Dali Travel Guide

Basic Facts

Located in the heart of Yunnan Province and set against the stunning mountain backdrop of Mount Cangshan, the ancient city of Dali was first built in mid of 14th century. The ethnic groups Bai, Hui, Yi and Tibetan made Dali their home. The Bais ethnic group forms the majority in Dali and the architecture is often Bai-inspired. The south and north watch-towers are still intact today. There is a Foreigner's Street here for overseas travelers to do shopping or have a rest by sipping a cup of tea. In spring, people can enjoy a scene of thousands of butterflies dancing at the Butterfly Spring.

Climate: (Degrees Centigrade)

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
9	11	15	18	21	21	22	25	19	17	15	10

Mount Cangshan & Erhai Lake
Mountain Cangshan is the main peak of the south section of Yunling Range. If you want to do some hiking, all of its 19 peaks are soaring 4,000m high. The snow-capped Mount Cangshan is a wonderful scene in Dali. Erhai Lake is an alpine lake offers picturesque landscape. The Golden Spindle Island, the Putuo Island and the Nanzhou Fengqing Island are on Erhai Lake are famous scenic spots.

Temple of the Exalted One
The Three Pagodas towering in the Temple of the Exalted One, an obvious landmark of Old Dali. The structures were built in the 9th Century and they are typical architectures of the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907). 600 relics dates back to Nanzhao period were discovered from the pagodas. These pagodas not only store the ashes and bones of saints, they also invoked Buddha's protection against natural disasters. One can see the Three Pagodas towering in the Temple of the Exalted One at the foot of Mount Cangshan.