Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake 大理古城与洱海Dàlǐ Gǔchéng yǔ Ěrhǎi

Why go to Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake

Dali's old town sits on a gentle slope between the Cangshan mountains and Erhai Lake, a grid of stone lanes, Bai courtyard houses and gate towers. Cycle the lakeshore to villages like Xizhou, known for its old merchant mansions and crispy baba flatbread, and visit the Three Pagodas, which have stood just north of town for more than a thousand years.

The story

For several centuries this was the seat of independent kingdoms, first Nanzhao and then Dali, which controlled trade routes linking China, Tibet and Southeast Asia. Bai families in villages such as Zhoucheng still make indigo tie-dyed cloth by hand.

What to see at Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake

• Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple 崇圣寺三塔: Three brick pagodas stand northwest of the old town, at the foot of Cangshan. The central one, Qianxun Pagoda, rises 69 m in 16 tiers, flanked by two smaller towers; they date from the Tang to Dali-kingdom era, and the temple itself is long gone.
• Dali Old Town 大理古城: The Ming-era walled town measures about 1.85 km north-south by 1.5 km east-west, with stone-paved lanes, courtyard houses and gate towers rebuilt in recent decades. It is easiest to explore on foot or by bicycle.
• Cangshan 苍山: The mountain range behind the town has 19 main peaks, the highest, Malong Peak, at 4,122 m. Cable cars and mid-mountain paths give views over the lake and the town below.
• Erhai Lake 洱海: A long, narrow lake of about 250 sq km just east of the old town, the second-largest freshwater lake in Yunnan. Cycling and e-bike tracks follow parts of the shore, and villages dot the western bank.
• Xizhou 喜洲: A Bai town on the north-western shore of Erhai, north of the old town, with courtyard houses in the 'three rooms and a screen wall' style that are a nationally protected group (2001). The Yang, Dong and Yan family compounds are among the best known.
• Zhoucheng 周城: A very large Bai village in Xizhou township, north of the old town, known for its indigo tie-dye. Workshops let you watch the cloth being tied, dyed and unfolded.

How to visit Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake

Start at the Three Pagodas, close to the old town, then spend the afternoon in its lanes. On a second day, ride or drive north along the lake to Xizhou and Zhoucheng, or take a Cangshan cable car for the mountain views. With only half a day, do the pagodas and the old town.

How to get to Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake

High-speed trains link Kunming and Dali in about two hours, and Lijiang is roughly 1.5 hours further north. From Dali station it's 20–30 minutes by taxi to the old town.

Where to stay

The old town has the widest choice and puts you within walking distance of the lanes. Xizhou, on the lake's north-western shore, suits a quieter stay among Bai courtyards, and the shore road links the two.

What to eat

• Xizhou baba 喜洲粑粑: A round, flaky Bai flatbread of risen dough layered with lard and salt or sugar, baked on a flat pan; it comes from Xizhou town.
• Rushan 乳扇: A thin sheet of dried cow's milk cheese, a traditional Bai food from the Dengchuan area north of Erhai, eaten fried, rolled round sugar, or torn into hot tea.

Tips for visiting Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake

• Rent an e-bike to ride the Erhai shore; the western side is lined with villages and cafes.
• Take the cable car up Cangshan for mountain trails and views over the whole lake.
• Stay in Xizhou for a quieter, more traditional base than the old town.

Nearby

• Weishan Ancient Town 巍山古城 50 km
  An unhurried Ming grid town south of Dali, where the Nanzhao kingdom was born
• Shaxi Ancient Town 沙溪古镇 80 km
  A caravan town on the old Tea Horse Road, with a village market every Friday

Also within 30 km: Hongsheng Temple Pagoda 弘圣寺塔 (under 10 km), Kublai Khan Stele, Dali 元世祖平云南碑 (under 10 km), Tianlong Babu Film City 天龙八部影视城 (under 10 km), Taihe City Ruins and Nanzhao Dehua Stele 太和城遗址与南诏德化碑 (under 10 km), Fotu Pagoda (Snake Bone Pagoda) 佛图寺塔 (under 10 km), Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Museum 大理白族自治州博物馆 (10 km).

Trips with Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake

• Yunnan by train: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La 9 days · Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La

On the map

Open Dali Old Town & Erhai Lake on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)