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Voykit pocket guide · China
Heijing
黑井
Half a day is enough to walk the alleys and see the salt works; one night if you want to hike the hills and eat the local salt-heavy dishes.
Heijing is a former salt-mining town in Central Yunnan, reachable by train from Kunming or bus from Chuxiong. Its main draw is wandering the old alleys, visiting the ancient salt factory and the Wu family compound, and hiking to hilltop pavilions. The town is compact and can be seen in a few hours, but staying overnight gives you a quieter evening and time for the hills.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 黑井
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and rainy), Chinese New Year (crowded)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥100–200 excl. bed · Mid ¥200–400 excl. bed · High ¥400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| City entrance ticket | ¥30 |
| Horse carriage from station to town | ¥5 |
| Simple meal on main street | ¥15–30 |
| Guest house room | ¥40–150 |
| Courtyard house room (Wujia compound) | ¥200–350 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KMG · Kunming Changshui
- Then train to Guangtong (1.5 h) and bus to Heijing (1.5 h)
Typical fares
- Kunming → Guangtong (train)
- about ¥50–100, 1.5 h (check)
- Guangtong → Heijing (bus)
- about ¥20–30, 1.5 h (check)
- Horse carriage station → town
- ¥5
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk everywhere inside the old town. Horse carriages from the train station to town cost ¥5; they also run to the old salt works. A city entrance ticket (¥30) is required and covers the Wu house, salt factory and guild hall.
See and do
Known for
- Ancient salt works
- Wu family compound (Wujia Dayuan)
- Salt souvenirs
- Horse carriages from the train station
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chuxiong | Bus from Heijing, about 2.5 h | About 3 h |
| Lufeng | Bus from Heijing, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
| Dali | Bus to Chuxiong then train to Dali, about 4–5 h total | About 5–6 h |
Sleep
- Old town (east side of river)
- Simple guest houses from ¥40; courtyard houses like Wujia Family Compound from ¥220
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xiè xiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？duō shǎo qián? |
| I don't understand | 我不懂wǒ bù dǒng |
| Where is the toilet? | 厕所在哪里？cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- The city entrance ticket (¥30) is checked at the Wu house, salt factory and guild hall; buy it at the ticket office or at any of those sites.
- Horse carriages stop at the ticket office; you must buy the ticket before entering town.
- Last trains and buses leave in the afternoon; check the return schedule before arriving.
Heijing is very safe for tourists. The main risks are uneven stone streets and the summer heat; carry water and wear sturdy shoes.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Heijing yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ancient salt works
- Wu family compound (Wujia Dayuan)
- Salt souvenirs
- Horse carriages from the train station
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Heijing, revision 4428753 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4428753
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/heijing). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.