Self-driving tour in Southeast Yunnan, my 2 days and 2 nights itinerary and experience in Jianshui

After leaving Yuanyang, the next stop on my self-driving tour of Southeast Yunnan was Jianshui. I set off from the Yuanyang terraces in the morning, covering a distance of 130 kilometers. As a long stretch of the journey was through mountain roads, it took me 2 and a half hours to reach Jianshui. Since self-driving is convenient, I chose a hotel near the high-speed train station and gave up on the homestays in the ancient city. I settled into the hotel first, then drove to Jianshui Ancient Town. I navigated to Chaoyang Tower and found an underground parking lot nearby to park. Walking on the streets of Jianshui, I felt as if I had traveled back in time, to the slow-paced days of 10 or 20 years ago. Under the blue sky and white clouds, Chaoyang Tower was majestic, and it really gave off a bit of a mini Tiananmen vibe. After passing through the tree-lined Lin'an Road, I chose Lin'an Restaurant for lunch. It still retains memories from decades ago, where you first buy a ticket at the window and then take the ticket to collect your meal. The steam pot chicken was different from what I imagined, a bit greasy and salty. The roasted buns were also a bit too rich for my taste, which might have been related to my cold affecting my appetite. After lunch, I went to Zhu's Garden, with an admission fee of 35 yuan. Although I've visited many unique gardens in various places, I was still amazed by the clever layout and the exquisite and lavish decorations of Zhu's Garden, which is definitely worth a visit. Strolling through Jianshui Ancient Town, I was attracted by the unique charm and slow pace of Jianshui, so I decisively changed my itinerary from 2 days and 1 night to 2 days and 2 nights. The next morning, I set out for my first stop, Beishan Taozhuang, with an admission fee of 30 yuan. The landscape made up of various ceramic products was well-arranged and photogenic, making it worth a visit. Then I experienced the Jianshui narrow-gauge train. For the sake of time and convenience for taking photos, we chose to self-drive along the train line. First, we went to the farthest Tuanshan Station, then to Xianghui Bridge Station. We spent an afternoon in the station restaurant, basking in the sun and looking out at the rice fields. Later, we went to see the Shuanglong Bridge. Since it was Saturday, it was very crowded and traffic was heavy, so we left before sunset. Back at the west gate of the ancient town, we first visited the miraculous Daban Well, where many people came to draw water from a pool of azure well water. You can try the 5 yuan self-service tofu pudding and soy milk across from the well. There weren't many tourists in the west gate ancient town. The sunlight shone on the shiny stone roads, and people sat leisurely in the small shops along the street, eating grilled tofu. The griller was unhurried, and the eaters were relaxed. Jianshui, in my heart, is just like this grilled tofu, soft times wrapped in the trials of the years. Every weekend, at 8:30 pm, there is a light show at Chaoyang Tower that can be seen from the roadside. It lasts for 15 minutes and is really beautiful, lifelike and impressive. After the light show, I strolled around the streets. The temperature was neither cold nor hot, and people were happily dancing in the square. I began to understand why many people choose to travel and live in Jianshui. On the third day, I packed up my luggage. Before leaving Jianshui, I visited the last attraction, Yigongfang. The admission fee was 40 yuan, and it came with a 10 yuan voucher for consumption. Yigongfang is not very big, the main attraction is the colorful brick maze near the parking lot, which is suitable for taking photos. After snapping away, I left in less than an hour, and our next stop was Fuxian Lake. I am Yilan, a photographer who loves to travel. Join me to explore new and beautiful places to have fun and see.❤