Jianshui, an ancient town in Honghe Prefecture of Yunnan Province, is one of the national famous historic and cultural towns of China. With a history of about 1200 years and an abundant distinctive cultural heritage, the Ancient Town enjoys a great reputation as a 'Museum of Ancient Buildings and Residential Houses' and attracts a lot of visitors at home and abroad. Jianshui was called Lin'an or Badian Town in ancient times. It is located over 220 kilometers (nearly 136.7 miles) south of Kunming. The history of this ancient town can be dated back to Nanzhao State (738-937). About the year 810 the Nanzhao State built Huili City here. Huili in Yi (an ethnic minority of China) language means 'vast sea', and in Han language it is translated as Jianshui. In the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) the government set up Jianshui Zhou. Later, in the Ming Dynasty, it was changed to Lin'an Fu. Under the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) it was changed to Jianshui County. Jianshui still retains the traditional style of the original town in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) with break walls and a gate tower. From over 12 centuries of construction, more than 15 ancient buildings have remained in its present ancient town. If you come here to have a look, you will find many distinctive attractions. The famous scenic spots include: Jianshui Confucius Temple, Zhu Family Garden, Double Dragon Bridge and the National Examination Site of Xuezheng (the National Education Ministry) of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Apart from these attractions, the surrounding sights are also delightful, such as the Swallow Cave and Zhang Family Garden in Tuanshan Village.
