A warm winter town near Dali: Binchuanzhoucheng Ancient Town, a journey through time and space

Although Binchuan County and the city are not as famous and fashionable as Xishuangbanna, they are simple and unpretentious, and it is quite comfortable to stay for a few days. 🍂The ancient city of Zhoucheng, which belongs to Binchuan, is the most worth visiting. It has preserved ancient buildings. Since 1494 in the Ming Dynasty, Zhoucheng was once the seat of the state capital. The bell and drum tower on the cross street in the old city of Zhoucheng, Binxing Tower, was built in 1924, which is almost 100 years ago. There is also a large Confucian temple next to the city, as well as the old site of a Catholic church and other old buildings. But now there are hardly any tourists, and many old houses have been rebuilt or marked as dangerous. The county town is not big and can be walked around. I wonder if the same thing will happen if the ancient city of Weishan is not repaired. ♦️There are buses directly from Dali Bus Station to Binchuan County, and there are minibuses from Binchuan County to Zhoucheng Town. ♦️You can drive or ride a bike and directly navigate to the state town. ♦️The ancient town of Zhoucheng is free and not very commercialized, with few restaurants and shops. ♦️Zhoucheng Town is small, it is recommended to stay in the nearby Binchuan City, which is very cheap. ♦️There are many snacks in front of Chengbei Market in downtown Binchuan. I recommend the 🥞rolled rice noodles at the northeast entrance for 4 yuan each. They are so delicious. ♦️The Buddhist holy land of Jizu Mountain is 28km away from Binchuan, and can only be reached by car. There is also the Guanyinqing Hanging Temple, 18km away from the county seat, which is also quite unique. ♦️Binchuan Pang has a "Two Pairs of Coffee" which is cheap and delicious.