A hidden treasure guesthouse nestled between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake!

Strolling through the landscapes of Dali feels like stepping into a traditional Chinese ink painting 🖼️ This time, staying at Villa No. 5 Garden Resort Guesthouse made me truly understand the meaning of "a view at every step"—every window frames the poetic scenery of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake!

🌿 Aesthetic living where beauty is justice
• The room features a 180° floor-to-ceiling window facing the courtyard’s koi pond; open the window in the morning to see the silhouette of Cangshan in the mist
• The rooftop terrace hides the best stargazing spot✨; lying on the lounge chair at night, you can gaze up at Dali’s unique dazzling Milky Way
• A dual backdrop of succulent garden + tropical rainforest; put on a plain qipao and stand on the stone path, every shot looks like a scene from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

🛏️ Hardware configuration that detail lovers will adore
• The smart toilet preheats in advance, and the floor heating warms you from your toes to your heart (really needed with Yunnan’s big temperature difference between morning and night)
• Bedding is made of 80-count Xinjiang long-staple cotton, with pillows available in memory foam or buckwheat options
• The toiletries are actually the same woody scent as LE LABO 33; after washing my hair, the hostess complimented me saying “it’s like you’ve bathed in a little forest”

🚶♂️ The host’s philosophy of courtyard strolls
The housekeeper said there’s a secret trail behind the mountain; early morning, follow a local Bai grandmother to pick mushrooms, then come back to the guesthouse to DIY a pot of native chicken soup (the kitchen even has a mortar and pestle). I sat under a century-old plum tree, watching sunlight dance through the leaves on the tea table, suddenly understanding the true meaning of “leisurely watching flowers bloom and fall in the courtyard.”

🍜 A feast for the taste buds inspired by the scenery
• Must-try breakfast: freshly kneaded er si noodles, paired perfectly with homemade rose jam
• Afternoon tea comes with a seasonal fruit platter, with freshly picked dark red roses floating in the glass
• A 10-minute walk leads to a Bai restaurant known only to locals; the sour and spicy fish paired with carved plum wine is so refreshing it feels like your head is about to take off

📸 Hidden photo spots for photo fanatics
1. Taihu stone by the koi pond (best light at 4 PM)
2. Moon gate on the third-floor corner (framing the distant Three Pagodas)
3. Bathtub + scented candles in the room (backlit silhouette shots are a social media killer)

⚠️ Practical tips
• The guesthouse offers airport shuttle service (book one day in advance), ample parking for self-driving guests
• Wear a down jacket on the rooftop terrace to watch the sunrise! Even in summer, it’s only 10°C
• The convenience store downstairs sells oxygen tanks; remember to prepare one before heading to Cangshan

When leaving, I found someone wrote in the guestbook: “Time here seems to move three beats slower than in the ancient town.” Suddenly, I recalled that sunny afternoon when I finished reading a book called "Qiao Ye Chen Meng" in the tea room and looked up to see cosmos flowers nodding in the wind—yes, this is exactly how Dali should be.

🏡 Guesthouse directions: No. 5-1, Mountain and Water Commercial Street, Luyu Community, Dali Town (15-minute walk from the South Gate of the Ancient Town)