I have been to Jianshui numerous times over the past 7 years or so, most recently about 5-6 weeks ago - nice place to visit, though it's not quite comparable to Dali. Not sure about the minority languages that may be spoken(?), but the local pronunciation of Mandarin throws me. I saw the 'Old Town' while it was being constructed just a very few years ago. The Zhu Family Mansion is very interesting, as is the Confucian Temple. Hotels for less than YRMB are not too difficult to find. Very nice Qing (or Ming?) Dynasty bridge not far out of town, worth a visit. Other things in the area I haven't visited, as I wasn't there as a tourist when I went. Historically a very important town in Yunnan, built up as, primarily, a Han center beginning in the Ming - also important during the Panthay Rebellion in the 19th century, though that very major historical event is very much downplayed, as it is in Dali and elsewhere in Yunnan. The town was called Linan until as late as 1950.
I had no problems with the food, but I don't know why it might be considered better than that of Kunming - perhaps the vegetables and fruit is fresher than that in Kunming, I don't know.
I would not go there during/just after the Lunar New Year - prices of hotels etc. will be inflated, & there will be too many tourists, like everywhere else.
Get landlord or building management to deal with it and don't stop until you get specific understanding of the problem from one of them, then decide whose responsibility it is and get them to take it. How is this different from anywhere else? On the other hand, there have been times/places over the past 4 years where water rationing is a rational response to drought conditions (although I can't see this for the present period). Such rationing is usually explained in an announcement on a wall somewhere, in Chinese, naturally. If you don't read Chinese then your problem is obvious and possible solutions are as well - get somebody to read it for you, or ask neighbors, landlord, management, etc.
At any rate your specific problem is almost surely specific to your building, apartment or area, and you need to find out what it is. I'm not sure how responses on this forum can help you.
Nice article, Ginger, and on a subject that one might not think about until, once one does, it's obvious that it should be explored.
The point about foreigners particularly applies, as you indicate, to people from milk-product-using 'western' countries and, as you indicate, it is one picked up in some southeast Asian countries as well - but foreigners from other areas will be pegged also (e.g., South Asians who use many different 'curry' spices, etc., that are not used so much in China).
And then there is the widespread smell of tobacco, noticeable primarily by those foreigners who don't use it. Baijiu has a particular smell also.
Not quite what you'd call a jumping place, but not bad at all for rather standard US-type meals, not overly expensive, and with a really good salad bar that's cheap, or free with most dinner dishes after 5:30PM. You can get a bottle of beer or even wine if you really want to, but I've never seen anybody do it - maybe that's just to take out. Chinese Christian run, and they hire people with physical disadvantages, who are pleasant and helpful. Frequented by foreign (mostly North American) Christians and Chinese Christians - was started by a Canadian couple associated with Bless China (previously, Project Grace), who are no longer here, but no religious pressure or any of that. Steaks are nothing special, and I avoid the Korean dishes, which I've had a few times but which did not impress me.
As a shop and bakery, it's very good bread at reasonable prices, of various kinds (Y18 for a good multigrain loaf that certainly weighs well over a pound. Other stuff too, like granola and oatmeal that is local, as well as imported things, including American cornflakes and so forth, which some people seem to require.
Large portions, seriously so with the pizza, which is Brooklyn/American style, I guess. Convivial, conversational, good place to drink with good folks on both sides of the bar, especially after about 9PM.
Counting down Kunming's Top Ten Smells
Posted byDon't worry about it.
Counting down Kunming's Top Ten Smells
Posted byYeah, well, it's perhaps useful to tourists and very new arrivals.
Counting down Kunming's Top Ten Smells
Posted byWet markets, smells - yeah, but not all bad. Cf. sterile supermarkets.
Counting down Kunming's Top Ten Smells
Posted byNice article, Ginger, and on a subject that one might not think about until, once one does, it's obvious that it should be explored.
The point about foreigners particularly applies, as you indicate, to people from milk-product-using 'western' countries and, as you indicate, it is one picked up in some southeast Asian countries as well - but foreigners from other areas will be pegged also (e.g., South Asians who use many different 'curry' spices, etc., that are not used so much in China).
And then there is the widespread smell of tobacco, noticeable primarily by those foreigners who don't use it. Baijiu has a particular smell also.
Food and Drug Administration issues southern China alcohol alert
Posted byThose responsible should have their faces publicly rubbed in the dirt.