Dali: Bai Culture, Markets and Historic Sites

Discover Dali through its historic streets, Bai traditions and distinctive cultural sites. The streets in the old town follow a regular grid layout. Paved paths and canals preserve their historic character, while Fuxing Road connects the town. If you are travelling with children, you can tailor your outings to your family’s interests: street life and local culture offer different themes from the history of a temple or the architecture of a residential complex.

Old Town, Streets and Bai Culture

Along Fuxing Road, you will find local snacks, handicrafts and traditional folk songs. Everyday impressions are as much a part of the old town as its historic buildings. The Old Town Scenic Area is free to visit year-round; check current access conditions before travelling.

The cultural sites each offer a different focus. The Dali Municipal Museum is located in the historic Du Wenxiu Marshal’s Mansion on Fuxing Road. It includes a historical cultural relics exhibition hall, a courtyard complex with four compounds and five courtyards, and a forest of steles. The Yang Jie Former Residence preserves a Bai residential complex: the front house consists of three sections and a screen wall; behind it is a courtyard complex with four compounds and five courtyards.

The Jiang Gong Shrine is a museum of Dali’s intangible cultural heritage, housed in a well-preserved, representative ancestral shrine. It focuses on Bai culture, the culture of local guardian deities, traditional crafts and Dongjing music. Dali Confucius Temple preserves a traditional ceremonial layout with a screen wall, pond, gate buildings, sacrificial platform and Dacheng Hall. Photo and art exhibitions and ceremonies honouring Confucius are held there; the programme may vary.

Another way to experience Bai traditions is Zuoke Baijia, a living exhibition venue for intangible cultural heritage in the old town. It presents the Rao San Ling tradition, Bai songs and wedding customs. For a different kind of cultural event, the Chunqiao Festival is held at Wumiao each year on the 15th day of the second lunar month, with Bai dances and trade in goods; the programme may change.

Festivals and Historic Buildings

March Street is an annual Bai festival and market at the foot of Cangshan, west of the old town. Trading, dances, horse races and other competitions are among the listed festival activities. The tradition dates back more than 1,300 years. Its seven-day festival period falls each year from the 15th to the 21st day of the third lunar month. As the dates follow the lunar calendar and programme details may vary, it is worth checking the dates for the year you plan to travel.

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple Scenic and Cultural Area is listed as a national AAAAA tourist attraction in a municipal register. The same register gives opening hours of 7:30 am to 6:30 pm. Classifications and opening hours may change; check the details before visiting. Chongsheng Temple has a long history: construction began during the Tang dynasty (713–741 AD). The temple reached its peak during the Dali Kingdom, serving as a royal monastery and a political and educational centre.

Wuhua Tower stands in the middle of the old town and was built in 856 during the Nanzhao period. Its central location offers views in all four directions. Together with the grid layout and paved streets, it offers another way to appreciate the historic character of the old town.

Getting Around and Choosing Where to Stay

Two self-service electric sightseeing bus routes have been described for getting around the old town. In 2021, Route 1 ran from Wenxian Gate via Lüyü Road, Bo'ai Road, People's Road and Yeyu Road to the east gate on Yuer Road. In 2021, Route 2 ran from Bo'ai Gate via Honglongjing, People's Road, Yangren Street and Cangshan Gate to the same destination. Check the route before travelling, as the service may change.

In 2021, Bus 8 and the Three Pagodas route ran from Dali Railway Station. There was also a direct shuttle in 2021 from the station to the visitor centre at the old town’s south gate. Check connections again before your trip.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Dali, it helps to first decide what matters most to you: would you like to focus on the old town, with its museums, street life and Bai culture, or would you also like to include the Three Pagodas complex and the history of Chongsheng Temple? Then look at specific addresses and the opening hours relevant to your visit. This helps you choose accommodation based on the experiences that genuinely interest you.

Discover more destinations: Dehong, Nujiang, Yuxi, Zhaotong, Haikou, Chuxiong, Pu'er, Lincang.

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