A four-day trip to Dali with my bestie during off-peak hours

Number of days：4 days
Time: October
Average cost: 3100 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2022.11.01

We had originally planned to go on a trip during National Day, but we felt it would be too crowded, so we didn't start our Dali trip until the 7th. It lasted four days and we had a blast.

About Transportation:

High-speed rail + car rental. We booked a car in advance through a certain platform and picked it up at the Dali Station branch. Self-driving tours offer more flexibility and are safer during these challenging times. Perhaps because of the holiday rush, our original car was sold out, so the staff upgraded me to a Rongfang. Lucky!

About Scenic Spots:

Dali is actually a rectangular shape, and most of the scenic spots are centered around Erhai Lake. For example, the well-known Wase Town, Shuanglang Ancient Town, and Xizhou Ancient Town are all located on the Erhai Lake loop. I found a map online for your reference. Due to time constraints, we had to make some choices.

A Trip to Gantong Temple

After arriving in Dali, our first stop was Gantong Temple. This temple is very famous in the area. We parked the car at the entrance and hiked all the way up. The temple is actually quite high up, so it takes quite a while to reach it.

This thousand-year-old temple is very representative. Not only is it rich in history, but it also has a unique local style. As I climbed forward, the entire temple slowly came into view. It suddenly struck me that many endeavors in life are like this. Only if you keep climbing ahead will the future give you some good rewards.

When I arrived at the temple, I saw bright red persimmons. In autumn and winter, my favorite is persimmons like this, which embellish the entire cold autumn and winter. Especially in winter, if you go to Wuyuan, you will see many bright red persimmons, and the tree trunks are already bare at this time. Just those persimmons are enough to make the cold winter very beautiful.

There is also a teahouse in the temple where you can sit and relax. It is said that the tea here is all grown for these monks.

Continue walking from Gantong Temple and you'll find Jizhao Nunnery. I've visited many temples in China, but rarely nunneries, mainly because there are so few of them. This time, we came across Jizhao Nunnery. It's said to be the most beautiful nunnery in China. Unlike the temples, this place has a unique and fresh feel. I was surprised to see so many succulents there, and they're all growing beautifully.

We also saw many flowers here, but I have no idea what they are called. The south is so beautiful in this season, you can see all kinds of flowers.

Yudai Road is perfect for hiking; it was an easy walk. Most of the road is paved, so there are rarely any steps. The entire Yudai Road is developed around the mountainside.

After that, we climbed directly to the top of the mountain. The view of Dali from a high vantage point was very nice.

As you walk along, you will occasionally spot the Erhai Lake. Erhai Lake in Dali is truly stunning. From afar, the surface of the water is blue, crystal clear. We also saw the dam here, which was quite striking. Look at the houses below. The buildings in Dali are not particularly tall, so you can clearly see the scenery from far away. This is very similar to Guilin. There are no super tall buildings in the city of Guilin, so that everyone can see the scenery.

Leaving here, we went on to Qingbi Creek. I have to say, the names of these places are so beautiful. In fact, this section of the climb doesn’t end until it reaches Qingbi Creek. Next comes the descent. We originally planned to hike down the mountain directly from Zhonghe Road. But then we decided that since the scenery was similar, there was no point. Plus, much of the way down was through cemeteries, making it even more unnecessary.

You could have stayed longer at Zhonghe Temple. I personally think it's the best place to overlook Dali. The long, narrow Erhai Lake is incredibly beautiful. From this vantage point, you can almost see the entire lake.

Day 2 Xizhou Ancient Town

The next morning, we started exploring Xizhou Ancient Town. I absolutely love this place. When I woke up, the entire town was still very quiet. Look at this quiet ancient town. There are hardly any people playing in the long and narrow alleys. So, we uninhibitedly sat on the ground and took photos, or found a doorway to snap one. Unfortunately, I forgot to book a travel photographer before arriving here. When I finally made an appointment in Dali, my favorite photographer was already fully booked.

Some courtyards had doors open, and many of them are actually inhabited by locals. However, to avoid disturbing them, we didn't go in.

Many of the small courtyards here have grass growing on the roofs, which seems to add a trace of time. Xizhou Ancient Town is incredibly pristine.

Xizhou Ancient Town and Wuzhen share a commonality in that both are famous for their tie-dyeing techniques. Therefore, you can see a lot of tie-dyed clothing here. These clothes are so beautiful, so simple and elegant yet so sophisticated, we couldn't resist buying two. I have to say, taking photos in the ancient town wearing these clothes is quite captivating. If you have time, I highly recommend stopping by to take a look.

Traditional Chinese crafts are truly exquisite, like tie-dye, Suzhou embroidery, Shu brocade, ceramics, and so on. I hope these traditional crafts continue to have a strong influence. Luckily, our visit coincided with the Folk Arts Open Day. Admission is free, so we definitely had to take a look.

The corner tower and wheat fields in Xizhou Ancient Town are also typical internet celebrity check-in spots. The corner tower is very suitable for taking photos. There were a lot of people checking in here, so I waited until everyone else left and snapped a few pictures.

Not to mention the Xizhou wheat fields, there were tons of people checking in. The background wall actually corresponds to Xilinyuan. The rice fields were beautiful at this time of year, already showing a yellow hue.

Then, we went to the tie-dye workshop. There are many tie-dye workshops here, and we went to the Lanxu Tie-dye Workshop. You can buy very exquisite tie-dye directly at the tie-dye workshop. We also went to the Folk Craft Museum, where the tie-dyeing there was also very good. In addition, you can also try tie-dyeing at the tie-dye workshop. We decisively participated. When you arrive at the tie-dye workshop, be sure to visit the second floor. From the second floor, you can see a beautiful view of the rice paddies. At first glance, the scenery of these rice fields is so healing.