A sightseeing tour in Jianshui on meter-gauge rail

Travelling by little train running on the 13-kilometer-long meter-gauge railway in Jianshui, you can not only have a retro tour, but also visit French-style buildings, ancient Chinese buildings and bridges.

Southwest Yunnan’s Jianshui County is famous for its long history and rich culture. According to historical records, the Ancient Town of Jianshui has existed for more than one thousand years and has been a popular tourist destination. In the past, when travelling in the town, people would stroll in the city, visiting old houses and tasting local delicacies. Now a tour in Jianshui is more fantastic because the meter-gauge railway has been in operation again since 2015. 

Wooden floor, chairs, inner walls, windows…… everything in the little train is retro, taking you back to the good old times. The railway line stretches 13 kilometers. Running slowly, the train is designed for tourists to enjoy the views along the meter-gauge railway lines. It usually takes more than 1 hour to finish the whole trip, during which the train stops at four stations where tourists can visit the Ancient Town of Jianshui, The Shuanglong Bridge, the French-style buildings and the building complex of Qing Dynasty.    

The railway line in Jianshui was first built in 1915 as a branch of the Yunnan-Vietnam Meter-Gauge Railway. But at that time, the rail track of the branch line was only 60 centimeters wide. In 1970, it was rebuilt into a meter-gauge railway and its operation was stopped in 2010. 

Photos by Zhang Wenhai; Editor: Wang Shixue