Dali Things to Do

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These three pagodas are perhaps the most famous in China and feature on many postcards. They are, in fact, part of the Temple of the Exalted Holy One (Chongsheng Si), also known as the Temple of the Three Pagodas (Santa Si). The largest of these, the Pagoda of the Thousand Searches (Qianxun Ta), a rectangular building of sixteen stepped storeys, stands 69m/226ft high and is very similar to the Pagoda of the Little Wild Goose in Xian. There are some doubts as to when it was built, although most experts now think it was in the third decade of the 9th century. In the centre of the front of each storey there is a niche containing a marble statue of the Buddha. Other Buddhist relics were found during a renovation in 1979 and are in a museum behind the pagodas.

The two smaller pagodas (which stand 138ft/42m high) are to the north and south of the large one. Both are octagonal, of ten stepped storeys and date from the time of the Five Dynasties period (907-960). All three are beautiful buildings and were some of the best that I saw during my 3 month trip in China. The admission price is rather hefty but this does include the large temple complex. Think of these as, sort of, China's Taj Mahal. More photos can be found in one of my travelogues.

Open: 7am-8pm. Admission: RMB121 (includes Chongsheng Temple).

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This is a lovely idea. Why not have a stream running through the middle of a pedestrian street? Well this particular spot is very popular with people having their photos taken as it is very picturesque. My guesthouse was right outside it.

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The drum tower lies on Wenxian Lu which is the southern part of Fuxing Lu - the main street that runs north-south through Dali. It's possible to climb up it for free where you get to see most of the old town. There's some nice pools, trees and flowers around the drum tower and you can sit and take it all in from small pavilions.

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The old town of Dali measures just 1.5 sq miles (4 sq km) with Ming dynasty walls that form a square shape that measure 2km in each direction. The walls have a height of 7.5 meters (24.6 feet) and a thickness of 6 meters (19.7 feet). There are four gates altogether - north, south, east and west - all of which are very similar in design (a two-storey hall on top of the wall with a narrow passage underneath for access). The city layout was uniform, with five main streets from south to north and eight main streets from east to west.

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This small church, which I don't know the name of, is located along Fuxing Lu near the centre of the old town. It was luckily open when I visited Dali so I peaked inside but the interior is very simple with no altar and just a picture of Christ floating above the Great Wall of China (which was kind of unusual to see - see one of the photos).

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Fuxing Lu is the main street that runs north-south through the walled part of the town. It is lined mostly with shops and small snack restaurants and features a small stream with willow trees. The street is mostly pedestrianised but you still have to watch out where you're walking.

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This small courtyard is just off Huguo Lun (Foreigner's Street) and all of a sudden when I was there, a dancing and singing performance began on the stage above ground level with around 10 young girls dressed in traditional minority clothes.

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Huguo Lu is more commonly known as "Foreigner's Street" as it's lined with bars, cafes and restaurants. This part of the street lies between the two north-south roads of Boai Lu and Fuxing Lu plus there's a little courtyard with more of the same.