed to a prefecture, and the Lin’an Prefecture administration was moved to Jianshui. In the Qianlong years of the Qing Dynasty, Jianshui State was changed to Jianshui County. In the first year of the Republic of China, Jianshui County was renamed Lin’an County, but the following year it reverted to Jianshui County.

The earliest form of Jianshui was an earthen city built during the Nanzhao period, which was expanded into a brick city in the 20th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1387). When Li Dingguo captured Lin’an City, the watchtowers on the north, south, and west sides were destroyed in the war. They were rebuilt in the fourth year of the Kangxi reign but later damaged again. Only the Chaoyang Tower on the east side, despite numerous wars and earthquakes over nearly six hundred years, still stands firmly. Jianshui County began building temple schools as early as the Yuan Dynasty. During the Hong years of the Ming Dynasty, the Lin’an Prefecture School was built, and in the Wanli years, the Jianshui Zhou Confucian School was constructed. In the Qing Dynasty, four academies—Chongzheng, Huawen, Chongwen, and Qujiang—were built within the ancient town. At that time, it was known as "Lin Half List," meaning that about half of the successful candidates in Yunnan’s imperial examinations came from Lin’an Prefecture, ranking it first in Yunnan and rare even nationwide. Therefore, Jianshui has long been honored with titles such as "Famous Land of Culture" and "Dian Nan Zou Lu." In 1994, Jianshui was designated as one of the third batch of National Historical and Cultural Cities by the State Council.

Jianshui Ancient Town has been listed as a National Historical and Cultural City. Having developed over twelve centuries, it preserves more than 50 ancient buildings and is honored as the "Museum of Ancient Architecture" and the "Museum of Residential Architecture."

Zhu Family Garden — A Legacy of Ancient Residential Architecture through Generations in Jianshui

Zhang Family Garden is located in Tuanshan Village, 13 kilometers west of Jianshui Town. Built in the late Qing Dynasty, it covers an area of about 10,000 square meters and is a private residence of the Zhang family. The basic layout follows the traditional Jianshui residential style of “four sides and five courtyards,” with two sets of three-courtyard compounds and a garden ancestral hall arranged in parallel rows. It is a large-scale residential complex with good construction quality and relatively intact preservation.

Chaoyang Tower was completed in the 22nd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1389) and has stood for over 600 years. It is one of the main symbols of the long history of Jianshui, a key town in southern Yunnan, and represents the old frontier stronghold of the motherland. During the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty, the Nanzhao regime built Hui Li City here, which was an earthen structure. In the 20th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, after pacifying Yunnan, the Ming army established the Lin’an Guard and built the Lin’an Guard City, expanding the original earthen city into a brick one. The city had four gates: Yinghui Gate to the east, Fu’an Gate to the south, Qingyuan Gate to the west, and Yongzhen Gate to the north. In the late Ming Dynasty, the southwest and north towers were destroyed in war, leaving only the east tower.

Swallow Cave is world-renowned for its ancient cave wonders, gathering swallows in spring, stalactite-hung plaques, and the unique skill of bird’s nest harvesting. Outside the cave, ancient trees and famous plants thrive between steep cliffs, covering over 30,000 square meters of natural forest land with lush foliage and dozens of bird species. Hundreds of thousands of white-rumped swifts nest on the cliffs inside and outside the cave, giving the cave its name. Every spring and summer, flocks of swallows arrive in great numbers, their chirping echoing through the cave along with the sound of flowing water, creating a symphony within the karst cave. The cave is also abundant in bird’s nests, a treasured nourishing and beauty-enhancing product. Each year at the beginning of autumn, local farmers climb up over 50 meters high and 450 meters long cave ceilings barehanded to harvest bird’s nests amid the stalactites—a thrilling spectacle. “An ancient cave embracing wonders, not just with spring swallows; who created this scenic wonder leaving flowing water hanging on cliffs?”

The long-renowned Shuanglong Bridge is a seventeen-arch stone bridge with double pavilions, located 5 kilometers west of Jianshui Town at the confluence of the Lushui and Tacun Rivers. It earned its name because the two rivers wind like two dragons. The so-called “two dragons” refer to the Tacun River and the Lushui River, symbolizing one bridge restraining “the two dragons.”

When visiting Jianshui, be sure to try grilled tofu and crossing-the-bridge rice noodles. Grilled tofu costs from 10 to 20 cents per piece (depending on size), and you can choose from dry or wet dipping sauces. Rice noodles cost just 2 yuan for a big bowl. If you visit before transplanting season, you can also try Jianshui’s specialty—grass sprouts—which are especially sweet and tender.

Hotels: Hotels in Jianshui use a star rating system. Currently, the highest rating is two stars, with some quasi-star hotels as well. Star-rated and quasi-star hotels generally offer luxurious facilities. Hot water is available all day, along with DVD players, IDD international and domestic telephone services, and amenities such as morning wake-up calls and luggage storage. Rooms come with disposable hygiene products, and hotels have dining sections where guests can dine in or request room service. Standard rooms typically range from 100 to 200 yuan, while suites are usually 300 to 600 yuan.

Guesthouses: Guesthouses in Jianshui are either run by organizations or privately operated. Facilities are usually simple, providing clean beds, boiled water, shared bathrooms, and in-room TVs. Rooms are divided into single, double, triple, and quadruple occupancy. Single rooms generally cost 40 to 60 yuan, and each bed about 10 to 20 yuan. Among them, the Xinhua Bookstore Guesthouse is within a ten-minute walk east from the Suanjiaoshu Bus Station, near the east gate of Chaoyang Tower, with prices under 20 yuan per person.

Suggested Duration

1 day

Transportation

Jianshui Ancient Town is located in southern Yunnan, on the northern bank of the middle reaches of the Red River, about 200 kilometers from Kunming. Jianshui Railway Station is located 10 kilometers north of Jianshui Town.

Train: Four daily trains running between Kunming and Mengzi all pass through Jianshui, with a journey of just over three hours. After exiting the train station, bus route 919 runs between the station and the east gate of the ancient town.

Bus: 1. From the long-distance bus station next to Kunming Railway Station, there are buses to Shiping that pass through Jianshui, with a journey of about four hours.

2. Direct express buses to Jianshui depart from Kunming Nanyao Bus Station, with fares around 80 yuan per person.

Multiple bus routes including Line 1, Line 13, and Line 15 run between the ancient town (east gate or Zhu Family Garden) and Jianshui Bus Station, with taxi flag-down fares within reach.

[Transportation Within the Ancient Town]

1. Jianshui Ancient Town is suitable for exploring on foot. It takes only about ten minutes to walk from the east gate to the west gate.

2. To visit more ancient bridges and wells, you can rent a bicycle for about 30 yuan per day.

3. Taxis have a starting fare of 5 yuan for the first 3 kilometers during the day, sufficient to cover most of the town.

4. City buses operate in loops, with all destinations reachable for 1 yuan.

5. On the north side of Beizheng Street—on the west—is a rural bus station where yellow minibuses operate routes to surrounding areas of the county, including Tuan Shan Village, Huanglong Temple, and Wan Yao.

Admission

The ancient city is free; the combined ticket for the Confucius Temple, Zhu Family Garden, and Swallow Cave is 133 RMB/person; individual tickets are 60 RMB for the Confucius Temple, 50 RMB for the Zhu Family Garden, and 80 RMB for the Swallow Cave.

Opening Hours

The ancient city is open all day; the Confucius Temple is open from 8:00–18:00, the Zhu Family Garden from 8:00–20:00, and the Swallow Cave from 9:00–17:00.

Location

Lin’an Town, Jianshui County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province