Experience the beauty of Dali attractions with our must-visit list and immerse yourself in the local culture.
Nanzhao Customs Island (南诏风情岛), often shortened to Nanzhao Island, is a small limestone island a few minutes by boat off Shuanglang, on the north-east shore of Erhai Lake in Dali. It’s worth a…
Perched atop the majestic Cangshan Mountain, the Zhonghe Temple (中和寺) stands as a revered spiritual sanctuary and a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Dali, Yunnan Province. This ancient Taoist temple, with…
Tucked into the forested slopes 25 kilometers southwest of Jianchuan County, Shibaoshan (Stone Treasure Mountain) remains one of Yunnan’s most criminally undervisited cultural treasures. We’ve watched travelers spend days hunting for “authentic China”…
Jizu Mountain (Jizushan, Chicken Foot Mountain) is a Buddhist pilgrimage mountain in Yunnan and a full day trip from Dali. Most visitors take the cable car up to Jinding Temple on the 3,248…
Jinsuo Island (金梭岛) is the largest island in Erhai Lake and the only one where a Bai fishing community has lived for generations. It sits off Haidong on the lake’s east shore, five…
Dali Old Town is free to enter, with no ticket needed at any of its four gates. But only part of what’s inside is worth your time. Much of it is rebuilt shopfront…
Erhai Lake is a 250-square-kilometer freshwater lake beside Dali Old Town in Yunnan, China. It’s framed by the Cangshan mountains and ringed by Bai fishing villages. Pick one shore, one activity, and half…
Weibao Mountain (Weibaoshan, 巍宝山) is Yunnan’s best-known Taoist mountain. It stands 10 km southeast of Weishan Ancient Town in Dali Prefecture. Stone paths link more than 20 temples, including the shrine of the…
Zhoucheng Village is the largest Bai village in Yunnan, 23 km north of Dali Old Town. Bai tie-dye is still made in its family courtyards. Most visitors come to dye a scarf or…
Shaxi Ancient Town is the old market village of Sideng in Jianchuan County, Dali Prefecture, on the road between Dali and Lijiang. Its restored square, Ming-dynasty temple and Friday market make it the…
Cangshan Mountain (苍山) is the 19-peak range that rises straight behind Dali Old Town, with Erhai Lake at its feet. It is a UNESCO Global Geopark, and its highest summit, Malong Peak, reaches…
Standing 69.13 meters tall for over 1,200 years, the Three Pagodas have survived more than 30 earthquakes while everything around them crumbled. After guiding thousands of travelers through this site, we’ve learned what…
