Dali Ancient Town's romance of wind, flowers, snow, and moon is archived for you; Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake crown you, waiting for the wind and waiting for you

🌟 Recommended Reasons 🌟
This is the "Nanzhao Kingdom" in Jin Yong's novels, the romantic hometown of "Five Golden Flowers," and also the "Oriental Switzerland" embraced by Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake! In the ancient town, the bluestone paths wind, Bai ethnic tie-dye sways in the breeze, the aroma of coffee on Foreigner Street mingles with the sweetness of milk fan cheese, and even the air is filled with a lazy poetic vibe~ Here, you can:
✨ Overlook the entire ancient town from the top of Wuhua Tower, watching the blue tiles and white walls intertwine with the mist of Cangshan Mountain
✨ Cycle around Erhai Lake, chasing the wind past the rice fields of Xizhou and the ancient town of Shuanglang
✨ Stay overnight in an artistic guesthouse near Erhaimen, listening to folk singers play until dawn
✨ Visit the North Gate vegetable market and unlock authentic rare bean powder and fried dough sticks for just 5 yuan

📍 Detailed Address 📍
No. 42 Yita Road, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province (Core area of the ancient town)
🚗 Transportation Guide:
✈️ Airport → Ancient Town: Taxi 50-70 yuan / Airport shuttle bus 25 yuan per person (1 hour)
🚄 Dali Station → Ancient Town: Bus No. 8, 3 yuan direct to East Gate

🆓 Scenic Spot Ticket Prices 🆓
✅ Dali Ancient Town: Free!
✅ Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas: 75 yuan (includes Three Pagodas Reflection Park, half price for students)
✅ Mu Mansion: 40 yuan (Naxi ethnic Tusi mansion, architecture comparable to the Forbidden City)
✅ Cangshan Ximatan Cableway: 240 yuan (includes round-trip cable car + ticket)

📅 Travel Guide 📅
✅ Must-visit landmarks:
🏮 South Gate City Tower: The grand "Dali" characters written by Guo Moruo, perfect for shooting ancient-style photos in the quiet early morning!
🎨 Bed Sheet Factory Art District: Industrial-style cultural and creative park, weekend handmade markets, experience tie-dye and leather carving
🌊 Yuer Garden: The "back garden" of the ancient town, pavilions and towers reflected in the pond, perfect for photos in Hanfu!
🚴♀️ Cycling around Erhai Lake: Recommended route → Caicun Pier → Xizhou rice fields → Zhoucheng tie-dye → Shuanglang sunset (rent lithium battery electric bikes for 60 yuan/day, motor vehicles prohibited on West Ring Road)

✅ Special Experiences:
📜 Night tour of the ancient town: People's Road street stall culture is lively, shop for handmade accessories; listen to live performances at Foreigner Street bars, get tipsy in folk songs
🎭 Bai ethnic culture: Watch the intangible cultural heritage Dabanchu performance at the Confucian Temple, learn tie-dye in Zhoucheng (make a blue and white scarf as a souvenir)
🌅 Sunrise and sunset: Watch the sunrise over Erhai Lake at East Gate, shoot the sunset at Cangshan Gate West Gate (remember to bring a tripod!)

🍜 Food Guide 🍜
🥛 Grilled milk fan cheese: Common on the streets of the ancient town, sprinkled with rose sauce or condensed milk, creamy and crispy to the point of licking your fingers!
🍜 Sour and spicy fish: Recommended at "Duan Gongzi" with sour papaya soup base, tender fish with a slight spicy kick
🌶️ Spring chicken feet: People's Road "Wang Ji Braised Chicken Feet" with sour and spicy flavor, Southeast Asian style, very appetizing!
🍢 Herb-marinated meat: Hidden snack at North Gate vegetable market, herb-marinated grilled meat skewers, 10 yuan for 3 skewers, irresistible!
☕ Popular coffee shops:

- Xindi Coffee: Renovated century-old house, rose latte with rose milk fan cheese, courtyard photo spots are picturesque
- Elephant Coffee Shop: Artistic little shop on Yeyu Road, croissants and hand-brewed coffee have excellent reputation

🏨 Accommodation Guide 🏨
✨ Cost-effective guesthouses:

- iLiLi Ailili Audio-Visual Guesthouse: Original wood style design, 5 minutes walk to the ancient town, about 150 yuan per person
- Qu Shanye Inn: With home theater and garden, pet-friendly, suitable for family trips

✨ High-end resort hotels:

- Dali Yiyun Hotel: A secluded retreat at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, private hot spring pools, about 800 yuan per person
- Dali Yuewan Villa Hillside Sea View Hotel: Cave-style design by Erhai Lake, infinity pool for sunrise views, about 1200 yuan per person

💡 Other Tips 💡

1. Sun protection is life-saving: The plateau UV rays are very strong! Sunglasses, hats, and SPF50+ sunscreen are essential
2. Shoes should be soft: The ancient town has many stone paths, wear sneakers or canvas shoes, walking all day won’t be tiring
3. Avoid consumption traps: Ask clearly about prices before braiding hair or renting vehicles, refuse "last-minute price hikes"
4. Environmental protection first: No littering around Erhai Lake, do not trample rice fields while cycling
5. Water outage warning: Some areas of the ancient town may have water outages due to pipe repairs recently, confirm hotel water supply before check-in

📸 Photography Tips:

- People's Road at 7 a.m., few people and soft light
- The flowing ancient street of Honglong Well, wear a solid color long dress for back shots
- The "wind-blown wheat waves" in Xizhou rice fields, use a wide-angle lens for large scenes

🎁 Souvenir Recommendations:

- Zhoucheng handmade tie-dye cloth (50 yuan/piece)
- Heqing silverware (customizable at ancient town silverware shops)
- Sour jujube cake, carved plum (more cost-effective to buy at supermarkets)

🌙 Little Easter Egg:
If you happen to be here on the 15th day of the third lunar month, be sure to visit the "March Street" market! There are Bai ethnic horse races, traditional songs and dances, and you can find cheap medicinal herbs and handicrafts

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📌 Suggested Itinerary:
Day 1: Stroll the ancient town (South Gate → Fuxing Road → Foreigner Street) → Night tour of People's Road
Day 2: Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas → Xizhou rice field cycling → Shuanglang sunset
Day 3: Cangshan Ximatan Cableway → Zhoucheng tie-dye experience → North Gate vegetable market food tour
Day 4: Self-drive on East Ring Road (Wase Xiaoputuo → Lixiangbang) → Return trip