Jianchuan

Shaxi's Sideng Street, the only surviving market town on the Tea Horse Road, plus the Nanzhao grottoes of Shibao Mountain and Jianchuan's woodcarving old town – a slow-travel stop between Dali and Lijiang.

Jianchuan County lies in the north of Yunnan's Dali Prefecture, between Dali Old Town (about 120 km) and Lijiang Old Town (about 90 km). It is one of the counties with the highest proportion of Bai people, is famed as the “home of woodcarving,” and sits at around 2,200 m with a mild climate year-round. Sightseeing falls into two areas. In the south, Shaxi Ancient Town is the best-preserved old market town on the Yunnan–Tibet Tea Horse Road: the Sideng Street square, Xingjiao Temple, the old opera stage, the East Gate and Yujin Bridge over the Heihui River form its core. With plenty of guesthouses and cafés and an unhurried pace, it's a place to stay a while. About 12 km north of Shaxi is Shibao Mountain, home to the Shizhongshan Grottoes from the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdom eras and the cliffside Baoxiang Temple. In the north, around the county town, are the old streets of Jianchuan Old Town, the Thousand Lions Mountain at Manxianlin and the Jianhu Lake wetland – allow half a day to a full day. Getting there: Jianchuan has no railway; hire a car or drive from Dali Old Town or Lijiang Old Town (about 2–2.5 hours), or take a long-distance bus to Jianchuan town or Diannan and change for Shaxi (about 30 km from the county town). The best seasons are Mar–May and Sep–Nov; Jun–Aug is the rainy season with frequent afternoon showers. The Shibao Mountain Song Festival at the end of the seventh lunar month is a major traditional Bai celebration. Plan on 2 days, with one night in Shaxi.

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