The Mt. Canshan Area Of Dali
We took a chairlift up to the Zhong He Temple in the Cangshan Mountains for great views of Dali. You can walk up but it's not easy to find the proper trail if you are alone. Ask someone. I found it interesting that the stock for most azealas grown in Europe was sourced from wild azealas on Mount Cangshan. The mountains are also a Nature Reserve and home to wild camelias, orchids, rhodedendrons and bird life. A die-hard hiker/trekker could easily spend days in Dali and arrange for hikes in the Cangshan area.
Xizhou town is about 20kms/12 miles north of Dali with almost 200 national heritage listed private houses dating from the Qing Dynasty. The builders were famous throughout SE Asia and the remaining houses are some of the best examples of traditional Qing architecture in China.. From there to Zhoucheng...
Zhoucheng is located 23 kms/14 miles north of the old town of Dali. The village is inhabited by 1,500 households of the Bai people, the largest village in Dali. Here we, and other tourists, visited more residences of the Bai people and watched them tie-dye clothing in their home-based workshops. Tie-dyed t-shirts and clothes are a big thing throughout Yunnan. Usually, elephant scenes on a dark blue background (indigo).
From Dali, the trip would continue to Zhongdian with a stop at the Shaping/Shapin Market tomorrow and we were ready to go... With the exception of good Western-style food, Dali wasn't as memorable or interesting as other places in China we've visited...even it it is now one of Yunnan's prime destinations.
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