Exploring Dali Ancient City in Yunnan, What to see in the Historical Old Town!

Dali Ancient City Wuhua Tower — *This is probably the closest I’ll get to feeling like I am in those historical Chinese dramas*

Definitely the biggest highlight of my recent trip to Yunnan China was exploring the Dali Ancient City! Located in the city of Dali in Yunnan, China, this district was first built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Nowadays the Dali Ancient City is a pleasant walking street district filled with gorgeous ancient stone/wood architecture, cafes, shops, bars, and more…

I’m so excited to share with you my experiences exploring the Dali Ancient City, despite being relatively unknown tourists, this historical old town is definitely a place you should put on your Yunnan itinerary, trust me.

Just to note, I went during the early spring season, around March which is perfect weather for walking as the sun wasn’t too hot and there is a cool breeze blowing throughout the alleys of the city.

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The Gateway to the Ancient Silk Road

*The Dali Ancient City is such a great place to have a relaxing stroll*

I know some of you might find history boring but bear with me for a sec as I give you some background context to the significance of the Dali Ancient City, it’ll enhance your exploring, I promise :)

Being located in the Southwestern Yunnan province of China, the province was isolated from many important trade routes. Thus, according to historical texts, the Dali Ancient City was for many traders, a gateway to accessing the Silk Road, a trading route linking the Eastern world with the West.

Furthermore, the Dali Ancient City also served as a hub for the Yunnan provincial government as well as a major military barrack for the province.

In modern times, you can definitely see and feel the historical importance of the Dali Ancient City. The numerous shops selling food, clothes, souvenirs, all harken back to the days of the Silk Road, whilst the towering… towers… And 7.5 meter high walls showcases the fortified strength of the city.

Could you imagine what it was like to be here back in the Ming Dynasty?

Dali Ancient City Map

If you’ve been to Chiang Mai, Thailand, the layout of the Dali Ancient city is similar. A collection of streets and alleys literally squared off from the rest of Dali city by ancient stone walls.

I will say thought that navigating through the Dali Ancient city is not as easy as the map might make it out to be. There are many small roads and alleyways, sometimes the roads look the same, oh and don’t forget that everything is in Mandarin with very little English so umm… Good luck. Google Maps won’t help you much as the data is not really complete and up to date…

The map above is also a bit deceiving, the Dali Ancient City is a HUGE place with many things to see and do. Traversing from on end of the city wall to the other isn’t going to take a few hours, likely it’ll take a good day or two to truly see everything that the Dali Ancient City has to offer.

On that note, I’d say the easiest way to explore and actually enjoy your travels to the Dali Ancient City and the rest of the Yunnan province is by joining a tour like I did. Tours like this 8 Day Dali to Lijiang Tour might come off as expensive but believe me if I hadn’t gone on a tour, my holiday to Yunnan would be a huge nightmare as transport, food, and basic amenities are difficult to arrange, since this part of China is still developing a tourism industry.

So uhh yeah, if you’re coming alone be prepared to get lost…

Some Hotel Recommendations in Dali Ancient City

dali ancient city mcdonalds — *Ancient merchants would stop by for a quick McDali with extra cheese before heading to the silk road*

Since the Dali Ancient City is so massive, you might want to book an overnight stay nearby, it’s a good decision too because the atmosphere at Dali Ancient City is completely different during the night, that’s when all the bright red lanterns shine and the bars start to open.

Here are some budget friendly hotels around Dali Ancient City that I recommend:

Dali Old Courtyard Boutique Inn - Charming Inn with a traditional and cozy Chinese aesthetic
Dali Yanyuan Mountain Retreat - Exceptional comfy hotel that’s located only 5 minutes away from the ancient city (I recommend this one)
China Old Story Inns Dali Ancient Town - The decor is a bit strange, like a messy mix of Western vintage paraphernalia and traditional Chinese decor, other than that pretty charming and a comfortable place.
Holiday Inn Express Dali Xiaguan - Your trusty Holiday Inn, Western style modern and clean rooms, good standard service.

Let’s Explore Dali Ancient City!

dali ancient city food city — *A city within a city, not to mention a city of food!*

Exploring the Dali Ancient City was pleasant, especially during the cooler months. Though I didn’t to fully explore the city (I only stayed there for 1 day) I visit what is regarded as the top “must see” attractions.

I also want to mention that this area isn’t just a walking street/district for tourists, it’s a literal city complete with residential buildings, parks, temples, churches, hospitals, heck even a middle school.

Most, if not all of the tourism is concentrated in the south western end of the ancient city in the Fuxing and Renmin Road which is where we are going to spend the majority of our time exploring.

Dali Ancient City South Gate

Entering through one of the one of the two southern gates, we aren’t immediately in the main part of the Dali Ancient City walking street. Though this gate is pretty impressive considering the history of this gate. This gate is known as the Double Crane Tower and it’s actually the oldest structure in the Dali Ancient City, so much so that it has become the symbol of the city itself.

Dali Ancient City Fuxing Road

Heading in a bit further you’ll arrive at Fuxing Road, which also perpendicular to the Pedestrian walking street, here is where you’ll find the majority of tourists will congregate.

In Fuxing Road you’ll find a plethora of shops, cafes, and street food stands selling all sorts of things. Though beware though that some shops charge exorbitant prices… Seriously, I wanted to buy some sugarcane juice, the vendor told me it was 120 RMB (~16 USD) which is INSANE. Me being the dumb tourist thought that this was normal? Luckily my tour guide told me that it’s a scam… So yeah just beware of that.

Yeah that left a pretty bad impression but it’s ok that was a one-off incident, the other vendors are more honest.

dali ancient city coffee shop — *Some good Yunnan coffee anyone?*

In Fuxing Road, if you are looking for things to buy here are some recommendations for popular souvenirs and gifts in the Dali Ancient City:

Coffee Beans - You wouldn’t expect this from a country obsessed with Tea but yeah, coffee is especially popular in Dali. In the Ancient City you’ll find a couple dozen coffee shops and roasters selling freshly roasted beans. If you’re a coffee nerd like I am, then be sure to buy a few packs of Dali beans.
Pickled Fruits and Vegetables - Pickles are a common snack in these parts of Asia, they’re not like your Western/ European pickles though. Pickles here are made with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, all crunchy and sour. Give them a try, I don’t like them personally but I know many who do.
Sun Dried Fruits - Similar to the pickles, sun dried fruits are popular as well, these fruits are often dusted in a lime/salt power to give them an extra zesty taste, some are so sour they taste like those warheads candies. You’ll find a lot of these shops selling these snacks like how candy shops sell their candy, buffet style.

Dali Ancient City Wuhua Tower

Fuxing Road is where you’ll also find the Wuhua Tower, which I argue is an even more iconic structure than the southern gate.

The Wuhua Tower was built in 856 but was later moved to the Dali Ancient City. It’s very beautiful and the fact that it’s standing the middle of Fuxing Road gives it a very imposing appearance.

You can actually go inside and reach the top to have a nice panoramic view of the entire Dali Ancient City.

Dali Ancient City Renmin Road

Walking along the Fuxing Road you’ll come to an intersection where the Renmin Road is perpendicular to it. This is the second major road dedicated to tourism, You'll find a lot of bars, hostels, and restaurants here.

Just to note, if you are staying overnight in Dali, Renmin Road is the place you want to explore when the sun sets. The vibes and atmosphere are completely different. More chill, more relaxing.

ethnic chinese — *I’m not kidding, you’ll see people this having photoshoots everywhere, it’s a great culture shock for me*

Another popular shop you’ll find in Dali Ancient City and in fact all throughout Yunnan’s major attraction sites, are these photo/make up shops similar to those Kimono rental stores in Japan. Here you can dress up in (often exaggerated and weirdly sexualized) ethnic clothing and have your make up done in the Douyin style, like a porcelain doll aesthetic.

These shops are everywhere and I later learnt that it’s a craze/trend in China for people to do this. So if you’re into that then yeah sure. These shops are expensive though.

In my opinion some people over-do it and end up just turning themselves into thirst traps or eye candy for social media. To me it doesn’t seem like a “immerse yourself in the culture” sort of thing, it feels more like “Show off your fantasy-like beauty on TikTok” sort of vibe, and the shops clearly are advertising towards this mindset.

In fact I’m not sure if the outfits are 100% traditional, I feel like the jewelry and designs are overly exaggerated to be more beautiful? To each their own I guess.

Dali Ancient City Huguo Road

The last road that you should know about is Huguo Road, just a bit further from Renmin Road. This road is also known as “Foreigner Street” clearly said so by a landmark called um… “Foreigner’s Street Central Square”. I don’t know I just find the name kinda funny.

Same as with Renmin Road, you’ll find a lot of bars and restaurants here perfect for spending your evening/night.

The Dali Ancient City Catholic Churches and Temples

It ain’t Asia if there aren’t any temples and Dali Ancient City has many temples. And surprisingly Catholic churches as well, which you wouldn’t expect in such a old, and culturally significant city.

I don’t particularly enjoy visiting temples but some notable ones that are very popular for tourists (and locals) are:

Wumiao Temple
The Dali Catholic Church
Christian Church

One thing that I did find incredibly interesting, at least from a cultural standpoint, is that the Dali Catholic Church’s architecture is built in a traditional Asian style with intricate details, layered towering structure, and the classic angular curved rooftops that Asian architecture is known for. Quite interesting, considering that Christianity and Catholicism is predominantly a Western religion and even in Asia (such as in Vietnam), these religious structures are built in a gothic-western style.

Dali Ancient City Museums

Fitting the ancient city theme, the Dali Ancient City is home to multiple historical and traditional art museums.

A notable Museum that I enjoyed exploring is literally called the Dali Museum (no, not Salvador Dali). This museum is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the local Dali and Bai ethnic groups in the region. If you’re a history buff then you’ll enjoy these museums.

In addition to history museums, there are also many art museums, most notably the Dali Rural Film History Museum which, you guessed it, is dedicated to preserving the history of film.

Foods to Try in Dali Ancient City

yunnan rose flower cake — *I’ll take your entire stock!*

While there are a lot of foods to try in the Dali Ancient City one particular snack that I saw most commonly sold are these Rose jam pastries, their known locally as Yunnan Rose Cakes or Yunnan Flower Cakes. They’re these circular flakey pastries with a sweet jam in the middle made from usually rose petals.

They’re pretty tasty and they go well with tea. They’re quite filling as well, like I ate only one and it felt like I ate an entire meal, the pastry is pretty dense.

ru shan fried cheese — *It’s literally a piece of fried cheese, what’s not to like?*

Another iconic Dali snack that I absolutely love are these fried diary sheets called Ru Shan. I know it sounds strange but it’s basically a thin sheet of deep fried cheese, usually sprinkled with sugar. They taste sort of like Ritz crackers but very crunchy, thin, and fragile. Though I couldn’t eat much because they are quite oily.

Other classic foods to try in not just Dali Ancient City but in Dali in general are:

Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles: An Iconic Yunnan dish, basically a bowl huge bowl of noodles with various assorted toppings.
Liang Fen - Cold Jelly-like noodles made form chickpea dressed with a vinegary chili sauce.
Er Kuai - A classic Dali snack of a sheet of glutinous rice, sort of like a thick tortilla, filled with chili sauce, peanuts, and golden crunchy Chinese donut.

Details About Dali Ancient City

The Dali Ancient City in Yunnan, China is the old town district of Dali City that was built in during the Ming Dynasty. This district is full of shops, restaurants, and cafes all combined with an atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re being transported back to Ancient China.

Location: China, Yunnan, Dali

Opening Hours: 24 Hours | Mon - Sun

Entrance Fee: Free

How to get to Dali Ancient City from Dali City

The Dali Ancient city is quite a bit away from the center of Dali city, which is also quite a bit away from Dali Airport, so getting there may be a bit difficult, there isn’t really any public transport in Dali.

If you are starting from within Dali City, I’ll definitely recommend you take a Taxi or a ride hailing service the journey will take approximately 40 minutes.

If you are starting from the Dali Airport, then that’s a bit easier as there is an Airport Bus service that will take you directly to the Dali Ancient City. The journey via Airport Bus will take you around 1 hour.

Looking for Things to Do in Yunnan, China?

6 Day Shangri-La in Dali, Lijiang, Yunnan Tour - Encountering Cangshan Erhai Lake & Climbing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain & Viewing Rizhao Jinshan Mountain
5 Day Once in a Lifetime Yunnan Tour - Yubeng Village, Ancient Temples, Rizhao Jinshan Mountain

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