City guide · Yunnan

Dali travel guide: Erhai Lake, the old town and how to ride the ring road

A walled Bai town between a 4,000 m mountain and a great lake — wind, flowers, snow and moon, and life at a slower speed.

  • Known forErhai Lake · Bai culture · slow living
  • Typical spend¥800–1,400 for three days
  • Ideal length3 days
  • PaceSlow — a bike or e-bike beats a car here
Plan this trip Dali tours

Reviewed by our Beijing team Updated 2026-10-10

The short version

Dali is a walled Bai town of stone lanes and canals, sitting at 1,900 m between Cangshan mountain and 250 km² Erhai Lake in north-west Yunnan. Give it 2 to 3 days: day one for the old town, the Three Pagodas and the mountain, day two for a bike or boat trip around the lake. It is 2 hours south of Lijiang by high-speed rail, and much quieter than Lijiang.

  • 'Wind, flowers, snow, moon' is the local shorthand: the wind at Xiaguan, the flowers of Shangguan, the snow on Cangshan, the moon over Erhai.
  • 2 days covers the old town and the lake; add a third for Xizhou, Zhoucheng and a night at Shuanglang.
  • Erhai's ring road is the best thing here — ride the 120 km loop by bicycle or e-bike, or take a boat from Longkan or Xiaguan.
  • The Three Pagodas and Cangshan's cable cars are minutes west of the old town; the old town itself is closed to cars.
  • Fly into DLU or take the high-speed train — Lijiang about 2 hours, Kunming about 2, Shangri-La about 4.

City guide

First impressions

Photographs from the coast, and what other travellers wrote afterwards.

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, with Cangshan behind
The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, with Cangshan behind
Erhai Lake — the 'moon' of wind, flowers, snow and moon
Erhai Lake — the 'moon' of wind, flowers, snow and moon
Bai courtyard architecture at Xizhou — three rooms and a screen wall
Bai courtyard architecture at Xizhou — three rooms and a screen wall
Indigo tie-dye drying in the sun at Zhoucheng
Indigo tie-dye drying in the sun at Zhoucheng

You can put down your load here, face the mountain and the lake, and watch the light change; at night, the moon and the stars. A little boat, a lakeside table, a bottle of wine — what more is there?

Traveller note — 'Slow Time in Shuanglang'

I do not know why, but I love it more than Lijiang. Dali is quieter and fresher, less crowded and less noisy — and the air and the climate are famously good.

Traveller note — 'Dali in March'

Dali is the softer, quieter cousin of Lijiang: a walled town of cobbled lanes, willow-lined canals and white Bai houses, set between a mountain and a lake. Behind it the Cangshan range climbs to around 4,000 m; in front of it Erhai spreads across 250 km². The old town sits at 1,900 m between the two, warm enough to flower all year, and it feels less like a sight and more like a place people live.

The Chinese phrase for Dali is 'wind, flowers, snow, moon' — the wind that howls through Xiaguan at the lake's southern end, the flowers of Shangguan, the snow that clings to Cangshan even in summer, and the moon reflected in Erhai. It is a romantic shorthand, but it is also accurate: this is a town shaped by its mountain and its water, and the four sights are still the four reasons to come.

What gives Dali its particular character is who lives here. Since the 1990s it has drawn writers, artists and drop-outs from China's big cities, who came to slow down and stayed — running the guesthouses, cafés and stalls along Renmin Road. That gives the town a lived-in, gently bohemian feel that Lijiang traded away years ago.

Beyond the old town, Bai culture is the main event: the tie-dye workshops of Zhoucheng, the grand courtyard houses of Xizhou, the three-course 'three teas' ceremony, and a lake full of fishing boats. Come for the scenery, stay for the pace of life — and take the ring road slowly, which is the whole point.

Dali

Don't leave without

Seven things that are worth rearranging a day for.

  1. Ride or drive the Erhai ring road and stop in a few lakeside villages
  2. Eat a bowl of Lengji rice noodles and a Xizhou baba straight from the oven
  3. Learn how indigo tie-dye is made in Zhoucheng, and buy a scarf for a few yuan
  4. Stand on the terrace at the Three Pagodas with Cangshan behind you and Erhai in front
  5. Find a courtyard, sit in the sun and do nothing for an afternoon
  6. Watch the sunset from Shuanglang, on the lake's north-east shore

Highlights

What not to miss in Dali

Wind, flowers, snow, moon

The four sights that name Dali: the wind at Xiaguan, the flowers of Shangguan, the snow on Cangshan, the moon over Erhai. You will hear the phrase everywhere — it is the place in four words.

The Erhai ring road

The Erhai ring road

The best thing in Dali: 120 km of lakeside road linking fishing villages, best ridden by bicycle or e-bike. Stop for lunch in a Bai courtyard, then keep going.

Cangshan and the Jade Belt Path

The mountain that shelters the town, threaded by a halfway walking path and served by two cable cars. Go up for the wildflowers, the waterfalls and the view down over the whole lake.

Dali old town

Dali old town

The walled Bai town: South Gate and its drum tower, the grid of stone lanes, Wuhua Tower for the classic rooftop view, and Renmin Road for cafés, crafts and food.

Xizhou and its courtyard houses

Xizhou and its courtyard houses

The finest Bai architecture anywhere, north of the lake: 'three rooms and a screen wall' courtyards, carved gates and painted eaves, plus the town's own sweet-and-savoury baba bread.

Tie-dye at Zhoucheng

Tie-dye at Zhoucheng

Zhoucheng is the Bai tie-dye heartland, where indigo cloth is stitched, dipped and dried in the sun. Watch a workshop, then buy a scarf for a fraction of city prices.

Suggested itineraries

Two relaxed days, or three done properly

Days here are built around the lake and the mountain. Rent a bike or e-bike if you want the lake the good way.

The relaxed two days

2 days

Old town and the northern villages on day one, the mountain and the lake on day two — no rushing.

  1. Day 1

    Old town, Xizhou and Zhoucheng

    Start in Dali old town with the South Gate, Wuhua Tower and the lanes off Renmin Road, then take the bus north to Xizhou for its Bai courtyard houses and a fresh Xizhou baba.

    Continue to Zhoucheng for the tie-dye workshops and, a short way on, Butterfly Spring. Stay the night in Xizhou or back in the old town.

    Stops: Dali old townXizhouZhouchengButterfly Spring

  2. Day 2

    Cangshan, Erhai and the old town

    Take a cable car up Cangshan in the morning for the Jade Belt Path and the view over the lake.

    Come down and either ride the ring road or take a boat on Erhai, then finish in the old town for dinner and a drink on Renmin Road.

    Stops: CangshanErhai LakeOld townRenmin Road

Three days, done properly

3 days

Add Xiaguan, the Three Pagodas and a night by the lake at Shuanglang.

  1. Day 1

    Xiaguan, Cangshan and the Three Pagodas

    Begin in Xiaguan, the wind-blown new town, then head to Cangshan — up by cable car or on foot — and stop at Chongsheng Temple and its Three Pagodas on the way back.

    End in the old town for the evening.

    Stops: XiaguanCangshanThree PagodasOld town

  2. Day 2

    The old town, then Xizhou

    Wander the old town in the morning, then take the bus to Xizhou for architecture, handicrafts and lunch, and stay overnight there or in the old town.

    Stops: Old townXizhou

  3. Day 3

    Shuanglang and the lake

    Head to Shuanglang on the north-east shore for the lake at its most beautiful, eat sandpot fish for lunch, and watch the sunset from the water before returning.

    Stops: ShuanglangErhai LakeSunset

Sights

The places worth your time

Ticket prices in China change without much notice. Treat these as a guide and confirm on arrival.

Erhai Lake

Lake · The whole reason to come

Erhai Lake

A 250 km² crescent of clear water between Cangshan and the Dali plain, and the 'moon' of the four sights. Tourist boats run from Longkan, Xiaguan and Taoyuan piers with a Bai song-and-dance show and the 'three teas' on board — pleasant but commercial. The better way is the ring road: rent a bicycle and ride it slowly.

Boat ticket
From ¥142 (open decks and cabins differ); children half price
Boat hours
09:00–17:00, from Longkan / Xiaguan / Taoyuan piers
Where
North-west of Dali city
Getting there
Bicycle or e-bike on the ring road; buses to the piers
Time needed
A full day, or two if cycling

Tip If you dislike packaged tourism, skip the boat show and put the money into a bicycle and a night in a lakeside village — the ride beats the cruise.

Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple

Landmark · 1,000 years old

Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple

A trio of pagodas — one tall, two small — standing against Cangshan with Erhai in front, the most recognisable image in Yunnan. They date to the Nangzhao and Dali kingdoms and have survived more than a thousand years of earthquakes and history. The temple complex behind them climbs the hillside; the view back over the lake from the top terrace is superb.

Ticket
¥121 adults · ¥62 students
Hours
08:00–19:00
Where
Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas cultural area, 1.5 km north of the old town
Getting there
Bus 19 to the pagoda park, or a short taxi from the old town
Time needed
2–3 hours

Tip Pay for the whole complex, not just the three towers — the climb up through the rebuilt temple to the upper terrace is where the view of Erhai and Cangshan together opens up.

Cangshan

Mountain · Cable cars

Cangshan

The massif that shelters Dali from the west, snow-capped through summer and rising towards 4,000 m. Two cable cars serve it — the larger Gantong cable car south of the old town, and the smaller Cangshan cable car just west of the west gate — linked by the Jade Belt Path that runs along the mountainside past temples such as Gantong and Qingbi Stream.

Ticket
¥30 adults · ¥15 students
Hours
High season (Apr–Oct) 08:30–16:10 · low season 08:30–15:40
Where
Directly west of Dali old town
Getting there
Gantong cable car (south) or Cangshan cable car (west gate)
Time needed
Half a day

Tip The classic route is up by the big Gantong cable car, along the Jade Belt Path, and down by the small one. Stay on the marked paths — Cangshan is a real mountain and people have got lost off-trail.

Dali Old Town

Old town · Walkable

Dali Old Town

The walled Bai town itself, laid out on a rough grid of stone lanes around the South Gate and its drum tower. Courtyard houses still spill flowers over their walls, and the old canals that once ran through every street are being restored. Renmin Road is the spine — guesthouses, cafés, craft shops and street food — and Wuhua Tower gives the rooftop view.

Ticket
Free to enter
Hours
Open all day; quietest early morning
Where
Dali, 13 km north of Xiaguan (the new town)
Getting there
Bus 8 from Xiaguan or the railway station, ¥1.5
Time needed
Half a day, plus evenings

Tip Rent a bicycle and ride out to the lake — it is about 90 minutes round trip and the fields and villages on the way are half the point.

Xizhou

Village · Bai architecture

Xizhou

A Bai town north of the lake that has the finest surviving courtyard architecture in the region — the 'three rooms and a screen wall' layout, with carved gates, painted eaves and deep stone courtyards. It is a working town rather than a museum, which is exactly its appeal. Its famous baba bread, sweet or savoury, comes hot from the griddle in the market.

Ticket
Free to enter (some houses charge separately)
Hours
Open all day
Where
About 20 km north of Dali old town
Getting there
Bus or taxi from the old town, about 30 minutes
Time needed
Half a day

Tip Skip the big ticketed performance courtyards if you want the real thing — the ordinary lanes and family homes are more rewarding, and the baba in the market is the best snack in Dali.

Zhoucheng and Butterfly Spring

Tie-dye · Spring

Zhoucheng and Butterfly Spring

Zhoucheng is the Bai tie-dye centre, where indigo cloth is still waxed, stitched, dipped and dried in the sun, and where you can tour a dye works and buy cloth directly. Just outside it, Butterfly Spring is a square pool under a great old tree — the setting of the film Five Golden Flowers and a classic Bai spot, though its butterflies now live in the nearby Butterfly World rather than in the wild.

Ticket
Butterfly Spring ¥60 (Zhoucheng itself is free)
Hours
Botanical area 08:30–19:00
Where
Zhoucheng village, 23 km north of the old town, at the foot of Cangshan
Getting there
Bus or taxi from the old town, on the way to Xizhou
Time needed
Half a day with Xizhou

Tip Combine Zhoucheng and Butterfly Spring with Xizhou in one loop north of the lake — they are minutes apart, and it makes a natural half-day.

Shuanglang

Lakeside · Sunset

Shuanglang

A fishing village on the north-east shore, strung between the hills and the water, and the best place in Dali to watch the sun go down. It has become the smart end of the lake, with boutique guesthouses and views across to Cangshan — quieter and more upmarket than the old town, and worth a night if you want the water and nothing else.

Ticket
Yuji Island ¥25; the village itself is free
Hours
Open all day
Where
North-east shore of Erhai Lake
Getting there
Bus or taxi from the old town (about 1 hour 15 min), or by bicycle
Time needed
A night, or a long afternoon

Tip Come for sunset and stay the night — the village empties out after the day-trippers leave, and the morning light on the lake is even better than the evening.

Eating

What Dali tastes like

Yunnan cooking is bright, sour and often spicy, and Dali's Bai kitchen leans on the lake, the fields and the dairy of the surrounding villages.

Milk 'fan' (rubing)

Yunnan's famous 'cheese sold as a fan': sheets of cow's-milk cheese grilled on a skewer over charcoal, brushed with sauce and rolled, until golden and chewy. Eat it hot, straight off the skewer, for the full experience of milk and smoke.

Xizhou baba

A flaky baked flatbread from Xizhou, sweet (rose-scented) or savoury (spring onion and minced pork). Crisp outside, soft within, and best bought hot from a market griddle. It is the town's signature snack and travels well as a gift.

Lengji rice noodles

The dish Dali is most proud of: cool rice noodles topped with shredded chicken, a peanut-and-sesame dressing, chilli and a sweet-sour sauce. Refreshing and tangy, and the default is slightly sweet — ask for the savoury version if you prefer.

The Bai three teas

A Bai welcome ritual and a lesson in balance: a first cup of bitter tea, a second of sweet tea with walnut and honey, and a third of 'aftertaste' tea with Sichuan pepper and ginger. Every stage means something; drink all three.

Erhai sandpot fish

The lake's signature dish: a whole carp cleaned, salted and simmered in a clay pot with tofu, ham, meatballs and bamboo shoots over charcoal. Fresh, faintly sweet and the centrepiece of a Bai banquet.

Nuodeng ham

The ham that made a TV food documentary famous, cured in the mountain town of Nuodeng with local salt and the dry highland air. Served sliced, in stir-fries or with rice — nutty, deep and not as salty as you expect.

Where to eat

Restaurants worth the address

Most places cluster on Renmin Road in the old town. Several close by early evening, so eat lunch late and dinner early.

Noodles · Iconic

Za Huishou Cold Chicken Rice Noodles

Dali's most famous cold chicken noodles, and a place locals love as much as visitors. Sour, sweet and spicy all at once, from a tiny shopfront that fills the moment it opens and often shuts by early evening. Big bowl ¥6, small ¥5.

Order
Cold chicken rice noodles, cold rice noodles
Where
198 Renmin Road, Dali old town
Phone
0872-6895609

Bai restaurant · Old name

Cang'erchun

A long-established Bai restaurant with a menu of genuine local dishes — quick-fried snails, papaya chicken, and sandpot fish. The seasoning runs spicy, so tell the kitchen if you want it mild.

Order
Quick-fried snails, papaya chicken, sandpot fish
Where
84 Renmin Road (upper section), old town
Phone
0872-6900907

Yunnan · Cheap

Jianmei Snacks

A small, unfussy old Yunnan restaurant with a handful of tables and generous, well-priced plates. Regulars come for the hot-and-sour fish, the tofu pot and fresh mint dishes. Honest cooking, no theatre.

Order
Hot-and-sour fish, tofu pot, mint dishes
Where
86 Renmin Road, old town

Snack · A few yuan

Selemu Pea-Flour Jelly

A stall with a reputation far bigger than its size, specialising in pea-flour jelly piled with shredded chicken, ground peanut, sesame and a tangy, spicy dressing that clings to every strand. About ¥5 a bowl, and arguably the best jelly in Dali.

Order
Pea-flour jelly with chicken
Where
Yuer Road, near Fuxing Road, old town
Price
Around ¥5

Café-restaurant · Bohemian

Shikai's Dali Kitchen

Warm, sunny and full of books and plants, this is a gathering point for Dali's writers and artists. The ginger chicken is the signature, and the whole place has the slightly literary, lived-in feel that draws people to Dali in the first place.

Order
Ginger chicken, home-style dishes
Where
331-1 Renmin Road, near Yeyu Road, old town
Phone
0872-5365356

Sleeping

Where to stay

Old town for walkability, Xiaguan for practicality, lakeside villages for quiet. Book in advance in spring and autumn.

Guesthouse · ¥120–220

Smile Inn (Renmin Road)

A small, charming courtyard guesthouse with bougainvillea at the door, an old tree and a wooden upper floor — only a few rooms, but comfortable and thoughtfully run. It even keeps a sideline in European vintage goods. One of the nicest cheap stays in the old town.

Price
¥120–220
Where
417 Renmin Road, Dali old town
Phone
0872-2670565

Bai courtyard · From ¥380

Lanlinge Hotel

The only hotel in the old town built to display the full range of Bai courtyard layouts — 'three rooms and a screen wall', 'four courtyards and five wells' and more, across several yards. Near four-star standard, with a Bai restaurant seating 400 and five private rooms. The courtyard is the point.

Price
From ¥380
Where
96 Yu'er Road, near Renmin Road, old town
Phone
0872-2666318

Grand · From ¥460

Fenghuaxueyue Grand Hotel

A large hotel on Yu'er Road with Cangshan behind and Erhai in front, built around the 'four courtyards and five wells' layout, its yards named for wind, flowers, snow and moon. There is a swimming pool. Its position means the four sights are almost literally at your window.

Price
From ¥460
Where
Junction of Yu'er Road and Dali Road, old town
Phone
0872-2666666

Lakeside · From ¥140

Erhai Xinyi Guesthouse (Caicun)

A newly built, clean Bai courtyard one minute's walk from the water at Caicun, by the village pier. Quiet and modern compared with the old town's bustle, and the obvious choice if you want the lake at your door rather than a 20-minute ride away.

Price
Doubles from ¥140
Where
195 Caicun, Dali town, near the Caicun pier
Phone
13320550057

Hostel · Beds from ¥30

Ai Dali Guesthouse

A young, friendly guesthouse with affordable rooms, home cooking and a house grain liquor of its own, run on a share-and-help ethos — self-service, eco-minded and welcoming. If you want company and conversation rather than a quiet room, this is the place.

Price
Beds from ¥30
Where
5 Fu'an Lane, Yeyu Road, old town
Phone
0872-2475307

Getting around

Arriving, and moving about

The old town and the new town (Xiaguan) are 13 km apart. Cars cannot enter the old town — arrange to be dropped at the gate.

By air

Dali Huangcaoba Airport (DLU) sits 12 km east of the city, between Fengyi and Haidong, with domestic flights to Kunming (40 min), Xishuangbanna, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen. It is small and easy, but there are no daily international flights.

Airport
Dali Huangcaoba (DLU)
To Xiaguan
Bus 7 · taxi about ¥60
To the old town
Taxi about ¥90
Flights
Kunming 40 min · Guangzhou Tue/Thu/Sat about 3 h

By rail

Dali station, in the new town at Weishan Road 261, is a hub of the Yunnan tourist rail line. High-speed trains run to Kunming (about 2 hours) and Lijiang (about 2 hours) — by far the easiest way in and out.

Station
Dali, Weishan Road 261, Xiaguan · 0872-3146161
To Kunming
High-speed rail, about 2 hours
To Lijiang
High-speed rail, about 2 hours
To the old town
Bus 8, ¥1.5, about 30 minutes

Long-distance buses

Dali has several bus stations, with the main ones at Weishan Road and Xinglong Road. Buses to and from Kunming are frequent (roughly every 30–60 minutes, ¥105, about 4 hours), and there is good service to Lijiang, Shangri-La, Tengchong and beyond.

To Kunming
¥105, about 4 hours, frequent
Main stations
Weishan Road · Xinglong Road · North Station
To Lijiang / Shangri-La
Frequent daily departures

Local buses and taxis

Buses 4 and 8 link the old town and Xiaguan for ¥1.5, about 30 minutes (bus 4 runs Gongsi–South Gate–North Gate; bus 8 runs the station–East Gate–West Gate). Taxis within the new town use the meter from ¥5–6; to the old town they usually quote a flat ¥40–50.

Bus 4
Gongsi Company – South Gate – North Gate
Bus 8
Railway station – East Gate – West Gate
Fare
¥1.5, exact change
Taxi to the old town
About ¥40–50, flat rate

Into the old town, get out at the nearest gate and walk — cars and buses cannot drive inside, and drivers will not take you to the door.

Boats and bicycles

Erhai tourist boats leave Xiaguan's north pier and other piers in the morning (from about ¥70–80), best booked a day ahead. On land, a rented bicycle is the real key to Dali: ¥20 a day, and the ring road around the lake is the thing to do.

Boats
From about ¥70–80; buy a day ahead
Bike rental
About ¥20 a day plus a deposit
Ring road
120 km loop; e-bikes make it far easier

Shopping

What to take home

The old town is wall-to-wall shops. The cheap end is the upper stretch of the Foreigners' Street and the alleys off it — same goods, lower prices.

Tie-dye and batik

Dali's signature craft: indigo tie-dye and wax-resist batik made with the region's traditional plant dyes, patterned with animals, plants and old court motifs. Shirts and trousers run ¥20–50, larger batik cloth ¥20–120. Buy where you can watch it being made.

Marble crafts

The stone that gave the world the word 'marble' comes from here, cut to reveal natural ink-painting patterns. Look for scholar's objects, screens, vases and lamps in the shops of the old town and Xiaguan — small pieces travel well, big ones do not.

Xiaguan tuo tea

A pressed bowl-shaped Yunnan tea, blended from the leaves of dozens of counties and known for its dark, mellow, sweet-aftertaste brew. Light, sturdy and a classic gift; buy cakes or loose leaf from a proper tea shop rather than a souvenir stall.

Flower cakes and silverware

Rose-petal flower cakes are the edible souvenir — buy them freshly baked and eat them warm. Silver is the other local temptation: much of what is sold on the street is white copper dressed up as silver, so compare shops and check the quality before you pay.

Practical

The numbers to save

Area code 0872. English help is not guaranteed — save these before you need them.

Emergency (police / ambulance / fire)110 · 120 · 119
Tourist information / complaints0872-2677754 · complaints 0872-2121246
Dali Bai Prefecture People's Hospital35 Renmin South Road, Xiaguan · 0872-2125465
Dali No.1 People's Hospital19 Jianshe East Road · 0872-2124462
Banks & ATMsCCB, ICBC and ABC all have branches in the old town; fewer ATMs in the villages
Weather noteNotorious wind at Xiaguan; big day–night range — always carry a windproof layer
Key festivalsThird Month Fair (April) · Torch Festival (June, lunar 25th) · Raosanling (April)
AltitudeOld town 1,900 m — fine for most; Cangshan summit about 4,000 m

Tips

Small things that save a trip

Come in spring or autumn

March and April are the classic months, with flowers everywhere; autumn is clear and dry. Summer brings the rains and a wide day–night range, and winter is dry and windy — pack a windproof jacket if you visit Xiaguan.

Pack for two seasons a day

The day-to-night difference here can hit 10°C, and summer afternoons turn cool fast when it rains. Light layers, a windproof shell and sunscreen cover almost everything.

Choose your lake transport wisely

The tour boat is convenient but commercial; a rented bicycle or e-bike on the ring road is cheaper, freer and far more memorable. If you hire a bike, always carry water and sun cream.

Be sceptical of ticketed courtyards

Some famous 'Bai courtyards' charge for a song-and-dance show not unlike the boat's. If you want the real architecture, walk the ordinary lanes of Xizhou and Zhoucheng instead — it is free and better.

Check the silver

Lots of the 'silver' sold on the street is white copper that will rust. If you are buying real silverware, compare several shops, ask about the grade, and pay for quality rather than a story.

Stay off-trail, stay safe on Cangshan

Cangshan is a genuine mountain with changeable weather. Stay on the marked paths and the Jade Belt Path, do not wander into the backcountry, and start early enough to be down before dark.

Background

Why Dali looks like this

Geography and climate

Dali prefecture sits where the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau meets the Hengduan Mountains, higher in the north-west and lower in the south-east. Cangshan runs down the middle like a screen, Erhai Lake lies at its foot, and the whole landscape is one of mountains, gorges, lakes and plains — the highest point in the prefecture reaches 4,295 m and the lowest, on the Nu River, drops to 730 m.

The result is a mild, almost spring-like climate with a small annual range but a large daily one — 'cool at its coldest, warm at its warmest', as the local saying goes. There is strong vertical variation: hot in the valleys, mild in the basin, cool on the mid-slopes and cold at altitude, and the wind at Xiaguan, at the lake's southern gap, is famous enough to have earned the town the name 'Wind City'.

History and the Bai people

Dali is one of the earliest cultural heartlands in Yunnan; Neolithic sites ring Erhai Lake, and its first peoples farmed, fished and herded here thousands of years ago. In the tenth century the Kingdom of Dali rose under Duan Siping, and for centuries the area was a key link on the 'Shu–Shendu road' that ran from Chengdu through Dali and Baoshan into Burma and on to India.

Today Dali is the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and the Bai are its defining people — a group with their own language and a rich musical and architectural tradition, matrilineal in places and deeply attached to their 'benzhu' local deities. The tie-dye, the courtyards, the three teas and the great spring festivals such as the Third Month Fair and Raosanling are all Bai, and all still very much alive.

Travel with them

Dali on screen and in print

Not guides — films, books and music that show Dali the way the people who love it see it.

Film

Five Golden Flowers (五朵金花)

Dir. Wang Jiayi, 1959

The film that made Dali and its Bai people famous across China. A young woman and a blacksmith meet at the Third Month Fair, fall for each other and arrange to meet again a year later at Butterfly Spring — a song-and-dance romance that turned the town, and the Bai 'golden flowers', into household names.

Book

The Elements of Dali (大理元素)

Wang Guiming

A settler's account of the old town, written with fresh eyes and real affection — the food, the courtyards, the slow ordinary days, and the warmth a stranger finds in a place far from home. A good companion for anyone thinking of staying longer than planned.

Music

Goodbye Jack (再见杰克)

Miserable Faith

The album born from the band's own time drifting through Dali's old town, and the song line about rainy Renmin Road has become a small anthem for the town. Dream, friendship, love and warmth, sung by people who actually lived it here.

Music

Bai folk music and the dabenqu

Traditional

Dali's own sound is the Bai 'diao' melody, sung freely in the fields, and the dabenqu — a sung storytelling form performed with the sanxian and a fan. Catch a live performance if you can; it is the living soundtrack of the villages around the lake.

The questions visitors ask us most about Dali, answered plainly.

Frequently asked questions

Prices and practical details are reviewed every month by our Beijing team and updated the day a rule changes.

How many days do I need in Dali?

Two days is the working minimum: the old town, the Three Pagodas and Cangshan on day one, then Erhai Lake and a lakeside village on day two. Three days is much better — it lets you sleep a night by the lake at Shuanglang, see Xizhou and Zhoucheng, and ride the ring road at a relaxed pace. Many travellers end up staying a week.

What does 'wind, flowers, snow, moon' mean in Dali?

It is the traditional four-line summary of Dali's scenery: the wind that blows through Xiaguan, the flowers of Shangguan, the snow that stays on the peaks of Cangshan through summer, and the moon reflected in Erhai Lake. Say it to any local and you have made a friend — it is the shorthand name for the whole place.

Should I stay in Dali old town or by the lake?

Old town for convenience — everything is walkable and the food, nightlife, Three Pagodas and Cangshan cable car are all minutes away. A lakeside village such as Shuanglang or Caicun is quieter and puts the water at your window, but you need a bike, e-bike or car to get around. A good split is one or two nights in each.

Is Dali worth it compared with Lijiang?

They are different trips, and both are worth it. Lijiang is grander and busier, set beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, with a larger Naxi old town and more tourists; Dali is smaller, calmer and less commercialised, and the pairing of Cangshan and Erhai is its own thing. They are 2 hours apart by high-speed rail, so do both if you can.

How do I get to Dali from Kunming or Lijiang?

High-speed rail is now the fastest and easiest. From Kunming it is about 2 hours, from Lijiang about 2, arriving at Dali station in the new town 13 km south of the old town; bus 8 finishes the trip for ¥1.5. Flights from Kunming take about 40 minutes but add airport time at both ends, and buses are slower but frequent.

What food should I try in Dali?

The classics are milk 'fan' (rubing), a grilled cheese on a stick; Xizhou baba, a flaky baked bread sold sweet or savoury; and Lengji rice noodles, served cool with chicken, peanut sauce and a sweet-sour dressing. Then the Bai 'three teas' — bitter, sweet, then a lingering aftertaste — and the lake's signature sandpot fish.

Is there altitude sickness in Dali?

Very unlikely in the old town, which sits at about 1,900 m — lower than Lijiang and far below the level where most people feel anything. The one spot to mind is Cangshan, whose summit approaches 4,000 m; if you take the cable car up, take it slowly and don't over-exert. Give yourself a day at town altitude first.

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The same places, with a driver, an English-speaking guide and the tickets already bought.

Dali Dali Yunnan · 0 tours Dali is a walled Bai town between a 4,000 m mountain and a 250 km² lake, and the phrase locals use for it is 'wind, flowers, snow, moon'. Two days cov
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City guides

Dalian Dalian City guide · 15 tours The Northern Pearl — China's most romantic coastal city. Shenyang Shenyang City guide · 12 tours Where the Qing dynasty began — an imperial palace, a warlord's mansion and the cheapest good food in the northeast. Changbai Mountain Changbai Mountain City guide · 12 tours A volcano on the North Korean border, a jade-green crater lake at 2,189 m, and hot springs on the way down. Kunming Kunming City guide · 12 tours China's Spring City — a mild plateau capital of flowers, markets and the Stone Forest, with gulls on the lake in winter. Shuhe Shuhe City guide · 12 tours The quiet version of Lijiang — a Tea Horse Road village of canals, stone bridges and slow afternoons, 4 km from the crowds. Lijiang Lijiang City guide · 12 tours A UNESCO Naxi old town of canals and cobbles beneath a 5,596 m snow mountain — the cultural heart of north-west Yunnan. Xiamen Xiamen City guide · 12 tours A subtropical island city of temples, fishing-village lanes and the best street food in Fujian — with the car-free islet of Gulangyu a 20-minute ferry away. Gulangyu Gulangyu City guide · 12 tours A car-free island of colonial villas, pianos and cats, twenty minutes off Xiamen — and the one place where the trick is simply to stay the night. Fuzhou Fuzhou City guide · 12 tours A 2,200-year-old capital of banyan trees and mountains-within-the-city, where the Ming lanes of Sanfang Qixiang meet the dockyard that built China's modern navy. Lugu Lake Lugu Lake City guide · 12 tours A 2,680 m lake on the Yunnan–Sichuan border, home to China's last matrilineal people, pig-trough canoes and a great deal of doing nothing. Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna City guide · 12 tours China's tropical south — rainforest, wild elephants, Dai villages and the Mekong, wrapped around the gateway city of Jinghong. Shangri-La Shangri-La City guide · 12 tours A Tibetan town at 3,300 m in Yunnan's Diqing prefecture — monasteries, grassland, prayer wheels and cold thin air. Nanchang Nanchang City guide · 12 tours Jiangxi's 'hero city' on the Gan River — one great Tang pavilion, a 160-metre Ferris wheel, and the best claypot soup you will eat in China. Hefei Hefei City guide · 12 tours Anhui's 2,000-year-old capital: the hometown of China's model judge, a moat-turned-garden ring, and the fast rail gateway to Huangshan. Hongcun Hongcun City guide · 12 tours A 900-year-old Hui village laid out as an ox, with water running to every door and a mirror-still crescent pond at its heart. Wuhan Wuhan City guide · 12 tours Three towns, two rivers and the best breakfast in China — a huge, blunt river city of bridges, lakes and cheap, brilliant street food. Changsha Changsha City guide · 12 tours Hunan's loud, young capital: a 3,000-year-old city that eats chilli-hot food, stays up all night and treats foot massage as a civic duty. Fenghuang Ancient Town Fenghuang Ancient Town City guide · 12 tours The stilt-house river town of Shen Congwen's 'Border Town' — glowing lanterns, stepping stones and the best two nights in western Hunan. Lushan Lushan City guide · 12 tours A cloud-wrapped granite mountain with a Victorian hill station on top, waterfalls in three tiers, and the mist that Su Shi said you could never see through. Wuyuan Wuyuan City guide · 12 tours China's 'most beautiful countryside' — dozens of white-walled Huizhou villages strung along streams and terraced into the hills, and two weeks a year of gold. Mount Heng (Hengshan, Hunan) Mount Heng (Hengshan, Hunan) City guide · 12 tours The South Great Peak: a pilgrimage mountain of 72 summits where the temples run all the way to the top, and the sunrise over the cloud sea is the whole point. Huangshan Huangshan City guide · 12 tours Yellow Mountain: 82 granite peaks of twisted pines and grotesque rock, a sea of cloud that changes by the hour, and hot springs at the foot. Wudang Mountain Wudang Mountain City guide · 12 tours The Taoist first mountain of China — a gilded bronze hall on a 1,612 m summit, temples hung off cliff faces, and the birthplace of tai chi. Luoyang Luoyang City guide · 12 tours Thirteen dynasties, 100,000 Buddhas carved into a river cliff, China's first Buddhist temple — and a whole city that turns peony-pink every April. Yuntai Mountain Yuntai Mountain City guide · 12 tours A UNESCO geopark in Henan where red-stone gorges squeeze a river to a slot, a 314 m waterfall drops in one plunge, and every path leads to another pool. Rizhao Rizhao City guide · 12 tours A low-key Shandong beach town where the sun rises straight out of the Yellow Sea, the sand runs 60 km and a seafood dinner costs less than a coffee in Shanghai. Yantai Yantai City guide · 12 tours A northern Shandong port of fairy-tale cliffs, wine cellars and long golden beaches — where emperors once hunted the elixir of life and China's wine industry still begins. Lianyungang Lianyungang City guide · 12 tours A working Jiangsu port with a myth in the middle of it — the Flower-Fruit Mountain of Journey to the West, a sea causeway to a big island beach, and some of the cheapest seafood on the coast. Sanqing Mountain Sanqing Mountain City guide · 12 tours A vertical forest of granite pillars in Jiangxi — the Python Out of the Mountain, the Goddess of the East Sea, two cable cars and a cliff-hugging walkway at 1,660 metres. Tianjin Tianjin City guide · 12 tours Beijing's port city next door — a river of 24 bridges, 2,000 colonial villas, and the best street breakfast in northern China. Datong Datong City guide · 12 tours A frontier capital of carved Buddhas — the Yungang Grottoes, a temple pinned to a cliff, and the oldest wooden tower in China. Taiyuan Taiyuan City guide · 12 tours Shanxi's provincial capital and noodle heartland — the spring of Jinci, two Ming pagodas, and a museum that explains the whole province. Pingyao Pingyao City guide · 12 tours China's best-preserved ancient walled town — a Ming wall, the first Chinese bank, and two temples of painted clay just outside the gates. Wutai Mountain Wutai Mountain City guide · 12 tours China's foremost Buddhist mountain — fifty-plus temples in one valley, crowned by five flat-topped peaks up to 3,058 m. Hulunbuir Hulunbuir City guide · 12 tours China's finest grassland — a 263,000 km² sweep of steppe, birch forest and border river, best driven with the windows down. The Forbidden City The Forbidden City City guide · 12 tours Beijing's 600-year imperial palace — 8,700 rooms behind a 72-hectare wall, and the largest surviving wooden palace complex on earth. Sanya Sanya City guide · 12 tours China's only true winter-sun coast — four very different bays, a coral island and a 108 m sea Buddha, all at 18° north. Haikou Haikou City guide · 12 tours Hainan's capital is the island's living city — 600-year-old arcade streets, a volcanic village, and a morning-tea-to-midnight food culture. Beihai Beihai City guide · 12 tours 24 km of fine white sand on one side, a volcanic island of coral and lava on the other — plus a 19th-century arcade old street in between. Nanning Nanning City guide · 12 tours Guangxi's green capital is a gateway to Detian Falls, Beihai and Vietnam — and a genuinely excellent food city if you let it slow you down. Guangxi Guangxi City guide · 12 tours One autonomous region, a dozen landscapes — limestone peaks and rice terraces in the north, a Vietnam border and a warm gulf coast in the south. Huizhou Huizhou City guide · 12 tours A free West Lake, a Taoist mountain and 200 km of white-sand coast — the Pearl River Delta's most underrated weekend. Beidaihe Beidaihe City guide · 12 tours Northern China's classic beach escape — one sunrise headland, 10 km of calm swimming water, and a bird flyway overhead twice a year. Shanhaiguan Shanhaiguan City guide · 12 tours The town where the Great Wall stops being a rumour of mountains and walks into the Bohai Sea. Baiyangdian Baiyangdian City guide · 12 tours The biggest freshwater lake on the North China Plain — and almost none of it can be reached except by boat. Qinhuangdao Qinhuangdao City guide · 12 tours 126 km of Bohai coast in one municipality — a working port, two famous resorts, and the only desert dunes that meet this sea. Yesanpo Yesanpo City guide · 12 tours Gorge country where the Taihang and Yan ranges collide — 52.5 km of canyon walls, a cave that spits fish, and a river to fall off. Zhuhai Zhuhai City guide · 12 tours The delta's slow city: a 28 km promenade, 146 islands, oysters fattened where the river meets the sea. Wuyi Mountain Wuyi Mountain City guide · 12 tours Nine bends of clear water, red sandstone cliffs, and the tea that made a mountain's name. Jiuzhaigou Jiuzhaigou City guide · 12 tours 108 mineral-blue lakes in one 55 km valley — the place that ruins water everywhere else for you. Mount Siguniang Mount Siguniang City guide · 12 tours Four snow peaks, three valleys, and the friendliest 5,000 m mountain in China to stand on top of. Hailuogou Hailuogou City guide · 12 tours A glacier that comes down to 2,850 m, hot springs in the forest, and Gongga Shan filling the sky above both. Daocheng Yading Daocheng Yading City guide · 12 tours Three 6,000 m sacred peaks, glacial lakes at 4,600 m and twenty hours of road — the hardest, highest payoff in Sichuan. Shunan Bamboo Sea Shunan Bamboo Sea City guide · 12 tours Seventy thousand mu of bamboo over twenty-eight hills, a red sandstone corridor under a closed green roof, and a banquet made entirely of bamboo. Dujiangyan Dujiangyan City guide · 12 tours Not a monument but a machine: three pieces of engineering with no dam, still doing their job after 2,270 years. Qingcheng Mountain Qingcheng Mountain City guide · 12 tours The mountain where Daoism was organised, and the one Chengdu escapes to when the basin turns into an oven. Qingdao Qingdao City guide · 12 tours Red-tiled roofs, cold beer and a granite mountain that walks straight into the sea — the easiest good time on the Yellow Sea. Mount Tai Mount Tai City guide · 12 tours 1,545 metres, 6,290 stone steps and three thousand years of emperors — the one mountain in China that is also a document. Jinan Jinan City guide · 12 tours A provincial capital with 700 springs under the pavement — people still queue at the spouts to fill their kettles. Weihai Weihai City guide · 12 tours 1,000 km of clean coast, a free bathing beach, the island where the Beiyang Fleet died — and thousands of wild swans every winter. Qufu Qufu City guide · 12 tours One family, two thousand years of steles, and a ¥150 pass that covers the lot — the easiest serious day trip in Shandong. Penglai Penglai City guide · 12 tours China's immortals' coast — a Song-dynasty naval harbour you can walk for free, a mythology nobody ever found, and the ferry to 32 islands. Changdao Changdao City guide · 12 tours 32 islands, one causeway, a ¥150 land pass, tens of thousands of gulls and nowhere you can drive — the place where everything happens by boat. Nanjing Nanjing City guide · 12 tours Capital of six dynasties, capital of the Republic, and the city that eats more duck than anywhere else on earth. Suzhou Suzhou City guide · 12 tours Two thousand five hundred years of canals, sixty surviving gardens, and a city that shuts its gates at half past five. Zhouzhuang Zhouzhuang City guide · 12 tours Nine hundred years, fourteen bridges, one ticket — and a town that only makes sense before eight in the morning. Tongli Tongli City guide · 12 tours Fifteen canals, seven islets, forty-nine bridges — and a town that still gets up at dawn because it lives here. Wuxi Wuxi City guide · 12 tours Taihu on one side, a Grand Buddha on the next hill, and ribs sweet enough to argue about — the most underrated city on the Yangtze delta. Yangzhou Yangzhou City guide · 12 tours A city built by salt merchants who had more money than restraint — gardens, a narrow lake, and the best breakfast in China. Zhenjiang Zhenjiang City guide · 12 tours Three hills, one ferry landing, and an unreasonable share of Chinese literature — the Yangtze city people drive past. Changzhou Changzhou City guide · 12 tours A 2,500-year-old canal city that built a dinosaur park and refuses to apologise for it. Wuzhen Wuzhen City guide · 12 tours A town that is two towns: the older, quieter East Zone and the lit-up West Zone you sleep inside. Xitang Xitang City guide · 12 tours Nine canals, 122 lanes, one long roofed corridor — and a town that still works for a living. Hangzhou Hangzhou City guide · 12 tours A lake in the middle of a city, a tea village in the hills, and two thousand years of getting the mood right. Xixi Wetland Xixi Wetland City guide · 12 tours Ten square kilometres of marsh inside Hangzhou, and the only way into half of it is a boat. Ningbo Ningbo City guide · 12 tours A 7,000-year-old port with Asia's oldest private library, a free waterfront 20 years older than Shanghai's, and the best seafood before the islands. Mount Putuo Mount Putuo City guide · 12 tours A Buddhist island with no cars, three great temples and a ¥10 lunch that is the point of the place. Qiandao Lake Qiandao Lake City guide · 12 tours A thousand islands that did not exist sixty years ago, and the cleanest big-lake water in China. Shaoxing Shaoxing City guide · 12 tours Two and a half thousand years of water-town China, and Lu Xun's house is free. Zhoushan Zhoushan City guide · 12 tours 1,390 islands, one road bridge in, and a harbour that lands more fish than almost anywhere on earth. Hengdian Hengdian City guide · 12 tours A backlot the size of a town, where the palaces are copies and the film crews are real. Yandang Mountain Yandang Mountain City guide · 12 tours A volcano that weathering turned into scenery — 500-odd sights of peak, cave and waterfall across eight scenic areas. Zhejiang Zhejiang City guide · 12 tours One small, mountainous, absurdly rich province that holds a lake, two canal towns, a Buddhist island and a dead volcano. Hong Kong Outlying Islands Hong Kong Outlying Islands City guide · 12 tours Two hundred-odd islands, half an hour of ferry from the financial district, and not a car on three of them. Hong Kong Shopping Hong Kong Shopping City guide · 12 tours A duty-free port where the tag starts lower, two citywide sale seasons knock a third off, and every mall sits on an MTR exit. Macao Macao City guide · 12 tours Four hundred years of Portuguese streets, a fake Venice under a painted sky, and the best egg tart in Asia. Urumqi Urumqi City guide · 12 tours The city furthest from the sea, with a snow range on its doorstep and dinner starting at nine. Hong Kong SAR, China Hong Kong SAR, China City guide · 11 tours A harbour skyline you already know by heart, dim sum trolleys at dawn, and 260 islands an hour from the neon. Taiwan, China Taiwan, China City guide · 11 tours Night-market alleys, high-mountain railways, and a coastline that changes character every hundred kilometres. Qinghai Lake Qinghai Lake City guide · 12 tours A 4,400 sq km inland sea at 3,200 m, ringed by rapeseed gold, prayer flags and the best cycling road in China. Mount Emei Mount Emei City guide · 11 tours A 3,099-metre Buddhist summit you can reach by cable car before lunch — and a mountain full of monkeys that will absolutely rob you. Beijing Beijing City guide · 11 tours Six centuries of imperial red walls, a Great Wall you can climb before lunch, and the best roast duck on earth. Taipei Taipei City guide · 11 tours A 24-hour bookstore, a night market that never stops sizzling, and a city that apologises when you bump into it. North Xinjiang North Xinjiang City guide · 11 tours Alpine lakes the colour of poured enamel, a village of log cabins under birch trees, and the last tear the Atlantic ever sheds. Lanzhou Lanzhou City guide · 11 tours A city split in half by the Yellow River, where beef noodles are a breakfast ritual and the Silk Road still runs through the streets. Mount Hua Mount Hua City guide · 11 tours Five granite peaks, one plank road bolted to a cliff face, and a sunrise that justifies the 2am start. Dunhuang Dunhuang City guide · 11 tours A desert oasis where Buddhist cave art survived a thousand years and a crescent lake refused to dry up. Gannan Gannan City guide · 11 tours 433 kilometres of the Yellow River's first bend, a 3.5 km prayer-wheel circuit, and Tibetan grasslands almost nobody has commercialised yet. Sichuan–Tibet Highway Sichuan–Tibet Highway City guide · 11 tours 2,142 kilometres of cliff-edge switchbacks, four of China's most beautiful mountains, and a road the Tibetans walk on their knees. Kangding Kangding City guide · 11 tours The town that gave Asia its most famous love song, a 7,556m sacred peak on its doorstep, and the last real Tibetan town before the road climbs to Lhasa. Lhasa Lhasa City guide · 12 tours A city of prayer wheels and butter lamps at 3,700 metres, where the sun shines 3,000 hours a year and the world's highest palace watches over it all. Nyingchi Nyingchi City guide · 11 tours Tibet's greenest corner — peach blossom valleys, a 7,782 m peak that hides from almost everyone, and the world's deepest canyon. Namtso Namtso City guide · 11 tours A 1,920-square-kilometre sheet of impossible blue at 4,718 metres, ringed by snow peaks and prayer flags. Chongqing Chongqing City guide · 12 tours A vertical city of fog, cable cars and cliff-side stilt houses, where the火锅 never stops boiling and the night skyline outshines Hong Kong. Qiandongnan Qiandongnan City guide · 11 tours A thousand Miao households stacked up a mountainside, drum towers and wind-rain bridges in Dong villages, and a 600-year-old Ming garrison town on the road to Guiyang. Libo Libo City guide · 11 tours Emerald rivers threading through karst peaks, a 600-metre forest growing out of a riverbed, and China's largest wild plum grove. Guiyang Guiyang City guide · 11 tours China's summer capital at 1,100 metres, where the nights run on sour fish soup, street-side barbecue and mahjong that never quite stops. Zhenyuan Zhenyuan City guide · 11 tours A 2,000-year-old river town where the Wuyang River carves an S through the mountains and every lane hides a story. Huangguoshu Huangguoshu City guide · 11 tours Asia's biggest waterfall, and the only one on earth you can walk behind, above and around — plus 600-year-old Ming dynasty villages a short drive away. Harbin Harbin City guide · 11 tours Minus 30 degrees, a frozen river you can walk across, and a cathedral built by Russians who never went home. Yunnan Yunnan City guide · 11 tours Snow mountains, tropical rainforest, twenty-five minorities and a plate of rice noodles — all in one province. Shanghai Shanghai City guide · 11 tours A 1920s waterfront of colonial banks facing a science-fiction skyline, soup dumplings you eat with a straw, and 20 million people moving like clockwork. Zhangjiajie Zhangjiajie City guide · 11 tours Three thousand sandstone pillars straight out of Avatar, a glass skywalk bolted to a cliff, and a cable car that leaves from downtown. Guangzhou Guangzhou City guide · 11 tours A 2,200-year-old trading port where dim sum is a religion, colonial islands sit beside 600-metre towers, and the food never stops. Guilin Guilin City guide · 11 tours Karst peaks rising straight out of a green river, rice terraces carved into mountainsides, and the best bowl of noodles you'll eat in China. Shenzhen Shenzhen City guide · 11 tours A fishing village that became a megacity in forty years — and it still has 500-year-old banyans, empty beaches and dim sum worth the border crossing. Chengdu Chengdu City guide · 11 tours A 3,000-year-old city where the schedule is tea, mahjong and hotpot — and the pandas are just the opening act. Xinjiang Xinjiang City guide · 11 tours Snow peaks, grassland, desert and oasis — one-sixth of China, and the longest road you will ever ride. Xi'an Xi'an City guide · 14 tours Thirteen dynasties of emperors, a terracotta army buried for 2,200 years, and a walled city you can cycle in 100 minutes. Qinghai Qinghai City guide · 11 tours China's high-altitude blue heart: a salt lake you can walk on, a 3,200-metre sea, and yak butter tea at the roof of the world. Tibet Tibet City guide · 11 tours A plateau the size of Western Europe where the sky starts at your feet, prayer flags carry the wind, and the roads run past 8,000-metre peaks.

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  • 'Wind, flowers, snow, moon' is the local shorthand: the wind at Xiaguan, the flowers of Shangguan, the snow on Cangshan, the moon over Erhai.
  • 2 days covers the old town and the lake; add a third for Xizhou, Zhoucheng and a night at Shuanglang.
  • Erhai's ring road is the best thing here — ride the 120 km loop by bicycle or e-bike, or take a boat from Longkan or Xiaguan.

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