First Town of the Tea Horse Road in Western Yunnan! 700 Years of Horse Hoofprints Shattering Time in Lushi
Travel Guide:
Lushi Ancient Town is located in Lushi Town, Fengqing County, Lincang City. The most convenient way is to first arrive at Fengqing County Town and then transfer by vehicle.
· Kunming → Lincang: High-speed train about 3.5 hours, ticket price about 200 RMB; Lincang → Fengqing by bus about 2 hours, 50 RMB/person.
· Kunming → Yun County: High-speed train about 3.5 hours, about 200 RMB; Yun County → Fengqing by ride-hailing car about 30 RMB per person, or by bus about 33 RMB.
· Fengqing → Lushi: Shuttle bus from the passenger station 1.5 hours, 20-25 RMB/person, 6-8 trips daily; carpool 80-100 RMB per person, charter 300-400 RMB per car (4 people), self-driving about 1.5 hours via S312 Provincial Road.
· The ancient town is fully walkable, no transportation costs.
· Total (one-way per person): Kunming → Lincang → Fengqing → Lushi about 270 RMB; Kunming → Yun County → Fengqing → Lushi about 253 RMB; carpool adds 30-50 RMB, charter about 75-100 RMB per person.
· Tips: Travel in spring and autumn; road conditions may be affected during the rainy season (June to August); buy shuttle bus tickets one day in advance; carpool drivers can be found outside Fengqing passenger station.
Hotel Recommendations 🏨:
· Experience Style 🏠
For an in-depth experience of the horse caravan culture, choose homestays converted from century-old horse inns. For example, Lushi Yizhan and Tea Horse Family Homestay. Open the window to see the bluestone streets, and the owners will warmly brew tea for you.
· Price: About 80-150 RMB per person per night.
· Scenic View Style 🌄
To overlook the entire ancient town, it is recommended to stay in a slightly elevated area. For example, Lushi Kuige Inn, close to the viewing platform, with a new Chinese style and excellent views, where you can see the whole town shrouded in morning mist.
· Price: About 380-480 RMB per night.
· Comfort Style 🚗
If self-driving or requiring higher accommodation standards, choose hotels next to the ancient town with updated facilities and convenient parking. For example, Fengqing Lushi Hotel and Ancient Town Grand Hotel, just a few minutes’ walk to the town center.
· Price: About 180-300 RMB per night.
Accommodation Tips
· Booking: The number of homestays in the ancient town is limited, especially during holidays, so it is recommended to book in advance.
· Facilities: The old houses in the ancient town have relatively simple facilities; you may encounter unstable water pressure or average sound insulation, so be prepared.
Recommended Attractions:
Must-Visit Spots
· Sifang Street and Ancient Post Road 🏮
The heart of the ancient town and the former trading center of the horse caravans. The most striking feature is the deep horse hoofprints on the bluestone pavement, the best witness to history. Start from the iconic “Stair Street” (66 stone steps) for the best experience.
· Luo Family Courtyard 🏠
The best-preserved large family residence in the ancient town, exquisitely built, showcasing the glory of the horse caravan merchants. It’s like a “living dictionary” of horse caravan culture, offering deep insights into its history.
· Ancient Opera Stage 🎭
A Ming Dynasty building with distinctive flying eaves and upturned corners. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday afternoons, intangible cultural heritage inheritors perform Dian Opera here, a great chance to experience local culture.
· Viewing Platform 🌄
A few minutes’ walk uphill from the main street’s end. This is the best spot to overlook the entire ancient town, with vast black-tiled roofs and distant green mountains, especially beautiful at dusk.
· Qinglong Bridge 🌉
The must-cross ancient iron chain bridge over the Heihui River for horse caravans entering Lushi. It is located in a perilous terrain and is very spectacular. Admission about 10 RMB.
Travel Tips
· Tickets: The ancient town is free to enter; some old residences like Luo Family Courtyard are also free, but small attractions like Qinglong Bridge may charge separately.
· Suggested Duration: One day is enough for a leisurely visit; staying one night (2 days 1 night) is more enjoyable to experience the tranquility of early morning and evening.
· Best Time: Early morning is the most beautiful time in the ancient town, with mist swirling, perfect for photographing empty stone streets and the lively daily life of locals.
Food Recommendations:
Special Snacks (about 30 RMB per person)
· Baba Roll 🌯: Rice cake rolled with fried dough sticks and sauce, savory and crispy, the most common street snack, about 5 RMB each.
· Stone Plate Grilled Tofu 🔥: Tofu made with local well water, grilled on a stone plate until crispy outside and tender inside, dipped in special sauce, about 10 RMB per plate.
· Thin Bean Flour Rice Noodles 🥢: A good breakfast choice, thin bean flour made from soybean flour poured over rice noodles, warm and comforting.
· Pickled Pear 🍐: A local specialty pickled product, sour and crunchy, a “secret weapon” to refresh the palate.
Main Meal Recommendations (about 50-80 RMB per person)
· Lushi Ham 🐷: Local specialty cured by traditional methods, salty and rich, try ham fried rice or steamed rice with ham.
· Sour Papaya Chicken 🐔: Stewed with local sour papaya and native chicken, the soup is sour, spicy, and appetizing, very good with rice.
· Tofu Feast 🥘: Lushi’s tofu is famous, with various preparations like fried, stir-fried, and stewed. You can enjoy a full “tofu feast” at restaurants.
Tea Experience
· Fengqing Roasted Tea 🍵: A must-try local roasted tea, where tea leaves are roasted in a ceramic pot before brewing, with a strong aroma. Many homestay owners will warmly serve it.
Cultural Stories:
In 1639, the traveler Xu Xiake visited Lushi and marveled at its prosperity, recording in his travel notes the grand scene of “Niegangtou, where hundreds of families lived leaning against the hill.” The ancient town’s “three streets, seven alleys, and one square,” and the 66-step bluestone Stair Street bear deep horse hoofprints, witnesses to the horse caravans’ day and night journeys. The horse caravans transported tea out of Yunnan and carried goods into Tibet. In old teahouses like “Junchang,” the aroma of roasted tea mixed with horse-driving songs, embodying the horse-driving rules of “not greedy, not occupying, fair and trustworthy.” During the War of Resistance, Lushi became a military supply route, and the horse caravans’ hoofprints fortified the western Yunnan defense line.
The architecture is a microcosm of cultural integration. Old residences like Luo Family Courtyard blend Jiangsu and Zhejiang courtyard styles with Bai ethnic painted screen walls. The ancient opera stage keeps Dian Opera alive. Famous figures such as Ming Dynasty Minister of Revenue Gong Yi and translator Luo Jinan came from Lushi. Fengming Academy was once the prototype of Yunnan University, continuing the literary tradition. Today, elders still sing horse-driving songs, and amid ancient bridges, flowing water, black tiles, and cooking smoke, the spirit of the Tea Horse Road is passed down through generations, becoming the soul of the ancient town.