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Dali is a must-see destination when traveling in Yunnan. After visiting Kunming, Dali is a good second stop.
Dali is picturesque, boasting the majestic Cangshan Mountain and the rippling Erhai Lake; the ancient city with its chessboard-like structure from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the simple and elegant Bai ethnic minority dwellings; the magnificent Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, and the picturesque Butterfly Spring. Among these scenic views are the famous Four Scenes of Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon, namely "Xiaguan Wind, Shangguan Flowers, Cangshan Snow, and Erhai Moon."
From Kunming to Dali, I chose the high-speed train.
D8692, drove at 9:41, and it only took 2 hours to cover more than 300 kilometers. If you drive on the highway, it would take 4.5 hours.
Add image tianchun All the way through mountains and countryside, to the south of the colorful clouds, the scenery is picturesque.
Dali Railway Station.
I rented a car in advance through China-TravelNote and arranged to pick it up at Dali Railway Station. The actual pick-up location was a hotel parking lot across the road from the train station. I had to walk a long way with my luggage, going up and down the overpass. It was a Toyota Corolla with a Shaanxi license plate. The guy who delivered it spoke with a Shaanxi accent. Just like renting a car in Kunming, he asked me to buy insurance for 100 yuan per day, otherwise there might be repair and downtime fees. I decided to save trouble and just pay the money.
The train station is about 15 kilometers from the hotel, passing through downtown Dali and with numerous traffic lights. Afterwards, I decided to have the hotel pick me up (free) and then hand over the rental car at the hotel. This would be hassle-free and convenient, and there's no waiting.
Anyue Linjianyin Resort Hotel is located in a villa area in Dali, with its back against Cangshan Mountain and facing Erhai Lake. It is surrounded by green trees and red flowers and has an extremely quiet environment.
After lunch, we rested briefly and drove to Cangshan National Geopark, where we planned to take the Gantong Cableway up Cangshan Mountain. There are three cableways within the Cangshan Scenic Area:
1. The Ximatan Cableway, which ascends directly to 3,900 meters above sea level, almost reaching the summit. The Ximatan Scenic Area is a classic among Cangshan attractions. 2. Gantong Cableway: The ride takes you halfway up the mountain, with concentrated attractions and low physical demands. 3. Zhonghe Cableway: This cable car offers a shorter distance with fewer attractions and a suspended gondola. The cable car features the Zhonghe Temple, dating back to the Nanzhao period of the Tang Dynasty, and the Jade Belt Road, which you can hike. 4. Cangshan National Geopark: Cangshan, the main peak at the southern end of the Yunling Mountains, dominates Dali's skyline. Stretching 50 kilometers from north to south and 10-20 kilometers from east to west, the main peak, Malong Peak, stands at an altitude of 4,122 meters. Cangshan Mountain boasts a total of 19 majestic peaks, each juxtaposed with the picturesque Erhai Lake. Between each of these 19 peaks flows a cascading stream into Erhai Lake, creating the unique landscape of "19 Peaks and 18 Creeks" on Cangshan Mountain. 
To the northwest of Cangshan Mountain lies the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, stretching over 1,000 kilometers at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. To its southeast lies the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with an average altitude of 2,000 meters. This makes Cangshan Mountain a significant geographical dividing point, earning it the nickname "the eaves of the Roof of the World." Cangshan Mountain is a "natural geological history book" nurtured over 2 billion years. Its unique geology, geography, and landforms have created a natural landscape where mountains and water complement each other, and wind, flowers, snow, moon, and stone coexist. 
On such a beautiful day, I was surprised to find the Gantong Cableway out of service. Feeling disappointed, I entered the Geopark for a look and climbed several steps to Gantong Temple. Gantong Temple, founded by the eminent monk Li Chengmei in the early Tang Dynasty, is located at the southern foot of Shengying Peak in Cangshan Mountain, between Dali Ancient City and Xiaguan. Backed by the perpetually snow-capped Cangshan Mountain and facing the vast, misty Erhai Lake dotted with white sails, Gantong Temple, also known as Dangshan Temple, embodies the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
From the cable car station, you can overlook Erhai Lake in the distance. “Green mountains embrace green water, the lake reflects the mountain scenery, exotic flowers bloom in all seasons, and the faint fragrance wafts for hundreds of miles.” Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake are facing each other from afar.
In the Cangshan Geopark parking lot, a local tout approached me and offered to take me to the top of the mountain in his car. The view there was stunning, and Erhai Lake looked like it was only the size of my palm. It sounded quite tempting, but there were too many uncertainties, so I declined his offer.
Leaving Cangshan Geopark, I drove 10 kilometers to Chongsheng Temple. On the way, I saw a road (Cang'er Road) that led directly to Erhai Lake. Suddenly, I was intrigued. I turned right and followed the road. Tall purple-flowered trees lined the road, and Erhai Lake was clearly visible ahead. Unfortunately, the road ended at a bend, leaving Erhai Lake still far away. But no matter, I just turned around and enjoyed the fun and casualness of a self-driving tour.
In addition to the main hall of the temple, Chongsheng Temple has the famous three pagodas, which seem to attract more tourists' attention. The three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are staggered in height and harmoniously proportioned. The distance between the main pagoda and the two smaller pagodas to the north and south is 70 meters, forming a tripod. The main pagoda leads the two smaller pagodas, the main pagoda standing tall and majestic, while the smaller pagodas are exquisitely sculpted. The main tower, also known as the Qianxun Tower, stands 69.13 meters tall. It is a 16-story, square, hollow brick tower with dense eaves. It was built during the Tang Dynasty (circa 9th century). The north and south towers are 42.19 meters tall, 10-story, octagonal brick towers with dense eaves. They were added during the Song Dynasty. During the renovation of the three towers between 1978 and 1981, a large number of cultural relics from the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdom periods were discovered.
The Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas Cultural Tourism Area integrates Cang'er culture, cultural relics and Buddhist culture. It is divided into two major areas. The front area is centered on the three pagodas, and the back area is Chongsheng Temple, the first temple of Han Buddhism.
Like most scenic spots, you need to take the scenic battery car here. (You can walk, but it's quite a long way.)
The electric car passed a traffic light on the way.
This is the main gate of Chongsheng Temple. Chongsheng Temple faces Erhai Lake in the east and Cangshan Mountain in the west. It is located about one kilometer north of Dali Ancient City. It is called "Tianlong Temple" in Jin Yong's martial arts novel "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".
Hall of Patriarchs: The six Zen patriarchs Bodhidharma, Huike, Sengcan, Daoxuan, Hongren and Huineng are housed in the hall.
The lush Cangshan Mountain stretches endlessly with undulating peaks. The Main Hall, modeled after the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing, has double eaves and nine bays, a three-tiered platform, is 51.7 meters wide and 26 meters high. It is the highest-ranking building in Chongsheng Temple and is located in the center of the temple.
Wanghai Tower, also known as the Sutra Repository, is a triple-eaved Ming and Qing dynasty-style pavilion. The Sutra Repository is the last major building in Chongsheng Temple, housing the Tripitaka, other Buddhist texts, and religious instruments. In front of Wanghai Tower is the "Nine Dragons Bathing Buddha" stone sculpture. Based on the legend of the Nine Dragons Bathing the Prince, the sculpture depicts the Nine Dragons and the Prince bathing the Buddha. The sculpture is complemented by a high-tech fountain, showcasing the scene.
The Arhat Hall houses five hundred Arhats and two Vajra Kings.
The Maitreya Hall, modeled after the Song Dynasty single-eaved, seven-bay hipped-roof architecture, adopts the solemn and elegant Hexi color scheme. Maitreya Buddha is enshrined in the front center, while Skanda is enshrined in the back.
The plaque on the gate of Chongsheng Temple was once famous for five major artifacts, one of which was the "Buddhist Capital" plaque.
Due to the flourishing of Buddhism during the Dali Kingdom, nine of the Kingdom's 22 kings became monks at Chongsheng Temple. At that time, Chongsheng Temple was the center of Buddhist culture for the entire Dali Kingdom and even for all of Southeast Asia, earning it the reputation of "Buddhist Capital."
On the way back, say hello to the driver of the scenic area's battery car, get off a little earlier, and go to see the three pagodas up close.
The Frog Croaking Stone is a spiritual stone. If you hit it with a small stone, it will emit a croaking echo.
Standing under the Three Pagodas and looking west, the blue Erhai Lake stretches across the foot of the opposite mountain, stretching and long. The villages by the Erhai Lake are also clearly visible, with densely packed white houses. There are several large rocks beside the pool, which mark the best location for photographing the three towers.
There are several large rocks beside the pool, which mark the best location for photographing the three towers.
When you come to Dali, of course you must visit the ancient town. So we simply had dinner in the ancient town, killing two birds with one stone. The hotel is 1.7 kilometers away from the south gate of the ancient town (on foot), which is a bit far, so the Bai ethnic minority guy from the hotel drove us there (intimate service, free of charge).
Following the directions of the Bai ethnic minority guy at the hotel, we went straight to this wild mushroom hotpot restaurant. The restaurant was crowded with diners inside and outside, and business was booming.
The TV in the restaurant was playing the TV series "Where the Wind Is" and there was a large wooden sign next to it: xxxxxx Filming Location. This TV series has played an indispensable role in promoting tourism in Dali.
There happened to be some space in the restaurant, so you definitely have to try the local specialties.
After dinner, we strolled around the Dali Ancient Town. When the landscape lights were on at night, it probably looked more colorful and charming than during the day.
Wenxian Building was first built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. A plaque inscribed with "Wenxian Mingbang" (literary name of the state) by Yunnan Governor Piantu in 1701 (the 40th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign) hangs above the building. The building is a two-story, hip-and-gable roof-style structure of earth, wood, and stone, a typical feature of Bai architecture. (Is this the South City Gate? An article states: Along the north-south axis of Dali Ancient City, arranged from south to north are the Wenxian Building outside the South Gate, the Cheng'en Building at the South Gate, the Wuhua Building in the city, and the Anyuan Building at the North Gate. The Wenxian Building, located 1 km outside the Old City Gate, is the first scenic spot upon entering Dali Ancient City and a landmark.) 
Dali Ancient City was the political, economic, and cultural center of Yunnan for over 500 years during the Tang and Song dynasties. Within the ancient city, there are 14 key cultural relics protected at or above the municipal level, which embody Dali's historical, religious, and ethnic cultures. It is Dali's core tourist destination and the largest ancient capital in Southeast Asia from the 8th to the 12th century.
The word "Dali" on the city gate was coined by Guo Moruo during his visit to Dali in 1961. "Dali" was the name of the country, meaning "to govern Dali, to enrich the country and prosper the nation."
Wandering around, no shopping, no eating, just a quick tour, just a visit.
The former site of the Yunnan Governor's Mansion served as the Yixi Circuit Office during the Ming Dynasty. In 1663, during the second year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Yunnan Governor-General was stationed in Dali and the site was built as the Yunnan Governor's Office. After the liberation of China, it was under the jurisdiction of the military. In 1986, it was handed over to the local government and converted into the Dali City Museum. Opposite the former site of the Admiralty's Mansion stands a mighty statue of a PLA soldier, holding a rifle and gazing into the distance. On a low wall in front of the statue hangs a sign that reads "Military Management Area."
Walking out of Dali Ancient Town, it was almost 10pm and I took a taxi back to the hotel.
Anyue Linjianyin Resort is located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. The room windows face east, facing Erhai Lake, the direction of the rising sun. You can see Erhai Lake and the sunrise from your door. (May 24, 2023)
I slept well and woke up early. Seeing the sky was getting light outside the window, I got up immediately. A moment later, a red glow appeared on the horizon. It was 6:31.
At 6:46, the sun came out.
The red sun jumped out of the horizon.
The sunrise is full of rays of light, a satisfying scene.
Our room was on the third floor, and the height was not high enough to see the scenery (the height of the whole building was not high enough either). The Erhai Lake in front of us appeared as a narrow line. The room was amazing, a family suite with two master bedrooms, 75 square meters, a very large suite that can accommodate 4 people. The price was just over 500, which is really good value for money. There are four floors upstairs, with only one suite of 90 square meters, known as the 360-degree view suite of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake.
There are four floors upstairs, with only one suite of 90 square meters, known as the 360-degree view suite of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake.
From the hotel introduction photo, the fourth-floor suite with 360-degree view of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, the room rate is only a few dozen yuan higher than ours. I really want to enjoy it once, but it has already been booked.
The courtyard downstairs of the hotel is pleasing to the eye.
Excerpt from the hotel introduction: The hotel consists of high-star guest rooms and a garden landscape that rivals a botanical garden. It has a botanical cafe, a bar, an outdoor barbecue area, a three-story gym, a 600-square-meter large landscape swimming pool, as well as hundreds of various plants and flowers, garden rockery, forest streams, and flowing stone bridges. Every corner is carefully arranged by the landscape designer, as if you are in a botanical garden.
The front of the hotel is unremarkable. Because it is located in a villa area, the surrounding area is very quiet, unlike the hustle and bustle of the ancient city.
Walk around the hotel in the morning and enjoy the tranquility and pleasure.
There are four big characters on the building behind the left side of the stone bridge: Those Mountains and Those Seas. After crossing the stone bridge, there is a stone horse in front. On the stone on the left is written: the mountains and the sea (could it be another villa?). Further ahead is a swimming pool surrounded by green plants and flowers, which is open to hotel guests.
The pool water is clear, calm and azure blue. This end of the swimming pool is adjacent to the hotel courtyard.
The third day in Dali, May 26, got up early to watch the sunrise. (Yesterday I returned to Anyue Linjianyin Resort Hotel from Shuanglang Ancient Town and stayed in the same room as the previous day)
6:08,
6:16
6：45
6:48
The hotel reception is not very large, but the decoration is very warm. Tea, oranges, walnuts and peanuts are available for free.
The hotel breakfast is simple, with one serving per person. The only choice is a bowl of rice noodles or rice vermicelli.
A map of Dali and Erhai Lake is placed at the front desk. Traveling around Erhai Lake is almost a must for every tourist.
Outside the hotel gate, the sun is shining and the flowers are in full bloom. A new day awaits us as we drive around Erhai Lake.
“Come where there is wind”, this saying is popular in Dali and can be seen everywhere.
“The wind in Xiaguan, the flowers in Shangguan, the snow on Cangshan Mountain, the moon over Erhai Lake”, Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, with the wind blowing and the clouds spreading, the scenery of the lake and mountains, are full of poetic and picturesque scenery. The words “wind, flowers, snow and moon” are so romantic just by hearing them. If you want to find poetry and distant places, and want to relax yourself, come to Dali now!
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