六库 | iGuide

Highlights

A brightly daubed Buddhist temple (free entry) lies south of town on the eastern side of the river - simply walk south until you see a foot-bridge across a tributary river (about 1km from the center of town), then cross it and walk straight up the hill.

On the western side of the river, a stone staircase leading up hill near the vehicular bridge takes you on an interesting walk along the mountain. Count on about an hour if you walk without stopping. The track is well developed with a lengthy wooden boardwalk as well as stone portions, so will be passable even after rain. The view back to town is great, and best of all it's free! A small garden is located slightly up the hill towards the northern end of the walk.

实用的信息

Getting In & Out

Liuku's 六库汽车经贸总公司售票处 is centrally located and offers the only regular transport in and out of town. Buses run eastward to Kunming and Dali, as well as south to Baoshan, Tengchong, Mangshi and Ruili and northward up the valley towards Fugong, Gongshan, and Bingzhongluo.

Cyclists will be pleased to know that the roads north and south are in excellent condition and essentially flat, though the road east is mountainous. The road northward sees more traffic than the one heading southward to Tengchong, which is now being turned in to a wide highway.

Getting About

Though just about everything is within walking distance, if you want to save your legs you can catch covered motorbike taxi for 1-3元, depending on distance. These gather on the western side of river, between the vehicular and walking bridges.

Accomodation

Mid-range Hotel rooms can be had for as little as 40元, though these may be dirtier and without 24 hour hot water. Most smaller hotels offer rooms for around 60元, though quality varies considerably.

Comfort There are two new hotels in town, the 盛宝路大酒店 by the main foot bridge and another north just of the bus station. Of these the Shengbaolu is a clear winner, with excellent rooms for 130元, though breakfast is dismal. The recently redecorated 六库饭店 lies at the north end of town, and is another reasonable choice.

食物

Restaurants

An excellent strip of restaurants of the 'point to order' variety stretch westward up the hill adjacent to the bus station. Halaal or Muslim cuisine can be had on the north side of the main road (Ren Min Lu / 人民路) just east of the bus station. A food market on the south side offers local BBQ, where skewers of meat, tofu and vegetable doused in salt, chilli and spices can be downed in quantity for a song.

For a pleasant daytime break, a stroll northward down the river will bring you to a couple of pavement cafes, where you can be served tea or cold drinks under the shade of some impressive old trees.

Local Snacks

A length of sugar cane that you'll never finish can be supplied for 1元, though vendors in this town are not in the habit of stripping the skin from the cane so you'd better have a knife handy. Typical Han Chinese food such as stinky tofu and bao zi (steamed buns) are also available, particularly in the morning near the bus station.

Customs

People here prefer to have all of their dishes served at once, which means if you order a few dishes they may arrive cold.

Communications

In true Chinese style, a huge collection of internet cafes can be found bunched together in a single market. Not one can be found elsewhere. To get your fix, walk north up the main street (Renmin Lu) from the bus station, then down the first alley on your left. Enter the gate to your right and climb the stairs to internet heaven! Most internet cafes charge 2元 per hour.

Money

There are no Bank of China branches in the whole valley, so stock up on cash if you are relying on ATM transactions. Your best bet for travellers' cheques is ICBC, who have four branches throughout Liuku, including one directly opposite the bus station. ICBC ATMs may work with your credit card.