Tuanshan Residence Travel Guide (take the Jianshui little train)

Tuanshan Residence refers to the ancient Tuanshan village on the west side of Jianshui Old Town in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan. Today, it still largely retains the appearance from two hundred years ago, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, where the Han and Yi cultures of Yunnan merged. The houses in the village all face east, with roofs covered in green tiles and exterior walls plastered with white lime. The eaves are upturned, and when combined with the exquisite local wood carvings, they exude a unique charm of multiculturalism. 🚉 Jianshui Little Train: The Jianshui Little Train is a short section of the century-old Yunnan-Vietnam Railway narrow-gauge railway. The current sightseeing route, which starts from the old Jianshui station, is 13 kilometers long and takes about 4 hours for a round trip. Along the way, it passes through Shuanglong Bridge Station and Xianghui Bridge Station, but the free time at these two stations is only about half an hour each, so the time to visit nearby old buildings is quite tight. Tuanshan Station, as the end of the line, has a train stop of nearly two hours, so there is ample time to visit Tuanshan Residence. The morning train stays at Tuanshan Residence from about 10:30 to 13:00, and the afternoon train from about 16:00 to 18:00. The morning train stops for an extra half hour, but the afternoon train's stay, with the sunset light, is more suitable for photography. 📝 Time Allocation to Avoid Crowds: To save unnecessary time, after getting off at Jianshui Train Tuanshan Station, you can take a free shuttle bus directly to Tuanshan Residence. The residence is actually built on a small hill south of the railway track, forming a village nestled against the mountain, with a small pond in between. Since it's not far, it only takes about ten minutes to walk from the village to the railway track, and if you have plenty of time when descending the hill, you can choose to walk. Entering the village from the tourist center, you'll be near the East Village Gate. From here, there are two main routes to the left and right. Most tourists from the same train choose the right side, heading to the most famous Zhang Family Garden and North Village Gate. Therefore, you can choose to first take the left route, heading to the Scholar's Mansion, Sima's Residence, South Village Gate, etc. These places are not as well-preserved as the buildings on the right, but choosing the opposite direction can help avoid the crowds. The small bridges, flowing water, and farmland near Tuanshan Station, as well as the narrow-gauge railway, are also good spots for photography. If time allows, there's no need to rush back to the train; a stroll in the vicinity might bring some special surprises.