Dali

“Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon”: the Erhai Lake loop road, Cangshan Mountain, Dali Old Town and Xizhou Ancient Town, a haven for young people seeking a slow-life stay.

Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture lies in central-western Yunnan, and the main sights are concentrated in Dali City. Cangshan Mountain (19 peaks, main peak Malong Peak at 4,122 m) rises to the west and Erhai Lake (Yunnan's second-largest freshwater lake, about 42 km from north to south) lies to the east. The old town sits at about 2,000 m and was the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom in the Tang dynasty and the Dali Kingdom in the Song; it is the center of Bai culture. “Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon” refers to the Xiaguan wind, the Shangguan flowers, the snow on Cangshan and the moon over Erhai. The climate is spring-like all year, with an average temperature of about 15°C. In March–April there are cherry blossoms in the old town, azaleas on Cangshan and rapeseed flowers in Xizhou. May–October is the rainy season (concentrated in July–August, mostly night rain or showers), and the cool summer makes it a summer-escape season. September–November has the most sunny days and the bluest Erhai, the golden period for photography and cycling. Winter is clear and dry, warm by day and cold in the mornings and evenings, with occasional snow on Cangshan. The area can be divided into four zones. First, the old town and Cangshan (the old town, the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple and the Cangshan cable car: 1–2 days). Second, the west shore of Erhai (Cuncun, Xizhou, Zhoucheng and Butterfly Spring; cycle or drive the lakeside eco-corridor: 1 day). Third, the east shore of Erhai (Shuanglang, Wase, Xiaoputuo and Haidong; sunrise and views of Cangshan: 1 day). Fourth, Shaxi in Jianchuan and Weishan Ancient Town (1 day each, 1.5–2 hours by car). Getting there: Dali Airport is about 13 km east of Xiaguan; Dali station has high-speed trains to Kunming (about 2 hours) and Lijiang (about 1.5–2 hours), and you can also take the slow “Dali–Lijiang” green train. Dali station is about 13 km from the old town; bus No. 8 or a taxi takes about 30 minutes. The Erhai loop road is about 120 km around; common ways to do it are renting an e-bike or bicycle, self-driving, or hiring a car (about RMB 300–500 per day). We suggest 3–5 days. Tips: Erhai is strictly protected, and motor vehicles are banned from the eco-corridor on some sections of the loop road, so watch your e-bike battery range. UV is strong, so bring sunscreen and sunglasses for cycling. There are many inns in the old town; for quiet, stay in Cuncun or Xizhou, and for sunrise stay in Shuanglang. Signature foods include the Bai three-course tea, rushan (milk fan), shengpi (Bai raw-cured pork), sour-and-spicy fish and Xizhou baba. Around the 15th day of the third lunar month each year, the March Street ethnic festival takes place.

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