Complete Guide to Winter Travel in Dali: Enjoy Cangshan and Erhai Scenery, Learn History and Culture, Experience Ethnic Minority Customs
Dali's four seasons hide scenery that people yearn for!
By December, winter has taken the baton from autumn, dressing the mountains and rivers in "winter colors."
Are you ready for a winter trip to Dali?
Six days and five nights, let's experience the chilly winds and bright sunshine of Dali winter, feel the complex hues, profound culture, and rich ethnic customs of Dali in winter.
In winter, Dali has a large temperature difference between morning and evening. Mornings are bitterly cold, while noon is sunny and warm. So when visiting Dali in winter, please consider the weather and pack appropriately.
This 6-day, 5-night winter trip to Dali starts from the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple.
The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, very close to Dali Ancient City, with convenient transportation.
The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are one of the most famous cultural sites in Dali. When you learn about them and walk inside, you will discover:
From their completion to the present day, the Three Pagodas have survived wars and earthquakes, witnessed the changes of Dali, and still stand on the original site, unchanged.
The houses and buildings around the three pagodas have been replaced time and again, but only the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple still maintain their original layout.
In the morning, sunlight rises from the opposite side of Cangshan, crosses Erhai Lake, shines on the top of Cangshan, and gradually lights up the Three Pagodas until they are all bathed in sunlight.
The whole Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple seem to grow toward the sun, with ever-blooming flowers, lush green trees, and babbling brooks, giving a sense of vitality and life!
The Three Pagodas, Juying Pool, the Great Bell of Jianji, the Rain-Bronze Guanyin, and Chongsheng Temple are all attractions within the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple. Entering from the main gate and touring along the central axis, you can feel the grandeur of the architecture.
The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple is a "royal temple." Its layout and architecture are influenced by Central Plains culture, appearing particularly magnificent and luxurious. So entering the Three Pagodas, you feel an overwhelming sense of pressure and majesty.
The lines of all buildings within the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are both soft and firm, the layout both solemn and interesting, making it one of the few cultural attractions in Yunnan.
Visiting the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple mainly focuses on its layout, architecture, and learning about its history, culture, and legends.
The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple have extremely high cultural and artistic value, integrating Dali's handicraft art, painting art, and architectural art.
If you want to thoroughly explore the entire Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple and visit every hall, it will take at least six hours. After an in-depth understanding, you will find that this city, which already fascinated you, has many more interesting little stories.
Because the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are close to the ancient city, and near Dali Ancient City there are many guesthouses featuring the Bai ethnic style, after visiting the Three Pagodas you can stay near the ancient city and explore it at night.
Like many ancient cities, Dali Ancient City has towering city walls and crisscrossing alleys, but no tall buildings, so the architecture retains the temperature of life.
Image source: Internet
At night, the ancient city lights up, crowds surge, and it is bustling with activity.
Independent musicians play and sing on the streets, attracting many onlookers. Shops with unique characteristics are also lively, and stalls in the alleys display small ethnic-style items. The entire ancient city presents a completely different scene from daytime.
As night deepens, people disperse, and the day's tour ends...
On the second day, start "Dali's Water Tour Itinerary"!
Cangshan is verdant, Erhai is azure—they are the most prominent natural landmarks of Dali, so Erhai Lake is a must-visit attraction.
At ten in the morning, a cruise departs from Dali Port. The quiet port gradually becomes busy. The boat sails deep into Erhai, roughly parallel to Cangshan.
Along the way, you visit the small islands in Erhai and see the fishing village scenery on both sides.
The cruise sails on Erhai for over two hours. During this time, you can enjoy Dali's landscape and watch Bai ethnic performances.
Throughout the trip, the boat stops once at Nanzhao Customs Island, where passengers can go ashore to explore.
Nanzhao Customs Island is adjacent to Dali's most famous fishing village, Shuanglang, located in the core area of Dali's Cangshan-Erhai scenery, and is also known as a "royal summer resort."
The island has lush trees, grotesque rockeries, and magnificent buildings. It is also the best place to view one of Dali's four scenic wonders—"Erhai Moon."
Nanzhao Customs Island faces the bustling Shuanglang town across the water, connected by cruise ships. Bai folk houses line the shore one after another, and a road winds along the water's edge.
The cruise stops for one hour, then heads to the final stop—Taoyuan Pier. After disembarking, drive to West Erhai Lake.
Eryuan West Lake is located in Eryuan County at the source of Erhai Lake. It is a plateau wetland lake surrounded by many Bai folk houses.
Before arriving at Eryuan West Lake, you can't imagine its beauty. But as you approach, you discover another characteristic—its vastness.
Nestled among mountains, this is a forgotten place, with silence as its biggest feature.
Taking a boat to the lake's hinterland, you encounter patch after patch of meadows and houses on the water, see local villagers playing in the water at the bow, and hear tourists singing on the boat.
Then you encounter resting migratory birds. Time seems to stand still here. The usual noise disappears, leaving only the wind, water, and bird calls.
After the tour, be sure to taste the local cuisine of West Lake!
The food here, whether in preparation or ingredients, has strong Bai ethnic characteristics—a must-try!
Butterfly Spring is recognized by Dali people as a "holy land of love," as it is the birthplace of the Bai ethnic version of "Romeo and Juliet" love story.
Like the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, Butterfly Spring is at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. The difference is that Butterfly Spring lies at the foot of Yunnong Peak, the last of Cangshan's nineteen peaks.
The biggest feature of Butterfly Spring is its pleasant climate and abundant water. Surrounded by mountains and water, it is very distinctive!
Entering Butterfly Spring, time slows down because the landscape has a healing effect on the soul.
Wandering through Butterfly Spring, Butterfly Museum, Lover's Lake, and the Butterfly Spring World, you will discover many secrets about butterflies hidden here.
Look at beautiful butterfly specimens or watch live butterflies fluttering. Sit quietly by Lover's Lake and listen to the cheerful songs of Apeng and Jinhua.
As long as you don't miss these spots and activities, you won't miss the best of Butterfly Spring!
After visiting Butterfly Spring, head to the nearby Xizhou Ancient Town.
"Xizhou" is the name of the ancient town. It is the ancestral home of the Bai people, so Bai culture and customs are very strong.
There are many characteristic buildings and historical architectural remains in the town. After continuous restoration and protection, they are still scattered in corners of the town, so you can check them out.
The ancient town has a network of alleys. Some alleys are narrow, only enough for walking. In these alleys, you can see many fluttering tie-dye fabrics and leisurely local residents.
The houses in the town are close together, while outside the town are large cultivated fields. In winter, the fields have finished planting and are in a fallow period, waiting for spring plowing.
In Xizhou Ancient Town, rustic pastoral charm and farming life are on display every day. The unique lifestyle of half-farming, half-commerce also unfolds here.
There are many tasteful and characteristic Bai folk houses in the town, most of which are now guesthouses.
These guesthouses retain Bai characteristics while adding modern facilities. They are both innovative and traditional, very beautiful. Choosing any one will bring you endless surprises.
The Jade Belt Cloud Path is the most comfortable hiking route on Cangshan Mountain. Starting from Gantong Cableway at Qingbi Creek in the south, it winds 11.5 kilometers along the mountainside and ends at Zhonghe Temple in the north.
There are cableways at the start, middle, and end of the cloud path, so you don't need to hike up the mountain.
This hike on the Jade Belt Cloud Path starts from Zhonghe Cableway and ends at Gantong Cableway, covering 11.5 kilometers and taking 6 hours.
Along the way, you encounter multiple attractions: Zhonghe Temple, Dali Wilderness, Fengyan Cave, Qilongnv Pool, Qingbi Creek, Gantong Temple, and Jizhao Nunnery.
See the distinctive Zhonghe Temple, the vast and flat Dali Wilderness, the mysterious and deep Fengyan Cave, the unique Qilongnv Pool, the azure Qingbi Creek, and the popular Gantong Temple and Jizhao Nunnery.
The entire 11.5 kilometers is full of fun, comfort, and beautiful scenery!
The Ximatan Grand Cableway reaches the lake at the summit of Cangshan—Ximatan. The cableway is located next to the March Street Tianlongbabu Film and TV City. The cableway half-length is 5,555 meters, with an altitude difference of over 1,600 meters, offering extraordinary scenery.
Ximatan is the core attraction of the entire Ximatan scenic area. It has a dry season and a wet season. During the dry season, the water in the pond decreases or dries up, while the wet season is the most beautiful time.
In December, Ximatan is in the dry season, with less water. The surrounding trees and mountains are covered in yellow, grass is withered, wildflowers have faded, leaving only the upright fir trees and rhododendrons that have already shed their leaves.
Without much water vapor, the sky above Ximatan is a brilliant blue, appearing very close, as if you can touch it.
The surrounding mountains and Erhai Lake in the distance have clearer outlines. The sun is bright, the wind howls, and the temperature is low.
At this time, Ximatan is ready to welcome the arrival of snow on Cangshan!
Walk around Ximatan along the boardwalk, then take the cableway down.
From the cableway, look around. The steep peaks make your heart race, but you can't suppress your excitement. Gullies crisscross, valleys are deep and forests dense. The peaks that were often blocked by fog during the rainy season are now clearly visible.
Arriving at the foot of the mountain, exit the cableway and take a tourist bus directly into the Tianlongbabu Film and TV City.
All buildings in the Tianlongbabu Film and TV City are different from the surrounding ones—they are all imitation ancient architecture, with two city gates leading outside.
The core area of the film and TV city is the Dali Kingdom Imperial Palace, with surrounding buildings guarding it, highlighting its unique status.
The architecture in the Tianlongbabu Film and TV City is a major attraction, as most of these buildings have appeared in films and TV works.
Besides architecture, various performances in the film and TV city are also very distinctive, including dragon and lion dances, Prince Duan's son-in-law selection, Zhao Tianba's abduction of a woman, etc.
Each performance contains Dali folk culture and street performance culture, very worth watching!
Jizu Mountain is located in Jizu Mountain Town, Binchuan County, Dali. You need to drive there. The mountain has a very distinctive shape, resembling a chicken's foot, hence its name.
Jizu Mountain has a quiet environment, pleasant climate, and stunning scenery. The mountain is dotted with ancient temples and temple ruins.
The construction of ancient temples spans over five hundred years, with a very long history. Many ancient temples have been damaged, rebuilt, and restored, still attracting large numbers of visitors today.
From a few scattered temples to the peak of 108 temples, Jizu Mountain has gone through centuries. Although today we can only imagine its heyday, it doesn't diminish our love for Jizu Mountain.
Zhunsheng Temple, Biyun Temple, Xuyun Temple, Jiulian Nunnery, Fota Temple, Fangguang Temple, Jiaye Hall, Guanyin Hall, Huashou Gate, Jinding Temple—the ancient temples on Jizu Mountain are countless.
Each ancient temple has its own rich history and interesting legends. Every time you visit an ancient temple, you discover a little secret about Jizu Mountain.
From the mountain gate to the summit, wander through every building, savor and browse, dialogue with the environment and architecture, and feel the language left by intangible time on tangible structures.
Then, descend and leave Jizu Mountain.
As the last stop of the winter Dali trip, the conclusion of this scenic spot also marks the end of the 6-day, 5-night Dali itinerary.
A winter trip to Dali: in 6 days and 5 nights, experience the grandeur of the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, the beauty of Erhai Lake, the tranquility of Butterfly Spring, the comfort of Cangshan Jade Belt Road, the steepness of Ximatan, and the profound culture of Jizu Mountain.
Dali's Cangshan-Erhai scenery, history and culture, ethnic customs, and specialty cuisine are all included in this trip!
[Editor] Yunnan Yijing
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