Compared to Dali, I have a deeper affection for this severely underrated small city in Yunnan

Compared to popular destinations, I prefer distinctive and less-known places. Yunnan has a city with profound cultural heritage—Honghe Jianshui🏯 Here, not only can you find a massive ancient city, numerous ancient buildings, and many ancient bridges, but also spectacular karst caves, the small trains of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, and a rich array of cultural and natural landscapes, along with characteristic barbecue and reasonable prices🎉 After visiting enough internet-famous spots, a place with a slow pace, full of cultural heritage and the atmosphere of daily life is worth visiting‼️ Take a few days to organize a good travel plan and consider saving it❗ . 🚌How to get there 🚗High-speed train: There are bullet trains from Kunming to Jianshui, 2H 🚗Self-driving: The highway is also very convenient, only 2.5H drive from Kunming. . 🗺Travel Guide 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝟏: Kunming➠Jianshui Ancient City, Confucian Temple➠Zhilin Temple➠Zhu Family Garden➠Chaoyang Tower➠Ancient Wells Group, etc.➠Xiaogui Lake 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝟐: Lin'an Train Station➠Shuanglong Bridge➠Xianghuiqiao Station➠Tuanshan Village➠Swallow Cave➠Return trip . ✅✅✅Recommended Visits 📌Confucian Temple Built during the Yuan Dynasty, it is grand in scale and well-preserved. It is the third-largest Confucian temple in the country. Ticket: 38 . 📌Zhilin Zen Temple Built in 1295, it has been around for more than 700 years and is a rare well-preserved ancient wooden structure from the Yuan Dynasty. It also houses two Ming Dynasty Buddhist fine-line murals. Ticket: Free . 📌Zhu Family Garden Known as the Grand View Garden of the southwestern frontier, the layout of the houses is orderly, and the courtyards are layered, forming a maze-like architectural complex. The garden design is also very impressive. Ticket: 35 · 📌Ancient Wells Group Jianshui has a large number of ancient wells, some located in busy markets, some hidden in private houses, in various shapes, and they are still used by locals for daily water fetching. Ticket: Free . 📌Chaoyang Tower A landmark of Jianshui, built during the Ming Dynasty. Not only is it grand in scale, but the dougong brackets and plaques on the city tower are also very interesting, especially the night view. Ticket: Free . 📌Xiaogui Lake A small lake next to the ancient city, surrounded by various teahouses and bars, full of the atmosphere of daily life. Ticket: Free . 📌Lin'an Train Station An ancient train station on the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, both the exterior and interior have retained the style of the Republic of China, very picturesque. You can also take the meter-gauge train to visit attractions such as Shuanglong Bridge and Tuanshan Village. Ticket: Free . 📌Shuanglong Bridge A spectacular seventeen-arch ancient bridge, with smooth bluestone slabs and exquisitely designed pavilions, it is even more beautiful at sunset. Ticket: Free . 📌Xianghuiqiao Station An even more niche ancient train station, with mottled French-style station buildings and swaying plane trees, it feels like being transported to Europe in a second. Ticket: Free . 📌Tuanshan Village A treasure trove of ancient residential buildings, dozens of well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty houses, a visual feast. Ticket: 35 . 📌Swallow Cave A spectacular karst cave, where you can also watch thrilling performances of harvesting swallow nests. Ticket: 55 . 🏠Accommodation | Jianshui Chuxi Homestay ✔Close to Lin'an Station, very convenient to walk to the ancient city ✔Clean and tidy, with many surrounding amenities . 🥙【Food Recommendations】 ▪Jianshui Renjia: The environment is average, but the steam pot chicken is very fragrant ▪Yaojia Barbecue: A very characteristic Jianshui barbecue ▪Xianghuiqiao Station Restaurant: A restaurant built inside an ancient train station, with great scenery and atmosphere . 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 🔸If you have enough time, you can combine trips to Mengzi and Shiping for a visit