The small market town, where the road from Eryuan meets the road along the Heihui River, was once a local ore processing center, hence its name, meaning Iron Smelter. In 1900 a group of western refugees happened upon the local market day, where they noted the foreign products for sale:
A mile and a half further, south-south-west, we arrived at Lien-Ti [Liantie] (6,800 feet), where we camped for the night. This is a very little village, enclosed by a loop-holed mud wall. An extraordinarily busy market was being held in its little square. Among the objects exposed for sale were salt from Chow Ho [Qiaohou], ‘lichees’ from the south, needles marked ‘Scheele and Co., Hongkong,’ shirt buttons marked ‘France,’ and Japanese safety matches.
In April 2013, an earthquake struck this part of Eryuan county, causing significant damage and in the wake of the reconstruction boom Liantie is trying to reinvent itself as a tobacco and dairy producing center.
Travel Notes
The April 2013 earthquake caused significant damage in town, which always had limited facilities. Busses to Eryuan are quite frequent, less frequent traffic along the river.
Intangible Cultural Heritage
Next Markets
| Liantie 炼铁 | 29 Dec |