Despite lacking the beautiful scenery and ethnic diversity found in and around the old towns of Dali, Lijiang, Shaxi, Shangri-La andHeshun, Guandu Old Town (官渡古镇) is a pleasant place to spend a lazy afternoon, day or even weekend, without the hassle of leaving the city. Located about eight kilometers south of downtown Kunming, it is only a short drive or bike ride away.

Guandu Old Town is an old town in the Yunnan sense of the word. That is, it does have some old architecture, but the encroachment of real estate developers and their beloved “new old” architectural style is impossible to escape. Guandu’s appeal is not its oldness, but how different it is from the rest of Kunming, as well as Yunnan’s other tourist towns.

Pool sharks whiling away an afternoon

There is little doubt that the Guandu district government is hoping its old town will be able to raise its tourist revenue over the coming years. In April of this year, Guandu Old Town was named a Class AAAA Tourism Scenic Area (AAAA级旅游景区), a move that has already led to increased tourist visits and will likely translate to its inclusion in package tours in the very near future.

Unlike other old towns around Yunnan, mass tourism has yet to arrive in Guandu. There are few bullhorns and baseball caps and none of the pushiness that often comes with a developed tourist economy.

Park life

Much money has been spent on sprucing up the old town, much of which has been converted into park space and pedestrian streets. One of the nicer things about this recent facelift is that it has created numerous areas for local residents to hang out and chat, play majiang, sing and dance or simply peoplewatch. It appears that they’re observing the camera-toting visitors just as much as they themselves are being observed.

Vajra Pagoda

The center of Guandu Old Town is the Vajra Pagoda (金刚塔), which is reputed to have been built more than five centuries ago in 1457. Over the years, the pagoda sank into the soft ground, until it was raised 2.6 meters in 2001. Today the perpendicular tunnels within the pagoda are popular places to escape the midday sun.

On the west side of the plaza that surrounds the Vajra Pagoda are two Bai-style pagodas. Just beyond these pagodas is Miaozhan Temple (妙湛寺), a pleasant Buddhist compound that, like the handful of other temples in Guandu, is open to the public.

Guandu Shaolin Temple – the original Miaozhan Temple sign is still partially visible

Since 2009, Miaozhan Temple has been known as Guandu Shaolin Temple (官渡少林寺), taking its name from the legendaryShaolin Temple in central China’s Henan province, where kung fu is believed to have originated. In 2009 Shaolin temple took over management of Miaozhan Temple – and three nearby temples – for a period of 20 years.

This temple management takeover attracted its share of criticism for commercializing Buddhism, but on a recent visit we found that Guandu Shaolin Temple felt more cared-for than when it was Miaozhan Temple.

A courtyard inside Guandu Shaolin Temple

We sat down for a cup of tea and a chat with Yan Bei (延贝), the head monk from the Shaolin delegation, who told us that we could study kung fu for US$500 per week or US$10,000 per year, not including room and board. Not cheap, but probably worth it for martial arts enthusiasts who would rather learn Shaolin kung fu in sunny Yunnan than crowded and polluted Henan.

Hopefully these aren’t from Dianchi

Outside the temple’s south wall is a lively little market selling daily necessities to locals, trinkets to tourists and spicy stir-fried snails to anyone brave enough to eat them.

Next door to Guandu Shaolin Temple is another old temple, Fading Temple (法定寺), which is a bit smaller but has fewer visitors, making it quite peaceful. Strolling from tiny courtyard to tiny courtyard, we could only hear the sound of birds, chatting and an old man strumming a four-stringed sixian nearby. The city was slowly retreating from our consciousness.

Guandu Old Town’s food street

The majority of interesting things to do and see in Guandu Old Town is located south of Vajra Pagoda. A designated food street on the old town’s east side offers a wide selection of local eats including mixian (米线), ersi (饵丝), shao erkuai (烧饵块),yellow pot chicken, stinky tofu and barbecued chicken feet, as well as food from further afield such as western Yunnan and Burmese food at Ah Bo’s Burmese Cuisine or Kaili-style sour soup chicken (suantang ji, 酸汤鸡).

Stinky tofu and chicken feet

There are also several small stalls with blenders ready to make fresh fruit shakes for five yuan (they generally add syrup unless asked not to).

Guandu does not have a shortage of shopping choices, from touristy yak skulls and jade to impractically heavy stone basins and stools. There are also a few smaller, less-maintained temples and several small, winding alleys worthy of exploration.

A Kunming Opera performance at Gudu Liyuan Theater

The old town is also home to one of the few places keeping the dying tradition of Kunming Opera (滇剧) alive. Gudu Liyuan Theater (古渡梨园) where the high-pitched singing in local dialect – Guandu’s Kunming dialect is considered the most “authentic” in the city – is accompanied by a small orchestra just offstage.

Offstage at Gudu Liyuan

The entrance of this small theater proudly displays photos of esteemed visitors including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. It hosts two-hour traditional Kunming Opera performances every day and attracts large audiences generally made up of senior citizens. The 10 yuan entry fee includes a bottomless cup of green tea, which is nice for sipping on as you wonder how the man on stage playing a female role is hitting those high notes.

Lodging
Guandu Old Town currently has two hotels, Tangyun Hotel andFriends House Hotel, both of which are new and offer standard rooms between 400 and 500 yuan. Off-season discounts of up to 50 percent off are currently available.

If you are thinking about staying the night in Guandu Old Town and want a slightly different Kunming hotel experience, Friends House’s tatami suites might be worth a look.

Getting There
Guandu Old town can be reached by bus, it is served by the 31, 165, 185, 186, 210, 908 and C85 routes. A taxi to or from the city center will run around 40 yuan and is not advised during rush hour.

Cycling to Guandu Old Town is easy: simply get on Qingnian Lu, ride south until Guangfu Lu and head east until reaching the intersection with 043 County Road/Baoguan Lu, following the brown bilingual signs.

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Around Town: Biking the trails of Changchong Mountain

Looking over Kunming just before beginning the descent back to Longquan Lu

I’ve always loved hills. Throughout my childhood weekends and holidays usually involved getting out walking the fells in the north of England and Scotland, ski trips to the Alps, then rock climbing as I got older.

Thus when this time last year a friend moved to Kunming and sent excited emails talking of beautiful countryside and clean fresh air, I was easily convinced. And it’s here in the hills around Kunming that I have discovered mountain biking.

If you get high up enough that your view is not blocked by the apartment blocks and office buildings, look north and there is one hill which should tempt any walker or biker. Standing alone, tree covered to half height with a steep rock-strewn west face,Changchong Mountain (长虫山) dominates the northern skyline. One of the most accessible summits around, it is also home to some excellent mountain biking.

The day starts with a tedious drag northward up Longquan Lu, then a steady climb up to the top of Changchong’s north ridge. Thankfully, just as time in the saddle begins to take its toll, the steep concrete road turns to dirt and a rest can be had in a cool shady spot surrounded by pretty farmland and distant views of town.

Rest well because the descent from here, if taken in one shot, is 12 minutes of solid concentration and effort and will leave you a shaky legged mess, jibbering with adrenaline and heaving for breath once it’s spat you out at the bottom.

The forest trails are super tight in places, especially during the rainy season when the plants go crazy!

The trail is simply beautiful, a long twisting ribbon of dirt scything through open forest that gives way to a series of tight, steep corners with cruelly placed rocks guarding the easy lines through. Make sure you ride well within your limits the first few times you go out here, these trails are not built for mountain biking and a surprise may lurk around any corner.

Cracking a pedal on one of those rocks could lead to a painful fall, so pick your line carefully!

The final descent is one of the most exciting trails I have ridden around Kunming. Drop your saddle right out the way, ahead lies a kilometer and a half of steep steps cut in to the hillside while rocks, trees, and huge ruts all conspire to smash your pedals, knock your bars round or swallow your front wheel.

Riding at speed is fantastic fun, but it helps to learn the trail’s difficulties first in order to get the most out of it

It would certainly take the boldest and best to get down this with style on the first attempt, but it is simply a must for those who enjoy riding steep tricky terrain.

The reward is simple, it is the huge grin left plastered on your face and a feeling of satisfaction and calm which will last the rest of the day. It’s just great fun.

Thousands of people ride mountain bikes in Kunming, and a growing number are taking their machines out of the city to enjoy the myriad of old trails which criss cross the hills surrounding us. There are rides to suit almost any skill level and don’t be disheartened if your fitness holds you back your first time out, it will take a few weeks to get used to it but then a whole new aspect of life in Kunming will be there for you to enjoy. And Kunming is only the tip of a very big iceberg. So come on, get on yer bike!!!

Reasonable mountain bikes can be rented from Xiong Junwu and company at Xiong Brothers Bike Shop on Beimin Jie for 40 yuan a day and should you be spending more time in Kunming and wish to buy a bike, capable machines can be had for around 3,000 yuan.

If you’re an experienced rider and want something a little more high spec then Xiong Brothers stocks a good variety of mid- to top-end stuff and will happily help you build the bike of your dreams.

Chuxiong may be the most famous city in Yunnan that nobody visits. Almost exactly halfway between Kunming and Dali, Chuxiong is best known as a rest stop where bus passengers shuttling between the two cities use the bathroom, grab a quick bite or just stretch, perhaps while looking at its iconic red pagoda and wondering what lies beyond.

Last week we decided to see for ourselves. What we found was a pleasant-enough city that makes for a good stopover for a day or two to break up travel between Kunming and Dali.

After the two-hour bus ride from Kunming, we still had some daylight left and thought we’d investigate the Yi Ancient Town, a new eight-phase real estate project that in theory celebrates the cultural heritage of the Yi people, who were previously known as the Lolo. In reality, Yi Ancient Town would seem to be a tourism/nightlife/shopping district designed for a city that had never planned for such things.

A KTV (karaoke parlor) in Yi Ancient Town

As far as we could tell, there wasn’t anything ancient in Yi Ancient Town, but it was nice enough for strolling around. Chuxiong’s cool, clean air and sunny blue skies reminded us of our recent visit toGuandu Old Town in Kunming – short on character but plenty of the unexpected.

One of the bigger surprises in Yi Ancient Town was its Korean Street, which has several Korean restaurants and supermarkets, most of which are owned by Chaoxian minorities from northeast China. There was one real Korean family – the Lee family – who had moved to Chuxiong to set up a restaurant, a cultural exchange center and even a live music bar one block away.

After a tasty homecooked Korean dinner it was time for a stroll around the night market that radiates from Yi Ancient Town’s main gateway. As expected, there was much barbecued mutton, some karaoke, and plenty of local snacks such as Chuxiong-style stinky tofu and cold rice noodles with chicken (凉鸡米线). Much of the snack fare available was also reminiscent of Guandu Old Town.

Nevertheless, there was a slight carnival feel, with bb guns and balloons, a stand with mountains of coconuts and pineapples (but no rum) and loads of trinkets for sale. We followed half an hour of strolling around and peoplewatching with an intimate traditional Korean flute and drum performance by Harang and Jina Lee at the Hanbae Cultural Center and called it a day.

The next morning we conducted a little research among locals to find out where the city’s most interesting spots were and it seemed that they were all parks. We hopped a cab to Xishan Diecui Park with the hope of getting a small workout with some city views.

The park itself, which is free, wasn’t anything special, but the walk up to the top of the large hill was rather serene and provided some perspective on the size of Chuxiong, which is the administrative seat of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture.

Its population creeping up on half a million, Chuxiong is very obviously expanding, with numerous large-scale residential and commercial developments that wouldn’t look out of place in Kunming on the fringe of a generally low-rise city center, through which the Long Jiang (‘Dragon River’) flows.

Heading out of Xishan Park’s main gate approximately 100 meters downhill, the road, Yunquan Jie (云泉街) becomes much older than the post-1949 architecture that characterizes most of Chuxiong. Feeling a bit peckish, we sat down at a Muslim restaurant run by a friendly Hui family.

While waiting for lunch, we munched on a Nanhua-style baba (粑粑) flatbread, which was baked fresh next door. Tasty, and for only one yuan, very cheap. A simple lunch of egg fried rice plus stir-fried veggies hit the spot and it was time for more exploration.

Down the street an old man was selling a rainbow of herbal medicines plus cowrie shells, some animal horns and one animal paw. We enquired the origin of the paw and were told that it was from a Tibetan tiger. Good for erectile dysfunction, no doubt.

The rest of Yunquan Jie, which would appear to have an upcoming date with a demolition crew, was a smattering of small restaurants, a barber shop and one store selling Communist kitsch. Around the corner on Xinyi Jie (信义街) there were more shopping options, including houseplants, ceramic containers of all sorts and bongs of every size and shape.

Eager to climb the pagoda we’d seen on all those bus trips to and from Dali, we caught a 10-yuan cab across town to Futa Park (福塔公园), which was also free to enter. You’ll need to hand over two yuan if you want to enter the nine-story, 59-meter pagoda, which has a fat laughing Buddha statue in front and several more inside. All the Buddha statues’ belly buttons, big toes and other extremities have been rubbed smooth by visitors – it occurred to us that the statues may be laughing out of ticklishness.

Climbing the Futa, or ‘Pagoda of Good Fortune’ allows for a good assessment of one’s cardiovascular fitness. Most visitors are panting by the time they’ve reached the top floor – and realized that they’ll have to descend a floor to enjoy the highest views provided by the building.

The view from above

According to the ticket we purchased to ascend the pagoda, it had recently been rebuilt on the ruins of an edifice that dated back to the Ming Dynasty. We’d probably have preferred the ruins, but from a business perspective it probably makes more sense to build a new pagoda for the domestic travel market.

After heading back to our taxi, we asked where the best chance of finding real antiques might be. The driver recommended a small bird and flower market on the southeast corner of Longjiang Park(龙江公园) in the city center.

Smaller than Kunming’s old bird and flower market, this one had a handful of plant shops and a few stalls selling what were purported to be antiques, but looked rather fake. Then we foundJuedi Shoucang (掘地收藏) a small shop with a friendly owner and a slightly random collection of old porcelain, Mao Zedong paraphernalia and an ‘antique’ from the 80s – a cassette boombox.

One of the more interesting items was not for sale. It was the front page of a newspaper from 1976 announcing the passing of Chairman Mao, with a photo of his corpse lying in an uneasy peace. It was difficult to believe that only 35 years had passed since that momentous turning point in modern China’s history.

Outside the shop, Longjiang Park was somewhat reminiscent of Green Lake Park in Kunming, but this park had one major advantage over its Kunming cousin – it had vast expanses of grass that people could walk or even sit on.

Casting aside concerns of overdosing on Chuxiong parks, we hit the last remaining one Taiyangli Park (太阳历公园), which was the closest park to our hotel in Yi Ancient Town and seems to have been built about as recently as the new “old town”.

Featuring statues of animals in the Yi zodiac – which includes animals absent from the Chinese zodiac such as the pangolin – and ten large totem poles, the large solar calendar or taiyanglifrom which the park takes its name feels like it might have been the idea of an ambitious official in the Chuxiong tourism bureau, but the surrounding park is filled with unexpected items including weird sculptures, concrete gourds big enough to stand inside and a paddleboat graveyard.

At the end of our time in Chuxiong, it was hard not to wonder where the real local Yi culture had gone. The only thing we had encountered that appeared genuine were a few paintings in theHanbae Cultural Center that came from a middle-aged local Yi painter.

We were told that if we wanted to see what real Yi culture, we’d have to head far out of the city into the hills, where traditions supposedly still survive in small villages – considering how easy Chuxiong is to get to, we may be back to do just that.

Lodging
Youjia Guzhan Hotel and De Long Hotel are both comfortable new hotels in Yi Ancient Village with full price standard rooms from 400-500 yuan/night that can usually rented for half price during low season. Hanbae Cultural Center is currently renovating eight guest rooms that should be ready by next month.

Getting There
Express buses leave regularly from Kunming’s West Bus Stationfor Chuxiong all day until 5:30. Make sure to buy your ticket at the Express (高快) counter. Tickets are 53 yuan and the trip takes two hours.

http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/2348/getting_away_chuxiong

Single Pagoda

Editor’s note: This is not an attempt to write a complete Dali travel guide, it is merely an effort at providing a useful foundation which travelers can use to explore Dali on their own. Please feel free to add anything we’ve neglected to include in this story to the comments section below.

Dali is more than just another Yunnan backpacker town, it’s a state of mind. For many travelers it is the place where ambitious itineraries go to die, as the chilled-out, far-from-the-world vibe leads to “let’s stay one more day”, sometimes for weeks or months on end.

By “Dali” we are referring to Dali old town (大理古城) which is located in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture (大理白族自治州) in northwest Yunnan, just north of the city of Xiaguan (下关), a trade and transport hub that is sometimes referred to as New Dali (大理新城).

The south gate is one of the more popular photo spots

Although tourism is a major part of Dali’s economy and the number of independent and group travelers seems to be going up each year, the old town has done a good job of retaining its identity when compared with other popular tourist towns around Yunnan and China.

Dali has historically been important due to its strategic location and its agricultural abundance. Nestled between the majestic Cangshan Mountains (苍山) and the vast Erhai Lake (洱海) in a sprawling and fertile lake basin, Dali was a key settlement for ancient kingdoms including those of Nanzhao and Dali.

The east gate at night

History
The Kingdom of Nanzhao (南诏) was founded in 737 on the back of a complementary and successful alliance between Bai farmers and Yi nobles. During the apex of its power in the early 9th Century, Nanzhao’s territory covered almost all of modern-day Yunnan, as well as northern portions of Burma, Thailand and Laos.

Conquering Chengdu and the important food production capacity of the Sichuan Basin was Nanzhao’s crowning achievement, but also contained the seeds of its downfall. The Tang Dynasty that was ruling China at the time could not brook such a loss and focused much of its military might on reclaiming Sichuan and pushing Nanzhao’s borders back. By 902 Nanzhao had fallen apart and was overthrown.

In 937 the Kingdom of Dali was founded by Duan Siping (段思平). This kingdom never reached the heights of power enjoyed by the Nanzhao, but it did last longer, surviving until 1253, when it was overrun by invading Mongol forces and incorporated into Yunnan province, which fell under the authority of the Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty. Most of the records of the Nanzhao era were destroyed by Mongol forces and for all intents and purposes Dali and Yunnan were never to be fully independent again.

Over the following centuries, Dali remained an important trading town on the Ancient Tea and Horse Road, an extensive trading network connecting Han China with Tibet, Southeast Asia and India – with Dali and Yunnan at the center of it all. Dali was often the northernmost stop for tea traders coming up from southern Yunnan and an eastern stopping point for Tibetans coming down with herbal medicines, salt and yak products.

Dali was also a major horse market for the ancient trade route. Horses were raced during the annual Third Moon Fair (三月街) that is still held between the old town and the mountains, drawing tens of thousands of visitors from around Yunnan and northern Southeast Asia.

Looking toward the Single Pagoda on the south wall

The old town of Dali was originally built in the 15th Century under rule by the Ming Dynasty. The town that survives today is the legacy of that era, with the city wall and most buildings being renovated to varying degrees afterward.

Tourism’s impact
The emergence of Dali as a tourism destination began in the 1990s when travel guidebooks published in the West began to sing its praises as a backpacker haven and not-so-discreetly advertising that one could head into the hills and pick the “herbal alternative to cheap Chinese beer”. Whether it wanted it or not, Dali had become the center of China’s bohemian scene.

An influx of young Chinese from Beijing, Shandong and Guangdong plus foreigners from around the world fueled Dali’s growing reputation for being a place to tune in, turn on and drop out, a theme explored in the recent novel Harvest Season. After years of looking the other way, local law enforcement officials began to rein in conspicuous drug consumption with several crackdowns, plus some large busts.

Dali has not succumbed to Disneyfication, and it has done much to clean up its previously lawless image. To the local government’s credit, Dali’s old town is suited to travelers of all kinds of interests. In addition to being a good place to laze about until one’s money runs out, it is also a good destination for older travelers, families and active travelers.

Many Bai are practicing Buddhists

People
Transplants from elsewhere in China and beyond aside, Dali is an interesting mix of people and cultures. Bai, Hui and Yi peoples have all contributed to the area’s rich history, which manifests itself in local legends, architecture and cuisine. Dali is also religiously diverse, with Buddhism, Islam and Christianity all represented in the old town, in addition to Benzhu (本主) a kind of local hero worship.

The Bai people (白族) are the main local ethnic group in Dali. Compared with other ethnic minorities around China, the Bai are one of the most assimilated groups. Since the Mongol conquest, the skill of the Bai in maximizing the agricultural output of their surroundings, especially the rice paddies that dominate the west side of Erhai Lake, have made them an invaluable asset to whoever has ruled the region.

As in many other parts of China, the Muslim Hui people (回族) have historically been active traders in the region and have occasionally taken part in substantial uprisings that have challenged the authority of the rulers of the day. The Panthay Rebellion of the late 19th Century saw leader Du Wenxiu (杜文秀) declare Dali capital of an independent sultanate that lasted 16 years before its destruction (and Du’s beheading) by Qing forces.

The Yi people (彝族) have also had a major influence on Dali. The legendary Yi king Piluoge (皮罗阁) is venerated for his leadership, which culminated in his founding of the Nanzhao kingdom. Today the Yi influence on Dali is much less noticeable than that of the Bai or Hui.

Walking along the overgrown east wall – the Mysterious Dali theater and east gate are in the background

Orientation
Located on a hillside between the Cangshan Mountains on the west and Erhai Lake on the east, Dali slopes downward from west to east. Locals tend to use “uphill” or “downhill” more than they’ll use any of the cardinal directions.

Dali is one of the few Chinese towns with a standing city wall. The wall’s southern and southwestern portions are the most recently renovated and offer good views of the old town. Much of the eastern portion of the wall is overgrown and with the adjacent southern reservoir provides a nice bit of green space for strolling in the Dali sun. Ascending the wall is free, aside from the north and south gates, where visitors are charged two yuan at the top.

The old town primarily consists of the area contained within the city wall. There are two main roads that bisect the old town. Fuxing Lu (复兴路) runs from the North Gate to the South Gate. Yu’er Lu (玉洱路) connects the East and West Gates. In general, Dali’s tourist activity is largely confined to the southern half of the old town, with the northern half decidedly more local.

Spring onions washing in a culvert outside the north gate

Throughout Dali, stone culverts channel flowing water downhill toward Erhai Lake, the pleasant burbling sound creating one of the defining features of the old town, especially at night when the moon and stars (!) are out. Several years ago the streams would run dry during the dry season, but the local government decided that it would be better for tourism to have water flowing through town year-round and constructed a pump system.

Commemorating the good old days

Huguo Lu
Ten years ago, Huguo Lu (护国路) was the undisputed center of traveler activity in Dali’s old town. For several years, the section of the street between Fuxing Jie and Bo’ai Lu was the primary destination for most of the foreign backpackers that passed through Dali, which led to the street being nicknamed “Foreigner Street” (Yangren Jie, 洋人街), a moniker that lives on today, despite the fact that most foreign visitors gravitate toward Renmin Lu.

The shift of the center of tourist activity of Dali’s old town from Huguo Lu/Yangren Jie to Renmin Lu was due to several factors, the primary one being the rapid increase of rents by Huguo Lu landlords. As rents went up, costs for restaurants, cafes and guesthouses rose. Due to fierce competition among the businesses on Huguo Lu, food/drink/room prices were kept low. Thus profit margins for many establishments shrank, if not disappearing completely.

Many people who were considering opening a business in Dali noted this trend and opted to set up one street south on Renmin Lu instead. That doesn’t keep Huguo Lu from trying to relive its Yangren Jie heyday – there are two paifang (牌坊) gateways on the street’s intersection with Fuxing Jie that commemorate its once-dominant presence in international travel guidebooks.

Despite the rather dull current state of affairs on the main old segment of Huguo Lu, there is still plenty of life at the upper (western) end of the street. One stretch of the street here is dominated by older Bai women selling batik, communist kitsch and antiques of dubious authenticity.

A Bai woman taking a break from selling souvenirs

Foodwise, King’s Park Kitchen serves up fresh and authentic Cantonese cuisine in a pleasant courtyard atmosphere. La Stella’s Pizzeria has a wood-fired oven that bangs out decent pizzas and on cold days makes the downstairs dining area pleasantly warm. In addition to pizza, Stella’s has plenty of Chinese and Western dishes on offer.

Some of the single malt whiskies at Lazy Book

For us, the most pleasant surprise at the top of Huguo Lu is the dramatic facelift of Lazy Book, which was once a backpacker hangout and is now a high-end bar with the best selection of single malt whisky in Yunnan, and probably western China for that matter.

The owner of Lazy Book has been rather busy recently, he has also opened a new guesthouse, lazy lodge, at the top of Huguo Lu. If our last two visits to Dali are indicative, it would seem that the guesthouse is already well established with the independent Chinese traveler set.

Get ready to cruise: Renmin Lu

Renmin Lu
Ten years ago, Renmin Lu (人民路) was a rather low-key affair compared to the vibrant Huguo Lu. Other than Bird Bar, which was perched at the top of the hill, the street was decidedly local, with a barbershop here, a rice noodle stall there and a smattering of small stores and restaurants all the way downhill.

Since then, Renmin Lu has emerged as the most happening and diverse street in the old town. The entire length of the street from west wall to east wall has enough variety that some travelers literally spend their entire stay in Dali bouncing up and down the hill.

As with Huguo Lu a decade ago, the bustle of Renmin Lu is largely confined to the segment between Bo’ai Lu and Fuxing Lu.

Local restaurants often show off their fresh produce

Food options abound on Renmin Lu. Good Bai/Yunnan fare is available at several small local restaurants on both sides of the street just downhill (east) from Fuxing Lu. These restaurants are characterized by their prominent streetside displays of their fresh ingredients. In addition to this small strip of local eateries, Chinese food can be had at The Good Panda and a number of small dumpling and rice noodle shops located further downhill.

Common Chinese dishes, coffee, fresh juices and some Western dishes are also available at Gogo Café, Tibetan Café and Phoenix Bar, all of which have been around for years and made it into Chinese and Western guidebooks.

Bad Monkey microbrews

At night Phoenix Bar and Bad Monkey are popular places for libations. Both draw a mix of Chinese and foreign customers, with the Phoenix tending to have more Chinese and the Monkey alaowai favorite (especially since it started brewing its own beer). Together the neighboring bars create one of the more consistently lively areas of the old town when the sun goes down.

Another popular Renmin Lu watering hole is Dali Ba, generally known as the Vodka Bar to regulars, which has a good cocktail selection but is better known for its shots of infused vodka with flavors ranging from orange and cinnamon to betelnut and hot pot.

Cheap, clean and comfortable accommodation is available all along Renmin Lu, with Bird’s Nest and Tibetan Lodge at the high end of the street and newer arrivals such as Free Mind andSunflower Hostel further downhill.

Hidden down a small alley at Renmin Lu’s lower reaches, Climb Dali is one of the street’s more unique denizens, offering an array of active travel options for people who are looking to do more than eat, drink and shop while in Dali. In addition to being an authority on rock climbing around Dali, Climb Dali also offers kayaking, cycling and trekking activities around Erhai Lake and elsewhere in Dali Prefecture.

The upper (west) end of Honglongjing

Honglongjing
In recent years the once-quiet street of Honglongjing (红龙井) – literally ‘Red dragon well’ – has received a makeover that turned it into a pedestrian street with a stream running down its middle. It is frequented by the growing number of domestic tour groups during the day but is generally quiet at night.

The upper end of Honglongjing has several guesthouse options, from the backpacker-friendly Dali Hump to Yu Yuan Hotel, which is owned and managed by a friendly Bai family. Chinese painterFang Lijun designed his hotel Yunnan Inn, where his Dali studio is located.

The stretch of Honglongjing on the east side of Bo’ai Lu is a massive real estate development that is slowly starting to attract tenants that give it some character. Yiran Tang Vegetarian Buffetoffers a five-yuan Buddhist vegetarian buffet that is great for vegans and vegetarians but also travelers on shoestring budgets.

Handmade crafts are springing up in this part of Honglongjing – in addition to a few stalls selling handmade silver jewelry, there is a wide selection of ceramic products at Pottery Studio, where visitors can also make their own pottery.

Pottery Studio

Bo’ai Lu
Years ago, main north-south street Bo’ai Lu (博爱路) was a noisy and congested two-way street – since becoming a one-way street it has not only become quieter, it has gradually attracted increasingly diverse businesses, especially restaurants.

Bo’ai Lu has several quality bakeries including the überpopular German-style Bakery 88 and the American-style bakery/café The Sweet Tooth. Recent arrival jawaca also has an impressive selection of baked treats.

Dali mainstay Café de Jack has been going strong since 1989 and has balcony and rooftop seating. Another old-school Bo’ai Lu institution is Sister’s Cafe, which is one of the few places in Dali offering Japanese food.

Black Dragon Café has great breakfasts, some of Dali’s strongest coffee and a spectacular menu drawing upon both Asian and Western influences – we enjoyed the smoked tofu wraps and Thai glass noodle salad last time we visited. We’ve heard nothing but good things about Hover Bistro but it has been closed for private parties every time we’ve gone to check it out. Zizhulin Sushiyuanis a nice high-end vegetarian restaurant with a pleasant courtyard atmosphere, but it can quickly become expensive.

With all the walking around that one can do in Dali and up in the hills, it is worth keeping in mind that there is a high concentration of massage centers along Bo’ai Lu, all of which offer foot and body massages.

Cangshan Foothills
Just to the west of the old town in the Cangshan foothills, there is a crisscrossing network of dirt roads and well-trodden footpaths with plenty of surprises awaiting curious strollers. Walks in this part of Dali are characterized by scattered old walled homes with equally old fruit trees producing plums, peaches, pears and pomegranates, as well as towering Dr Seuss-esque eucalyptus trees.

Footpaths in the Cangshan foothills can suddenly become quite narrow

Even if you’re not venturing off the beaten path, it is advisable to wear long pants as many plants found along the trails have burrs or may cause mild allergic reactions.

Three Pagodas, with the Cangshan Mountains in the background

A couple of kilometers to the north of Dali, the Three Pagodas are a major stop for package tours passing from Kunming to Lijiang. Tickets to see the iconic Bai-style towers up close are a pricey 121 yuan, which also includes access to Chongsheng Temple, the new Chan (Zen) temple compound that our cynical mind tells us was built solely for tourism revenue generation.

Just uphill from Dali’s south gate, the Single Pagoda has not yet been converted into a theme park like the Three Pagodas, but it has been closed to the public for some time, and appears to be headed for a makeover. The rolling hills above the pagoda offer good angles for taking in the pagoda as it is now.

A cartoonish Buddha at Zhonghe Temple

Zhonghe Temple and surroundings
At 2,500 meters above sea level, Zhonghe Temple is a Buddhist temple with Bai architectural influences. It can be reached by hiking a steep horsing trail for an hour-plus, hiring a horse or taking the convenient chairlift, which is 80 yuan for a round-trip ticket. Regardless of how you ascend, you will need to pay 30 yuan at the ticket office at the base of the chairlift. The small viewing platform adjacent to temple’s entrance provides excellent views of the old town, Erhai Lake and the surrounding mountains and fields.

The view of Dali old town from Zhonghe Temple

Across from the entrance to Zhonghe Temple, Jiyue Fanzhuang is one of our favorite restaurants in Yunnan, primarily because of the great view but also for its simple, no-frills Yunnan cuisine made by a friendly couple that has lived on the mountain for the last 12 years.

Mr Yang washing ginseng at Jiyue Fanzhuang

When we last visited, we found Jiyue Fanzhuang proprietor Mr Yang washing some roots with water from a nearby mountain stream. The roots turned out to be ginseng that he had picked earlier the same day. He was preparing to make ginseng paojiu(泡酒), the generic name for infused Chinese spirits. Mr Yang said his paojiu would be ready after three months of steeping in baijiu. With a big smile he told us that it replenishes and invigorates.

A short flight of stairs up from Zhonghe Temple is Cloud Pass Road (玉带路), a stone contour path that winds its way north for 5.8 kilometers or south for 11.5 kilometers, where it ends with cable cars that descend to Gantong Temple (感通寺) below. Down tickets bought at the chairlift ticket office are valid for these gondola-style cable cars that pass through some impressive scenery. All told, Cloud Pass Road is flat, slightly monotonous stroll through mountains that is good if you don’t want a challenge or have children with you.

The entrance to Higherland Inn

For those looking to hike to the top of the mountain, follow the stairs up from Zhonghe Temple about 100 meters past Cloud Pass Road to Higherland Inn, which is located at a trail head from which it is roughly six hours of walking to the peak under normal conditions. Higherland has guesthouse facilities should you want to stay on the mountain, as well as a small restaurant. More importantly, it has a map of the trails above that could prove helpful.

Follow this trail to the top

It is worth bearing in mind that weather conditions at the top of Cangshan are prone to changing rapidly and without warning and can be very cold and wet even if it’s sunny and warm in the old town. Make sure that when hiking you allow yourself plenty of time and are accompanied by others if possible, as the mountain range claims the lives of hikers every year.

Mysterious Dali
Dali’s growing popularity is driving more and more investment projects that are having a significant impact on the town as a whole. One example is the new music and dance show “Mysterious Dali” by famous director Chen Kaige. The show is held at a new auditorium built in the northeast corner of the old town and is performed nightly from 8:45 to 10:30, echoing throughout the old town and getting louder the further you move up the mountain. Morning rehearsals also affect the lives of local residents, who in general had very little good to say about the arrival of Chen’s show in Dali.

Daytrips
Daytrip options around Erhai Lake that are worth checking out include the lakeside town of Shuanglang, the markets at Wase and Shaping and the old town of Xizhou, which has some of the best-preserved examples of Bai architecture in the region.

Most travel agents in Dali can help book trips all over Dali prefecture plus train, bus and air tickets for destinations further afield.

Dali’s got plenty of it

Local Food
Sour and spicy are two of the primary flavors featured in Dali cooking. Lake fish cooked in earthen pots (shaguoyu, 砂锅鱼) is quite popular among locals, as is sour and spicy fish stew (suanlayu, 酸辣鱼). Although Erhai Lake’s water quality has improved recently, it is worth keeping in mind when considering fish, shrimp, snails and other creatures from the lake that pollution is still an issue. Yellow pot chicken (huangmenji, 黄焖鸡) is another common local dish.

Rushan for sale

Unlike elsewhere in China, Dali has a local tradition of producing dairy foods, the most popular being rubing (乳饼), a firm and slightly pungent goat cheese, and rushan (乳扇), a wide, flat, almost toffee-like substance that is often wound around a chopstick after cooking and accompanied by a sweet or savory sauce.

Large jars of plum wine at Meizijing

There are numerous good Bai restaurants on the east (downhill) side of Fuxing Lu, especially on Huguo Lu and Renmin Lu. Two of the more famous Bai-style restaurants in the old town are Yiheng Fandian and Meizi Jing, which is famous for its homemade plum wine.

Getting there
Daily flights from Kunming to Dali cost up to 930 yuan and arrive at Dali Airport on the southeast edge of Erhai Lake. Flights run around 40 minutes and there are no buses to Dali from the airport which means you’ll need to make your own plans to get there. Taxis are not always available and may require extensive haggling if you want to avoid paying too much.

Kunming’s West Bus Station sells express bus tickets to Xiaguan (下关) for 142 yuan. Expect 20 minutes in line on busy days such as Fridays and longer around holidays. Bus trips typically take four hours.

There are day and night trains from Kunming to Dali that take from six to eight hours, with ticket prices ranging from 30 yuan for a hard seat to more than 100 yuan for a bed. This mode of transport is not recommended if you only have a weekend.

Once in Xiaguan, it’s another 22 km to the old town. The 4 and 8 buses will take you to the old town in around half an hour for 1.5 yuan between 6:30 am and 8 pm daily. Taxis are a faster option but will run 50 yuan.

Cycling the old road from Kunming to Dali is also an option, check here for how to do it.