Trip Overview
When: September - November across multiple years (2012, 2017, 2019, and beyond)
Duration: 5-7 days per trip
Travelers: Solo travelers and groups of friends (Kaikai, Enming, and various travel companions)
Budget: ~3,000 RMB (~$420 USD) per person
Transportation: Flights, buses, rented cars, and electric bikes
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: Fly into Dali Airport (DLU) or Lijiang Airport (LJG). The Dali-Lijiang journey takes about 2-3 hours by bus. Road improvements have dramatically reduced travel time—the Lijiang to Lugu Lake route, which once took 7 hours, now takes only 3 hours.
Money Matters: Most hotels, restaurants, and attractions accept mobile payment (Alipay/WeChat Pay). Carry some cash for small vendors and rural areas.
Altitude Note: Dali and Lijiang sit at around 2,000 meters—comfortable for most visitors, but altitude sickness can occur. The author experienced mild altitude sickness during their first visit to Lugu Lake (about 2,700m). Take it easy on your first day and stay hydrated.
Language: English is limited outside tourist areas. Learning a few basic Mandarin phrases helps, or use translation apps. The local Bai language adds to the cultural richness.
First Encounters: Lugu Lake and the High Plateau
My first real high-altitude adventure began at Lugu Lake (泸沽湖)—and it started with altitude sickness. A cold caught during the journey left me unable to continue to Shangri-La, so I diverted to the romance capital, Lijiang, instead. There, I fell in love with someone who traveled with me all the way to Dali. That was my first impression of the high plateau—unexpected, a bit difficult, but undeniably magical.
Dali and Lijiang—these names alone evoke romance. Countless interesting souls have passed through or settled here, giving these cities layers of meaning. I've always loved high-altitude destinations. Dali and Lijiang offer comfortable altitudes (minimal risk of altitude sickness) while delivering unlimited blue skies and white clouds. What's not to love?
2012 was my first year of backpacking. Carrying a 60L backpack, I took a hard sleeper train from Chengdu to Xichang—just for a glimpse of Lugu Lake. The autumn colors at the lake were intoxicating. It was my first genuine high-altitude hike, an entire day of walking through paradise.
I didn't take proper precautions against the cold, caught a感冒, and that triggered my first altitude sickness experience. I'd wanted to see the legendary Meili Snow Mountain (梅里雪山) from Feilai Temple (飞来寺), but had to give it up due to health. Still, I returned to Feilai Temple several times over the years just to catch a glimpse of the Thirteen Peaks.
Sometimes we have to fulfill our own desires—leaving things undone creates a permanent blockage in the heart. Fortunately, later visits to Lijiang and Dali brought me to Shaxi Ancient Town (束河古镇), Baisha Village (白沙村), Wenhai (文海), Jade Lake Village (玉湖村), and Lashi Sea (拉市海). In Dali, I searched for that famous white table and chairs at Shuanglang, but what stayed with me most was the morning mist over the Black River (黑惠江) in Shaxi.
Years passed. I traveled extensively throughout Tibet but never returned to Lijiang and Dali. Maybe I didn't want to tarnish the initial beauty by revisiting it.
But then I found several excellent Lijiang guesthouses, and the timing was perfect—November, the same month as my first visit, when Lugu Lake displays its finest autumn colors. In 2017, I returned to Lijiang.
So many years later, Lijiang still seems to have only these few places worth visiting—or so I thought. Perhaps traveling extensively changes how you see things. Now I take my time, not trying to cram too many places into one trip. That would be exhausting.
I gave Lijiang seven full days. I didn't even go to Dali—just flew in and out. I wanted to revisit the Matrimony Bridge (走婚桥) at Lugu Lake for sunset. I wanted to wander through Shaxi Ancient Town for an afternoon, sipping coffee. I wanted to see those ancient villages at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山). One by one, I made it happen.
Returning to Lashi Sea after many years, it had transformed completely. These days it no longer randomly overcharges tourists, and the recreational infrastructure has improved significantly. This dedicated trip to Lijiang was really quite nice.
The biggest change? The road from Lijiang to Lugu Lake—formerly a grueling 7 hours, now shortened to just 3.幸福的。
Returning to Dali: A Friend's Guesthouse
Time moved on to 2019. A close friend opened a guesthouse in Dali, and when it was ready, I promised to visit. That fulfilled my wish to return to Dali.
I hope to stay at a destination for several days—that's what travel feels like to me. Rushing through without pausing is just going through the motions, not really experiencing a place. In Dali for five days, my deepest memory is riding an electric bike from Erhai Lake (洱海) to Dali Ancient Town (大理古城) on a sunny afternoon. We basked in the sun at the Four Seasons Market (四季集市), drinking wine. That was noon—we kept going until 10 PM, switching venues but never stopping the drinking.
How to do Dali? Simply live peacefully. Sleep when you should, wake up to see Cangshan Mountain's snow (苍山) and Erhai Lake's moon (洱月), eat what you want, drink what you want—and the day simply passes.
That Dali trip was incredibly memorable. My friend NaoNao arranged an electric bike for me,自由穿行于大理古城和苍山洱海之间. Airport transfers were all arranged—I didn't need to worry about anything.
Just eat when full, sleep when tired, and when both are satisfied, go out for ocean views and photos. Besides Dali's craft beer that I still crave, Yunnan grows many Arabica coffee beans. Any café with an interesting facade in Dali serves pour-over coffee that won't disappoint.
The plateau is beautiful, but Dali is better for utopian living. Because they have everything unique to high altitudes—blue skies, white clouds, snow-capped mountains, lakes—yet with altitudes that don't trigger altitude sickness and sunlight that's not too intense. That's probably why so many people quit their jobs to settle in Dali.
Reuniting with Friends: Dali and Lijiang Together
Since meeting Kaikai (樊凯凯), we've traveled together every year—except this year. Coincidentally, we were both free and agreed to meet in Dali. What matters isn't what's at the destination, but the people you're with.
Actually, Kaikai and I have been to many places together—starting with a month-long self-drive trip to Xinjiang, then Chengdu, Chongqing, Taiwan. He's already my ideal travel companion. In the same city, we used to be available on call, but now that we've become like brothers, we're somehow less formal. I remember us drinking Wusu beer on the rooftop, planning our next trip—spontaneous or well-planned.
Enming (恩铭)正好结束了毕棚沟的行程, flying in early to Dali to meet us. The three of us rented a car and began our brief Dali adventure.
I realized you don't need rapeseed flowers in bloom for endless golden views—when the wheat ripens, Dali's pastoral scenery is absolutely enchanting. To fulfill my desire for Shuanglang (双廊), our primary destination was there. It's still that ancient town with many steps to climb, but without the earlier excitement of searching for the Haidi Life white table and chairs. Now it's more about sitting in a guesthouse or café, watching the sea.
During our few days, we ate Yunnan cuisine many times—fitting in with local customs, we actually grew to love it. For example, Dali's famous Duan Gongzi Restaurant (段公子餐厅), where the dishes have unique presentations. The opposing Jin Hua A Mei (金花阿妹) is also good. There's also a hundred-year-old courtyard, Jinshan Bainian (尽善百年), run by a native of Dali Ancient Town. Their homemade plum wine is absolutely excellent.
Conveniently, my next destination was easier to reach from Lijiang, so we traveled together to Lijiang. Not for anything else, just to revisit Lijiang Ancient Town (丽江古城). I thought COVID would mean fewer tourists—I vastly underestimated it. This was the most crowded scenic spot I've seen all year.
Dali Ancient Town (大理古城)
Dali Ancient Town is unavoidable for anyone visiting Dali. Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, it's one of China's first 24 historical and cultural cities. Travel's four-word mantra: '来都来了' (since you're already here)—how could you not pass through Dali Ancient Town?
When we arrived at Dali Station, the bus I wanted to catch was just about to depart. Regardless of hunger, we got on first. Kaikai and I stayed at Jijian Nanguo Inn (既见南国民宿) near the ancient town—only ten minutes walk to the town center. We ordered takeout on the way and had dinner ready at the guesthouse upon arrival. These truly are convenient times. Come rain or shine, there are always people willing to run errands for you.
We started brewing tea immediately upon sitting down. In Yunnan, drinking Pu'er is completely normal. Before my trip, Kaikai urged me to bring some green tea. As Fujian people, tea drinking—particularly Tieguanyin—still holds significant status. After a brief rest, we turned in early, having traveled all day by plane and train.
The next day, opening the window revealed distinctive Bai architectural style. Over the years, I've forgotten what jet lag feels like—often waking up needing a moment to recall which city I'm in. Sometimes I think turning travel—something that should be 'playing'—into a kind of 'work' is actually quite nice.
I had just woken up when Enming had already arrived from Sichuan at the guesthouse, joining us. Due to COVID this year, various airlines launched 'follow-your-heart flight' packages. People with money and time chose suitable ones, starting to打卡 in various corners of the country during specific times. Dali is just that kind of interesting place—with all sorts of people who come here, fall in love with Dali, stay, and do what they can.
Dali has four city gates—east, west, south, and north. From our guesthouse, we passed by Erhai Gate (洱海门). The ancient town wall's outer face is brick-built, and the gate tower's roof is the higher-grade double-eaved Xieshan style found in Chinese palace architecture. Actually, the oldest preserved buildings in Dali might be just over a century old—due to historical reasons, they suffered varying degrees of destruction in different periods. Buildings that survived the long journey are few; most were rebuilt and renovated according to the original appearance.
Throughout the ancient town, you see various shops—local specialties like腊排骨 (cured pork ribs) and石板烧 (stone slab BBQ), as well as newer internet-famous shops, cafés, and milk tea stands.
Walking through the ancient town after dinner, many wanderers are still摆地摊 (setting up street stalls) earning travel funds—or not. Who knows? Perhaps someone with a civil service job in Dali also wants an interesting life before coming to set up a stall.
Dali's Pastoral Scenery
This is probably my deepest impression of Li Jian's song:
'Under the distant blue sky,
Waves of golden wheat move,
That's where you and I
Once loved.'
—Wind Waves the Wheat.mp3
Coming at the end of September, the season was perfect—early autumn in Dali, with golden wheat fields everywhere. Along the road from Dali Ancient Town to Shuanglang, the scenery is endless pastoral beauty.
Actually, I did plenty of research before coming—not just wanting to circle Erhai Lake once, but also打卡 (checking in) at places like洱海悬崖 (Erhai cliff), or certain small forests that make for dreamy photos. Plus various lesser-known temples: Gantong Temple (感通寺), Jizhao Temple (寂照庵), Wude Temple (无为寺), and more. But laziness won—like the previous night, drinking too much and not being able to get up, or getting up and arriving at the destination, the three of us actually napped in the car for a whole morning. Bottom line: barely any打卡 (checking in)—we just went wherever the wind took us.
Dali's weather is ever-changing. Just when it looks like it's about to rain, next moment Cangshan's edge appears with Dali's most common god rays (耶稣光). We parked on the roadside entering the village, got out to look at the golden wheat fields at that moment.
In the distance are gray tiles and white walls—Bai architectural style—obviously Dali, a scene embedded deeply in memory.
My drone took me through the wheat fields, over houses, toward Erhai Lake. The weather had become clearer since morning, and my mood improved with it. It's quite joyful traveling with people who all like photography—no one needs to wait for anyone. Everyone knows when shooting is done, they'll call a stop. When not done, everyone does their own thing. I love this feeling most.