Yisa Pueblo, Yunnan

👍🏻Recommended Reason:
Everyone, you must visit Yisa Ancient Town! It's a crucial point on the southern Yunnan section of the Tea Horse Road, built on the backs of horses, and a blend of Chinese and Western architecture and caravan culture. It's also not overly commercialized, super niche, and free from bustling crowds, allowing you to enjoy a unique tranquility, as if isolated from the world. Its former inhabitants managed various international businesses under the Caravan Association, with trade connections spanning Southeast Asia and even five continents, making it one of Yunnan's three major overseas Chinese hometowns, with a rich history!

🗺Attraction Introduction:
Yisa Ancient Town is located within Honghe County, Yunnan. The town is small and can be explored in about an hour. It features courtyard houses with a mixed Chinese-European style, now a museum. The yellow stone walls resemble Southern European architecture, combined with Chinese roofs, perfectly echoing the traditional caravan culture, making for fantastic photos!

🚗Transportation:
It's 270 km from Kunming, and buses are available from Jianshui County and Yuanjiang County. Simply navigate to "Yisa East Gate Caravan Ancient Town" in Yunnan.

🗺Tour Route:
The ancient town is small, so feel free to stroll around. First, visit the museum with its mixed Chinese-European architecture and experience its unique charm. Then, explore the streets for traces of caravan culture. You can leisurely explore the entire town in an hour.

🍱Food Recommendations:
You must try the local snack, grilled tofu, all you can eat for 6 yuan per person. Around the ancient town, locals also recommend stir-fries and barbecue, all within walking distance. Highly recommend the tamarind juice at Baimi Barbecue; it's absolutely amazing!

💰Expenses:
There's no entrance fee for the ancient town, parking is convenient and free. Grilled tofu is 6 yuan per person, all you can eat, and other food prices are also very affordable, making it an inexpensive trip overall.

📌Other Tips:
Many people know about the culturally rich Jianshui, the blessed Mile, and the tin capital Gejiu in Honghe Prefecture, but often overlook Honghe County. Although it shares its name with the prefecture, it's not the prefecture's seat. When you visit, be sure to experience this underrated gem of a town.

Post by leona_nicholas_ortiz | Mar 8, 2025