The Best Ancient Towns and Villages in Kunming

Plan your Kunming Ethnic Villages Tour to Kunming? Visit Best Ancient Towns and Villages, Kunming which is one of the most fascinating ethnic villages in Kunming. Explore the local folk ethnic culture including History, Food and Dining, Clothing, Customs and Traditions, Architecture, Festivals, Crafts, Religion, Language of local ethnic people in Best Ancient Towns and Villages, Kunming.

If you don’t have much time to explore the charm of ancient towns in Yunnan provinces and cities, then don’t be depressed. Today, we will continue our journey of discovery of ancient towns, but this time we don’t have to travel far, because in Kunming, there are unique ancient towns that you know or don’t know, and the scenery is still beautiful.

Guandu ancient town

多少行人此来往，马蹄踏破五更霜此地酒帘邀我醉，隔船笙鼓送我归

The Miaozhan Temple, the “top among the six temples” in Guandu, was built in 1290, the 27th year of Zhiyuan in the Yuan Dynasty. The most striking is still the Diamond Throne Pagoda in front of the Miaozhan Temple, which is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

The famous eight scenic spots of Guandu, namely “Gudu Fishing Lantern”, “Luofeng Diancui”, “Yuntai Moonlight”, “Apricot Shepherd”, “Lingyun Smoke”, “South Yunnan Lawn”, “King Kong Night Language” and “Pen Writing Sky”.

Introduction: The gate of Guandu Ancient Town (Archway) is located 8 kilometers southeast of Kunming. There are many cultural monuments and rich cultural landscapes, including the five mountains, six temples, seven pavilions, and eight temples of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Address: Shangyi Village, Guandu Town, Guandu District, Kunming City. Specialty

food: Guandu Baba, rice noodles, bait blocks, pea flour. Level: National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Tickets: Free. Jincheng Ancient Town

Jincheng Ancient Town has a relatively special position in architectural history and urban construction history. The urban construction layout of the Ming and Qing dynasties that is still preserved covers an area of about more than 600,000 square meters. It is composed of eight streets such as Upper West Street, Lower West Street, and Guanjing Street in the old town, forming a square pattern supplemented by dozens of alleys. It is said that this pattern has been preserved since the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.

The residential courtyards retained in the streets and alleys are mostly of “stilted house” and “a seal-like” structure, adopting the courtyard layout of “three rooms and four annexes” and “two rooms and two annexes”.

Brief Introduction: The old capital of Yunnan, surrounded by mountains on three sides and a hilly plain with a lake on one side, is the birthplace and center of Yunnan culture, and the natural landscape is extremely beautiful.

Address: Jinning County, Jinning Town, southeast bank of Dianchi Lake,

Transportation: There are cars at all long-distance passenger stations in Kunming. Jinning Town has Kunyu Expressway and Jinjiang Highway crossing the border vertically and horizontally, and the transportation is convenient.

Features: fire biscuits, crispy rice candy, rock sugar sand cake, meat Baba silk, crispy stewed roll powder, vegetable bean flower,

Grade: National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit,

Ticket: Free

Leju Village

The adobe houses were in the most primitive posture, and they were scattered along the mountain to the top of the mountain. The green trees and tiles reflected each other under the sunlight, and countless green slabs connected the old houses. Walking on the stone steps covered with green grass, it was inevitable that the footsteps would be slow, and occasionally a cluster of wild flowers blooming around the corner would surprise people.

Leju Village has a history of more than 600 years. The big trees reaching into the sky, the bluish-gray tiles, the peeling adobe walls, the Longtan spring that is still flowing, and the moat surrounding the village. Leju Village silently tells its history of more than 600 years in a picturesque way. Houses are the soul of the village. Here, there are all “Yikeyin” houses. Among them, more than 30 old houses are more than 200 years old, and 40 old houses are more than 100 years old. Chinese traditional architecture is difficult to preserve, but Leju Village can be presented completely in front of people, which has to make people amazed.

Brief Introduction: In the northwest suburb of Kunming, there is a huge stone mill on the small square in front of the village. It has applied for the Guinness Book of World Records and is the largest stone mill in the world. It has a history of more than 600 years.

Address: Tuopai Administrative Village, Tuanjie Town, Xishan District,

Transportation: Follow the Beijing-Kunming Expressway, go in the direction of Fumin and Wuding, cross the Phuket Bridge, enter the Kunming Ring Expressway from the Turtle Mountain Interchange, and drive about 5 kilometers in the direction of Tuanjie Mountain. Enter Tuanle Road,

Features: Pepper Chicken, Fried Artificial Mushrooms, Fried Beef Dry Bar,

Level: Traditional Chinese Village,

Admission: Free

Tianba Village

Tianba Village is a traditional Yi ethnic village with strong Yi cultural characteristics. The villagers in this village mostly speak Yi language when communicating. Both adults and children can speak it. There are also folk songs and ditties sung in Yi language.

The village is not only skillfully combined with terrain, landforms and landscapes, but also continuously improved and constructed, making the cultural atmosphere of the ancient village increasingly strong. On the walls and in the courtyards of many farmers’ houses, golden corns are piled up, forming a beautiful scenery.

Brief Introduction: It is a mountainous agricultural township that integrates ethnic minorities, old revolutionary base areas, water source protection areas, “gold medal seedling old encouragement” and folk folk culture eco-tourism.

Address: Tianba Village, Shuanghe Township, Jinning County.

Transportation: Get off the expressway at the Qingshuihe Toll Station along the Gaohai Expressway or Kunyu Expressway. You can reach Shuanghe Yi Township along the rural road through Baofeng Town.

Features: Kunming braised duck, Yunnan flavor hot pot, cold rice noodles, Dianchi high times crucian carp, cat forest braised duck,

Grade: Kunming intangible cultural heritage,

Admission: free

Nuohei Village

Stones can talk. Girls love singing. Entering the village is a scene. Entering a household has a long history.

Entering Nuohei Village, the first thing that catches the eye is an all-encompassing sight of slate houses, slate walls, slate tiles, roads paved with slate, and thresholds made of stone blocks. They build the first floor with stones, while the second floor is made of wood. The walls are covered with creepers, and the yards are filled with golden corns, bamboo sieves and red peppers. Some slate houses have a history of over a hundred years. Moreover, slate houses only exist in Nuohei Village. They are unique and representative.

The Sani people in the village are warm and simple. The dishes here are served in brown pottery bowls. The Yi people like “eight local dishes” when having a meal. When a large bowl of maize wine is brought over and then a Yi people’s toast song is sung, people are intoxicated by the song and the aroma of wine.

Brief Introduction: Nuohei Village, a unique “stone ancient village” in central Yunnan, is a typical Sani village. The village is filled with a faint smell of firewood, and the whole village exudes an original ecological atmosphere.

Address: Nuohei Village, Guishan Town, Shilin County

Traffic: Go east along Kunshi Expressway, enter Xishi Highway and drive 3 kilometers in the direction of Luxi Alu Scenic Area, turn right to Jiushi Highway.

Features: Tuba Bowl: that is, local chicken, fried bacon, bacon boiled red beans, milk cakes, local eggs, buckwheat Baba dipped in honey, sauerkraut potato soup, and water stewed pumpkin.

Level: Chinese Traditional Village, Yunnan Cultural Inheritance Demonstration Village, Kunming Cultural Tourism Characteristic Village and Town “

Ticket: Free

Fuan Village

The village is built against the mountain. In the center of the village, there is a pavement paved with bluestones. This section has always been the only way for people in the village to enter and exit since the village was established. It is also the place for the village fair. So it can be regarded as an old street in the village. The traditional buildings in the village mainly include the Beimin Temple built in the tenth year of Yongzheng and the Guansheng Palace built in the fourteenth year of Guangxu. Traditional buildings were built in the Qing Dynasty. On both sides of the street are traditional folk houses, all of which are of civil structure with tiled roofs. Some of the folk houses still have exquisitely carved small wooden works. The patio is paved with bluestones. It has certain historical and artistic value, is relatively complete in preservation, and the buildings are relatively concentrated.

Brief Introduction: The village was formed in the Ming Dynasty and was formerly known as Huangtupo. After the war in the late Ming Dynasty, it was changed to Fu’an according to the meaning of “peace and peace for happiness”. The village area is 1.1 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 1387 people. It is a strip-shaped settlement extending north-south.

Address: Fu’an Village, Jincheng Town, Jinning County,

Transportation: National Highway 213 (Kunluo Highway) crosses the border, and Kunyu Expressway connects to the urban area. Features: Baozhu Pear, Fresh Shrimp Dumpling, Sauce Lion,

Grade: Traditional Chinese Village,

Admission: Free

Xinzhai Village

Entering Xinzhai Village, the beautiful patterns on the walls come into view. The most famous one is “Dianle”, which is the product of the predecessors of the Luo people’s pursuit of free love, independent marriage, breaking away from traditional concepts and struggling a long time ago.

Brief Introduction: Xinzhai Village still retains the relatively complete ethnic cultural elements of the Yi branch – the Lou people, with costumes, dances,

embroidery, traditional dwellings and customs, with the typical settlement characteristics of the Yi people.

Address: Liujie Township, Jinning County,

Traffic: Shangkunyu Expressway, get off the expressway in Yujiahaikou, and then drive about 8 kilometers along Duanyu Highway,

Features: Buckwheat buns, kohlrabi, Grade: City Intangible Cultural Heritage,

Admission: Free

Muqian Village

In Mujia Village, there has been an ancient legend about “fairy footprints” passed down through generations. It is said that once a fairy passed by Xiyang and left footprints in every mountain and every ravine of Xiyang. Whenever an elderly person in the village passes away, the simple villagers will go out with their whole families and follow those three-toed or four-toed footprints on the stones all over the mountains and rivers, and carry the coffin to the mountains for burial along the route the “fairy” has walked. Until the 1980s, these fairy footprints were finally confirmed to be dinosaur footprints.

The village is built according to the mountain terrain and is located on the mountainside in a gentle slope. It has a good view. You can see the distant mountains from the village without any obstruction. Built along the mountain, the houses are undulating in height and are very closely packed together. Walking in the village, it is very difficult for you to find a spacious main road. Under your feet are all winding cement paths.

Brief Introduction: The ancestors of Muzai Village migrated from the Zhaotong area to the Dianchi area. During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, a large number of Han people migrated into the Dianchi area, “Han to Yi”. Their ancestors migrated from the Yunnan area to the mountains at the junction of Jinning, Yuxi and Yimen.

Address: Muzai Village, Xiyang Township, Jinning County, Transportation: Follow the Kun’an Expressway and Anchu Expressway to Anfengying, enter the S213 Provincial Highway, pass through Yimen County and drive into Muzai Village near the Dashiban River.

Level: Traditional Chinese Village,

Admission: Free

Jinyuan Township

Climbing Mount Jiaozi and seeing the Red Land are must-choose tourist items in the two districts. In fact, there is another tourist attraction in the two districts rich in tourism resources – Jinyuan Township, which echoes the Red Land from afar. There, it is not only a somewhat famous “land of fish and rice”, but also has a 40,000-mu alpine grassland at an altitude of 3,300 meters, which is especially suitable for weekend outings.

Don’t look at such a small township, the topography within the jurisdiction is complex and diverse, including high mountains, hot and humid river valleys, continuous grassy mountains, and flat dams; the highest altitude in the territory is 3294.5 meters, the lowest altitude is 1445 meters, the altitude difference is large, the vertical climate is obvious, and it has the three-dimensional climate characteristics of “one mountain has four seasons, ten miles of different days”.

There is also a treasure in Jinyuan Township – the dragon beam at an altitude of 3,300 meters, the endless sea of grass in summer is like a pastoral landscape album in Europe, and in winter there is a magnificent scene of the northern grassland “the sky is vast, the wild is vast, and the wind blows the grass to see the cattle and sheep”.

Brief Introduction: Dragon Liangzi, which is 3,300 meters above sea level, is a place where only grass grows but not trees. Because of its topography and climate characteristics, it resembles the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the roof of the world, so it has the reputation of “Little Qinghai-Tibet Plateau”.

Address: Northwest of Xundian Hui and Yi Autonomous County City,

Transportation: Take the bus to Xundian County City from the northern passenger station, transfer to Jinyuan Township bus, rent a car to Liangshan Natural Village of Tuotuo Village Committee,

Specialty food: dry bus, mutton, stinky ginseng,

Admission: free

Dahai Village

Dahai Village is located in the south of Jinning County. It is adjacent to Yuxi City in the east and Eshan County in the south. It is 70 kilometers away from Kunyang, the county seat. It is a traditional Yi ethnic group settlement. It still retains the traditional Yi ethnic group’s production and lifestyle as well as the language of this ethnic group.

A typical one-by-one building, the cyan tiles on the roof are neatly arranged like soldiers in formation, and paintings can be faintly seen on the walls, but most of them have fallen off. The lantern seat of the lotus lamp in the yard is integrated with the colonnade pillar, and the small hollow carved windows can no longer see the color.

Brief Introduction: Built in the Yuan Dynasty, it is one of the villages with relatively complete preservation of traditional Yi dwellings in the sunset. The historical relics are concentrated. It is the main Yi protection area planned by Kunming City.

Address: Dahei Village, Sunset Township, Jinning County.

Transportation: Get off Qingshui Haikou on Kunyu Expressway, follow the highway to Sunset Shuanghe River, and then go to Sunset Township after Shuanghe Township. Driving should pay attention to the narrow road after crossing the Shuanghe River, with a total journey of about 110 kilometers.

Level: Traditional Chinese Village, Admission: Free