Yunnan Journey: Leisurely Romance and a Life Called Dali
There is a life called Dali, where the sun is warm and the breeze is sweet. There is a romance called Dali, where Cangshan and Erhai are exquisitely beautiful, tender as water. There is a time called Dali, tranquil and leisurely, easy and free. Dali is the wind, flowers, snow, and moon; it is poetry and distant horizons; it is the beautiful life state people yearn for in their hearts. I spend some time in Dali every year, not only for the breathtaking scenery of Cangshan and Erhai and the profound historical and cultural heritage, but more so because I have found a sense of belonging here. On this four-day, three-night trip to Dali, I encountered new romance once again.
- Cycling along the Erhai Ecological Corridor
- Countless white sea vegetables (Ottelia acuminata, known as "water nymph flowers") on Erhai Lake
- The solemn and majestic Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple under blue sky and white clouds
- The simple and natural Xizhou Ancient Town under a clear, boundless sky
- Refreshing, quiet, and leisurely time in Shuanglang
- Pristine, naturally beautiful Shaxi Ancient Town with few visitors
- The Librairie Avant-Garde in Beilong Village
- The hard-to-find, solitary Weishan at the source of the Red River
【Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon – Dali】
Cangshan is an inkless painting of eternal beauty, Erhai is a stringless zither of ancient love. Most of my travel time in Dali revolves around Cangshan and Erhai. The wind of Xiaguan blows the flowers of Shangguan, the moon over Erhai shines on the snow of Cangshan. In Dali, wind, flowers, snow, and moon, poetry and distant horizons are never just empty words. It’s like a magnificent dream, making one willingly lose themselves here~
——Cycling around Erhai Lake
The one experience you absolutely cannot miss in Dali is cycling around Erhai Lake. Rent a bicycle and ride along the winding, lengthy Erhai Ecological Corridor, indulging in the fresh air and the taste of freedom. You can go fast or slow, ride as you please, free and unfettered.
Clear lake water, azure skies, often with flocks of birds swooping overhead. Along the roadside, patches of flowers, lush green lawns, and tall trees. People smile at each other, weaving through the beautiful life tableau of Dali. On one side, the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake; on the other, elegant and ancient Bai ethnic dwellings. Romance comes from all directions, embracing you head-on.
The dawn redwoods in Erhai Lake stand tall and colorful, with gradient hues of red, orange, yellow, and green—a feast for the eyes. That is the look of autumn, and the colors of Dali.
The legendary 'water nymph flower,' also called ottelia acuminata, can be found in Erhai Lake in Dali or Lugu Lake in Lijiang. This is an aquatic plant that requires extremely high water quality, yet countless pure white, translucent blossoms float on Erhai Lake, a testament to the excellent ecological environment here.
Admire the dawn redwoods at Longkan Wharf, a famous Instagram-worthy spot in Dali where many people come to take wedding photos. In fact, the entire Erhai Ecological Corridor is full of beautiful scenes; every turn brings a different surprise, and every flower and blade of grass is enchanting.
——The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
Stone steps ascending to the Cangshan peak, Chongsheng Temple shining brightly. The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, awe-inspiring and magnificent, stand tall with natural grandeur. This is one of Dali’s most famous scenic spots, located 1.5 kilometers northwest of Dali Ancient Town, facing Yingluo Peak of Cangshan to the west and Erhai Lake to the east. It was the most grandiose ancient temple in Dali’s history, with a thousand halls during the Nanzhao Fengyou period and serving as the royal temple during the Dali Kingdom.
The Three Pagodas consist of one large and two smaller pagodas. The large pagoda, also called Qianxun Pagoda, is known locally as the 'Writing Brush Pagoda.' It stands 69.13 meters tall, with a square base of 9.9 meters, and has 16 tiers. It is a typical multi-eaved hollow square brick pagoda of the Dali region.
The two smaller pagodas to the north and south each have 10 tiers and are 42.17 meters high, octagonal multi-eaved hollow brick pagodas. The three towers stand in a tripod formation, with the Qianxun Pagoda in the center flanked by the two smaller ones, creating a majestic sight.
The entire scenic area is quite large. After entering through the ticket gate, the first thing you see are the Three Pagodas. You can walk directly to explore them, or take the scenic shuttle to the highest point, the Grand Buddha Hall, and then visit from top to bottom.
The temple complex is built in a tiered, upward fashion, solemn and grand. A visit to the whole area takes about two hours. You can hire a guide to listen to explanations and learn about the history and culture of the temple and pagodas.
——Xizhou – The Ancient City of Dali
Time in Xizhou melts into the distant, mottled memories. The ancient and mysterious 'Jiama' carvings etch the traces of history. Xizhou Town is located in the northern part of Dali City, leaning against Cangshan to the west and facing Erhai Lake to the east. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was called 'Dali City' and was one of the 'Ten States' of the Nanzhao period. It is also the hometown of the movie 'Five Golden Flowers,' a famous historical and cultural town in Yunnan Province, and a key hometown of overseas Chinese. It is a Bai ethnic historical and cultural town with over a thousand years of history.
When talking about Xizhou, most people might think of endless rice paddies. But in this season, the rice has mostly been harvested. However, Xizhou is much more than that...
'Popularly, people draw images of gods and Buddhas on paper, color them red and yellow, and use them in rituals before burning them. This is called Jiama. The paper serves as a vehicle for the gods and Buddhas, resembling a horse.' Early records about Jiama are found in many documents, such as Yu Zhaolong’s 'Tianxiang Lou Oude' from the Qing Dynasty. Jiama, which arrived in Yunnan as a cultural phenomenon from the Han-populated areas of the Central Plains, blended with the local beliefs, cultures, and customs of this diverse land, evolving into the 'Yunnan Jiama' still frequently used today in the folk life of Kunming, Dali, Chuxiong, Baoshan, and other regions.
Each Jiama print is a key to a fantastical world. Turning the keyhole of faith gives us the chance to cross the boundaries of imagination and become a brief time traveler in Xizhou. Through these woodblock-printed Jiama, we traverse a thousand years and glimpse the traces of history’s renown.
——Slow Time in Shuanglang
It is often said that the beauty of Dali lies in Cangshan and Erhai, and the beauty of Cangshan and Erhai lies in Shuanglang. Shuanglang Town is located at the northeastern tip of Dali City, on the northeastern shore of Erhai Lake, renowned as the number one town for Cangshan-Erhai scenery. It is also home to Nanzhao Customs Island. The town is embraced by mountains on three sides and faces the lake. To the west, it overlooks the nineteen peaks of Cangshan; at its doorstep spreads the vast blue waters of Erhai; to the east, it leans against the Buddhist sacred site of Jizu Mountain; and to the south, it connects to the fairy island of Little Putuo.
Time spent in Shuanglang allows you to deeply sense the poetry and distant horizons. Find a café by the water, read a good book, savor delicious food—even doing nothing and just quietly being there is a pleasure.
Dali is brimming with poetry. Quiet Shuanglang, leisurely time, and the freedom of Dali.
【The Ancient Town Hidden in the Heart – Shaxi】
Great seclusion is in the city, small seclusion in the countryside, but the heart finds seclusion in Shaxi. Shaxi is a place where time can flow backwards; here, time does not advance but retreats, all the way back to the distant era of the caravan traders~
The silence far from the city’s hustle and bustle, the profound history of the ancient trade route. Arriving in Shaxi brings a sense of belonging, surrounded by mountains and rivers, dreamlike pastoral scenery. The history of the Tea Horse Road is ancient, and fortunately, witnesses still guard this simple land. The large locust tree on the square, the venerable Xingjiao Temple, and the ancient opera stage under the high-hanging Kuixing star slowly tell the old stories of Shaxi.
Shaxi is an ancient town with a thousand-year history, traceable back over 2,400 years to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The ancient tomb clusters on Aofeng Mountain and the copper mine ruins on Huacong Mountain east of Shaxi silently tell us that as early as 400 BC, Shaxi had formed a bronze smelting and manufacturing base centered around the Heihui River. The ancestors of Shaxi then possessed advanced bronze smelting techniques, making it one of the birthplaces of Yunnan’s bronze culture.
The Sideng Square is the soul and core of Shaxi, a place of commerce and trade. It combines a temple, an ancient opera stage, shops, a stone-paved street, a centuries-old tree, ancient lanes, and a village gate. It has been praised by experts from the World Monuments Fund as 'the only surviving ancient market on the Tea Horse Road'!
Historically, it was called 'Nantang.' In the late Ming Dynasty, it was renamed because of Xingjiao Temple, becoming Sideng Square. 'Si' refers to Xingjiao Temple; 'deng' is a Bai language word meaning place. Located next to Xingjiao Temple, the square-shaped market gave it the name of Sideng Square.
Village houses with white walls and grey tiles, undulating rice terraces, and the Yujin Bridge of Shaxi span the river of history, ferrying past civilizations to both banks. In Shaxi, life isn’t one-directional, and romance isn’t limited to one form. On the road chasing wind and light, touching moments are left behind.
Not far from Yujin Bridge, in Beilong Village, stands the Librairie Avant-Garde. It’s a rather distinctive local spot, perfect for photo ops. Inside, shelves are filled with an array of books. Find a corner, open a good book, and you can while away a slow half-day.
【Dreaming Back to Nanzhao – Weishan】
In the south of western Yunnan, in a corner of Cangshan and Erhai, lies the source of the Red River and the ancient Nanzhao capital, Weishan. The last stop of my Dali trip was the ancient city of Weishan. Weishan boasts a splendid culture; it is the birthplace and ancient capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, a key town on the Tea Horse Road, and a sacred site for the Yi people’s ancestor worship. It was honored as a 'Land of Culture' by imperial decree in the Qing Dynasty. Within its borders, the well-preserved Weishan Ancient City is over 600 years old, along with 59 cultural relic protection units at various levels. There’s the national forest park and famous Taoist mountain, Weibao Mountain, and the important bird migration pass, Niaodao Xiongguan. It is also the source of the international Red River.
Morning light brings curling cooking smoke, and sunset weaves rosy clouds. In Weishan Ancient City, there is no heavy commercial atmosphere or bustling clamor, but rather a down-to-earth, lived-in charm.
Strolling through the ancient city, you encounter crisscrossing streets and alleys, scattered academies, and a gathering of local delicacies. A faint sense of timeless antiquity and a rich cultural aura permeate everywhere. Under the gentle sunlight, the ancient colors of bricks and tiles reflect the dream of returning to Nanzhao in every corner.
Weishan Confucian Temple is located inside the western gate of the county town. It was first built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty by the local chieftain of Menghua Prefecture. It underwent multiple renovations and expansions during the Tianshun and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty and the Shunzhi and Kangxi periods of the Qing Dynasty, reaching a considerable scale. The entrance fee is only 5 yuan, and it’s well worth a visit.
Most Confucian temples across the country have similar architectural layouts. Along the central axis, there is the Pond of Enlightenment, the Lingxing Gate stone arch, the Gate of Great Achievement, the Hall of Great Achievement, the Wild Goose Pagoda, the Hall of Honoring the Sage, and the Scripture Respecting Pavilion. On the east and west sides, there are halls for renowned officials, chastity and filial piety, archery grounds, and more, comprising a total of 13 courtyards.
The ancient city has a history of over 600 years. The city plan resembles a square seal, with streets stretching 2 kilometers north-south and 1 kilometer east-west. Within the city, there are 24 streets, 16 alleys, and 2 roads. South Street, North Street, Risheng Street, and Yuehua Street are the main north-south arteries, each 6 meters wide. The streets and lanes crisscross, and the layout and architecture along them retain the checkerboard pattern and style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Mengyang Park in Weishan, commonly known as the Big Park, has the Wild Goose Pagoda and the Hall of Honoring the Sage from the old Confucian Temple in its eastern part. The park is dotted with ancient trees, and the cultural courtyards are well-preserved. Many locals and visitors come here to walk their birds and read, making it a lovely spot for leisure.
Wenhua Academy, named after Wenhua Mountain at whose foot it sits, is located in the northeastern corner of the ancient city. Covering over 4,000 square meters, it consists of the main gate, second gate, Pond of Enlightenment, arch bridge, Wild Goose Pagoda, Kuixing Pavilion, library, and front and rear courtyard wings. The main gate is a three-bay memorial arch built of blue stone. The Kuixing Pavilion is a double-eaved hip-and-gable building, five bays wide, surrounded by a corridor on the lower level, with dougong brackets under both the upper and lower eaves. The surviving ancient structures include the Wild Goose Pagoda, Kuixing Pavilion, library, and some wing rooms.
The Yuhuang Pavilion complex, north of Wenhua Academy, was first built in the Ming Dynasty, destroyed during the Xiantong period of the Qing Dynasty, and rebuilt during the Guangxu period. It mainly consists of a main gate, front hall, middle hall, rear hall arranged in four layers and three courtyards, plus wing rooms, with each courtyard higher than the last. The main gate is a three-bay archway-style building with a single-eaved hip roof, featuring ruyi-shaped dougong on the front eaves, hanging pillars at the back, upswept eaves and upturned corners, a rigorous structure, and exquisite workmanship. The gable walls are decorated with brick arches, creating a magnificent look.
If you are feeling lost and confused, if you can’t find your direction now, come to Dali! Let Cangshan and Erhai heal your 'wounds,' and let the famed city of culture guide you into the slow time you long for. Wind, flowers, snow, and moon—all in Dali~
