Dali

Places of Interest - China

introduction

Dali, city in the province of Yunnan, is a very popular destination in China for both local and Western tourists. Not entirely strange because the old Dali is still largely preserved as it was for centuries - with old city walls, cobbled stoned streets and ancient stone architecture, temples and beautiful old city gates. In this region you can also enjoy the original "Bai" culture, a tribe that has lived here for about 3000 years.

The Dali area is also blessed with high mountains where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Erhai Hu lake that lies at the bottom of the mountain. Countless pavilions, temples but also lovely little villages and towns with markets and original buildings will be your part.

highlights

Dali:

Old, historical or touristy Dali is a miniature town with a city wall that is about 2 by 2 km. Within the walls a number of streets with traditional cobblestones have been preserved with authentic stone buildings. Nowadays you can take a walk on the city walls to get a good overview of the old town that is very popular with Chinese as well as Western (backpack) tourists.

Dali was for centuries an important administration center for the region and was traditionally inhabited by the Bai tribe - now counting 1.5 million people. Already before the Mongolian horde of Kublai Khan conquered the region, Dali became important as a city at the end of the trade route that we know as the "Burma Road". There are four more important city gates to admire and you can also take a look at the Dali museum.

Approximately 2 kilometers north of old Dali is the Three Pagoda's complex, which has become a symbol of the city. It is one of the oldest buildings in Southeast China and the three temple towers can be found on thousands of postcards and calendars from the region and China.

Around Dali:

One of the "must-see" activities of a visit to the Dali region is walking or cycling to the shores of the Erhai Lu (shape of an ear) lake. You can walk here from Dali in less than an hour.

There are numerous temples, nice villages and markets that can be visited around the lake but you can also enjoy the view to do a round of the "lake" that is about 25 to 30 km long and 6 km wide. The view above Dali of the "Cang Shan" mountains makes the whole thing even more dramatic and spectacular.

One of the highlights is a visit to the Zhonghe temple that lies high up against the mountain and provides a very impressive panorama of Dali and the lake. A visit to the old town Xizhou is also recommended because of its authentic Bai architecture. In "Shaping" (about 20 km north of Dali) a "Bai" market is organized every Monday.

tips & advice (2002)

Right outside the west city gates are the main bus stations of old Dali.

(old) Dali - Xiaguan - Kunming - Hekou (border Vietnam): Xiaguan is sometimes called the suburb of Dali because it is called Dali City; this is about 30 minutes bussing and it is every time again the question whether buses drive to (old) Dali or city Dali (Xiaguan). About 5 buses run from the bus station to Kunming every day. Price is for a fast express bus Y80 and it takes about 5 hours (4x). There is also a daily slow version that leaves at 08:00 - this costs Y60.

On the southern side of Kunming, a number of bus stations (or sites) are close together. These are located 100 meters north of the central train station of the city. Here you can book a place in a "sleeper" night bus to the city "Hekou" on the border of Vietnam (near Sapa). This ride takes about 13 hours.

At the beginning (west side) of the main west-east passage in the old part you will find the Bird bar. This bar - almost always open - has a pool table and a relaxed atmosphere.

Name: Hostel Siji Kezhan (Old Dali Four Seasons Inn)

Address: Boai Lu

Price: 40 Y (single), 15 Y (luxury dormitory)

Phone nr. : 267 0382

Content:

Located within the old city walls, this is one of Dali's oldest hostels. This was once a school and the grounds are green with many flowers. There is a wonderful authentic atmosphere and there is a cafe that serves good food. There are old dorms but also newer singles and doubles.

You can rent bikes here and there is also a table-tennis table in the garden. It is clean and there is usually hot water available.

Cycling in and around Dali is the best way to get around. Efficient, cheap and environmentally friendly. You can rent a bike almost everywhere - probably at your hostel - prices are around the Y10 per day.

Dali

Places of Interest - China

introduction

highlights

tips & advice (2002)

see also:

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