Located on the north bank of the Red River, Jianshui has long been the political , economic and cultural center of Yunnan Province. In 1994, Jianshui was honored as a “National Historical and Cultural City” and “Key Scenic Spot of China”.
Kien Thuy ancient town.
Unique "Folk House Museum"
Coming to Kien Thuy, visitors will be surprised by the time that seems to stand still on the architectural works, stone-paved roads, markets, and traditional villages...
According to sources, the ancient town of Kien Thuy was formed about 1,200 years ago. Through many historical ups and downs, this place still preserves and maintains 50 ancient buildings along with many other architectural, historical and cultural works. Therefore, Kien Thuy is also considered a "Museum of Ancient Architecture" or "Museum of Folk Housing".
It would be a big mistake to come to Kien Thuy without visiting the ancient town built during the Tang Dynasty. The ancient town is not large, consisting of only a few streets with the center being Lam An Street, paved entirely with stone, starting from the east gate, where the Trieu Duong Lau, known as the “little Tiananmen Gate”, is located, stretching about 3km to the west gate. On both sides are bustling shops selling clothes, shoes, especially purple clay pottery - a typical purple pottery with a history of 5,000 years, mined from purple clay with a high iron content and the best quality. Purple clay pottery, along with silk, was considered by the king and mandarins as extremely valuable assets in the past.
Walking on the centuries-old stone path shaded by two rows of ancient trees intertwined to form large umbrellas, visitors have the opportunity to admire ancient houses interspersed with gatehouses, temples, pagodas... with elaborate and sophisticated architecture with yin-yang tiled roofs, colorful porcelain tiles, giant ironwood columns or somber brown walls.
At first glance, visitors can hardly distinguish the age of the houses, because besides the ancient buildings that are well preserved, there are many new houses built later but still retain the same architecture and use the same materials as the ancient houses. This shows that the Chinese people highly respect traditional culture and architecture, along with discipline and high scientificity in planning and preserving ancient urban areas. Thanks to that, Kien Thuy ancient town has become a unique "museum of folk residential architecture", ancient but still very lively.
In addition, when coming to Kien Thuy, tourists should visit famous landscapes and landscapes such as Kien Thuy Confucius Temple, Chu Gia Hoa Vien (Chu family garden), Song Long Bridge... These are all unique "architectural gems", bearing the indigenous cultural nuances typical of Kien Thuy.
Explore indigenous culture
A highlight of Jianshui in particular and Yunnan in general is the culture of worshipping Confucius and Confucianism. Since the Yuan Dynasty, education and examinations have flourished. In Yunnan Province, Jianshui County, Kunming City and Dali City are the three places with Confucius Temples. In terms of scale, Jianshui Temple is second only to the Temple in Qufu, Confucius's hometown. Currently, Jianshui Temple is ranked by the Chinese State as a National Cultural and Historical Relic Site.
The Jianshui Confucius Temple was built during the Yuan Dynasty and has a history of more than 700 years. The site consists of seven courtyards spread across the central axis, with ancient halls, ancestral shrines and memorial archways. Notably, the Dacheng Hall has a majestic statue of Confucius and more than 100 characters and mythical animals vividly carved on 22 doors. Every year, the Confucius Cultural Festival is held at the Jianshui Confucius Temple.
Architectural culture, Confucian culture and Zisha pottery culture are important and attractive experiences in the Jianshui cultural tour. Every year, the Confucian Culture Festival and the Zisha Pottery Culture Tourism Festival are held on a large scale. In addition, many attractive activities also take place at the Confucius Temple. Visitors can participate in the festival activities to experience and learn about traditional Chinese culture here.
When coming to Kien Thuy, visitors should not forget to visit the Ximen Daban tofu making village. This village has a history of hundreds of years, located 100m from the west gate of Kien Thuy ancient town. Here, visitors can not only witness the production process of stinky tofu - a famous specialty of Kien Thuy, but also visit the thousand-year-old ancient well - the only well used by locals to make white and fatty tofu blocks. Stinky tofu is an indispensable dish in the daily meals of Chinese people, and crispy grilled stinky tofu with chili salt is both a main dish and a snack of Kien Thuy people.
Visitors can enjoy this dish with locals at the grill tables set up along the path to the ancient village of Ximen Daban or at Zi Tao night market - a market with a unique combination of modern and traditional architecture located on the banks of Guangxu Lake. There are also local specialties such as Hui hotpot, grilled food, stinky tofu, rose milk tea, fruits, juices, etc. In addition, visitors can enjoy the show "Jian Shui Melody" with folk songs and traditional dances of the Han and Yi people, recreating the history and ancient traditions of the people of Jian Shui.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/pho-co-kien-thuy-noi-thoi-gian-ngung-dong-673203.html
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