Things to do in Dali

As a center of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Dali gathers 25 ethnic minorities who created a unique background with kinds of ancient towns and historical buildings. When exposure to this piece of land,do not miss the wonderful following! They will not let you down!

Dali Old City Beautiful Night View

1. Explore Dali Old Town

Embracing Erhai Lake in the east and Cangshan Mountain in the west, Dali Old Town is the southernmost of the three large old towns in Yunnan. In the old town, you’ll enjoy the Ancient City Wall, Gate-towers, elegant streets, small and exquisite courtyards, colorful flowers blooming in the sunshine. Just at the foot of colorful clouds, many visitors seduced by Dali’s charms forget to leave and foreigners run much business here.

Dali Chongsheng Temple Three Towers

2. Visit Chongsheng Temple and the Three Pagodas

Chongsheng Temple is the largest monastery in Dali area. And adjoins the temple, there are Three Pagodas. The Three Pagodas are Dali’s most iconic landmarks, and forming a symmetrical triangle. Among the three, the oldest pagoda was built around 850 when the region was a major Buddhist center. When immersive,pick a good location look them best at a distance.

Cangshan Mountains

3. Hiking in Cangshan

The beautiful Cangshan Mountains located a short distance to the west of Dali Old Town. It is accessible by cable car or the old-fashioned way – hiking. The hike up takes approximately two hours whereas the cable car takes about half an hour and costs thirty yuan a one-way ride. If hiking, you’ll experience 15km-long walking trail (named Cloud Pass) which passes some temples, waterfalls, caves and shrines; you’ll see Gantong Temple, Qingbi Stream, Grand Canyon and Zhonghe Temple by the walking trail. In good weather, views off the mountain make the whole Erhai Lake in your eyes, together with plenty of birdlife, the odd squirrel and colorful flowers alongside the path. What’s more, you can take multi-day hikes in the mountain area if you are hiking enthusiasts. 

Cycling around Erhai Lake in Dali, China's Yunnan Province

4. Cruising or Cycling around Erhai Lake

As ear shaped, Erhai Lake is the largest highland lake and one of the seven biggest fresh water lakes in China. Cruising or cycling on the Erhai Lake is a leisure way to see the Lake. And, you can see local traditional fishing - cormorant fishing. If you are staying in Dali for few days, don’t forget to ride a bike and explore Erhai Lake region. There are a numbers of biking courses you can enjoy: a half day, a full day, or even two full days.

Xizhou Town Dali

5. Visiting Xizhou Ancient Town & Morning Market

Xizhou, a charming small town located 20km northwest from Dali and is a good place to visit by bicycle. It is not the major travelers’ destination, but it’s worth spending a day. It is going to show you the Bai minority cultural, the local people’s daily life and natural beauty. And the morning market in Xizhou, is a place for local people trading daily supplies. There are fresh vegetable, fruits, meats, and many kinds of food and daily necessities, as well as some of the local specialties, such as Dali batik. 

Zhoucheng Dali

6. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere

In a spare time, sitting in a coffee shop, reading a book, listening to music; or walking on the stone road; or find an open place, quiet and watch the sunset ......

The Bai Women are Making Tie-dyeing in Zhoucheng Town


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