Looking back, Dali truly has a relaxing charm.

Took an overnight train from Xishuangbanna to Dali—sleeper tickets were so hard to get that my friend and I ended up in separate carriages. Arrived super early at 7 AM in winter, with the sky just beginning to light up. Waited until 8 AM for the car rental to open, picked up the car, and headed straight to the ancient town. This was my third time in Dali. The last visit was seven years ago at the end of summer, staying in the ancient town felt quite pleasant back then. Never expected this Spring Festival trip to be so different—the ancient town was packed with crowds by 9 AM. Even the nicest places feel noisy when there are too many people. The shops along the main street of the ancient town are very commercial, but that's normal. If you venture deeper into the alleys, you'll find small shops not yet open in the early morning, and electric scooters parked everywhere. From the alleys, you can see the Cangshan Mountain, making it feel less chaotic. Tried rushan (milk fan) for the first time—it was surprisingly good, and I could totally accept it. There's a huge store selling Dali souvenirs at very cheap prices—highly recommended! Stayed near Longkan Dock and spent the afternoon at the Erhai Ecological Corridor. Still crowded, but since I'm terrible at riding e-scooters, I opted for a shared bike (ended up catching a fever the next day, probably from the wind). You can ride from the asphalt road right to the lakeside anytime. And we were treated to a stunning sunset with Cangshan Mountain and rapeseed flowers—probably my favorite moment in Dali (or maybe because I started feeling sick afterward 😂). Oh, and we also tried tie-dyeing at Zhoucheng Courtyard—made a dress myself. For dinner, we had mushroom hotpot recommended by the homestay owner, paired with a bottle of Haizhilang—got a bit tipsy (and burped alcohol the next day). —————— The next day, we hiked Cangshan Mountain. Unfortunately, the Ximatan Cableway was only running halfway. After getting off, we decided to walk to Gantong—cue endless stair descent. Must’ve been 1,000 steps—my legs were jelly. Huge respect for those hiking up. Along the way, we passed people going the opposite direction and wondered how they’d feel after trekking 5 km to Ximatan, only to face a thousand steps upward. The Yudai Cloud Trail winds along the mountainside. From Qilongnv Pool to Gantong, it’s mostly flat—even kids could manage. You can enjoy views of Erhai and pick up giant pinecones along the way. But after leaving Gantong, we decided to hike to Jizhao Temple for vegetarian lunch. Honestly, after 5 km, climbing to the temple was brutal—just one relentless slope with no breaks. And when we finally made it 🤷, they said it was already 2 PM—no more food. Still, Jizhao Temple is beautiful in a delicate way only women might appreciate. A nun even gifted me a handwritten "peace and joy." —————— On the last day, we drove around Erhai. Shuanglang was similar to Dali Ancient Town—just a quick glance at Yang Liping’s villa (didn’t go in for the pricey afternoon tea). Taking backroads to the fort was fun. Didn’t want to wait for the scenic shuttle, so we hitched a ride on a private tuk-tuk back to the parking lot. Southerners are so skilled on e-scooters—zipping through alleys like nothing. Driving around Erhai wasn’t that fun, especially with Spring Festival traffic. Riding an e-scooter around isn’t much better either (tried it seven years ago—got blown to bits by the wind, kinda dumb in hindsight).