Most Beautiful City in China | 3 Days in Dali, Yunnan

Most Beautiful City in China | 3 Days in Dali, Yunnan

Hello everyone, JHMedium here. Today, I am in Dali Prefecture in Yunnan Province, China. I love Dali, not only because it’s such a beautiful place, but also because it’s very special for this channel. Because back in 2021, this was the very first travel vlog I ever posted on YouTube. After a couple of years, we are back. Join me on this trip to one of the most beautiful places in China. We’ll revisit some of our favorite spots in the ancient city and along Erhai, savor incredible local delicacies, and of course, discover some new hidden gems in this bustling yet tranquil city. You won’t want to miss any of it. On this trip to Dali, we’re staying in a very small village next to Erhai called Xia Ji Yi Cun. It’s around five kilometers away from the Dali Ancient City, so it’s still quite convenient to go there if you have a scooter. I feel like there’s barely any tourists inside this village. It seems like these are all local buildings. But of course, there are some small guest houses as well. Since this is our second time in Dali, we want to stay in a slightly less touristy area, but the plus side is that it’s only like a two-minute to Erhai. So it’s so easy for us to just go have a walk by the lake anytime we want. This right here is the main street of the village. Even though it is quite small, it has everything you need. Convenience stores, eateries, even a pharmacy as well. We’re gonna go have breakfast in this little store, bian ming shi tang. For breakfast here in Dali, there’s two typical dishes you gotta eat, Mixian and ersi. I got a bowl of ersi, and here you can add all the different toppings by yourself. Originally, it just comes with the meat and the red sauce, and then you can add like cilantro, green onions, the pickled vegetables, bean sprouts, depending on if you like them or not. Ersi is a specialty of Yunnan Province and is essentially rice cakes in noodle form. You can enjoy it stir-fried or in a soup like we did. Mixian is the more well-known noodle dish in Yunnan and across China. It’s round, somewhat like a thicker vermicelli noodle. Okay, let’s dig in. The ersi is actually very soft and gooey. The texture kind of reminds me of a mochi. It sticks together like you would expect of a rice cake. It’s very different from the mixian that we’re used to. In comparison, the mixian is very soft, very slippery, and it sort of falls off the chopsticks because it’s so slippery. I think overall I still prefer the mixian. So yeah, if you want a lighter meal, mixian is definitely the way to go. But if you want something more special in this region, then try the ersi. Ersi is probably only commonly found here in Yunnan. It’s hard to find outside of Yunnan. After lunch, it’s time to head to Erhai. The weather in Dali is always so nice. There’s not a single cloud in the sky, so be sure to wear sun protection. There are way more transportation options now than when we last visited. For example, these electric scooters. One of the best activities to do in Dali is the cycle around Erhai. Around Erhai right now, there are lots of these shared bikes and scooters. Unfortunately, you must have a Chinese ID card in order to rent them, so I can’t even rent them myself. In the end, I had to borrow Rika’s friend’s ID card in order to rent a bike for me. So if you’re a foreigner and you want to cycle around Erhai, there many guest houses and hotels around here that can rent you bikes for around 20 RMB per day. Okay, let’s go. Erhai really is like the perfect place for cycling. You get the beautiful mountains and the towns on one side, the lake on the other side. It’s really so scenic here. It’s around noon right now, so there are very few people. And it’s the low season in Dali right now, too. So it’s really comfortable riding on this spacious bike path. The Ecological Corridor is a 129-kilometer loop around Erhai, and it’s absolutely a must-visit spot in Dali. If you’re staying in the Ancient City, the closest entry point is Caicun Wharf, about three kilometers away. The main cycling path runs along the west side of the lake, and you can easily spend an entire day cruising up and down the winding route. When cycling Erhai, there’s just so many places where you can stop and enjoy the view. My goodness, it’s so beautiful here. We reached a section of the lake where there are thousands of seagulls. It’s like a buffet for the seagulls right here. There are these aunties selling snacks for the seagulls. Since we’ve never done this before, we’re gonna go try feed the seagulls just for the experience. These seagulls migrate to Dali from Siberia during the winter months, around October to March. Since we’re here in early March, it’s the last month they’ll be around before making their long journey back north. These shared bikes, it’s just more convenient because you get to park them wherever you want. But if you don’t have a Chinese ID card, you can only rent from one of the hotels, which I think might be better because those bikes are in better condition. These shared bikes are like falling apart. After a whole afternoon of cycling, it’s time to enjoy the sunset by Erhai. This side of the lake is actually better for watching the sunrise, which we’ll come back to see another day. But as the sun dips behind Cangshan, we can still watch the sky gradually turn a soft shade of pink. This place is blessed with both natural splendor and cultural richness. Dali is always beautiful in such an effortlessly charming way. It’s easy to understand why so many people are drawn to this place. I guess the slight downside to living in such a calm village, less touristy village, is that there are fewer food options as well. So tonight for dinner, we ordered some takeout. And there’s a very nice little balcony here at our guest house. So we’re gonna have dinner on the balcony. There’s some lights, it’s nice. Here’s a quick room tour of our guest house. It’s great value for money. We booked it on Trip.com and paid 115 Yuan per night. Keep in mind though, it’s low season between Chinese New Year and Labor Day, which is why we got such a good deal. Day two in Dali, and this morning we found a small bakery to grab some bread for breakfast since we can’t have mixian every day. Today, we’re renting a scooter and heading to the Ancient City. It’s a short trip, so the rental only costs 30 Yuan for the day. We made it over near the Ancient City of Dali. This morning, our first stop is Sanyuejie. There’s this huge street market here. I’ve never seen a Chinese street market this crazy before. There’s food vendors, vendors selling souvenirs, snacks, fresh juice. There’s all sorts of things. There’s no space at all to vlog when walking on that street. It’s so cramped right now. I can’t imagine what high season is like at this place. It’s incredible. Sanyuejie, or Third Month Street, is named after the biggest festival of the Bai people, the predominant ethnic minority in Dali. The festival takes place during the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar and is a grand celebration of Bai culture. Even if you’re not here during the festival, there’s a daytime market held about once a week, which is what we’re here to explore today. The market schedule also follows the lunar calendar, so I recommend checking with your hotel. They’ll definitely know the exact dates it’s open. It’s so hectic on the street that we have to come into a little alleyway to eat. The first street food item we got is erkuai. It’s like a giant dumpling, but instead of using normal flour dough on the outside, they use this rice cake as the dough. Inside it looks like there’s some potatoes, bean sprouts, a giant oil stick, and of course some chili as well. It looks really good. This is one dish that we didn’t try last time we came to Dali, so I’m really excited to have it right now. Even after they cut it in half, the portion size still looks quite large. It’s sort of like a savory mochi. You get this very soft gooey skin, but then inside it’s crunchy because of the bean sprouts. It’s spicy because of the chili peppers. It’s such an interesting combination of textures and flavors. I really like this snack. It’s quite fun to eat as well, like a mochi dumpling. Another thing really popular on this street is their yogurt. They say it’s their handmade yogurt. I got one with rose flavor. Let’s try it. It has such a floral taste to it. It’s really smooth and not too sweet either. I prefer yogurt that’s less thick, the type we’re supposed to drink with a straw instead of the ones that you eat with a spoon. Such a wonderfully fragrant rose-flavored yogurt. It tastes just like the filling of a flower cake. I feel like there are many vendors along this market who sell all kinds of beaded accessories and some knitted crafts. I feel like maybe I could make these too. Even though I’m just getting started myself, but I think the ones I make myself are pretty good too. It’s pretty cute, right? My latest creation is a little pine tree. If I don’t know what to do in the future, maybe I’ll come to Dali and set up a stall. This is absolutely insane. It’s so difficult to even walk through this market street. Which one should I choose? They are all beautiful. I think this tie-dye one is pretty nice. This watercolor postcard is quite unique. This artwork is very typical Dali. You see the blue dyes, the old buildings. The artist’s name is called “Alone.” I really like that name. Since the sun is so blazing hot in Dali, I decided to get a hat. I almost never wear hats, but I think this one looks pretty good. And it’s only 15 RMB, so even if I don’t like it later, I think it’s worth it. There are also many fruit vendors along this street. We picked out two mangoes that looked pretty small. But in the end… How did we end up buying one kilogram of mangos? Looks like we’re having a mango feast today. More street food. This time I got a chicken leg. It looks pretty good. This one is cumin flavored. I’m gonna try it. Yeah, that’s really good. The glaze on the outside is still a little bit sweet. The skin is crispy. The meat is soft. Delicious little chicken leg. While this market is fun to visit. It can get a bit hectic and overwhelming after a while. It’s super bustling. There’s so many people around here. It’s also very loud because all the vendors have their speaker on selling their items. So yeah, just walk to the end, walk back, have some street food, do some shopping. Maybe one or two hours is enough to explore this market. So now I think we’re gonna go back into the Ancient City and maybe look for a slightly calmer market. A real man rides a pink scooter. Let’s go. Since we have the scooter for the entire day, let’s make good use of it. We’re gonna head out to some nearby fields before going to the ancient city later for another charming market and of course dinner. After spending the morning in the hectic Sanyuejie, it’ll be nice to escape the crowds for a while. Other than the super strong wind that can knock you over, this is still quite a peaceful place to be at. Three, two one. Start the ride. After a short scooter ride, we’re here at another market. This one is inside an old bed sheet factory but of course now there are lots of arts and crafts stalls. Once a bed sheet factory in the 1990s and later abandoned, this area was transformed into a large creative hub in 2014. It still retains its old factory style architecture but is now home to artists studios and cafes. On weekends, there’s an arts and crafts market featuring artists from all over Dali. You can find things from jewelry to hand-knitted hats. But one stall in particular really attracted Rika. The bread-lover picked out the necklace that suits her very well, a bread necklace. The owner said this was made with real bread. But she applied a layer of nail polish-like sealing coat on it, so it can last longer. The owner said she is also from Guangdong. So she also understands that in the humid climate of Guangdong, it might be more difficult to preserve. But in a dry place like Yunnan, it can last a long time. It’s so cute, I’m very satisfied. And it’s not very expensive either, just 22 yuan. And now, it’s time for dinner. We’re gonna head to a restaurant about a 5 minute walk from the bed sheet factory to eat a dish everyone must have here in Dali. For dinner today, we’re gonna have arguably the most famous dish in Yunnan, jun gu huo guo, mushroom hot pot. Just then the staff already put the mushrooms into the pot for us and it has to boil for 20 minutes before we can eat it. This restaurant has barbecue and hot pot together so we can also barbecue some pork belly and some potatoes. Last time when we had this in Lijiang, it was super delicious, the barbecue. So hopefully it will taste just as good this time. After being in that super strong wind for one whole day, I think we gotta have some warm soup. Over here there’s also a sauce station where you can make your own sauce. I’m not 100% sure what all of these ingredients are but I mean it smells really good so I’m just gonna get some of each. This is the sauce I got in the end. Sesame paste, sesame oil, spring onions, soy sauce, their secret sauce, and lots of garlic. Alright, 20 minutes has passed and the soup is ready. So of course the first thing we gotta try is this warm chicken mushroom soup. It really is so good, so heavenly. There’s a natural sweetness to it as well. Chicken and mushrooms really is one of the best combinations. It’s so smooth. The mushrooms give the soup a deep umami taste and even though they are wild mushrooms, it’s not that earthy. There are six types of mushrooms in the soup. The staff quickly told me earlier what each of these is called. Yellow Bolete 黄牛肝菌 Lyophyllum Decastes 鹿茸菇 Cordyceps Militaris 虫草花 Agaricus Blazei 姬松茸 Chanterelle 鸡油菌 Yellow Parasol 黄落伞 This is not a biology class so I’m not going to go into detail. Just know they are edible and delicious. My favorite one is probably this mushroom right here. A bowl of this soup really warms your soul up completely. It feels so good. It’s really nice that you get to eat hot pot and barbecue in the same meal, but the barbecue definitely comes second. There’s not a lot of meat. There’s only some pork belly and some potatoes. So I think next time we gotta have barbecue by itself. They added some more soup to the pot so the second round is probably a little bit more diluted but it should still taste pretty good. What a wonderful meal, wonderful atmosphere as well. I highly recommend coming to this restaurant when you’re in Dali and if you want to try the mushroom hot pot. It’s right next to the old bed sheet factory where we went to see the market earlier, so you can go to that in the afternoon and then come here for dinner. Awesome meal here in Dali Ancient City. I mean I like the place that we’re staying at. But if you want good food you still have to come to this area. I’ll be honest, the main streets of the Ancient City are probably my least favorite areas in Dali. This includes streets like Fuxinglu and Yangrenjie. When we visited a few years ago, it already felt very commercialized and crowded. Now even more so. Unlike Sanyuejie from earlier, all the shops here are selling more or less the same thing. It’s not unique anymore. If I have to recommend a time of day to come and explore, it’s right now at night when all the lanterns and lights are lit up. The ambience is still very pretty. If you want some more unique shops, wander around the smaller alleyways and you can find some cute cafes and bookstores. Today is our last full day in this part of Dali City before heading north to explore the rest of the prefecture. First things first, gotta get some more mixian for breakfast. This time we got a chicken mixian and a fried mixian. Mixian is so slippery and not mushy at all. It’s actually a great noodle for frying. Really delicious. Other than cycling or using an electric scooter, there’s another great way to cruise around Erhai, and that’s with a skateboard. In Caicun, there’s a skate shop where you can rent boards by the hour. So that’s what we’re gonna do this morning. Obviously we’re still both beginners. Hopefully we didn’t forget what we learned. Today this little scooter will be my camera car and I’m gonna chase after Rika while she is skateboarding. I can mount the camera in front. I can mount the camera at the back. It’s quite cold right now in March so wearing a big coat while skateboarding limits our mobility. but at least we’re moving forward. Even though we’re both not very good at it, this is still a perfect place for surfskating. Such a wide road, behind us is Cangshan, and beside us is Erhai. It really feels like I’m flying. Take a short break. Haven’t exercised in a while, so I’m a bit out of breath. Unfortunately it started raining in the afternoon so we had to cancel the rest of the day’s plans. Tomorrow before we leave, there’s one last activity that I think everyone must do when visiting Dali. Watch the sunrise at Erhai. Good morning from Dali. It’s around 7AM right now and still quite dark. It’s so peaceful right now. You can hear the crickets chirping. You can hear the roosters welcoming the morning. Dali is such a gorgeous city. During sunrise, I don’t even know which direction I’m supposed to point my camera. You gotta come watch the sunrise at least once. I kind of want to do it again on this trip. Maybe from a different angle from a different part of Dali. The sunrise here really is so spectacular. There’s no words for it. And this area around Erhai is actually very well maintained. Every morning there’s people here mowing the grass, picking the weeds out of the water to make the water crystal clear. So I guess for a few hours in the morning, the serenity is disturbed. But it’s all to make this place even better. If you ask me where’s a city I would consider living in long term, my top answer has always been Chiang Mai, Thailand. But after a second visit to Dali, I’m starting to think this city in Yunnan Province might have a place on that podium as well. Dali is a city that lets you slow down. With Cangshan on one side and Erhai on the other, you are always immersed in nature and its beauty. If you want to experience the hustle and bustle, Dali can give you that as well. While some places can feel a bit touristy, the rest is charming and tranquil. It will always be one of my favorite places in China. Next up, we’re continuing our trip up north in Dali Prefecture, to two more ancient towns, Xizhou and Shaxi. There is so much more this region of Yunnan has to offer. Please do subscribe to JHMedium, and let’s continue this Dali trip in the next one. Thank you so much for watching, bye bye.

Join me on this trip to one of the most beautiful places in China—Dali in Yunnan Province. With Cangshan on one side and Erhai on the other, this city is straight out of a painting. We’ll revisit some of our favorite spots in the Ancient City and along the Erhai Ecological Corridor, eat some incredible local delicacies like mushroom hot pot, and of course, discover artistic markets in this bustling yet tranquil city. You don’t want to miss out on any of this.

Visited During: March 2025

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VIDEO CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Introduction
00:58 – Mixian 米线 & Ersi 饵丝
03:20 – Cycling Erhai Ecological Corridor
08:12 – Erhai Sunset
09:45 – Guest House Room Tour
10:22 – Sanyuejie 三月街
16:32 – Xiaoyizhuang 小邑庄
17:47 – Dali Art Factory
19:20 – Wild Mushroom Hot Pot
23:00 – Dali Ancient City at Night
24:21 – Skateboarding
26:16 – Erhai Sunrise

MUSIC:
‘Bring Me The Sky’ by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

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GEAR:
Main Cameras: Fujifilm X-H2s, Fujifilm X-T4, DJI Pocket 3
Lenses: Fujifilm 18-120mm f4, Fujifilm 35mm f2, Tamron 11-28mm f2.8
Drone: DJI Mavic Air 2
360 Cam: Insta360 X4
Phone: iPhone 14 Pro
Sound: DJI Mic & Deity D3 Pro