Erhai Lake Villages. . A total of 17 villages are spread along the Western shore of the Erhai Lake between Xiaguan and Xizhou. Take a tour by bike by riding East from Dali Old Town until you reach the lake in Caicun Village and then North beside the lake shore taking local paths and roads. A great opportunity to see village life at its best, meet locals, see the Banyan trees in each village square and admire local architecture. There are 3 Qing Dynasty bridges along the route. �
Erhai Lake. Visit Guanyin Temple and several islands. Go with a group and enjoy a great day out. Boats can be easily arranged as the owners come into town to drum up business and you can see what you are getting from the photobooks they carry. Ferry rides at real stations cost around �30. There are signs indicating that fishing boats and paddle boats can't carry tourists, although it is unclear what the definition of tourist is. �
Butterfly Spring, (If you really want to see this you can catch a minibus from outside the west gate). A shallow pool that periodically swarms with countless butterflies. Otherwise the site includes a fairly nice park, a small butterfly breeding centre and an uterly bizzare exhibition hall with various pictures made from hundreds of dead butterflies of different colours which were presumably raised and killed on-site. (Local guide informed that butterfly no more because of pollution - September 2009)¥60. �
Wase Market. Combine a trip to Erhai Lake with a visit to the Wase Market on the eastern shore of the lake. Wase is a traditional and conservative Bai town with a weekly market aimed at both townpeople and nearby farmers. The market offers an interesting look at life in a quiet country town. �
Dali's famous Three Pagodas
Tang Dynasty Three Pagodas, (10 minutes by bike to the northwest of Dali Old Town (next door to Three Pagodas Hotel)). Offering one of the best preserved Buddhist structures in China. However, the compounds behind the pagodas were destroyed during the 1920s earthquake and later in the Cultural Revolution and were rebuilt starting in 1986. The Central Pagoda is almost 1200 years old and represents a period when Dali was a Buddhist Kingdom. The Congshen Temple behind the Three Pagodas has recently been rebuilt and reopened, after deteriorating in the 20th century due to earthquakes, fires and the Cultural Revolution. It is a massive complex that continues far up the mountain, where a climb to the top of the pagodas rewards with a beautiful overlook of Dali Ancient Town and Erhai Lake. Worth a visit for the Tang architecture, numerous statues of the Buddha and Guanyin with influences from both India and China, dragon fountains, and two small museum showcases.¥126+ (student ID gives a 50% discount). �
Shaping Market, (About 30km north of Dali). Shaping Town offers a lively weekly market with plenty of local color. The market starts early. A great chance to see local farmers out in force and literally watch plenty of horse trading. Not much to buy (unless you are a farmer) but gives you the feeling of life in a small country town. �
Xizhou, (About 20km north of Dali, can be visited on the way back from Shaping Market). Xizhou has almost 200 national heritage listed private houses dating from the Qing Dynasty. The houses are among the best examples of traditional Qing architecture in China and are exquisitely detailed. Chinese style with local touches. Building craftsmen from Xizhou were famous throughout Southeast Asia and travelled to Vietnam, Myanmar and throughout Southwest China to build and decorate houses. When they made their fortune, they returned to Xizhou to build their own dream home. As most of these houses are currently occupied, you will need to be on your best behaviour, knock and enter with permission. The best way to see the finest examples are with a local guide as many of the interesting houses are difficult to find. Nonetheless, with a little legwork and good manners you can locate plenty of interesting architecture on your own. The family estate of the Yan clan is preserved as a museum and open to the public, and while an excellent example of the architecture of the very rich is too commercial and compares poorly with more ordinary family homes in the township. �
Dali Bai Nationality Autonomous Prefecture Museum, Erhe Nanlu 8, Xiaguan, Zip: 671000 (云南大理市下关洱河南路8号, 邮编: 671000) (In the modern part of Dali, Xiaguan; take bus 8 from the old town and get off after the bridge, follow the river east (left) until just before the next bridge), ☎ 0872-2128614. closed between 11:30 and 14:00. Worth a visit. It has an extensive collection of exhibits, with most signs in both Chinese and English. The museum grounds are beautiful as well, the exhibits are set around a traditional garden.Free, but requires ID to enter. �
Eryuan, (West of Dali). Eryuan is a small town next to Cibihu lake. After taking a bus that leaves every hour for �13/p from the intersection with 214 National Road near the North Gate market you can get off in Eryuan town or anywhere along the way. If the bus is overloaded the bus driver's assistant will walk past police checkpoints with passengers that didn't have a seat. Cibihu lake is about 3km downhill from the usual bus stop in Eryuan. Very few motorbikes for hire go to the lake, so if you walk in, expect to walk out. �
Chiyumo art space (赤与墨), No.C1 Hong Long Jing Rd (Dali Old Town), (), . Gives the opportunity to international artists to come exchanging an artistic experience in Dali, Yunnan, including Exhibition Shows, Artist in Residency programs, Artistic Creation and Meetings, indeed Collaboration with Chinese and foreign artists living in Dali. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Dali
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Dali - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Dali hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Dali Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
