Live Your Best Lives
【 Dali 】This place is truly amazing~
At the end of June 2023, with the easing of epidemic prevention and control measures, I scheduled the final leg of my free flight to Dali. Originally, I planned to go solo.
But a few days before departure, I saw my friend H post on WeChat Moments about wanting to travel to Yunnan, so I left a message inviting her to Dali. The next day, she replied, asking about my itinerary, and immediately decided to go with me, so we had this four-day self-driving trip to Dali.
This video captures fragments of the trip~
🌟Dali has always been a popular travel destination in China. Not only does it offer the poetic Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, but it also boasts fascinating cultural landscapes such as Bai ethnic minority dwellings and daily life. Coupled with its cool, warm plateau climate, it's a fantastic destination.
I started from Shenzhen and Mr. H started from Changsha. We met at Dali Airport and rented a car.
The following is our itinerary guide:
D1: Dali Airport car rental - Dali Ancient Town - Cangshan World Geopark;
D2: Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas - Xizhou Ancient Town - Panxi S Bay - Shuanglang Ancient Town;
D3: Shuanglang Ancient Town - Xiao Putuo - Dali Ancient Town - Shuanglang Ancient Town;
D4: Return the car to Kunming Airport - Return
Because we actually did two circles around Erhai Lake on this trip, the time was a little tight, so we don’t fully recommend it to everyone. It’s for reference only.
The following is the version of the one-circle Erhai Lake:
D1: Dali Airport car rental - Huanhai East Road - Xiao Putuo - Shuanglang Ancient Town - Nanzhao Customs Island;
D2: Shuanglang Ancient Town - Xizhou Ancient Town - Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas - Panxi S Bay;
D3: Cangshan World Geopark - Dali Ancient Town;
D4: Return the car to Kunming Airport - Return
📝 Tips:
Shorts, short sleeves, and single skirts are acceptable in Dali in June;
But be careful with sunscreen, as UV rays are strong during the day;
I almost never encountered mosquitoes here, but please remember to take mosquito protection measures, as Dali is full of vegetation~
After leaving Dali Airport, we contacted the car rental company in advance and agreed to drop the car off at the parking lot next to the airport. After completing the handover procedures, we headed to our B&B near Dali Ancient Town [Dali Bo Ran Boutique B&B]. I'll add more about the B&B's environment later.
The weather in Dali was great. After parking our luggage and walking to Dali Ancient Town in about 10 minutes, we arrived.
After eating rice noodles at a restaurant in the ancient city called [A Bowl of Yunnan Flavor Traditional Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles Snack Collection], we walked to [Foreigner Street].
Before the epidemic, because this area was often crowded with foreign tourists, the local government planned this street and named it [Foreigner Street]. ↓
There are no foreigners here now. Because of the epidemic, foreigners have not come here to travel.
Mr. H had his hair braided here for 40 RMB.
There are also some Dali specialties such as milk fan sold on the roadside, but I don’t think they are very tasty. Maybe my taste is not suitable for them.
Then, we continued walking towards the mountain to our destination, [Dali Cangshan Global Geopark]. Dali Cangshan Global Geopark is located at the junction of Dali City, Yangbi County, and Eryuan County, covering an area of 519.9 square kilometers. Its unique landforms create a natural landscape where mountains and water complement each other, and wind, flowers, snow, moon, and rocks coexist. It is a "natural geological history book" that has been nurtured for 2 billion years. Cangshan Mountain is located at the southern end of the Yunling Mountains of the Hengduan Mountains. Because the majestic Himalayas end at Cangshan Mountain, and no mountain range south of Cangshan Mountain reaches 3,500 meters, it is known as the "eaves of the Roof of the World."
Afterwards, we passed by a horse riding shop and went in to ask about the specific routes and prices. Before the guy finished speaking, Ms. H chose the longest route without thinking (I forgot to mention that she is the owner of a pet brand company). It cost over 1,000 yuan for two people to go round trip. Personally, I think the price is a bit expensive and the cost-effectiveness is not high, so I don’t recommend it~
The guy from the horse riding shop contacted the groom and drove us to the entrance of the scenic area. The horse riding fee does not include the scenic area fee, so we bought tickets for the scenic area entrance for 35 yuan per person.
Finally, I saw the horse I was going to ride. It was called "Huangpi". I forgot the name of Ms. H's horse.
Huangpi's fur was very smooth and he looked very energetic. His muscles were well-defined. He was a beautiful horse.
Cangshan Scenic Area Riding a horse will take you through a forest and a small stream. At the back, you will pass by the local people's cemetery. I was also shocked. Fortunately, it was daytime. If it was at night, it would be embarrassing. I didn't dare to take pictures of the cemetery out of respect for the deceased. Amitabha~
We reached the stream, which was about a quarter of the way there. The groom stopped here to let the horse drink some water, but Huangpi refused to move after drinking. When we asked the groom, we found out that he had already made five round trips. It was terrifying to think about it. The groom had also walked up and down the mountain five times without eating. It was incredible.
This made us feel a little guilty about the whole journey. Later, when we reached the agreed place at the top of the mountain, we gave the groom the biscuits, snacks, and a bottle of water in our backpacks.
Then we walked another 1.5 kilometers on a flat concrete road to reach the Seven Dragon Maidens Pool. There were many gray squirrels along the way, but they were afraid of people and would run away when they saw people coming. There are also some squirrels rummaging through trash cans for food. One of them is even eating leftover sausage. Perhaps the food here is scarce, and they are attracted by human food, but that's not a good thing.
There are also some squirrels rummaging through trash cans for food. One of them is even eating leftover sausage. Maybe the food here is scarce, and they are attracted by human food, but that's not a good thing.
In addition, you can overlook Erhai Lake through the branches.
There are some streams and small waterfalls along the way, as well as photo-taking spots.
The air in the mountains is really good, and the vegetation is lush. It is really suitable for hiking here and doing aerobic exercise.
At this point, my camera was almost dead. I rummaged through my bag and realized I didn't have a spare battery. Luckily, I had a power bank with me to charge for a bit. However, we'd have to use our phones for the rest of the trip. It was here that Mr. H and I started discussing how to take photos with our phones.
We arrived at the Seven Dragon Maiden Pool. The water was truly clean. We stayed for about half an hour, washing some fruit. Then we had to head back because the sun was about to set (it usually sets around 7 p.m. in Dali this time of year). Thinking we'd have to ride horses and pass the cemetery later, we turned back dejectedly.
Actually, this place is quite beautiful, and you can even play in the water. I recommend arriving early and bringing some tools and food so you can have a picnic.
I even fell asleep while riding down the mountain. Luckily, I woke up with a start just before I fell, and my back felt a chill. Later, I asked H if she was tired and if she had fallen asleep. She said no.
Alas... maybe my physical fitness is getting worse and worse~
Finally, I recorded Huangpi. It even looked back at me after it left. Maybe it was remembering me, the abominable 82-kilogram guest, who delayed it from going home to eat food after get off work~
Finally, we took a taxi back to the ancient city to find something to eat. We found a Dai restaurant [Jing Dai Ethnic Restaurant Hand-Pulled Rice], which will be introduced later.
After eating, I walked around the ancient city for a while and then went back. I was a little tired, so I went back to take a shower and sleep~
The next day, we gathered downstairs, had breakfast, checked out, and drove directly to the [Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple].
We discussed it and decided neither of us planned to go inside, so we just took some aerial photos from outside.
Next, we headed to Xizhou Ancient Town.
Xizhou Ancient Town, located north of Dali City, boasts over a hundred distinctive Bai ethnic minority residential buildings dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present day. From afar, it resembles an ancient and elegant city, or even a vast museum of residential architecture. Their unique shapes and nearly perfect structures create a sense of solemnity and grandeur, yet a lightness and translucence, a simple elegance yet a sense of freedom and unrestrained beauty.
We drove around it, trying to find a suitable parking spot, but ended up driving into a less crowded rice paddy area. We simply stopped there, took some photos, and then drove cautiously back into the village road.
PS: On the way to Xizhou, we had already suffered a setback on the village road. Because the road was too narrow, our car couldn't pass, so we had to turn around and go back, wasting a bit of time. But this was also an experience. Sitting in the car, we felt the atmosphere of life in the village.
Luckily, the village road this time was just right for our car to pass through, and we arrived at the popular rice fields area of Xizhou Ancient Town in no time.
Look, a passing Bai woman stole my spotlight!
After taking a few photos, we decided to walk around the ancient town.
But as it was getting close to noon, the weather was getting hotter and the UV rays were too strong, so we decided to find a place to have a drink and rest, and also to refill H's thermos with ice.
We happened to walk to a nearby cafe, which seemed to be called [Alley Coffee].
The interior was very nice, with many views, and the drinks were moderately priced.
From the second floor, you can see the internet-famous rice fields and “wheat waves”. We stayed there for over an hour and it was very comfortable~
Look how seriously Mr. H plays the piano~
Also took a photo of the cute thermos mug that Mr. H brought~
There were some tie-dyed cloth vendors in the ancient town. We passed by and took a look and left without asking the price.
Then we came to the filming location of the TV series "Where the Wind Goes". It is near the popular rice fields. There were not many people taking pictures, so we found a good parking spot and stopped to take some pictures.
After taking the photos, there were suddenly more people around. We saw that it was almost time to rush to the popular Panxi S Bay, so we drove to the vicinity of S Bay~
Panxi S Bay has been popular for a while, and the photos taken there are really good.
We didn't stop for long on the way and drove to a paid parking lot at the starting point of Panxi S Bay. It seemed that it was 20 yuan and could be parked until 12 o'clock in the evening.
It is important to note here that electric bicycles cannot be driven into the S Bay section of Panxi. You have to park your car outside and then rent a bicycle from a store near S Bay. You can ride it for a day for 10 yuan and return it at 11 o'clock in the evening.
You can also scan the code to share electric bicycles. It costs 15 yuan per hour and the maximum speed is 25. We rented it for two hours and ran about 30 kilometers. I personally think it is not cost-effective. In addition to saving some effort, I still recommend renting a bicycle so that you can take better photos.
This is probably one of the most crowded places in Dali. Mr. H and I took a lot of photos of each other~
The scenery along the way is beautiful. Even if you don't like taking photos, it's still worth the trip~
Mr. H and I kept taking photos and walking around until the sun was about to set before we gradually headed back.
As night falls, the evening singers and musicians come out to perform. Many people passing by will stop or sit nearby, listening to the songs, humming a tune, sipping a glass of wine, and slowly feeling the breeze by the Erhai Lake. It's so comfortable~
By the way, there's a kind of mobile bar on the road, where a few people sit in a car equipped with a bar and drink. There's a singer playing guitar and singing, but it's really a bit too noisy. I wonder what the people in the car experience is like?
But to be honest, the wind was getting colder at night. I felt a little cold in my shorts and short-sleeved shirt, and we hadn't eaten yet. It was almost 10 o'clock when we decided to go out for dinner. There was only one grilled fish restaurant nearby, Yue Shao Yue Wang Bai Nationality Flavor Restaurant, and the rest were all barbecue bars. So we had no choice but to go and eat grilled fish, which was surprisingly delicious and affordable~
After eating, we decided to stay in Shuanglang Ancient Town, but we hadn't booked accommodation yet, so we searched on a certain camel website and finally booked an inn run by a local near the ancient town, Dali Lu Ge Courtyard Inn.
I have to say, Dali really takes environmental protection seriously. Even the streetlights aren't turned on at night. We drove in the dark all the way from Panxi S-Bend to Shuanglang Ancient Town. Mr. H lost count of how many times he switched his headlights on and off—worried about not being able to see clearly with them off, or on for fear of oncoming cars. It was truly embarrassing.
Thankfully, we had a smooth journey. Upon reaching the inn, the innkeeper came out to greet us and instructed us to park. We packed our bags and headed to bed early. Tomorrow, we plan to sleep in naturally before continuing our drive around Erhai Lake.
Shuanglang Ancient Town is located in Dali City. It borders the renowned Buddhist mountain Jizu Mountain to the east, Erhai Lake to the west, Wase Town in the city to the south, and Huangping Town in Heqing County to the north. The Dali-Li Railway, Dali Expressway, and Erhai Ring Highway all pass through the town.
The ancient town boasts a long history and numerous cultural relics. The residential buildings and temple ruins are largely well-preserved. The newly built houses continue the traditional Bai style of blue tiles, white walls, light ink paintings, and three courtyards and a screen wall. The layout is unified and complete, representing a typical Bai fishing village nestled by the mountains and water, with a crisscrossing network of streets and alleys. The town boasts a simple and quaint folk culture, preserving a rich tapestry of traditional ethnic culture and customs. It is one of the birthplaces of Bronze Culture, Erhai Civilization, and Dali Civilization. Our inn was quite close to the Erhai Ring Road, but upon waking up that morning, apart from the sounds of some locals playing musical instruments, it was quite quiet. Later, I asked H if she had heard any music, and she said yes, and it sounded like a funeral. It was around 9:00 AM when I woke up. H and I agreed to leave around 10:00 AM to first stroll along the Erhai Lake shore, and then head to the ancient town for wild mushroom hotpot at [Under the Banyan Tree • Centennial Courtyard Wild Mushroom Hotpot Bai Nationality Private Cuisine Restaurant]
We walked along the Erhai Lake Ring Road for about 20 minutes and passed a local market. We arrived late, so many stalls had closed. Only a few fruit and vegetable stalls were still open, so we picked some figs.
Mr. H said that Dali is a fig producing area, so the figs here are better than those in other places. I haven't tried them elsewhere, but they are indeed delicious and very sweet.
Walking further in, it was already the residential area of the ancient town. There were many local people running shops. From time to time, some small sightseeing cars carrying tourists passed by us. I used my camera to record their daily life~
When we arrived at the wild mushroom hotpot restaurant, we gave the waiter the figs we had just bought and asked him to wash them for us. A couple from the next table saw that we had figs and thought they were a dish and wanted a plate of them too. But I told them we bought them at the local market and offered them to try. They were embarrassed and refused.
The waiter's series of actions made us very happy with our meal, so this is also a very good restaurant. I will introduce it in detail later.
After a satisfying meal, we decided to take a leisurely stroll back along the Ring Road to digest our food. It was a bit hot, but it was still quite pleasant.
(On the way back, H bought another friend of ours, D, a bracelet at a silver jewelry store. How thoughtful! She's truly a good friend.)
Back at the inn, we each packed up our belongings and set off again around the lake.
This side of the Ring Road offers a direct view of Erhai Lake, making it a very pleasant drive. After passing the Ring Road, you'll pass Little Putuo.
Little Putuo is located on a small island east of Erhai Lake in Yunnan. Originally built in the Ming Dynasty and renovated in 1982, it's a two-story pavilion-style structure. The first floor is dedicated to Tathagata Bodhisattva, and the second floor to Guanyin Bodhisattva. Legend has it that when Guanyin opened up the Dali Basin, she dropped a seal onto the waters here, which became a small island. This seal served to calm the waves and protect the fishermen. Therefore, the fishermen built a Guanyin Pavilion on the island to commemorate Guanyin. They also named a fishing village east of the island Haiyin Village, the island Xiao Putuo Mountain, and the Guanyin Pavilion Xiao Putuo, meaning the place where Guanyin practiced. We took a look from the car, but it didn't seem particularly spectacular. Since we planned to circle Erhai Lake and return to the inn to watch the sunset, we didn't get out of the car. After a quick look, we continued driving. The weather was great, the scenery along the way was beautiful, and there were many photo-taking spots.
Mr. H drove almost non-stop all the way. After driving a full circle around Erhai Lake for about two hours, we returned to the inn and borrowed two small stools from the innkeeper. We took the things we bought over the past two days and the local specialties that Mr. H brought from Changsha and headed to the edge of Erhai Lake, ready to drink some wine and eat some snacks while watching a beautiful sunset over Erhai Lake~
I also took some aerial photos and a time-lapse of the sunset~
[Nanzhao Style Island] is one of the three islands of Erhai Lake, located in Shuanglang Township, southeastern Eryuan County, in a prime location within the Cang'er National Scenic Area. Surrounded by water, the island is bordered by the renowned Buddhist sanctuary Jizu Mountain to the east, Shibao Mountain to the north, Dali to the south, and Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake to the west. Due to its unique tourism resources, it is often praised as "Dali's scenery is in Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and Cang'er Lake's scenery is in Shuanglang."
The island boasts enchanting scenery, where the sea and sky merge into one, creating a scene of boundless beauty. Millennium-old banyan trees flourish, and secluded caves and caves intersperse. Surrounded by clear white sands, the island offers panoramic views of the magnificent Cangshan and Erhai Lakes, a scene truly evocative of the saying, "Mountains and people are bright, and water and love endure." The island is comprised of eight major landscapes: the Shayimu Sculpture Pier, Seaview Villas, Yunnan's Lucky Star - Acuoye Guanyin Square, the Nanzhao Summer Palace, the Bai People's Benzhu Cultural and Art Square, the Beach Amusement Park, the Taihu Stone Scenic Area, and the Fisherman's Pride Scenic Spot. These eight landscapes, integrated with the unique garden art, allow visitors to rediscover that precious original truth and the beauty of complementing simplicity through close contact with nature.
Forgive me and Mr. H for not wanting to go to the island to play, so we missed it. The route listed here is only for reference of the sea tour route~
On the first day, I stayed at [Dali Boren Boutique B&B] 🌟🌟🌟🌟
If you plan to live near Dali Ancient Town, you can choose to stay here. The B&B is located in a residential area and is relatively quiet. The rooms are fully equipped and clean, and the decoration style is also good. It is only a few minutes' walk from Dali Ancient Town, and there is a small parking lot near the B&B, which is convenient for those who drive. ～
📍Detailed address: No. 229, Group 9, Dongmen Village Committee, Dali Town, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province
📝tips: If you can't find the way, call the boss in advance to pick you up
On the second and third days, we stayed at [Dali Luge Courtyard Inn] 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This inn is located near Shuanglang Ancient Town. The owner is a local and the inn is also converted from a Bai ethnic minority house. The decoration style is nice, parking is available at the door, and it is also close to Erhai Lake. In the evening, you can go to the shore to watch the sunset~
📍Detailed address: Group 7, Changyu Village, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province
[A bowl of Yunnan flavor traditional cross-bridge rice noodles snacks] 🌟🌟🌟
Located in Dali Ancient Town, this one is quite standard, but you can taste more traditional Yunnan rice noodles. There are many types of usage, but the portion is small. The taste is good and the service is also very good~
📍Detailed address: No. 25, Guangwu Road, Dali Ancient Town, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province
💰Average consumption: 50
【Jingdai Ethnic Restaurant Hand-Pilled Rice】🌟🌟🌟🌟
Located near Dali Ancient Town, we bought a set meal for 3-4 people, which included a large pilaf platter and several other dishes, but we couldn't finish it for the two of us, so we packed up the leftover glutinous rice and spring chicken feet. The taste was okay, except that the taste of the sapie was not as strong as the one I had in Xishuangbanna, everything was good. I recommend it for three to four people~
📍Detailed address: 100 meters southeast of the intersection of Lvyu Road and Yuxiu Road, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province
💰Average consumption: 70
【Yueshaoyuewang Bai Nationality Flavor Restaurant】🌟🌟🌟🌟
Located near Panxi S Bay, the grilled fish is delicious and the price is very affordable. The eggplant I ordered is also very good. Recommended~
📍Detailed address: 280 meters northwest of Zhulian Cultural Square, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province
💰Average consumption: 40
[Under the Banyan Tree•Century-old Courtyard Wild Mushroom Hotpot Bai Nationality Private Cuisine Restaurant] 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Located in Shuanglang Ancient Town, the store decoration is very distinctive, the service attitude is very good, and the dishes are fresh. The homemade wine is also very good. Recommended~
📍Detailed address: Opposite to Shuanglang Fengqing Island, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province
💰Average consumption: 65
After watching a beautiful sunset over Erhai Lake, we each went back to our rooms to have an early rest.
I got up at around 7 a.m. the next day because I had to drive to Kunming today, a journey of about 4-5 hours. Mr. H’s return flight was at 4:30 p.m., so to be safe, we had to leave at 9 a.m., and I had a return flight from Kunming the next morning.
At around 3 pm, we parked the car in the parking lot outside the airport and waited for the car rental company to come over. The car rental company was very accommodating. After checking the appearance, there were no problems and the handover was completed. In fact, the specific companies should be similar. It should be more convenient to rent a car on Moubao, so I won’t recommend it here~
For this trip, the most important thing to thank is my friend H who is traveling with me!
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