Nuodeng Ancient Village (Dali · Yunlong County)
Nuodeng is located in Yunlong County, Dali Prefecture, approximately 160 km by car from Dali Old Town. This thousand-year-old Bai ethnic settlement spreads along the mountain terrain and features over 100 existing ancient courtyards from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is renowned for its ancient salt wells (containing natural potassium salt) with a mining history of over 2000 years and Nuodeng Ham, which undergoes a 3-year air-drying fermentation process. To this day, there are no roads within the village; thousands of blue flagstone steps are the only passage, and all material transportation relies entirely on mules and horses.
Landscape Features
- Village Layout: More than 100 Bai ethnic courtyards from the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras are distributed vertically across 30 to 40 degree slopes, with an overall elevation gain of over 200 m.
- Architectural Details: The Ming Dynasty Lingxing Gate in front of the Yuhuang Pavilion at the top of the mountain uses a three-tier wooden bracket (dougong) mortise and tenon structure, assembled without any iron nails.
- Millennial Salt Well: At the foot of the mountain lies an ancient salt well with over 2000 years of history. The brine salt produced here contains natural potassium, which is the essential raw material for curing Nuodeng Ham.
Transportation
- Self-driving Conditions: The drive from Dali Old Town takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. Upon entering Yunlong County, the roads are mostly two-lane winding mountain paths.
- Internal Transit: There are no motorized vehicle roads inside the village. Movement is entirely by walking on blue flagstone steps. Vehicles must be parked in the open-air parking lot at the foot of the mountain.
- Luggage Handling: Local mules and horses can be hired at the parking lot to carry large pieces of luggage up the mountain, costing about 30 to 50 yuan per trip.
Consumption & Dining
- Tickets & Parking: The village is open all day with no entrance fee. The parking fee at the foot of the mountain is generally between 10 and 20 yuan.
- Specialty Dining: Local farmhouses feature Nuodeng Ham air-dried for three years, with an average cost of about 50 to 80 yuan per person per meal.
Clothing Advice
- Footwear Requirements: The entire visit requires climbing a large number of stone steps, some of which are covered in moss. Non-slip sneakers or flat hiking shoes are mandatory.
- Clothing Layering: The temperature difference between morning and evening in the mountains of western Yunnan often exceeds 10 degrees. It is recommended to wear a short-sleeved base layer with a windproof jacket.
Notes
- Physical Assessment: Entering the village and touring requires constant stair climbing, which consumes significant physical energy for the elderly, young children, and those with poor knee joints.
- Accommodation Expectations: Most guesthouses are converted from century-old wooden houses with weak soundproofing. Due to transportation limits, internal hardware facilities are relatively basic.
Wuli Village (Nujiang · Gongshan County)
Wuli Village is located in Binzhongluo Town, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture, deep within the Nujiang Grand Canyon. It has a permanent population of about 60 households, mostly of the Nu ethnic group. The village sits against the Biluo Snow Mountain and faces the Nujiang River, characterized by primitive unpainted log houses. It remains disconnected from the road network; entering the village requires walking a 1.5 km stretch of the Ancient Tea Horse Road site, manually carved into a nearly vertical cliff. Due to river evaporation and the closed canyon topography, the village is often shrouded in thick fog in the morning and after rain.
Landscape Features
- Architectural Style: Approximately 60 traditional Nu ethnic log houses are scattered across gentle slopes and meadows by the Nujiang River. The houses are built entirely of logs, retaining their natural wood color without paint.
- Cliff Path: The section of the Ancient Tea Horse Road from Chaohong Bridge to Wuli Village is about 1.5 km long and less than 1 meter wide, carved directly into the cliff walls.
- Canyon Morning Mist: Influenced by the moisture of the Nujiang River, advection fog several to dozens of meters thick often forms over the village between 7:00 and 9:00 in the morning during spring and autumn.
Transportation
- Self-driving Conditions: About 45 km from Gongshan County. Provincial road S318 extends along the Nujiang Canyon with many curves; rockfalls are common during the rainy season from June to August.
- Entry Method: Motor vehicles must be parked across from Chaohong Bridge or along the nearby road. Everyone must walk for about 30 minutes along the cliff path to enter the village.
Consumption & Dining
- Ticket Fees: Wuli Village does not charge a separate entrance fee, but since it is within the Binzhongluo scenic area, a 45 yuan area pass must be paid at the entrance of Binzhongluo Town.
- Dining Prices: There are only a few simple villager-run farmhouses offering dishes like slate-grilled meat and Nujiang river fish, with an average cost of about 40 to 60 yuan per person.
Clothing Advice
- Footwear Requirements: The cliff path consists of uneven flagstones and gravel, and moisture from the river makes the surface slippery. High-grip outdoor hiking shoes are necessary.
- Clothing Layering: Sunshine hours at the bottom of the Nujiang Grand Canyon are short, and river winds are strong in the morning and evening. Even in summer, a single-layer shell or long-sleeved windproof jacket is needed.
Notes
- Safety Risks: The outer side of the cliff path faces a precipice and some sections lack railings, with the turbulent Nujiang River below. Walk close to the inner rock wall.
- Accommodation Limits: The village consists mainly of private residences with very few inns and no modern facilities like private bathrooms. Over 90% of tourists choose a day trip and stay in Binzhongluo Town.
Chengzi Ancient Village (Honghe · Luxi County)
Chengzi Ancient Village is located in Luxi County, Honghe Prefecture, about 25 km from the county seat. This village, with a history of over 600 years, consists of more than 1000 Yi ethnic “Tuzhang” houses built against the mountain and connected layer by layer. The structure is such that “the roof of the lower house serves as the courtyard of the upper house,” forming a continuous flat-top platform area of over 5000 square meters. The village has a vertical drop of about 30 m. The buildings are mostly constructed with rammed red earth and wooden beam supports, making it the largest existing Tuzhang house architectural complex in Southwest China, still home to over 300 households.
Landscape Features
- Architectural Construction: Over 1000 flat-roofed houses are connected end-to-end. Access to the whole village is via ladders and rooftop paths, forming a unique honeycomb-like spatial structure.
- Visual Landscape: Every autumn, villagers dry corn and chili peppers on the roofs. The golden and fiery red crops cover the earth-red walls, creating a vivid color contrast.
- Historical Heritage: The village preserves Ming and Qing dynasty wood-and-earth buildings such as the General’s Mansion, showcasing the complete evolution from primitive cave dwellings to timber structures.
Transportation
- Self-driving Route: Starting from Kunming via Yiliang and Shilin to Luxi County, the total distance is about 180 km, with a driving time of 2.5 to 3 hours.
- Public Transport: Take a bus from Kunming East Bus Station to Luxi Bus Station, then transfer to a township bus bound for Yongning Township, taking about 40 minutes one way.
- Walking in Village: Tourist vehicles must park at the unified lot at the village entrance. The alleys are narrow and mostly dirt roads or steps, accessible only by foot.
Consumption & Dining
- Entrance Fees: The village currently does not charge a general entrance fee. Visiting some well-preserved old courtyards may involve a cleaning fee of 5 to 10 yuan charged by the owners.
- Local Snacks: Luxi specialty grilled tofu and buckwheat cakes are the main foods. Local farmhouses cost about 30 to 50 yuan per person per meal.
Clothing Advice
- Sun Protection: UV rays in Southeast Yunnan are extremely strong and the flat roofs offer no shade. It is recommended to wear a wide-brimmed hat or long-sleeved sun-protective clothing to prevent skin burns.
- Shoe Selection: There is often loose soil and rock at rooftop junctions. Wear sneakers with high friction and avoid high heels or slippery sandals.
Notes
- Etiquette Standards: Roofs are usually private spaces for drying grain and daily activities. Seek the owner’s permission before climbing or entering.
- Structural Safety: The walls are made of rammed red earth, which can become soft after rain. Do not approach or climb old walls marked as hazardous.
Wenji Ancient Village (Pu’er · Lancang County)
Wenji Ancient Village is situated on a ridge at an altitude of about 1700 m on Jingmai Mountain in Lancang County, Pu’er, surrounded by 28,000 mu of thousand-year-old tea forests. This settlement of about 80 Blang ethnic households preserves a complete cluster of stilt-style wooden buildings, with roofs decorated with bull horn symbols representing tribal totems. The village features a Blang temple built over 2500 years ago and an ancient cypress tree over 3000 years old. Influenced by the altitude and subtropical monsoon climate, a thick advection sea of clouds often forms around the village from November to February.
Landscape Features
- Architectural Style: More than 80 Blang ethnic double-story stilt houses are scattered along the terrain. The ground floor is open for storage, while the second floor is for living, featuring bull horn wooden decorations on the roofs.
- Millennial Temple: The village center preserves a Theravada Buddhist temple covering about 400 square meters, next to which stands a 20-meter-tall ancient cypress tree over 3000 years old.
- Winter/Spring Sea of Clouds: Due to the 1700 m altitude and valley topography, spectacular seas of clouds lasting 2 to 3 hours often appear below the village between 7:00 and 9:00 in the morning from November to February.
Transportation
- Self-driving Conditions: About 70 km from Lancang Jingmai Airport, taking about 2 hours to drive. The second half consists of nearly 20 km of winding stone-paved roads.
- Public Transport: There is a daily bus from Lancang County to Huimin Town for about 25 yuan. From Huimin Town, you need to charter or share a car up the mountain, costing about 80 to 100 yuan one way.
- Internal Transit: Visiting vehicles must park in the 50-space open-air lot at the village entrance. The village uses blue flagstone paths and is only accessible by foot.
Consumption & Dining
- Ticket Fees: As part of the Jingmai Mountain ancient tea forest World Cultural Heritage site, Wenji Ancient Village is currently open all day with no entrance fee.
- Specialty Dining: There are over ten villager-run tea houses and farmhouses offering Blang specialties like roasted fragrant pig and tea-leaf scrambled eggs, costing about 40 to 60 yuan per person per meal.
Clothing Advice
- Warmth Measures: The temperature difference on Jingmai Mountain often exceeds 15 degrees. A light down jacket or fleece shell is needed to watch the sea of clouds in the morning.
- Footwear Requirements: The stone paths can be slippery from year-round rain, and slopes are about 15 to 20 degrees. Wear non-slip flat hiking shoes.
Notes
- Etiquette Standards: You must remove your shoes to enter the main hall of the Blang Buddhist temple. It is strictly forbidden to touch Buddha statues, ritual objects, or sacred trees tied with red strings.
- Fire Safety: The entire village consists of pure wooden structures and the climate is dry in autumn and winter. Littering cigarette butts or illegal use of open fire is strictly prohibited.
Baoshan Stone Town (Lijiang · Yulong County)
Baoshan Stone Town is located in the Jinsha River Canyon of Yulong County, Lijiang, about 120 km from Lijiang Old Town. This Naxi settlement of over 100 households is built entirely on a mushroom-shaped independent giant rock covering about 0.5 square kilometers, with cliffs nearly 100 meters high on three sides and the Jinsha River on the other. The village has only two stone gates (North and South) for entry and exit, and internal alleys are less than 1.5 meters wide. Villagers used local materials, carving daily necessities like stone beds, water vats, and stoves directly into the rock grain. Due to its precarious position and steep terrain, the town remains inaccessible to cars; all supplies must be transported by human labor or mules via steep stone steps.
Landscape Features
- Giant Rock Fortress: The entire village’s 100-plus traditional Naxi wood-and-stone houses are concentrated on a natural giant rock rising about 200 m above the Jinsha River.
- Stone Utensils: Villagers maintain the habit of carving living facilities into the natural bedrock. Original stone water vats, grinders, and beds can be seen in most courtyards.
- Canyon Terraces: From the base of the rock down to the Jinsha River, layers of terraces with a drop of hundreds of meters are distributed, showing a ribbon-like landscape when rice matures around October.
Transportation
- Self-driving Conditions: About 120 km from Lijiang Old Town, requiring 3.5 to 4 hours of driving. The last 20 km consists of extremely narrow single-lane cliff roads where passing other cars is difficult.
- Entry Method: Motor vehicles can only park at the mid-mountain lot about 800 m from the village entrance. Visitors must hike down 40-degree stone steps for 20 to 30 minutes to enter.
- Material Transportation: No roads reach the village directly. Large luggage requires hiring local mules at the parking lot, costing between 50 and 80 yuan one way.
Consumption & Dining
- Ticket Fees: A village maintenance fee of 20 yuan must be paid at the entrance. The parking fee at the lot outside is generally 15 to 20 yuan per day.
- Dining & Lodging: There are only 5 to 8 simple inns and farmhouses converted by Naxi villagers, offering Jinsha River fish and local chicken, costing about 40 to 60 yuan per person per meal.
Clothing Advice
- Footwear Requirements: Alleys are unpolished natural flagstones with constant ups and downs. Thick-soled, non-slip outdoor hiking shoes are mandatory.
- Clothing Layering: The Jinsha River valley has a dry-hot climate. Daytime temperatures in summer often reach 30 degrees. Wear breathable, quick-drying clothes and have a windproof jacket for the 10-degree-plus temperature drop at night.
Notes
- Driving Skills: The final mountain road to the Stone Town is steep with sharp turns and often lacks outer railings, requiring high experience in mountain driving.
- Living Facilities: Limited by the rock terrain and transport, inns mostly retain primitive wood-and-stone structures with weak soundproofing and occasional unstable water pressure.
Bamei Village (Wenshan · Guangnan County)
Bamei Village is located in Guangnan County, Wenshan Prefecture. It is a Zhuang ethnic village surrounded by karst mountains with a permanent population of about 600. Entering and leaving the village requires a wooden boat through natural water caverns at the north and south ends, totaling about 800 m in length, taking about 15 minutes one way. No roads lead to the village, which preserves traditional farming life with over a hundred Zhuang stilt houses, 3 to 5 large wooden waterwheels, and several ancient banyan trees over 300 years old, closely matching the descriptions in “The Peach Blossom Spring.”
Landscape Features
- Water Cave Entrance: Entry and exit must be by boat through an 800-meter-long natural karst cavern, which lacks natural light and has distinct echoes.
- Pastoral Scenery: After exiting the dark river, a basin of about 3 square kilometers appears, with a river running through it, flanked by flat farmland and rotating waterwheels.
- Ancient Tree Village: Over a hundred Zhuang stilt buildings are scattered along the river, and several century-old banyan trees, requiring 4 to 5 people to encircle, grow in the open space at the village entrance.
Transportation
- Self-driving Conditions: About 40 km from Guangnan County, taking about 1 hour. The entire route is a two-lane asphalt road with no complex mountain sections.
- Entry Method: Vehicles must park at the unified tourist center lot. Visitors transfer to a shuttle for about 2 km, then queue for a boat at the cave entrance.
- Internal Transit: The village terrain is flat. Main roads are blue flagstone and wooden boardwalks along the river, accessible only by foot.
Consumption & Dining
- Tickets & Boat Fees: Bamei is under unified scenic management. A combined ticket including entrance, round-trip shuttle, and one-way boat is generally around 80 to 100 yuan.
- Specialty Dining: Dozens of villager-run farmhouses serve Zhuang five-color sticky rice, Bahang chicken, and local river fish, costing about 40 to 60 yuan per person per meal.
Clothing Advice
- Temperature Protection: The water cave lacks sunlight. During the 15-minute boat ride, the perceived temperature drops by 5 to 8 degrees. Carry a long-sleeved light jacket.
- Footwear Requirements: Boat docks and river boardwalks are often wet. Wear non-slip flat sneakers or wading shoes.
Notes
- Weather Impact: During the rainy season from June to August, the underground river level rises and the water becomes turbid. In case of continuous heavy rain, boat service may be suspended for safety.
- Item Care: The cave is very dark and the boat may sway. Secure phones and cameras around your neck or in a bag before boarding to prevent them from falling into the water.
Related Guides
- 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
- Yunnan Rainy Season Travel Pitfall Guide | What to Note for Yunnan Trips from July to August
- 2026 Lijiang Travel Guide | Beyond the Ancient Town: How to Explore Jade Dragon Snow Mountain & Shuhe Ancient Town
- 2026 Yunnan High-Speed Rail Timetable & Ticket Buying Guide | Travel Around Dali and Lijiang by High-Speed Train
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]
- Shuanglang Ancient Town: Free; Nanzhao Customs Island about CNY 50–56; 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
