On the 4th day of the Chinese New Year, the Sword Ladder Festival is held in QingShan Village (halfway between ShuangLang and WaSe).16th February, 2021. 4th February, 2022. 22nd January, 2023. The ritual involves men walking over hot coals and climbing a sword ladder to prove their bravery.
Images of NuoDeng
NuoDeng is a thousand year old village on the Ancient Tea Horse Road in Yunlong County, Yunnan Province, China. It still contains fine examples of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture.
Dali Art Factory
Dali’s new art and photography district is a wonderful addition to the old town. At the Dali Art Factory you will find a number of galleries displaying modern Chinese artwork, in a range of artistic styles and disciplines, from paintings, to photography, to printing. A noteworthy highlight is the old photography exhibition, with photos of […]
Cycling Around Er Hai Lake
By Norm Kummer. The Old Town of Dali has the Cang Mountains (苍山) on one side, and ErHai (洱海) lake on the other. The mountains run from north to south and tower 2,000 meters above the town, reaching a height of 4,000 meters above sea level. The lake, to the east of the town, is the […]
Zhang’s Culture Garden
Experience local ‘Bai’ culture at the home of a local merchant family. Expect traditional music and dancing performance, tea tasting, local architecture, and a working temple complex. Zhang’s Culture Garden has been welcoming tourists to its expansive grounds since 2008. Covering over 5 square kilometres, the site is filled with traditional Bai buildings and landscaped […]
The Definitive Guide to Cycling ErHai Lake, Dali, China
The Definitive Guide to Cycling ErHai Lake By Norm Kummer The Old Town of Dali has the CangShan Mountains (苍山) on one side, and ErHai (洱海) lake on the other. The mountains run from north to south and tower 2,000 meters above the town, reaching a height of 4,000 meters above sea level. The lake, […]
Tea Plantation Experience
Visit a beautiful mountainside tea plantation for a unique hands-on experience. Pick and process your own tea before relaxing, admiring the stunning views and enjoying the fruits of your labour. For a thousand years Dali served as a crossroads on the ancient Tea and Horse Trail, which was often referred to as the Southern Silk […]
Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple
Often regarded as the symbol of Dali, the Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple Complex can be found approximately 1.5 kilometers north of Dali Old Town, along highway 214. The biggest pagoda, Qianxun, was built during the 9th century. It is square in shape, has sixteen stories, and stands 69 meters tall, making it one of the […]
How to Get a Driver’s Licence in Dali
Getting a Chinese driver’s licence in Dali is not as difficult or as expensive as you might think. Below is a proven procedure for getting one… Pre-requisites: – Your driver’s licence from your own country – A translation of your driver’s licence by an accredited translation company. If you don’t know where to start looking, […]
Top 6 Fun, Friendly, Affordable Guesthouses in Dali
Dali has some fantastic guest houses to suit any budget. From boutique rooms with luxurious features, to dormitories filled with bunk beds, here is the best of what Dali has to offer. The Jade Emu International Guesthouses Still the most popular guesthouse in town, and rightly so. The Jade Emu is popular with both foreign and […]