The old town in Tonghai began to appear in the Western Han Dynasty at the foot of the Xiushan Mountains and the city was formed in the Nanzhao period of the Tang Dynasty. In the Song and Yuan dynasties, castles were built here with adobe, which are called “old county” today. In Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, due to the boom of commerce and trade, the old city no longer matched the needs for development and a new city was built with bricks below the old one, which came into the present structure.

The scenic zone is about 2.6 square kilometers. It was developed for tourism in 1993. There are four hotels above three-star ration, five top-grade restaurants, and 78 ordinary restaurants with about 3,000 beds. The major scenic spots include the Gushan Isle and the Sunshine Coast Hotel. Gushan is also known as Yinghai with an occupation of 82 mu. It is the only isle in the Fuxian Lake. In the Yuan Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty, there were many temples and pavilions on the isle and one 13-floor copper tower that was about 17 meters wide on its base and about 30 meters high. Later, the architectures were destroyed in wars. In 1989, Gushan was developed for tourism and the architectures on the isle now are all new ones.

The Mingxing Fishing Cave Scenic Zone is a 2A park at the national level, located on the west bank of the Fuxian Lake. The zone was formed due to the fishing custom of the local people. There is a local fish called anti-wave fish that favors clear and cool water. The fish swims against currency to the caves around the shore. The fishermen discovered this unique habit of the fish and dug ditches to attract and catch fish by wheel-piping water. The zone is bestowed with rich tourism resources, including the Fuxian Lake with first-class water quality, anti-wave fish, springs, old trees, wild animals, fish tunnels and fishing caves descended from ancestors, cliffside carvings, wheel-piping fishing.

In ancient times, the Xingyun Lake was called Xing Sea and Lishui in the Tang Dynasty. It is located two kilometers northeast of the county town with an elevation of 1,722 meters. It is a freshwater lake with a total area of 34.71 square kilometers. It is known as “natural fish farm” with abundant production of about 20 fishes such as big-headed fish, crucian, and chub. It is especially known for big-headed fish, one of the four most famous fishes in Yunnan. In May 1988, approved by Yunnan Provincial Government, the Xingyun Lake and the Fuxian Lake were listed as famous scenic areas at the provincial level. On December 25 every year, Jiangchuan County holds the Xingyun Lake Fishing-start Festival.

Located in southwest of Chengjiang beside the west bank of the famous Fuxian Lake, the Luchong resort is 20 kilometers away from downtown Chengjiang and 70 kilometers away from Kunming, only 1.5 hours of riding from Kunming by bus. The resort covers an area of 9.5 square kilometers with 3.2 kilometers coastline. It consists of the old fishing village, the new Luchong village, the Bijia (Chinese Writing Brush Holder) Mountains, and the Boxi (Waveless) Bay. The resort is surrounded by mountains and the Fuxian Lake, with Qilin (Kylin) Mountains to its south, Mopan Mountains to its west, Jianshan Mountains to its north, and the Fuxian Lake to its east. The whole area is picturesque, which has nurtured many outstanding personnels in history, known as “Two metropolitan graduates from one family, two imperial academicians in hundred steps.” The Bijia Mountains beside the resort is named after the brush holder of literati and the name of the bay Boxi means peaceful water without winds and waves. It was once a natural wonder here to catch anti-wave fish by piping water with wheel in summer and autumn.

Since 2006, Yimen County has been taking advantage of its water resources to develop ecological economy and culture and trying to build the downtown into a watertown. Yimen downtown is surrounded by streams and lakes. The scenes along the river includes the Silver Beads, the Longshan Waterfall, the Dragon Gate, the Chengshan Park, the Xiqiaorenjia Garden, the Yuhu Lake, the Nanhu Lake, the Watertown Lane, the Lotus Park, the Xishan Park, the Nanyuan Park, and the Wetland Park, with a total coverage 1,000 mu of land. Yimen has become a modern and ecological city with rich water characteristics.

The park is located in the south of the county, beside the Xiangbi Hot-spring, 8 kilometers away from the county town, 47 kilometers away from the Hongta District, and 132 kilometers away from Kunming. It is a 2A park of national level and a provincial forest park. The park is compromised of the Xiangbi Hot-spring, the Jinsuo Bridge, the Huolong Temple, the Steles Forest, the Cuiping Mountain, the Xiangbi Ridge, and a holiday resort. The Xiangbi Hot-spring was developed in the Eastern Han Dynasty about 2,000 years ago. The water temperature remains between 39℃ to 41℃. The water quality is of high level that can be used for bathing as well as drinking. According to a state appraisal, there are 24 microelements in the water that are essential to human body. Three of the elements, namely metasilicate, strontium and lithium, reach the national standard for drinkable natural spring water. The water also has therapy function. The holiday resort in the park is a resort with services for holidays, conference, therapy, sports training and recreation.

The Tianzishan Mountains Hot-spring Holiday Resort is situated in E’shan, 133 kilometers away from Kunming. The resort is a holiday zone providing comprehensive services for sightseeing, business, conference and recreation. The Tianzishan Mountains hot spring lies at the foot of the mountains, which is known for the temple where the statue of Duan Siping, the founder of the Dali Kingdom, is worshiped. The spring is rich in geothermal water resources and the temperature is between 39–43℃ around the year. The water is rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc, strontium, and oxygen, which is supposed to be good for health and keeping good looks with medical effects. The major spots include ancient trees, semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forest, the Tianzi Temple, the Gucheng Mountains, the natural Taijitu ( An explanation of the diagram of the Great Ultimate), the Qingshui River, the Dayu Cave, the Big Stone Horse, and the Suolong Bridge, among many others. Activities include climbing the Tianzishan Mountains, bathing in hot spring, hiking in Tianzishan Valley, drifting, and other adventures.