In Honghe Prefecture of Yunnan, there are two ancient towns - Shiping and Jianshui, which embody the most beautiful nostalgia.
Shiping Ancient Town is known as the "Museum of Ming and Qing Dynasty Residential Buildings in Southern Yunnan" and retains fascinating ancient architecture. Jianshui Ancient Town, also known as Lin'an Ancient Town, has a history dating back more than 1200 years and is filled with ancient buildings from different dynasties such as Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. They include unique ancient temples, wells, pagodas and towers. It can be considered a large and natural museum of historical and cultural heritage.
With the sounds of the two small narrow-gauge trains running in opposite directions, the "Zhuangyuan Train in Red" and "Gucheng Train in Yellow", which are unique to Yunnan, travel at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour between cities and villages, presenting a series of the most beautiful nostalgic scenes.
The Yunnan Narrow Gauge Railway has evolved from historical railways such as the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway and the Gejiu-Bisezhai Narrow Gauge Railway. It has crossed three centuries and operated for more than 100 years, carrying the special historical memories of China, France, and Vietnam. It is an important world historical and cultural resource.
"Gucheng Train in Yellow" refers to the yellow-coloured Jianshui Ancient Town narrow-gauge train, which departs from Lin'an Station, passes along the Shuanglong and Xianghui bridges, and heads to Tuanshan Station.
The Lin'an Station, where the train starts, is located on the site of the former Jianshui East Station on the Mengbao Line. Based on original style, the station has been transformed into a railway-themed park. The antique and elegant interior of the station makes you feel like you have "traveled" through time. The wooden carriages, which have been renovated, are also picturesque and perfect for photography.
"Zhuangyuan Train in Red" refers to the red-coloured "Zhuangyuanhao" Shiping Narrow Gauge Railway train, which departs from Shiping Station, passes through Longjing, Baxin and Tuanshan stations,before arriving at Lin'an Station. The train is divided into hard and soft seats and is decorated in an antique and elegant style. Each train also has an open-air sightseeing car for tourists to take photos. During the journey, the train runs through the mountains in its "red attire," sharing with passengers the ancient style and charm of the old city, the beautiful scenery of Yilong Lake, and the rural scenery of the fields and countryside.
When "Gu Cheng Train in Yellow" and "Zhuangyuan Train in Red" meet in Lin'an, they not only redefine the way of communication between "One Lake and Two Cities" but also enrich the cultural connotation of the "most beautiful nostalgia trip." The moment when the red and yellow trains meet is a coming together of time, as well as an encounter between two ancient cities that have existed for thousands of years.
In this beautiful spring season, the green mountains, farmland and flower fields move along with the train.