Shaxi Ancient Town
Shaxi Ancient Town is located in Jianchuan County at the junction of Dali and Lijiang, approximately 130 km from Dali Ancient City, requiring a 2-hour drive. It is currently the only completely preserved ancient market on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Shideng Street, the town center, covers an area of about 0.5 square kilometers and retains a large number of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings with earth-wood structures. Visitors mainly visit Xingjiao Temple built in 1415, the three-story pavilion-style Ancient Stage, and Yujin Bridge, a 35-meter-long single-hole stone arch bridge spanning the Heihui River.
Shideng Street is the central square of the ancient town. On the east side of the square is Xingjiao Temple, built in the 13th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1415). The main hall and outer walls currently house more than 20 Ming Dynasty Buddhist murals. Opposite the temple is an ancient stage with three-story flying eaves, surrounded by old shops built of rammed earth, mostly operated by locals selling wood carvings and general merchandise. Walking east from Shideng Street for about 300 meters leads to Yujin Bridge. 7:00 to 8:00 in the morning is the specific time period when morning mist appears at Yujin Bridge, and local villagers usually pass over the bridge with herds of sheep.
Landscape Features
- Architectural Remains: Preservation of 0.5 square kilometers of Ming and Qing earth-wood structure buildings and flagstone streets paved with red breccia.
- Water System Scenery: The Heihui River surrounds the periphery of the ancient town, and Yujin Bridge is often accompanied by water vapor and morning mist in the early morning.
Consumption
- Dining Prices: Street snacks on market days cost 5-10 yuan per unit; a regular meal in a restaurant averages 50-80 yuan per person.
- Accommodation Budget: Guesthouses converted from old wooden houses in the ancient town range from 200-600 yuan per night.
- Attraction Tickets: The ancient town is open free of charge all day; the ticket for Xingjiao Temple is 20 yuan.
Transportation
- Self-driving Route: Exit from the Jianchuan hub of the Dali-Lijiang Expressway and turn onto the 40 km winding mountain road (Jianlan Highway), a journey of about 2 hours.
- Public Transportation: Take a bus from Dali North Bus Station to Jianchuan Bus Station (approx. 1.5 hours, 35 yuan), then transfer to a rural passenger minivan to Shaxi (approx. 45 minutes, 15 yuan).
- In-town Transportation: Vehicle control is implemented inside the ancient town; the entire area must be explored on foot.
Clothing
- Daytime Protection: The town elevation is about 2100 meters with sufficient sunshine; long-sleeved clothing and sun hats are required.
- Nighttime Warmth: The temperature difference between morning and evening usually exceeds 10 degrees; fleece jackets or light down jackets are needed at night.
- Footwear Requirements: The town consists entirely of uneven flagstone and dirt roads; flat, non-slip sports shoes are required.
Precautions
- Schedule: Every Friday is the traditional market day, held from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
- Supplies: The mountain road has dense curves; those prone to motion sickness should prepare medication in advance.
- Infrastructure: There is only a township-level basic health center in the town; there are currently no large general hospitals or 24-hour chain pharmacies.
Fengyangyi
Fengyangyi is located at the foot of Malong Peak of Cangshan Mountain, 7 km south of Dali Ancient City, at an altitude of about 2200 meters. The village completely preserves a 1900-meter-long, 3-meter-wide flagstone section of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The walls of all houses in the village are piled with irregular blue stones and pebbles, retaining the traditional Bai “stone walls that do not collapse” craftsmanship. The village gained extremely high traffic in 2023 as a primary filming location for a television drama, with a main sightseeing area of about 0.2 square kilometers.
The tour route of Fengyangyi mainly unfolds along the 1900-meter ancient road that runs through the village. The ancient road is paved with large blue flagstones, and the road surface has pits left by horses’ hooves over the years. On both sides of the village are dense traditional residences with unpainted walls, presenting an original gray-brown color.
There are currently about 30 small businesses in the village, including independent cafes, pottery workshops, and botanical tie-dye shops, mostly concentrated within a 500-meter range in the middle of the ancient road. The TV drama filming location “Windy Courtyard” is located in the center of the village, covering about 300 square meters and retaining the settings and decorations from the show. The overall slope of the village is between 15 and 20 degrees, with streets extending upward from the bottom to the foot of Cangshan Mountain.
Landscape Features
- Ancient Road Relics: The 1900-meter blue flagstone road through the village preserves the original form of the Ancient Tea Horse Road.
- Residential Style: The houses on both sides are entirely built with Cangshan stone blocks.
Consumption
- Ticket Costs: The village is open free of charge all day; visiting the interior of “Windy Courtyard” requires purchasing a designated drink for about 30 yuan.
- Experience Projects: The price for a single session of pottery making or handmade tie-dye is usually between 50 and 100 yuan.
- Dining Prices: The average cost per person at independent cafes and tea houses along the street is generally 30 to 50 yuan.
Transportation
- Public Transportation: Take the Dali University Special Line bus from Dali Ancient City to Fengyangyi Station, with a one-way fare of 3 yuan.
- Taxi Route: Taking a taxi from Dali Ancient City to the village entrance archway takes about 15 minutes and costs between 15 and 20 yuan.
- Internal Access: Motor vehicles and electric vehicles are prohibited inside the village; the entire journey requires walking up gentle slopes.
Clothing
- Footwear Requirements: The ancient flagstone road is uneven and has a slope of about 15 degrees; soft-soled, non-slip sports shoes are required.
- Sun Protection: There is little tree shade along the streets; sunscreen and long-sleeved physical sun protection clothing are needed during the day.
Precautions
- Visiting Time: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm is the peak tourist period; it is recommended to visit before 10:00 am.
- Queuing: The interior space of “Windy Courtyard” is small; during peak tourist seasons, flow control is implemented, usually requiring a 20 to 40-minute wait at the entrance.
Cangshan Jade Belt Cloud Road
Cangshan Jade Belt Cloud Road is a gentle flagstone walking path built along the contour line of the Cangshan mountainside at an altitude of about 2600 meters, with a total length of about 18 km. The route starts from Gantong Temple in the south and ends at Zhonghe Temple in the north, cutting across 5 of the 19 peaks of Cangshan. The path is about 2 meters wide, with a total elevation drop of no more than 50 meters. Tourists usually take the 4.5 km section from “Gantong Ropeway to Seven Dragon Girls Pool” for a light hike of about 2 hours, where they can observe the entire Erhai Lake with a drop of nearly 700 meters and the architectural clusters of the Dali Basin covering about 200 square kilometers without obstruction.
The Jade Belt Road is paved with flat blue flagstones throughout, with extremely steep Cangshan cliffs on one side and dense Yunnan pine and silver fir forests on the other. The path connects geographical nodes such as Gantong Temple, Jizhao Nunnery, Seven Dragon Girls Pool, and Qingbi Stream. Jizhao Nunnery is located about a 20-minute walk above the lower station of the Gantong Ropeway, with a courtyard area of about 400 square meters; hundreds of succulent plants are densely placed on the ground and walls, and no traditional incense is used inside.
Most tourists choose to take the Gantong Ropeway directly to Qingbi Stream at an altitude of 2560 meters, then hike northward on the level path. The ropeway cabins are enclosed, with a one-way travel time of about 15 minutes. There are viewing platforms and public toilets every 2 to 3 km along the path. In clear weather, looking east from the path, one can clearly see the water boundaries of Erhai Lake, which is about 42 km long from north to south and 8 km wide from east to west. The conventional end of the hike is at Seven Dragon Girls Pool, where tourists can return the same way or transfer to the Ximatan middle-section ropeway to descend the mountain.
Landscape Features
- High Altitude Flat Road: The path is built on the contour line at 2600 meters altitude, with a drop of less than 50 meters over the 18 km line.
- Vertical Vision: There is no mountain obstruction on the east side of the path, allowing a direct view down to Erhai Lake and the urban plains at 1900 meters altitude.
Consumption
- Ticket Costs: The entry ticket for Cangshan World Geopark alone is 35 yuan.
- Ropeway Budget: The round-trip price for the Gantong Ropeway is 110 yuan (this price already includes the Cangshan entry ticket).
- Dining Prices: Jizhao Nunnery serves vegetarian meals at 11:30 am and 5:30 pm, with a uniform charge of 20 yuan per person.
Transportation
- Ascending by Ropeway: Take a taxi from Dali Ancient City to the lower station of the Gantong Ropeway (about 15 minutes, 20 yuan), then take the cable car for 15 minutes directly to the start of Jade Belt Road.
- Hiking Connection: After hiking 4.5 km from the Gantong Ropeway upper station to Seven Dragon Girls Pool, you can purchase a single-trip ticket for the lower half of the Ximatan Ropeway (approx. 50 yuan) to descend.
- Path Access: The entire route is for walking only; no sightseeing cars or shared bicycles are provided.
Clothing
- Temperature Protection: The altitude of the path is more than 600 meters higher than the Dali Ancient City at the foot of the mountain, and the temperature is about 5 to 8 degrees lower; a windproof jacket is required.
- Rain Preparation: Local convective rain often occurs on the eastern slopes of Cangshan in the afternoon; a lightweight raincoat should always be kept in your backpack.
Precautions
- Time Control: The various ropeways of Cangshan usually stop downward operations at 4:30 pm; return travel must be planned in advance.
- Energy Allocation: Although the path is gentle, it is at an altitude of 2600 meters; walking too fast can easily lead to slight shortness of breath or a rapid heart rate.
Xizhou Morning Market and Zhoucheng Village
Xizhou Morning Market is 18 km from Dali Ancient City, covering an area of about 0.1 square kilometers. it is open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 am, with about 150 stalls of agricultural products and local snacks gathered along the streets. Zhoucheng Village is located 5 km north of Xizhou, with a resident population of about 10,000, and is the largest Bai ethnic village in China. There are more than 40 workshops engaged in national-level non-heritage Isatis tinctoria (banlangen) tie-dyeing, and it preserves a large number of Ming and Qing dynasty “Sanfang Yizhaobi” Bai earth-wood structure architectural groups.
Xizhou Morning Market is mainly concentrated on the 400-meter-long street from Sifang Street to Zheng Yi Gate. 7:00 to 9:00 am is the peak time for stalls, selling local Dali foods including Xizhou Baba (crusted pancake) about 15 cm in diameter, freshly picked flowers sold at 3 to 5 yuan per jin, and vegetables grown by surrounding farmers. The neighborhood is dotted with hundreds of well-preserved traditional Bai residences, many with painted walls.
Driving north from Xizhou along National Highway 214 for about 10 minutes reaches Zhoucheng. The main road of Zhoucheng Village is 1.2 km long, with lanes distributed in a grid pattern. Visitors can enter the courtyards of local villagers to visit. Blue and white tie-dyed cloths 3 to 5 meters long are usually hung in the courtyards. The tie-dye process uses Isatis tinctoria grown on Cangshan as a plant dye, requiring 7 to 8 manual steps including tying, dyeing, and unpicking to complete.
Landscape Features
- Market Atmosphere: Xizhou Morning Market consists of a 400-meter-long main street and over a hundred open-air stalls on both sides.
- Handicraft Colors: Zhoucheng Village retains a large area of traditional Bai residences, with 3 to 5-meter-long blue and white tie-dyed cloths hanging everywhere in the courtyards.
Consumption
- Market Prices: Xizhou Baba is sold at a uniform price of 10 to 15 yuan each; flowers are usually sold in bundles for 5 to 10 yuan.
- Tie-dye Experience: The labor cost for tie-dyeing a 50×50 cm square scarf once in Zhoucheng Village is usually between 30 and 50 yuan.
- Dining Costs: The average consumption in a regular Bai private kitchen in the town is 40 to 60 yuan.
Transportation
- Public Transportation: It takes 40 minutes to get from Dali Ancient City to Xizhou by bus (fare 7 yuan); from Xizhou to Zhoucheng, you can take a minivan (fare 5 yuan).
- Self-driving Route: Drive north along the Dali line (National Highway 214) for 18 km; there are 3 paid parking lots on the outskirts of Xizhou Ancient Town.
- Road Conditions: The two places are 5 km apart; the internal roads of the villages are less than 3 meters wide, and motor vehicles must park at the village entrance and enter on foot.
Clothing
- Color Matching: Wearing pure white or light yellow clothing when visiting Zhoucheng Village creates a clear visual contrast with the blue and white tie-dyed cloth.
- Morning Warmth: The temperature is usually 12 to 15 degrees when heading to Xizhou Morning Market at 7:00 am; a long-sleeved jacket is required.
Precautions
- Time Arrangement: Stalls at Xizhou Morning Market will all withdraw after 11:00 am; you need to arrive before 9:00 am.
- Dye Characteristics: Zhoucheng tie-dye uses pure plant Isatis tinctoria dye; a slight blue floating color will appear in the water basin during the first wash.
Jizu Mountain
Jizu Mountain is located in Binchuan County, Dali, 85 km from Dali City, requiring a 2-hour drive. The main peak, Tianzhu Peak, has an altitude of 3240 meters and a vertical drop of 1300 meters; it is the dojo of Mahakasyapa, the first patriarch of Zen Buddhism. The main tourist area of the scenic spot is 47 square kilometers, with more than 10 ancient temples ranging from Zhusheng Temple to Jinding Temple distributed along the mountain elevation. Tourists usually take the 1811-meter-long ropeway to the top to observe the sea of clouds and sunrise between 6:30 and 7:30 am on the 700-square-meter viewing platform at Jinding.
Touring Jizu Mountain usually starts from the Lingshan Yihui Archway at an altitude of 1900 meters. Most tourists choose to first take the 8 km scenic shuttle bus, which takes 20 minutes to reach the vicinity of Zhusheng Temple at an altitude of 2600 meters. Zhusheng Temple is the largest and most complete Qing Dynasty temple on the mountain, covering an area of about 3000 square meters.
Continuing upward from Zhusheng Temple, tourists need to hike to the lower ropeway station. The hike is about 3 km long, including about 2000 stone steps, taking about 1.5 to 2 hours. The ropeway is 1811 meters long with a vertical drop of about 500 meters and a one-way travel time of 15 minutes, taking tourists to the upper ropeway station at an altitude of 3200 meters. After exiting the ropeway, one must climb the final 300-meter-long wooden plank road to reach Jinding Temple at an altitude of 3240 meters.
The 24-meter-high square dense-eave Lengyan Pagoda is built inside Jinding Temple. On the viewing platform in front of the pagoda, under clear weather conditions, one can observe the sunrise to the east and have an unobstructed view of Cangshan and Erhai Lake to the west. To watch the sunrise, some tourists stay overnight in the guesthouse at the mountain top.
Landscape Features
- High Altitude Sea of Clouds: The main peak, Tianzhu Peak, is at 3240 meters altitude; a large area of sea of clouds often forms at the 2800-meter elevation level in the early morning.
- Temple Architecture: More than 10 Buddhist temples are distributed along the mountain; Jinding Temple retains the 24-meter-high dense-eave Lengyan Pagoda built in 1932.
Consumption
- Ticket Costs: The entry ticket for the scenic spot is 55 yuan; the round-trip price for the eco-sightseeing bus is 30 yuan.
- Ropeway Budget: The one-way price for the summit ropeway is 45 yuan, and the round-trip price is 75 yuan.
- Summit Accommodation: The dormitory bed fee at the Jinding Guesthouse is about 100 yuan; the price for a standard room is between 300 and 500 yuan per night.
Transportation
- Public Transportation: Take a bus from Dali East Bus Station to Binchuan County Bus Station (approx. 1.5 hours, 15 yuan), then transfer to a rural bus directly to the mountain gate (approx. 40 minutes, 10 yuan).
- Self-driving Route: Via the Dali-Lijiang Expressway and then the Binchuan-Nanjian Expressway, drive 20 km after exiting to reach the peripheral parking lot of the scenic spot, a total distance of about 85 km.
- Internal Access: The scenic shuttle bus operates from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm; the sightseeing ropeway usually stops downward operations at 5:30 pm.
Clothing
- Cold Protection: The summit altitude is 3240 meters, which is 10 to 12 degrees lower than Dali City; windproof assault jackets or light down jackets are needed all day.
- Hiking Equipment: The path contains many steep stone steps often covered with moss; hard-soled, non-slip outdoor hiking shoes are required.
Precautions
- Altitude Sickness Prevention: When the ropeway rapidly raises the altitude to above 3000 meters, some people may experience slight headaches or shortness of breath; the walking speed must be slowed down.
- Sunrise Preparation: Watching the sunrise requires arriving at the summit a day in advance; since there are no large restaurants on the summit, you need to bring your own high-calorie portable foods such as chocolate or compressed biscuits.
Related Guides
- Dali Travel Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience | Tie-dye, Bai Three-Course Tea & Jianchuan Wood Carving Handcrafted Slow Life
- Yunnan Travel FAQ | Must-Read Before Your First Trip to Yunnan
- Yunnan Travel Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations | Avoid Crowds & Visit 6 Primitive Secluded Ancient Villages
- Lijiang Travel Is More Than Just the Ancient Town｜Recommendation of 5 Zero-Bad-Review Hidden Gems Nearby
- Yunnan Climate Explained | Weather Changes & Travel Tips for Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang All Year Round
Dali —: Numbers to Check
Tickets & Booking
- Xizhou Ancient Town: Free; Yan Family Residence about CNY 18, Yan Family Courtyard Museum about CNY 21–30; Xizhou wheat-field mini-train CNY 35; no booking required[src]
- Erhai cruise: About CNY 142 per person (the Greater Shuanglang line one way and other ticket types)[src]
Transport & Schedules
- Dali station → Kunming South station | EMU: E.g., D8784/D8781: Dali departs 15:40–Kunming South terminates 18:22, 2 h 42 min total, 356 km; stops at Yunnanyi, Chuxiong, Guangtong North, Lufeng South, Kunming[src]
Where to Stay · Room Type · Nearby
- Dali Ancient Town | Reference price Moderate range (mostly OTA guesthouses) | Room tip: Convenient for food, lodging and transport, suitable for a first visit to Dali | Nearby add-ons: Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas, Renmin Road night market, Cangshan Gantong cableway[src]
- Shuanglang Ancient Town | Reference price On the high side (lake-view guesthouses) | Room tip: Right by Erhai with a good view but relatively inconvenient transport | Nearby add-ons: Nanzhao Customs Island, Yuji Island[src]
Typical Climate & Packing (Past Years)
- January: 2 °C–16 °C °C, [Travel climate reference]
- February: 4 °C–18 °C °C
- March: 6 °C–21 °C °C
- April: 9 °C–24 °C °C
- May: 12 °C–25 °C °C
- June: 15 °C–25 °C °C, Rainy season
