Travel Notes | Past Events in Dali

In June, I ate rose cakes purchased by Lao He, and recently I used dried flowers made from dark red roses grown and picked by Lao He and Teacher Gu (an edible rose imported from France, only Yunnan is suitable for planting in my country). Hydrosol and rose jam remind me of the past in Dali a few years ago.

A few days before the Spring Festival, I boarded a direct flight from Pudong Airport to Dali City and arrived in the evening. The sun is still shining high and the temperature is pleasant. When setting foot on the land south of Caiyun, I feel extremely open and relaxed. It's just that the wind at the airport is a bit strong. The inn sent a driver to pick us up and we were quickly in the car.

The car didn't drive very far when we saw the continuous Cangshan Mountain not far away. There was still a small amount of snow on the top of the mountain, and I felt excited all of a sudden. The car followed the national highway at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, approaching the ancient city little by little. We settled down in a village not far from the south gate of the ancient city, then went out to eat along the road and headed to the south gate of the ancient city wall.

Enter the south gate and briefly stroll along Fuxing Road Commercial Street. After a tiring journey, go back and rest first.

The next day, when I woke up in the morning, I could see the "Cangshan Snow" from the window of my bed.

Let’s take some rest today and take a look around the ancient city.

There is an ancient city visitor center outside the South Gate. We From the South Gate Set off , was the "Dali Cloud" on the city wall "Attracted, lingering back and forth. I have seen it too many times, always thinking about next time, and I didn't even keep a close-up.

Yu'er Garden is a leisure place for residents of the ancient city.

Jianchuan woodcarving craftsmanship (Jianchuan is the hometown of the hero in "Five Golden Flowers", the northernmost mountainous area of ​​Dali Prefecture)

Cangshan Gate (West Gate) facing Cangshan Mountain

After passing through Cangshan Gate, not far away is "March Street". The annual Bai festival is held here. It is a grand market with a history of more than a thousand years, also known as Guanyin City. Xu Xiake witnessed it back then.

Not far away is the "Tian Long Ba Bu" city

Went back to town, had lunch, and continued shopping. Camellias and orchids are the favorites of local people. During the Spring Festival, the Orchid and Camellia Expo is going on. Camellias are also blooming in the courtyards of residential houses.

My favorite is the white silver medal Camellia.

Standing on the ancient city wall in the evening and looking into the distance

In the twilight, the simple and elegant ancient city seems to be shrouded in Buddha light

Passing by the cinema. Every city has its own unique story and imprint of the times.

Jinhua is the name given to girls by the Bai people. Every year on the 14th day of the second lunar month, during the Flower Festival, every household places their own potted flowers and trees at the door, forming a "flower mountain" to attract people from all over to enjoy. Because of their love for flowers, people also name girls after flowers.

Since the Yuan Dynasty, the people in Yunnan and Guizhou whose cultural attributes are closer to the Han people have been recognized as an ethnic group and called "white people". "White" is the earliest unified ethnic name for the ancestors of the Bai people today, and it was called "minjia" after the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After the founding of New China, according to the wishes of the Bai people, "Bai" was officially determined as the unified ethnic name.

The protagonist of the night. Dali's bars and cultural and creative industries are first-class. Some are very famous. Every alley is worth savoring. Random Sit in a cafe and buy some unique items.

Another day, went to Erhai Lake to see .

Rented an electric car and headed out of the city through Erhai Gate (East Gate).

The rapeseed flowers have bloomed, the peaks of Cangshan Mountain are clearly distinguishable, the blue sky and white clouds, the white houses , and the unique color of Dali .

In winter and spring, watching seagulls is a great bonus.

We drove about 20 kilometers north along Huanhai West Road and arrived at Xizhou at noon.

Dali also has a lot of delicious food, and there is also a drink whose name I can’t remember, it’s delicious. The best braised chicken this time. I also bought some Xizhou Baba to use as dry food for the return journey.

Xizhou is a very historical place. Walking inside, it is a very quiet town , very close to Cangshan Mountain .

Yan family courtyard

Return after eating. The road passed by Haitong Park. These tree roots are old and would be good for root carving.

Today I went to the Three Pagodas. At the foot of Cangshan Mountain, walk one or two kilometers northwest of the ancient city. Climate warming, snow on Cangshan Mountain Also reduced.

Enter to Chongsheng Temple. The perspective effect from this angle is very good, with some ethereal artistic conception.

Take a closer look. The main tower is a square brick tower. again The Qianxun Tower is over 60 meters high and was first built during the Nanzhao Kingdom period. The north and south small towers are octagonal and were built in the early Dali Kingdom period.

Building three pagodas In addition to the Buddhist teachings that it can lead to Buddhahood, there is another important reason. Dali was known as "a land full of floods" in ancient times.

We both have a special liking for Cangshan Mountain. We arranged a whole day to go to Cangshan Global Geopark.

Cangshan Mountain, formerly known as "Dian Cangshan Mountain", is named after its lush green color. Cangshan belongs to the Hengduan Mountains and is the southern end of the middle branch of the Yunling Mountains. It is a "natural geological history book" that has been nurtured for 2 billion years . Cangshan Yes Geographical dividing points: The northwest is the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is over 4,000 meters above sea level and stretches for more than a thousand kilometers. The Himalayas end at Cangshan The southeast is the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with an average altitude of 2,000 meters. South of Cangshan Mountain, there is no 3500 Meter height The mountain range is called "the eaves of the roof of the world".

Dali Ancient City is about 2,000 meters above sea level. Cangshan Mountain is the skyline of Dali, stretching 50 kilometers from north to south and 10-20 kilometers wide from east to west. The main peak, Malong Peak, is 4,122 meters above sea level. There are 19 peaks in Cangshan Mountain, and there is a stream between every two peaks, forming a unique landscape of "19 peaks and 18 streams". Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake on the east side complement each other, forming a beautiful plateau landscape.

There are multiple places to go up the mountain. We followed the hiking trail to the north and climbed six to seven hundred meters to reach Yudai Road, a flat trail about 2,600 meters above sea level halfway up the mountain. The Yudai Road is more than 16 kilometers long and we hiked for several hours.

These "19 peaks and 18 streams" are the lifeblood of Dali and the source of Erhai Lake.

Half The Jade Belt Road on the mountainside is Traveling between mountains and streams, passing 6 peaks and 5 streams.

Some places are more dangerous

Overlooking the ancient city on Yudai Road

Take the Zhonghe cableway down the mountain and then back to the city.

There are many restaurants named "Golden Flower". Dishes made from flowers, scrambled eggs with flowers are home-cooked dishes. Celery grows very strong.

Late night cafeteria haha

Another day. Out of town again today.

9:30 am

Cangshan has a unique neat shape, with a row of cotton wool clouds always floating on it, and the pastoral scenery outside the city. I love it.

After passing Shangjiyi, Xiajiyi and other villages, about three kilometers, we arrived at the Erhai Lake.

On the Huanhai West Road

Majiuyi Village. Seagulls in black and whitecolors, with blue sky, white clouds and blue sea as background, pure and harmonious beauty.

The inn next to Huanhai Road is quite bourgeois and very grand. Erhai Lake management began in 2016, and facilities that were too close to the lake were basically shut down.

Passed by many villages such as Phu Meiyi and Kusheng Village. Arrive at a sandbar in Erhai Lake~Hai Tongue.

In the clear underwater world, dead trees, water plants, and rocks silently tell the story of ancient times.

It was already past two o'clock in the afternoon, so we turned back.

As the Spring Festival approaches, more and more people are coming to the ancient city, and the festive atmosphere is getting stronger. Fuxing Road is still busy after ten o'clock.

Have a day off today. After getting enough sleep, I just walked around the streets and alleys of the ancient city.

If you take a closer look at the Bai folk houses, you will see that they are exquisitely built and have many famous features. Are the clouds on Cangshan Mountain like a bed of cotton wool spread on the top of the mountain?

The ancient city is embraced by Cangshan Mountain. On Renmin Road, you can see Cangshan Mountain when you look up.

The vegetables on the table are picked from the vegetable fields outside the ancient city, washed in the nearby stream, and brought in.

Catholic Church on Renmin Road

Living outside the South Gate, I would pass by these towers every day when entering and exiting the ancient city.

Wuhua Tower was first built in the Tang Dynasty and was the place where Nanzhao hosted banquets for distinguished guests. Wuhua Building has gone through thousands of years of vicissitudes and has been burned down and rebuilt many times. The last remaining building is the Wuhua Building from the early Ming Dynasty, which was later demolished during the Cultural Revolution.

The Wuhua Building we see today was built in 1998. It is a four-story building more than 20 meters high. The first floor is a pedestal and the upper three floors.

Wenwen Building is one kilometer outside the south gate of the ancient city and has typical Bai architectural features. It was written by Pian Tu, the admiral of Yunnan during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty awarded it a plaque with the title "Famous Country with Documents". The Wenwen Building has been destroyed and renovated several times in history. The most recent one was in 1999 with huge investment in reconstruction.

From south to north, the Wenwen Tower, the South City Gate Tower, the Wuhua Tower, and the North City Gate Tower are lined up in a row. They are majestic and majestic, giving the ancient city an alluring charm.

Another day, today I rented a cool electric car and went out of the city to go around Erhai Lake. A circle around the sea is about 120 kilometers.

Beautiful, never tire of it

There are ancient trees in every village to protect the people there. The Bai people call it "Big Green Tree".

Every village has its own temple dedicated to the village’s patron saint.

After passing several small fishing villages such as Zhoucun (where Butterfly Spring is located), the direction of the road changed, from north to south, entering the Haidong area. It was almost noon.

Along the bay , people mainly make a living by fishing.

The famous Shuanglang Fishing Village. The place is small, and there were too many people there during the New Year's Day, so it was a bit chaotic. It's close to the Dali Expressway, and there were a lot of traffic on the road.

Haidong and Haixi are like two worlds. The vegetation on the mountains is different, and there are patches of exposed red soil, similar to the hilly terrain on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. There is a kind of rough and primitive beauty.

Another big green tree

Passing by a leisure area, there were live singers singing. Stay for a while, have something to eat and rest.

The slope of Huanhai East Road is relatively large, and you can also experience the wind blowing from Xiaguan. The new branches of the willow trees are tilted 70 or 80 degrees by the wind. It was getting late, and the road was still long, so I had to concentrate on the road for the second half of the journey.

It's almost dark but I'm still on my way. The electric car had insufficient energy, so I finally found a small restaurant to charge and had dinner. It was almost nine o'clock when we returned to the drop-off point. A full day tour around the lake is a perfect end.

The weather has been very good since the Spring Festival, so I’m going to go to Cangshan Mountain to enjoy it again.

Depart in the morning and pass by the market. Bougainvillea, camellias, orchids, these are the protagonists of early spring.

Soon we arrived at Yudai Road. Overlooking the ancient city and Erhai Lake, the location of the ancient city is really a treasure.

Eye-catching giant rocks

The stone road is moderately wide, clean and comfortable to walk on.

Winter is the dry season. The amount of water is not large, but the mountain spring is clear

waterfalls and streams

There are layers of mountain peaks under the snow caps. You can take the Ximatan cableway up to get a closer look.

Some canyons such as Qingbi River can be traced upstream

A huge stone chessboard in the distance

A closer look looks like this

Take the Gantong Cableway down to the foot of the mountain.

From Gantong Villa Road exit, walk out to the main road . It's around five o'clock in the afternoon, the sun is shining brightly

Take the bus back to the ancient city. Rain is coming

Arriving in the north by car Red Dragon Well on the edge of the city wall, have dinner and rest

Honglongjing is a place with ancient legends

Eat while taking shelter from the rain. I returned to my residence outside the south gate at around 7 p.m.

Today I took the bus to Xiaguan, the capital of Dali Prefecture. More than ten kilometers away from the ancient city.

The Erhai Lake is shaped like an ear. The northernmost entrance is in Eryuan County. The southernmost end is also the only outlet - Xi'er River in Xiaguan. The Erhe River flows southwest into the Lancang River.

The cruise ship dock on the south bank of Erhai Lake, the lake is open

A corner of the cruise ship pier

Dali Prefecture Museum

In ancient times, Dali was a famous Buddhist country.

After lunch, we walked around the city. A refreshing city

“Protect Erhai Lake like you protect your eyes”

On the last day, we left the city again to go to Erhai Lake

Shuangyuan River estuary

There's a traffic jam on Huanhai West Road.

a band from Taiwan

Just at the "Yuntu" hotel. I checked on "Qunar" and found that the house price per day is two to three thousand haha

The past is like smoke, but it is still vivid in my mind. It was the Spring Festival of 2015. A few days before the festival went to for ten days. This is also our first time to celebrate the New Year in another place.

I went to Lugu Lake in Lijiang during the Spring Festival in 2018. I passed by on the way back and stayed there for another three or four days. In the past two or three years, Dali has undergone great changes due to Erhai Lake governance and economic development. The first time has the best and deepest impression. Just like our original intention, it is difficult to find it again. So, wherever you want to go, go as early as possible.