[2024 Jianshui Attraction] Travel Guide for Chaoyang Tower (Updated Nov)

Kunming Check-in and travel to southern Yunnan Jianshui Chaoyang Tower

🍁 Jianshui Chaoyang Tower is known as the small Tiananmen in the southwest region. It has a history of more than 600 years, which is 28 years earlier than Tiananmen. On the east and west sides of the Chaoyang Tower, there are eight large plaques hanging under the eaves on the top floor, with the characters 'Xiongzhen Dongnan' and 'Feixia Liuyun', written by calligraphers from different dynasties. The wind chimes hanging on the flying eaves and corners of the tower play a pleasant sound in the wind, as if coming through the long river of history, adding a sense of ethereal liveliness and profound meaning to this ancient drum tower. 🍁 Every night, the tower lights up with dazzling lights, and many local residents dance in the square. The leisurely pace of Jianshui Ancient City seems to influence the tourists who come here, moving slowly and steadily. Under the reflection of countless colorful lights, it presents another unique scene.

My real feelings about the four cities in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan, the least popular travel destination

This trip to Yunnan was actually to visit some cities I had never been to before. So, the first stop was Honghe Prefecture. After passing through Mile, Mengzi, Gejiu, Jianshui, and Yuxi, I would like to share my most direct impressions of each city. 1️⃣ A very comfortable small city, but it lacks distinctive features. The biggest highlight is the hot springs, which are comfortably warm, attracting many elderly people to come here for retirement. During the off-season, accommodation costs only 80 yuan a day, including two meals, which shocked me when I heard the elderly talking about it on the bus. The city is not big, and its reputation as a city of gourmet food online didn't surprise me. The braised chicken rice noodles are okay, and you can eat chicken heads as you like. The taste of old Mile is not amazing, just normal. Ximen Restaurant offers affordable local flavors. Buddha City Mall is average, not as good as Mengzi's prices. The artificial lake in the city is far inferior to Erhai Lake. I didn't get to soak in the hot springs this time; maybe I'll try next time. 2️⃣ The capital of Honghe Prefecture, this place is a multi-ethnic gathering spot. I visited Dashuizhai Night Market and Haifengzhai Sunday Market, which are very original and make one want to stay a few more days. Additionally, you can really enjoy fruit freedom here, it's super cheap❗The Pioneer Bookstore in the old city center and a few old streets still have some charm. As for the attractions, I visited Bisezhai, the station where Feng Xiaogang filmed 'Youth'. To be honest, it was just average. Having traveled a lot and seen various beautiful sceneries, it's hard to get excited. Personally, I think Mengzi is more suitable for a residence life, with cheap living costs, a nice environment, and ethnic minority customs. 3️⃣ Famous as the 'Tin Capital' of Honghe Prefecture and one of the wealthiest cities. I just passed through and had a brief look during the day; it's indeed very bustling and lively. This liveliness is not only in urban construction but also in the fireworks of the farmers' markets. 4️⃣ Probably the most suitable city for travel in Honghe Prefecture, a book about Jianshui has shown many people this small cultural city in the south of Yunnan. Upon seeing the towering Chaoyang Tower, you know this is an ancient city with history. The main street in the city has been completely commercialized, but if you go deeper into the alleys, you will find many of them still preserve the most original appearance of Jianshui. Here, there are 10-yuan buffets, unimaginably cheap❗ I like the various alleys and vegetable markets here, as well as the locals who love to gather around the stove and eat tofu. In the ancient city, there are 128 ancient wells, and the tradition of using well water to make tofu is still preserved, all of which are the most original features of the local area. Overall, the prices in Southeast Yunnan are relatively cheap. But personally, I feel that Mile, because of its hot springs, has more elderly people and lacks vitality; Mengzi is suitable for living, with cheap prices, not many tourists, and a comfortable environment; Jianshui is the most suitable for travel, the ancient city is not too commercialized, and it's also very comfortable to stay in.

Free Travel in Eastern Yunnan and Guangxi (14) / The First Landmark of Jianshui / Chaoyang Tower, the Premier Building of the Dian Prefecture

📍 Jianshui is a national historical and cultural city, and Chaoyang Tower is the foremost historical landmark building of the ancient city, known as the 'Mini Tiananmen'. Climbing the city tower, one can overlook the lively life of Jianshui people full of the smoke of everyday life. 📍 On the east side of Chaoyang Tower is the giant plaque 'Xiong Zhen Dong Nan' written by Tu Rizhuo, a calligrapher from the Qing Dynasty hailing from Shiping, depicted in picture 2. It is one of the four famous Qing Dynasty plaques in Yunnan and the only one that has survived. Each character is nearly 2 meters in size, with structure and brushwork that are unparalleled in the world. On the west side hangs a replica of the Tang Dynasty calligraphy master Zhang Xu's cursive script plaque 'Fei Xia Liu Yun', shown in picture 4. 📍 Chaoyang Tower was built in the 22nd year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, 28 years earlier than Tiananmen. Stretching nearly a hundred meters from south to north, with upturned eaves, painted beams and carved rafters, towering and majestic, it is reputed as 'Dominating eight hundred li of the southern border, rightfully called the premier building of the Dian Prefecture'. The Ming Dynasty bell on the tower, over 2 meters tall and weighing 1700 kilograms, depicted in picture 10, can be heard from miles away when struck. Built on a high platform, Chaoyang Tower has three stories, with a dignified and domineering appearance, a traditional architectural structure without nails or rivets. It has withstood countless storms and several major earthquakes, yet stands firm, a testament to the glorious history of ancient Jianshui. 📍 To ascend the tower, one must purchase a separate ticket for 15 yuan per person. Before entering the ancient city, don't miss the opportunity to check in at the tower.

In the past, 'travel was slow, one lifetime was only enough to love one person'

Jianshui is beautiful, slow down and feel the romance of this small town. Today, I have come to the 'Southeast Zhenxiong' under the night sky, the 'Little Tiananmen' Chaoyang Tower, which was built in the 22nd year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. The tower has four levels, with the bottom layer made of brick and stone, and the three upper levels featuring a three-bay, five-bay, three-tiered eave architecture. On the east side hangs the four big characters 'Southeast Zhenxiong' written by the Qing Dynasty calligrapher Xu Zhuo, and below it, 'Chaoyang Tower' written by the Qing Dynasty calligrapher Wang Wenzhi, both complementing each other beautifully!

Jianshui Ancient City

The Jianshui City was originally a earth city built during the Nanzhao period, and was expanded into a brick city in the 20th year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1387). When Li Dingguo captured Lin'an City, the three city towers in the south, north and west were destroyed by war. It was repaired again in the fourth year of Kangxi, and then damaged again. Only the Chaoyang Tower of the East Gate, despite numerous wars and earthquakes, still stands tall after nearly six hundred years.

Jianshui‖An ancient city you won't regret visiting

Recommended check-in points Chaoyang Tower: A landmark historical building in Jianshui, the plaque and dougong on the city tower are worth seeing, and the night view is spectacular Lin'an Train Station🚞: An old train station on the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, preserving the historical appearance of the Republic of China period, very photogenic📸, suitable for ancient style series, you can also take a small train to Tuanshan Folk Houses and Shuanglong Bridge and other attractions Confucius Temple: Built during the Yuan Dynasty, well-preserved, large-scale, Zhu Family Garden: Garden-style design, well-organized houses, courtyards layered on top of each other, known as the Grand View Garden on the southwestern frontier, was the residence of Wu Sangui in Yunnan Shuanglong Bridge🌉: Seventeen-hole ancient bridge, smooth bluestone slabs, beautifully shaped pavilions, even more beautiful under the setting sun Address: Jianshui County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province

Hidden gem of a small ancient city - Jianshui

Hidden gem of a small ancient city - Jianshui It has a very local flavor, the ancient city is not particularly large, it can be toured in one or two days; it is said that the Chaoyang Tower is the mother of Tiananmen 🌸DAY1 Depart from Kunming for a two-hour bullet train🚅 to Jianshui Station→Take a taxi to the ancient city (Chaotianmen) There are several city gates in the ancient city, any one can do→Walk around to Zhu Family Garden→Take a small train to Shuanglong Bridge (as shown in the picture) →Zitao Street (you can experience making ceramics, kneading clay, if you want to buy something, you must bargain for half the price)→Return to Chaotianmen to see the night view→Catch the last train back to Kunming. 🌸Food recommendation: Papaya water (ice powder), stinky tofu, grass tooth rice noodles, spicy fried ants

Explore the ancient city of Jianshui and experience the historical and cultural charm of southern Yunnan

Jianshui, an ancient city with a thousand years of history, is located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. With its beautiful scenery and abundant resources, it is a worthwhile tourist destination💯. When you come to Jianshui, you must not miss the various delicacies here🍲. Jianshui tofu is one of the local specialties, with a delicate taste and delicious flavor. In addition, Jianshui also has many other delicacies, such as steam pot chicken, grass sprouts, swallow nest pastry, etc., to satisfy your taste buds😋. In addition to the food, there are many historical and cultural attractions in Jianshui worth seeing. Jianshui Confucius Temple is one of the iconic buildings here and a national key cultural relics protection unit. There are also many ancient buildings and streets, such as Chaoyang Tower, Zhu Family Garden, Xuezheng Examination Hall, etc., allowing you to feel the historical and cultural heritage of Jianshui📸. If you like natural scenery, Jianshui will not disappoint you. There are many beautiful natural landscapes here, such as Swallow Cave, Tuan Mountain Houses, Seventeen-hole Bridge, etc., allowing you to feel the charm of nature🌳. Jianshui also has many local characteristic activities, such as Jianshui folk songs, lanterns, dragon and lion dances, etc., allowing you to better understand the local culture and customs🎉. 🚌🏨Travel guide: You can take a plane to Mengzi Airport near Jianshui Ancient City, or take a train to Jianshui Station.🚆🚉 💰💲Ticket guide: Some attractions require tickets, such as Zhu Family Garden, Confucius Temple, etc., it is recommended to understand the ticket prices in advance.💰💲 🍃🌼Accommodation guide: There are many hotels and homestays near Jianshui Ancient City, you can choose according to your needs and budget.🍃🌼 🔍🔧Play guide: It is recommended to reserve 2-3 days for visiting Jianshui Ancient City to fully experience the charm of the ancient city.🔍🔧 In summary, Jianshui is a charming tourist destination. Whether you like food, history and culture, or natural scenery, it can meet your needs. Come to Jianshui and start an unforgettable journey!🎈

The architectural style of Chaoyang Tower is a fusion of architectural styles of the Yuan and Ming dynasties. It is a landmark of Jianshui Ancient City, an important landmark for water tourism, and a symbol of the preservation of the important towns of southern Anhui in the past six centuries. There is a couple of praises: "Dongyu Boyun, male is eight hundred miles away from southern Xinjiang; the strong Zhuangshan River is called the first floor of the government." Chaoyang Building has been listed by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit. The large number of historical photos displayed in the Chaoyang Building opened up another door to my impression of Yunnan. This door is different from the beautiful imagination of the south of the clouds. Let me be clear about the difference in history of Yunnan Province as a border province in the southernmost province of China.

I have been longing for Yunnan. When I arrived here, I felt that it was not just the scenery I had never seen, but also the strange history of the border. Just like the Chaoyang Tower, I knew that there would be such a stop during the trip. I thought it was a normal attraction, and it would even be an influential restaurant. When I look here, I know that in the center of Jianshui Ancient City, regardless of the modern traffic, I am ignoring the magnificent architecture that has come from history.