Dali Ancient Town, historically known as Yeyu City or Purple City, is a historic and cultural city nestled at the foot of Cangshan Mountain and beside Erhai Lake. It is not only a national 4A-rated tourist attraction, but also one of China’s first 24 National Historical and Cultural Cities. With more than 500 years of history spanning the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms, it is renowned as “a city of wind, flowers, snow, and moonlight, and half of Yunnan’s history.”

The ancient town retains the chessboard-style layout of “nine streets and eighteen lanes” from the Ming and Qing dynasties and is open to visitors free of charge. Here, you can climbSouth Gate Towerto admire the snow-capped peaks of Cangshan Mountain from afar, stroll alongForeigner Streetto experience the fascinating meeting of Chinese and Western cultures, or ascendWuhua Towerto overlook the town’s gray-tiled rooftops. With “running water in every household and flowers in every home,” the town is filled with traditional Bai residences and is an ideal place to experience tie-dye craftsmanship and sample local specialties such as grilled milk fan and Xizhou baba.

Tie-Dye Workshop Experience

Step into a Bai tie-dye workshop to bind and dye, using plant

-based indigo to create a one-of-a-kind tie-dye piece by hand.

Flower Pastry-Making Experience

Experience making Yunnan flower pastries. Pick edible highland roses, knead the flaky pastry, and wrap it around rose-petal filling before shaping and baking. Take in the rich fragrance of roses, savor the flower pastries you made yourself, and bring home the floral scent of the City of Eternal Spring.