5 Days Jianshui Tour with Family-friendly Teapot Making

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Drive from Kunming to Jianshui
   Discover Jianshui’s Ancient Architecture and Historic Towers

   Your private tour guide will pick you up from the hotel in the city center of Kunming at 8:30 a.m. It takes about 3 hours to drive to Jianshui. The guide will briefly introduce this little county to you along the way. It is a well-preserved ancient town in southern Yunnan, renowned for its Confucian culture and centuries-old pottery-making tradition.

   Your first stop is Jianshui Ancient Town, the ancient city of "Lin'an" (临安), boasting a very profound historical and cultural heritage. Walking through the stone-paved alleys, you will learn from your knowledgeable guide the development story of this town during the Ming and Qing Dynasties - it played a huge role as an important stop on the ancient trade route in Yunnan.

   

   Next, go to admire the Chaoyang Tower, a landmark building of Jianshui Town. This building has endured many wars and earthquakes, yet it still stands firm as before. It has three floors. From the top, you can get an entire panorama of the ancient city. The half-moon-shaped square beside the tower is a leisure place for locals where you can catch a glimpse of their daily life.

   After the visit, send you to a comfortable hotel in the local area for check-in. Have a good rest.

   Vehicle

   L

   4-Star Hotel in Jianshui
2. Day 2: Natural Exploration in Jianshui
   Dramatic Caves, Iconic Bridges, and Ancient Confucian Heritage

   Following a filling breakfast, the guide will take you and your family to the east of Jianshui where the outstanding Swallow Cave, around 22 kilometers from the town, is waiting to be explored. The moment you enter this limestone cave, the hugeness of the incredible halls, the river flowing underground, and the countless swallows that come and go through the cave on the cliff is awe-inspiring to you.

   While the guide is talking about the caves' geological formation and the stories that have been passed down for ages, you walk along the paved paths, one after another, feasting your eyes with the limestone formations. Your chances of witnessing the local people climbing up the cliffs to collect the coveted bird's nests depends on your good luck.

   

   After the exploration, a trip back to Jianshui offers a chance to see the Shuanglong Bridge, a typical corridor bridge from the Qing Dynasty with 17 arches – sometimes called the Seventeen-Arch Bridge. A rebuilt wooden pavilion sits in the center, replacing the original that burned down. On a sunny day, see the bridge's reflection in the water and it looks great especially at sunset.

   The last place to visit is the Jianshui Confucian Temple, China's third largest. It has a history of over 700 years and has been expanded or renovated over 50 times. Learn about Confucius’ ideas and his impact on the local culture there. After the visit, take you back to the hotel.

   

   Vehicle

   B,L

   4-Star Hotel in Jianshui
3. Day 3: Jianshui Teapot Making Experience
   Create Your Own Pottery in a Local Workshop

   After breakfast, drive for 1 hour to Wanyao Village. It is famous throughout the country for making purple pottery. Upon arrival, visit a local workshop and watch highly skilled artisans skillfully shape clay. They can transform simple clay into elegant teapots, cups and even variously shaped ornaments.

   At the same time, your guide will explain to you the village's long history of pottery production and how they fire pottery with rich colors and smooth textures. Then, you and your child(ren) will have the opportunity to try making your own teapot or cup under the guidance of a craftsman.

   

   In the afternoon, hit up the Zhu Family Garden — it's a bunch of Qing Dynasty houses all facing the same way. The buildings and gardens there are super fancy and pretty cool. You can wander around, check out the exquisite lattice windows and chill ponds, and your guide will tell you about the Zhu family who used to live there. After that, transfer you to your hotel.

   Vehicle

   B,L

   4-Star Hotel in Jianshui
4. Day 4: Jianshui Sightseeing Train to Tuanshan Village
   Enjoy a Leisurely Morning in a Slow-paced Village

   In the morning, ride the unique sightseeing train to Tuanshan Village, an ancient village well preserved, where the Yi people used to live. The village is built on a slope, surrounded by green mountains at the back, and looking towards the fertile dam river and the railway at the front.

   Once you enter the village, you will find buildings more than hundreds of years old like Qing Dynasty residences, ancestral halls and quaint gates. A mellow and calming lifestyle prevails in the area. This morning will be very pleasant for you and your family.

   

   Later in the afternoon, go to the Zitao Street Night Market for a stroll. This block takes purple pottery culture as its theme and integrates the display of purple pottery and vacation sightseeing. The main street is about 400 meters long and features dozens of shops and stalls. The products sold include tea sets, ornaments, cultural and creative products, etc., and it also offers experiences in making products such as clay casting. Of course, you can enjoy local delicacies here, such as grilled tofu.

   Train, Vehicle

   B,L

   4-Star Hotel in Jianshui
5. Day 5: Jianshui Back to Kunming
   A Glimpse of Jianshui’s Ethnic Minority Culture

   Today is your last day in Jianshui. Before leaving, visit the Honghe Prefecture Museum. This museum has three specialized exhibition halls and showcases over a thousand cultural relics including bronze wares, ethnic costumes and tin handicrafts. Here, your kids can gain a deeper understanding of the ethnic minority cultures and railway heritage of the region.

   

   After that, drive for about three hours to take you back to your hotel in Kunming. If you would like airport or station drop-off service, China Xian Tour can also arrange it. So many thanks to you for choosing our trip!

   Vehicle

   B