En route from Xishuangbanna to the Yuangyang rice terraces, I stopped for a few days in Jianshui (建水), more out of logistical necessity rather than a strong desire to see the place.

Only a few hours from Kunming, Jianshui would probably be crowded on weekends with an influx of visitors from that city. However, I was there during the week and found relatively few tourists around, including only a handful of other foreigners. It was a pleasant enough place, with a tidy old town of cobbled streets flanked with interesting architecture and a few historical sights worth seeing.

I spent yesterday exploring the Zhu Family Garden (and home) built by that family in the 19th century during the latter part of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). 

Today I went to see Jianshui’s famous Confucian Temple, completed in 1285 and one of the largest Confucian temples in China.

Good vegetarian food was hard to find in Yunnan, but in Jianshui it was a bit easier since tofu seemed to be a local staple. I enjoyed trying a very spicy stewed hotpot tofu, as well as barbecued “stinky” tofu grilled up on outdoor braziers.