Beyond Lijiang and Dali: The Best Old Towns in Yunnan Province
The old towns of Dali and Lijiang have long been staples on every Yunnan traveler’s itinerary, but they are not the only, or even the best, ancient towns in Yunnan province. If the throngs of tourists and the endless rows of bars and guesthouses of Dali and Lijiang have left you underwhelmed, check out these towns that time left behind.
1. Heshun Old Town (Tengchong)
The area surrounding the city of Tengchong, just 70 kilometers from the border of Burma, is packed full of history, and the old town of Heshun, located just outside of Tengchong proper, is no exception. At the foot of a hill and encircled by a river, Heshun’s beautiful vistas of fields of yellow rapeseed flowers alongside the rolling hills of long dormant volcanos are like nothing else in Yunnan. Tengchong has long been a center of the jade trade between Burma and China, and many many jade markets line Tengchong’s streets as well as the alleys and pathways of Heshun.
2. Shaxi Old Town (Jianchuan)
Shaxi is a historical old town that was once a part of the Tea-Horse caravan route that went from Yunnan into Tibet, India and Southeast Asia. Jianchuan county is located roughly between Dali and Lijiang, and the old town of Shaxi will give you more sense of history than either of its two neighbors, being smaller and less modernised than Dali or Lijiang. The highlights of Shaxi include a centuries old stone bridge on the edge of town, and the old theater, located in the middle of the town square.
Shaxi Market Square | ©Jessica Larson
3. Baisha Old Town (Lijiang)
Baisha is not far from the old town of Lijiang, although it is situated relatively closer to the Jade Dragon Snow mountain, and offers stunning views of this snow capped peak all year round. Baisha is most well known for the ancient Buddhist murals that lined the walls of Baisha’s Dabaoji Palace, a temple built during the Ming dynasty, however, there are other things to see and do in Baisha as well.
4. Heijing Old Town (Lufeng)
Heijing, a center of the lucrative salt industry from the Tang dynasty to the Qing dynasty, was once one of the most important towns in Yunnan province. Heijing is in Lufeng county, near Chuxiong, which makes it an easy day trip from Kunming, although it is one of the less built-up, more rural old towns on the list. Check out the old salt factory and the salt well while you’re there, and get a feel for what a central and vital role salt played in this local economy. The Wu family got rich from the salt industry in Heijing, and their family mansion is still standing. Among Yunnan’s old towns, Heijing is a unique snapshot of a bygone time and a once thriving industry.
5. Weishan Old Town (Dali)
Weishan Old Town is about an hour away from Dali by car, and, like nearby Dali and Shaxi, home to the Bai ethnic minority people. In recent years tourism has come to Weishan, but it is still relatively less commercialized than Dali or Lijiang, and most of the shops and buildings that line the streets are operated for locals, by locals. Weishan is named for its proximity to Weibaoshan, a Daoist mountain temple that is nearby, and the main attraction of the area.
6. Jianshui Old Town (Honghe)
Bridge
If you’re headed to Yuanyang to see the famous rice paddy terraces, or heading to the Vietnamese border town of Hekou, consider making a stop in Jianshui along the way. Just a few hours south and east of Kunming, Jianshui is home to some excellent examples of Ming and Qing architecture that are both beautiful and well preserved.
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