大理
Halfway between Kunming and Lijiang lies the historic old town of Dali , ringed
by a white -walled city and crowned by the Cangshan mountain range .This is the
Dali’Gucheng (old Town ,or “gooch”).The route to the Gooch through Xiaguan (New
Town ,or Xincheng)is lined with trees and flowers ,hills jutting here and there ,and
the ever-present 360°panorma of blue-hued mountains.
Dali is the kind of place to just “be”. Wander the streets , rent a bike and buy some
crap . Make a friend ,make some art and enjoy the food .Follow the general rule of
picking unknown restaurants by how many locals are eating there , distance from
main tourist traffic (restaurants that can pick up a steady stream of tourists do not
need to have good food )and intuition There are cool places everywhere .Mountains
and lakes ,parks and vegetable gardens in the back roads .Hostels with flavour ,
workshops built into the back of four-wall courtyard houses .Winter is their slow season ,
but in exchange for Dali’s chill ,you get less tourists clogging up the cobblestones and
more patient locals .The Erhai Lake region is packed with villages ,tombs ,caves and
temples .But the best sights of Dali are in the tree-lined streets ,the faces and traditional
dress of locals ,the art on the walls and in the shops .
Dali is a place that attracts nature lovers ,doers and makers ,musicians and artists ,
and oddballs .It is a place where travelers fall in love and then rent(or trade services
for)a room .Sooner or later ,most people move on ,while others find or blind a home
here .It feels like the China of flying kungfu and new poetry :grey-tiled roofs and tasteful
handpainted wall art ,foreign and Chinese hipsters living beautifully on minimal income .
Dali is a mixing place where you can step back in time ,to ancient architecture and
ancient customs ,and forward to a vibrant village of western and Chinese travelers ,artists
and musicians.
It is important to know that winter Dali lacks artificial heat .Electric heaters are rare ,often
valued for their ability to double as a stove ,but electric blankets are more common .
Usually ,winter is mild and short .Average lows for December and January are usually
around 8°C.