Shuanglang Ancient Town Guide: Where to Stay & What to Do
Shuanglang is worth one night, not a day trip. Shuanglang Ancient Town sits on the north-east shore of Erhai Lake and faces west across the water to Cangshan. Most of Erhai’s remaining waterside rooms are here, and a lake-view room gets the sunset over the mountains straight through the window. The main street takes 30 minutes to walk, and by day it’s loud and overpriced.
We’ve planned Yunnan trips from Kunming since 2006, and we plan Shuanglang as an overnight: a lakefront room, arrival in the late afternoon, and checkout the next morning.
Shuanglang in 30 seconds
- Stay one night in a lakefront room. Shuanglang is where Erhai’s rooms on the water are concentrated. You’re paying for that view, not for the main street.
- Arrive 3–4 PM. Walk the shore toward Yuji Island in the 90 minutes before sunset, then sit by the water once the day-trippers leave.
- Don’t make it a day trip from Dali Old Town. It’s 65 minutes each way for a 30-minute street.
- Budget ¥500–1,200 a night on weekdays for a lakefront room; ¥2,000+ on Chinese holidays.
- Boats: take the small Erhai Pearl boat (¥70, four departures, 40 minutes on Nanzhao Customs Island), not the big cruise ship.
- Don’t drive into town, and confirm luggage pickup before you book.
Table of Contents
1. What Is Shuanglang?
Shuanglang (双廊) is a Bai fishing town at the north-east corner of Erhai Lake, in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan. The name means “two bays”: the town sits between Luoshi Bay and Lianhua Bay. By car it’s 52.5 km and 1 hour 5 minutes from the south gate of Dali Old Town, based on our own drive times.
Shuanglang faces west, across the water to the 19 peaks of Cangshan. That makes Shuanglang a sunset spot, not a sunrise one. There are two small islands at the town’s edge. Yuji Island (玉几岛) is joined to the shore and packed with guesthouses. Nanzhao Customs Island (南诏风情岛, also sold as Nanzhao Folk Island) sits a few minutes offshore by boat.
Erhai’s shoreline changed in 2018. Dali drew a protection line 15 metres back from the water and cleared the buildings inside it, relocating 1,806 households in 23 lakeside villages; most of that strip is now wetland and eco-corridor. The clearance targeted unlicensed guesthouses and restaurants that discharged waste into the lake. Licensed ones, now connected to the sewage network, reopened. The Paper reported more than 200 back in business in Shuanglang after the clearance.
That’s why Erhai’s waterside rooms are concentrated in Shuanglang: guesthouses with terraces right on the water, which you’ll struggle to find anywhere else on the lake. Most “lake view” rooms, here and around the lake, look over a road, a path or the corridor.
2. Is Shuanglang Worth It?
As an overnight stop, yes. As a special trip from Dali Old Town or Xizhou, no.
Why a day trip disappoints
The main street is the problem. Electric carts, tricycles and sightseeing buggies share a narrow lane with pedestrians, and the buggies honk the whole way. You’ll walk it end to end in 30 minutes. The shops sell what every Dali town sells.
The shoreline is the other problem. Cafés, guesthouses and restaurants have fenced off most of the shoreline with railings and tables. A day visitor ends up either jostling for the few free viewpoints or paying café prices to sit by the water.
What changes when you stay the night
After dark, Shuanglang is much quieter. The day-trippers leave, the main street empties after 8 PM, and the people left on the shore are overnight guests. From a lakefront room you see Cangshan and the lake at sunset and again at breakfast, without the crowds. You can have a good Shuanglang stay without setting foot on the main street at all.
Jaclyn from Singapore toured Yunnan with her family on a private tour with us in September 2025. Her verdict on Shuanglang:
“Shuanglang’s soul isn’t in wandering around. It’s in where you stay. Find a well-placed hotel with an open view straight onto Cangshan and Erhai, sit on the balcony and watch the clouds drift. That’s the right way to do Shuanglang. Rather than squeezing through the streets by day, stay in and watch the light change on the lake. It’s worth every yuan of the room rate. Shuanglang is a lake-view hotel experience. Skip the good hotel and you’ve come for nothing.“
— Jaclyn, Singapore, September 2025
Who should skip it
On a two-day Dali trip, skip it. The round trip eats half a day you’d spend better at Xizhou or on the west shore. Skip it too if you’re after old-town atmosphere: Xizhou, Zhoucheng and Shaxi still feel lived in, and Shuanglang’s main street doesn’t. And avoid arriving on a Chinese public holiday, when the roads in jam.
When the west shore is the better pick
If you want sunrise or a day on a bike, Erhai’s west shore beats Shuanglang. Longkan Pier is the lake’s sunrise spot. The eco-corridor from Caicun to the Panxi S-Bend is flat and made for cycling, and rooms there cost less. Short on time? Ride the corridor, and add Shuanglang when you can give it a night. → See our Erhai Lake guide for the shore-by-shore breakdown
3. Where to Stay in Shuanglang
Pick the zone before you pick the hotel. Shuanglang’s hotels fall into three areas, and the area decides your experience more than the star rating does. On a map, the lakefront zone is simply the row of buildings on the shoreline, not the lanes behind it.
Zone | Weekday price | What you get | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
Lakefront (first line): the row of hotels on the shoreline from Yuji Island south through Daoyipang (岛依旁村) to Dajianpang Village (大建旁村) | ¥500–1,200 | Lake and Cangshan in the window, the shore path at the door | A walk to the town core; harder luggage transfers |
Old town core: the lanes around the old opera stage and Kuixing Pavilion | ¥200–500 | Cafés and restaurants on your doorstep, evening streets | No car access; street-facing rooms are noisy |
Outer villages and hillside: Kanghai Village (康海村), set back from the lake behind Yuji Island, and the slopes toward Wase and Wenbi Village | ¥300–500 | Wide views, genuine quiet | Far from town; little open for dinner; you need a car |
Rates are weekday prices from our records. Our pick is the lakefront, for one night. It’s the only zone with the sunset-over-Cangshan view that makes Shuanglang worth the trip.
How to find a real lakefront room
Shuanglang’s lakefront rooms come in two grades. Waterside rooms have a private terrace that sits directly on the water; they’re the scarcest and most expensive, and the ones worth paying for if Erhai is the point of your trip. First-line lake view rooms have open water and Cangshan straight out of the window, with the shore path between you and the lake. Either works. Anything less isn’t worth Shuanglang prices.
- On Trip.com, search “Shuanglang sea view” and sort by guest rating.
- Open guest photos from the last three months and look at the room itself, not the terrace.
- Check which grade you’re getting: water under the terrace, or open water past the path.
Many listings lead with the rooftop terrace while the room looks at a wall, and “lake view” often means a side view. → Start your search on Trip.com
How prices move by season
Tier | Weekday | Peak season / Golden Week |
|---|---|---|
Budget | ¥150–300 | ¥400–600 |
Mid-range | ¥400–800 | ¥800–1,500 |
High-end lake view | ¥1,000–2,000+ | ¥2,000–4,000+ |
Both tables use rates from our records. For the October Golden Week and Spring Festival, book at least two weeks ahead and pick a rate with free cancellation. Waterside rooms are few and sell out first, so book those a month ahead.
Four checks before you book
Luggage pickup. Cars can’t enter the old town, and the lanes are stone-paved. Ask whether the hotel collects bags at the car park. If it doesn’t, you’re dragging a suitcase over cobbles in the dark.
Soundproofing. Most guesthouses are converted old houses with thin walls. If you’re a light sleeper, ask for a room in a newer building or away from the lane.
Mosquitoes. Lakefront rooms get them. Close the windows at dusk; most hotels supply repellent.
Upsells at check-in. Some cheap listings exist to get you through the door, then push an upgrade at the desk. Lock in the exact room type on the booking platform before you arrive.
4. Things to Do in Shuanglang
A one-way walk through town
Shuanglang’s sights sit in a line along the shore. Walk it once, north to south, in the same order as the map above.
# | Stop | What it is | Our tip |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | North Gate (北门) | The main entrance, next to the expressway exit | Start here if your driver drops you at the north end |
2 | Old opera stage (古戏台) | A traditional Bai stage in the old town core | Worth a quick look on the way through |
3 | Erhai Wetland Park (洱海湿地公园) | A small lakeside park | One of the few free places in town to sit by the water |
4 | Kuixing Pavilion (魁星阁) | A tower pavilion dedicated to Kuixing, the god of scholarship, and the town’s landmark | After dark, walk down from here to the lake |
5 | Sun Palace (太阳宫) | Dancer Yang Liping’s lakeside art space | Free weekday tours or ¥128 afternoon tea; see below |
6 | Moon Palace (月亮宫) | Yang Liping’s private home | Not open; view it from the path |
7 | Yuji Island (玉几岛) | A small island joined to the shore by Yuji Bridge, lined with guesthouses | The small boat to Nanzhao Customs Island leaves beside the bridge |
8 | Nanzhao Customs Island (南诏风情岛) | An island a few minutes offshore | Optional: ¥70 by small boat, 1 hour 10 minutes round trip (section 5) |
9 | Guansheng Hall (关圣殿) | A small neighborhood temple in the lanes of Daoyipang Village, with a narrow door | Turn off the main street to find it; locals sit inside playing cards |
10 | South Gate (南门) | The south entrance, past Dajianpang Village | End here and meet your driver |
The whole walk is 2 km. Without stopping, it takes 30–40 minutes; with browsing and photos, allow 2–3 hours. One of our American clients, a fast walker who didn’t linger over photos, took two hours.
Yang Liping’s Sun Palace and Moon Palace
The two buildings most visitors come to photograph belong to Yang Liping, the Bai dancer, and both stand on Yuji Island. The Moon Palace (月亮宫) is her private home and is NOT open to visitors. Ignore anyone selling entry to it.
The Sun Palace (太阳宫) is open. As of September 2026, there are two ways in:
Option | How it works | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Free guided visit | Weekdays only, 9:00–11:30, 30 minutes per slot, led by staff. Book on the WeChat account “太阳宫艺术空间” (Sun Palace Art Space); next-day slots are released at 12:00 noon and at midnight, and they go fast. Booking is in Chinese, so ask your hotel or guide to do it. | Free |
Afternoon tea | Daily 12:00–19:30, walk up to the gate. A drink, dessert, fruit and preserved plums, plus a silk scarf to take home, with no time limit on the terrace. | ¥128 per person |
- Which to pick: the afternoon tea. The free visit is capped at 30 minutes; with the tea you can sit on the terrace as long as you like.
- On a one-night stay: book the free visit for your checkout morning (weekdays only). From October to February, you can instead take the tea on arrival and watch the sunset from the terrace.
- Stairs: they’re steep inside, so keep a hand on young children and older travelers.
- No luck getting in: the path around Yuji Island shows you both buildings from outside.
One evening, hour by hour
Shuanglang is at its best from late afternoon onward, so plan your arrival around the evening.
The sunset walk: 90 minutes before sunset
Walk the lakeside path from the town toward Yuji Island. In this window the sun drops behind Cangshan and the light turns the lake orange. Shuanglang faces straight into it, which is why this is the best time of day here.
The timeline’s 4:00–7:00 PM fits November to February. Dali runs on Beijing time despite sitting far to the west, so sunset comes late: the Maplogs sunset table for Dali puts it at 6:32 PM in mid-November and 8:15 PM in mid-July.
In other months, start the walk 90 minutes before sunset in the chart below. The sun drops behind the Cangshan ridge a little before official sunset, so don’t leave it late.
Two alternatives:
- A seat instead of a walk: check in at 3 PM and go straight to the Sun Palace for afternoon tea. It runs until 19:30 and the terrace faces the sunset, so this works from October to February.
- On the water: take the 17:30 small boat (see section 5).
After dark: the quiet shore
By 8 PM the day-trippers have gone and the main street goes quiet. Walk down from Kuixing Pavilion (魁星阁) to the lake, buy a bottle of Dali’s Wind Flower Snow Moon (风花雪月) beer, and sit by the water. There’s no night show in Shuanglang. Evenings here are for sitting by the lake, and we think that’s the right way to spend them.
Where to eat
Two restaurants and one noodle shop cover dinner and a quick lunch; prices are from our own meals there. Show staff the Chinese names, because English menus are rare.
Place | Where | What to order |
|---|---|---|
Yuelai Haoshi (悦来好食·家常菜) | Roadside in Dajianpang Village, south end | Wild-mushroom hotpot set (¥127, feeds four), stir-fried jianshouqing mushrooms with cured pork (¥108), “grandma’s potatoes” (老奶洋芋, ¥20) |
Siqian Shipu (寺前食铺) | Old town core | Grilled fish with local chilli powder, stir-fried water-lily flowers (海菜花), scrambled eggs with tree-bark lichen; rice ¥2, unlimited |
Yang’s Chicken Rice Noodles (杨记土鸡米线) | Old town | A ¥12–15 bowl of chicken rice noodles; add braised chicken liver |
Jianshouqing (见手青) is a wild bolete that’s toxic when undercooked. Order it in the June–October mushroom season from a busy kitchen, and don’t eat a plate that tastes underdone. Anywhere that sells fish by weight, ask the price per jin (500 g) before the kitchen weighs it.
Before it gets dark
Eat straight after sunset, because many restaurants close early and the lakefront zone has few late options. Bring a layer: the lake turns cold after sunset, even in summer. The lakeside path back to the hotels is dark in places, so wear proper shoes and carry a light.
5. Boats to Nanzhao Island and Across Erhai
For a boat ride from Shuanglang, take the small Erhai Pearl (洱海明珠号) boat, not the big cruise ship. Each big-ship line leaves Shuanglang once a day at a fixed time, and it costs more. The small boat runs four times a day and includes a stop on Nanzhao Customs Island.
Boat | Departs Shuanglang | Trip | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
Erhai Pearl small boat (round trip via Nanzhao Customs Island) | 11:00, 14:00, 15:45, 17:30 | 1 hour 10 minutes, including 40 minutes on the island | ¥70, island landing included; children 1.2–1.4 m ¥35, under 1.2 m free |
Erhai grand cruise between Dali Port (Xiaguan) and Shuanglang, one way | 3:00 PM to Dali Port; from Dali Port at 9:30 AM, arriving 12:30–1:00 PM | The length of the lake | ¥130 adult, ¥71 child, either direction |
These are the high season departures from our records. Both operators shift times with the season and the crowds, so confirm by phone or at the pier the day before.
The two piers are a short walk apart on the town’s lakeshore. The grand cruise docks at Shuanglang Pier Square (双廊古镇码头广场), between Yuji Island and Daoyipang Village; the nearest car park is Yueguangli (月光里停车场). The small boat leaves from beside Yuji Bridge (玉几桥), a 10-minute walk north along the shore.
When boats don’t run
Wind, heavy waves and fog stop both boats. December to March is the windiest stretch of the year, and in our experience a forecast of force 6 wind or stronger means no boats.
- Buy tickets you can refund for weather.
- Keep a land plan ready: the west-shore eco-corridor works in any wind, and winter is its best season for sunrise.
The small boat to Nanzhao Customs Island
The 11:00 and 14:00 boats fit around a lakefront check-in. The 17:30 boat puts you on the water in the late-afternoon light and back ashore by 18:40, in time for dinner. Forty minutes is enough for Nanzhao Customs Island. Walk the shore path to Benzhu Square and its bronze Bai patron gods, then head back to the boat.
Arrive by boat from Dali
You can also arrive by water. The long-line grand cruise leaves Dali Port in Xiaguan at 9:30 AM and reaches Shuanglang Pier between 12:30 and 1:00 PM, for the same ¥130 fare as the return trip. You step off straight into town, a short walk from the lakefront hotels. Send your luggage ahead by car, have lunch in town, and check in at 3:00 PM.
Leave by boat on a second day
The 3:00 PM grand cruise takes you the full length of the lake back to Dali Port. It fits a second day, not a morning checkout.
Fill the morning with a ride south along the east-shore road toward Wase. The road runs along cliffs above the water, and there are fewer people south of Shuanglang (more in our guide to Erhai’s shores). Turn back at Little Putuo Island, a tiny temple island just off Wase.
The grand cruise also runs two short lines from Shuanglang:
- A loop via Nanzhao Customs Island and back.
- A one-way trip via the island to Jingui Temple Pier near Xizhou, handy if the west shore is next on your route.
For a simple island trip, the small boat is cheaper and more flexible. → See our Erhai Lake cruise guide for the full route map
6. How to Get There
- Private car or taxi: the easiest way to arrive with luggage. Drive times below are from our own transfers. → See our private car service
- Grand cruise: the 9:30 AM boat from Dali Port reaches Shuanglang between 12:30 and 1:00 PM, and the 3:00 PM boat goes back. It’s ¥130 either way (see section 5).
From | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
Xizhou | 32.9 km | 39 minutes |
Dali Fengyi Airport | 46.4 km | 45 minutes |
Dali railway station (high-speed trains) | 49.7 km | 1 hour |
Dali Old Town, south gate | 52.5 km | 1 hour 5 minutes |
From the airport, these times assume the Dali–Lijiang Expressway. By our records, the east-shore lake road takes 70 minutes instead, past Wase, Wenbi Village and Lixiangbang (理想邦). If you’re not in a hurry, it’s the better drive.
Where your car drops you
Cars can’t enter the old town, so your driver stops at one of two gates.
Gate | Route in | Walk to |
|---|---|---|
North Gate (双廊古镇北门) | Shuanglang expressway exit, or the lake road from Xizhou | The old town core, 3–5 minutes |
South Gate (双廊古镇南门) | Wase expressway exit, or the east-shore lake road | Dajianpang Village, 5–10 minutes |
Put your hotel’s name into Didi rather than “Shuanglang”; drivers know which gate is closest. Call the hotel as you pull up and ask them to meet you and your bags at the gate. Confirm luggage pickup the day before; stone lanes make a suitcase hard work.
On Chinese public holidays the roads into Shuanglang jam, and the Shuanglang expressway exit often blocks the left turn into town. In peak season, ask your driver to leave the expressway at Wase and take the lake road north to the South Gate.
Getting out, especially after 8 PM
In our experience, Didi (usable in English through Alipay) finds a car in 5–10 minutes during the day, and Dali Old Town costs ¥70. After 8 PM, drivers thin out: waits run 20–30 minutes, and sometimes no car comes at all. Ask your hotel to book a driver the night before you leave, since many guesthouses work with local drivers.
7. Tourist Traps to Avoid
None of these will spoil a one-night stay if you know them before you arrive. The prices quoted are ones we’ve seen in town.
The main-street traffic
Sightseeing buggies don’t yield to pedestrians. Neither do e-bikes or tricycles. Use the lakeside lanes where you can, and keep children close on the main street.
The same buggies are worth riding when you’re tired. Shuanglang is bigger than it looks, and the stone paving is tiring. A ride costs ¥15 one way or ¥30 return per person, and you flag one down anywhere along the street, with no fixed stops. You pay every time you board, so for a two-minute hop to a restaurant, walk.
The fenced-off shoreline
Free public access to the water in town comes down to the small Erhai Wetland Park near the old opera stage, and the pier area. Everywhere else, sitting by the lake means buying something, and lattes start at ¥48. If you’ve booked a lakefront room, you won’t need either.
The jade “lottery”
The Southeast Asian goods mall runs a lucky-draw game that ends with a ¥299 “90% off” jade piece. It’s a set-up, and the jade isn’t worth the price. Walk past any draw, voucher or discount pitch.
Public toilets
Shuanglang’s public toilets are few, often up a flight of stairs, and frequently out of paper or out of order. Use your hotel or a café before you set off.
Drivers who push shopping stops
Charter drivers hired on the spot in Dali often detour to tie-dye and silver shops, and turn unfriendly when you decline. Our private tours include no shopping stops, hidden or otherwise. → See how these group-tour shopping scams work
Street food and fruit prices
Street prices here run high, and not every stall posts them. A cup of three ordinary cut fruits can cost ¥46. Ask the price before you order anything.
Skip the farm restaurants by the north entrance. They cook table by table, and at lunch and dinner the wait runs to an hour.
8. Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shuanglang charge an entrance fee?
No. Shuanglang Ancient Town is free to enter and open 24 hours a day. You pay only for buggy rides, boats and whatever you buy in town.
What is the best time of year to visit Shuanglang?
The dry months from October to May give the clearest views of Cangshan across the lake. Summer brings more cloud and afternoon rain, which often hides the mountains at sunset. → See our China rainy season guide
Is Shuanglang the same as Nanzhao Customs Island?
No. Shuanglang is the lakeside town on Erhai’s north-east shore. Nanzhao Customs Island, also called Nanzhao Folk Island, is a separate small island a few minutes offshore, reached by boat from Shuanglang.
Is Shuanglang suitable for older travelers or young children?
Yes, if you choose the hotel carefully. Pick one that meets you and your bags at the car park, and use the sightseeing buggies instead of walking the stone lanes. Spend most of the stay on the hotel terrace and the flat shore path rather than the main street.
Do I need cash in Shuanglang?
Shops, cafés and hotels in Shuanglang take Alipay and WeChat Pay. Carry a small amount of cash for street stalls and boat operators. → See how much cash to bring to China
How crowded is Shuanglang during Chinese holidays?
Very. During the October Golden Week and Spring Festival, lakefront rooms sell out and prices double. Avoid October 1–7 if your dates are flexible.
Want Shuanglang built into your Dali itinerary, with the right lakefront room and no shopping stops? Tell us your dates.
