Da Li

Dali sits between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake in western Yunnan, with a pace of life so unhurried that visitors tend to stay far longer than planned. The old town's white-walled courtyard houses belong to the local Bai minority, giving Dali a cultural texture distinct from anywhere else in China. It's also the logical base for trips deeper into Yunnan — to Lijiang, Shangri-La, and the edges of the Tibetan Plateau.