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While some streets such as Yangren Street have been commercialized, some roads such as Yu'er Road and the lower half of Renmin Road still retain their quaint flavor and a strong sense of history. Erhai Gate is located on Renmin Road in Dali Ancient City.
Attraction Location: East side of Dali Ancient Town (大理古城东侧), Dali City (大理市), Yunnan Province, China
History: Erhai Gate (洱海门), also known as the East Gate, is one of the four main gates of Dali Ancient Town’s city wall, originally constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1382). It was a key access point leading directly toward Erhai Lake (洱海), serving both defensive and commercial purposes along the Tea Horse Road (茶马古道). The gate is an enduring symbol of Dali’s historical connection with trade and its natural surroundings.
Architecture: The gate retains traditional Ming-style stone walls and a towering wooden structure with flying eaves. Its imposing design, with an arched passage and preserved battlements, reflects the military architecture of ancient Dali. The top of the gate provides panoramic views of both Erhai Lake and the Cangshan Mountains (苍山).
Cultural Value: Erhai Gate is not just an entrance; it is regarded as a cultural landmark, symbolizing the harmony between Dali’s city life and its natural lake-mountain environment. It is also a common gathering spot for festivals, photography, and performances, preserving Bai (白族) ethnic heritage.
Other Information: Today, the gate serves as both a tourist attraction and a functioning passage into Dali Old Town, surrounded by lively markets, cafés, and boutique shops.
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours (recommended visit 08:00–22:00 for safety and lighting)
Ticket Price: Free (entry to Dali Ancient Town is free)
Best Photo Spots:
From outside Erhai Gate with the city walls
On top of the gate overlooking Erhai Lake (洱海) and Cangshan (苍山)
At night when the gate is illuminated
Time Reference: 20–40 minutes at the gate itself; half a day if combining with a Dali Ancient Town walking tour.
When I was in the ancient city, I thought that after reaching Erhai Gate, the Erhai Lake with its beautiful scenery and mountains would be right outside.
I just want to say that we made the mistake of taking the words literally.
Erhai Gate
As the name suggests, this gate is facing Erhai Lake, that is, the East Gate, and the corresponding West Gate is Cangshan Gate.
It is more convenient to get off at Erhai Gate and there are many small inns in the ancient city.
You can see a lot of food around the ancient city when you walk to the end. There is a road construction in the ancient city recently, which is a bit noisy. Other than that, it is good.
The entrance to Dali Ancient City is relatively well preserved.
It is actually just a city gate, not very special. It is outside the entrance of Dali Ancient Town. You can take a leisurely walk in the summer evening. The distance is not very far.
It's convenient to live just inside Erhai Gate, and there's a night market in the evening.
There are many empty cabins at the gate of Erhai Lake.
Some people may wonder why there are so many vacant cabins in front of Erhai Lake in the lower section of Renmin Road, where every inch of land is valuable.
It turns out that these huts were specially set up by the government at that time to ban mobile stalls on Renmin Road.
A gate on the east side of Dali Ancient City, leading to Erhai Lake, with a relatively luxurious and gorgeous decoration
Erhai Gate is located on Renmin Road in Dali Ancient Town. There are many places to eat near Erhai Gate.
Erhai Gate is the gate in front of the scenic area.
Erhai Lake is located at the east gate of Dali Ancient City, also known as Erhai Gate. However, due to changes in terrain and water resources, the area of Erhai Lake has shrunk, so Erhai Gate is a certain distance away from Erhai Lake, about 4-6 kilometers.
When I went there, there were not many people around and it was not very lively.
Iconic building, well preserved. Recommended!
I like sitting on the stone steps of Erhai Gate at night and listening to folk singers singing original songs.
A very distinctive ancient city gate with many stalls and vendors around it.
Dali Ancient City is located between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. The west side is Cangshan Gate, outside of which are hotels, restaurants and entertainment. The east side is Erhai Gate, outside of which are stalls near the pier.
Erhai Lake wasn't particularly clean. It was under renovation when I went there. I don't know how it is now.
The east gate of Dali Ancient City is adjacent to Erhai Lake. From this gate, you can walk to Caicun Wharf and enjoy the scenery of Erhai Lake.
The East Gate Tower of Dali Ancient Town faces Erhai Lake, and it is recommended to climb the tower for sightseeing.
The Erhai Gate, facing Erhai Lake, is the east gate of the ancient city. There are small vendors inside and outside the gate.
The North Gate of Dali Ancient City. Nothing special after walking around.
When visiting Dali Ancient Town, Erhai Gate is the perfect place for food, accommodation, and fun. The food court's barbecue, hot pot, and stir-fry specialties are more affordable than those in the city proper. The inns offer a wide range of high-end, mid-range, and low-end options. The closest gate to Erhai Lake is also convenient for visiting Cangshan Mountain. Motorbike rentals are readily available at Erhai Gate, and since we visited in winter, it wasn't too deserted during the off-season.
Dongmen, there are many delicious restaurants nearby, it's very convenient to live here
Erhai Gate is very close to the East Gate, South Reservoir, and Hongwu Road, and the lower section of the most prosperous Renmin Road.
Erhai Gate, as its name suggests, is the gate that faces Erhai Lake. Inside the gate, there's a small music plaza where you can stroll around. Just north of the gate, you'll find a bus stop that takes you to Caicun, a small village on the edge of Erhai Lake. For 2 yuan, it's a very affordable price for solo travelers!
The scenery is OK, the air is very good, and the sky is very blue
The ancient city has a very distinctive gate and beautiful flowers.
Cangshan Gate is the west gate, and Erhai Gate is the east gate. The names are very distinctive.
There are some stalls at the door, and there is an uncle pushing an astronomical telescope, charging to see the moon, it's very interesting, haha
The east gate of the ancient city faces Erhai Lake. The moment you enter the ancient city, you will face Cangshan Mountain directly. You can't help but sigh at the perfect geographical location of sitting on the mountain and facing the sea.
As a tourist, it is a good choice to enter from this gate and exit from the south gate.
There are stalls and singing at Erhai Gate at night, and it is here that the flavor of stalls 15 years ago is still there. But compared to before, it has lost a lot.
Pose and take photos. It is still a bit far from Erhai Lake, so it is named Erhai Gate because it faces Erhai Lake.
Erhai Gate is also the east gate of Dali Ancient City. It is on the east side of the ancient city. Going further out is Erhai Highway.
I rented a car with my bestie and took a tour around Erhai Lake. It was awesome.
It's lively and fun. Isn't the purpose of going to Dali to relax?
The place was bustling with street vendors, and it was here that I bought Dali postcards. Although I knew that postcards from tourist attractions could be bought on Taobao, it was a completely different experience to personally select them here and take them home.
The things on the stalls are not as exquisite as imagined, and each one is similar.
It is one of the attractions, you can take a look if you pass by.
Erhai Lake is located at the east gate of Dali Ancient City, also known as Erhai Gate. However, due to changes in topography and water resources, the area of Erhai Lake has shrunk, so Erhai Gate is a certain distance away from Erhai Lake, about 4-6 kilometers. We walked from Erhai Lake back to Erhai Gate.
It feels average, just visit here when you get there
I live at the east gate of Dali Ancient Town.
Dali Ancient Town's main streets and Foreigner Street are truly...people-spotting, a real headache. However, the road eastward from Renmin Road to Erhai Gate is quite quiet and unique. There's a delicious morning fruit market (highly recommend the Yunnan baby pineapples, they're so sweet), an interesting backpacker market, and fragrant grilled gluten (we bought it twice in our round trip). Overall, the entire trip wasn't disappointing.
Not far from the East Gate, there is a creative market, but there are not many people here during the day. But at night, it is okay, there are people selling flowers, various handicrafts, and even singing.
It's just a stone gate, a bit of ancient history, boring
It's more fun to go shopping at night, there are many stalls and singing
Erhai Gate is probably the most chaotic gate in Dali Ancient Town. Vehicles are allowed through this gate, so the traffic is quite chaotic. However, since I live very close to Erhai Gate and you can see the sunrise from Erhai Gate, I think the scenery is quite nice.
It's not as good as I thought, but there are many small shops and inns here that are quite unique.
Outside the inn is Erhai Gate, where you can watch the New Year's fireworks. The small vendors and snack stalls are very lively.
Erhai Gate is the east gate of the ancient city. Entering through the gate, you'll find shops on both sides. Here, you'll find restaurants with local specialties like "I'm Waiting for You in Dali." For those planning to visit, this is a good place to get the general direction. The corridor beneath Erhai Gate is lined with vendors selling handicrafts, flowers, and wine, giving the ancient city a bustling, yet crowded, feel.
You can navigate here or just wander around, you just walk here naturally, without any intention, just go with the flow.
Visiting Dali again at night, I felt like I didn’t walk through the Erhai Gate last time. It looks very beautiful at night.
Erhai Gate, as the name suggests, is the gate facing Erhai Lake. After exiting the city gate and walking north, there is a bus stop where you can take a bus to Caicun. For 2 yuan, you can be taken to the small village on the edge of Erhai Lake. For tourists traveling alone, the price is very affordable!
Erhai Gate is the east gate of Dali Old Town. While some streets like Foreigner Street have become commercialized, Yu'er Road and the lower half of Renmin Road still retain a quaint, historic charm. Youth hostels are very affordable, much cheaper than those in the Old Town, and recommended for accommodation. Exit the East Gate, walk to the road, turn right, and you'll arrive in about a hundred meters. Also, bicycle rentals are available at the East Gate for only 10 yuan a day, making it the cheapest option. The bikes are also good and can be used for cycling around Erhai Lake. Rentals to the edge of Erhai Lake start at 50 yuan.
There are many street performers performing at Erhai Gate at night, and there are also many people with dreadlocks. It’s quite nice!
Compared to three years ago, Erhai Gate is now bustling with activity, especially at night, when the market lights come on and stalls selling clothing, shoes, accessories, snacks like durian pancakes, and flowers abound. Clothes are much cheaper at the Erhai Gate market than in the Old Town, though the styles are generally more modest.
It was a pity that I couldn’t go up to the city wall. It was still spectacular from a distance, but the city gates were surrounded by all kinds of small vendors, which was a bit incongruous and spoiled my mood.
Erhai Gate is close to Dali Road, and it is at the end of the lower section of Renmin Road.
It's OK. It's very close to Erhai Lake and you can reach it in just a few steps.
It's okay, you can take a look when you are strolling around Dali Ancient Town
This is one of the entrances to Dali. Unfortunately, we cannot climb up to the city gate.
My favorite thing is to stand on the street facing Erhai Gate when it's cloudy, because you can see the sunlight shining through the clouds onto Cangshan Mountain, which is very beautiful. This place is not as noisy as Foreigner Street and is more populated by locals, so it's suitable for those who live in the ancient city or Dali for a daily stroll.
Erhai Gate is the gate of the ancient city close to Erhai Lake. From the gate, you can go to Cai Village and Huanhai West Road. The view of Cangshan Mountain through Erhai Gate is also very beautiful. The full moon hanging above Erhai Gate at night is also great.
It is one of the landmark buildings of Dali Ancient City, with the word Dali on the city gate.
Erhai Gate, at the end of Renmin Road, is nothing special during the day, but it becomes lively at night. Several groups of young people singing and humming softly, and a large number of customers sitting in front of them in twos and threes. You can spend an elegant night by buying a bottle or two of beer.
Erhai Gate is at the lower section of Renmin Road, and there are basically no tourists.
I successfully rented an electric scooter near Erhai Gate for 50 yuan a day (try to get a high-powered one, and remember to ask the owner for a charger; most restaurants along the way offer charging services).
Erhai Gate is the east gate of Dali Ancient City, facing Erhai Lake, on the side of Dali Highway.
Erhai Gate is the east gate of Dali Ancient City, next to the Dali Highway.
To the east of Dali Ancient City, go forward and you will reach Renmin Road
Very eye-catching, the edge of Dali Ancient City, Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake
Dali Gate and Erhai Gate are different. Erhai Gate is more artistic.
The moon at Erhai Gate is very beautiful at night. It is very big, round and bright. It is a good place to watch the moon.
Erhai Gate is the east gate of Dali Ancient City, facing Erhai Lake.
Erhai Gate: Slow Time in the Ancient City: As the eastern gateway to Dali Ancient City, Erhai Gate, with its slate-gray brickwork, retains its millennial charm. The contrast between the inside and outside of the gate is striking: inside, arty original craft shops and cafes await, while outside, the lively atmosphere of roasted milk fan stalls and folk singers gathers. In the morning, ascend the tower to gaze at the sunrise over Erhai Lake, while in the evening, relax and play with cats beneath the city walls. We recommend starting your cycle from Yeyu Road outside the gate; don't miss the perfect shot of the mottled city walls against the clouds of Cangshan Mountain. Tip: After 8 PM, the night market snack stalls are even more lively.