Chuxiong·Yiren Ancient Town - A new ancient town full of life.

After visiting the Yi October Solar Calendar Cultural Park, it was time for dinner. As we were driving ourselves, we needed to find a place with good parking. That's how we came across Yiren Ancient Town. To be honest, when we first arrived at Yiren Ancient Town, it felt like the many other characteristic towns that have sprung up in China in recent years. The same imitation ancient architecture, the same small bridges and flowing water, the same trendy bars. However, Yiren Ancient Town is different in that it has a strong sense of life. As we recall, the Yi Ancient Town in Mangshi was just as popular as Yiren Ancient Town in Chuxiong, and it was full of life. From their clothes, appearance, and accents, it was clear that many locals came here. This was in stark contrast to the deserted or tourist bus-only new ancient towns elsewhere. Entering the ancient town from the Yiren Ancient Town Archway, there was a long commercial street full of tent shops. It was very lively, and it even felt like the most lively place in Chuxiong City. At 6 or 7 pm, the streets were packed with people, which was truly impressive. There was also a Yi tribe in Yiren Ancient Town. We were not allowed to enter at the gate, and it seemed to be a paid area. However, I saw that it was full of tourist buses, so I guess it was one of those legendary low-price group shopping stores. Of course, we stayed away. We had a Yi meal at Yiren Ancient Town, but it didn't leave a very deep impression. We couldn't find any Sichuan Liangshan barbecue restaurants, so it seems that there is a big difference in food culture between the Yi people of Yunnan and Sichuan. After eating and shopping, our short trip to Chuxiong came to an end. This is an ordinary prefecture-level city in China. There is nothing particularly attractive in the city itself, and Chuxiong's tourist attractions are all in the counties below, such as Yuanmou's ape-man and earth forest, and Lufeng's dinosaurs. However, none of them seem to be particularly famous, so there are basically no tourists who come here specifically. Like us, they can only be a stopover on a self-driving tour. However, we do feel that such a simple non-tourist city is quite pleasant. The prices are low, and it's not noisy. In fact, it's quite good and suitable as a travel destination. Radiating out from here to the surrounding areas might be a more cost-effective option.