Embracing 250 square kilometers, Erhai Lake lies at the eastern foot of the Cangshan Mountains and is a famous fresh-water lake, 40 kilometers long from north to south ,7 to 8 kilometers wide from east to west, lying on a plateau of 1.980 metres above sea level. The crescent-shaped lake contains crystal cool water. In praise of the beautiful scenery, people often say 鈥?Ten thousand acres of water reflect the sky like a mirror and the surrounding mountains stand there like an evergreen screen in all the four seasons.鈥?The lake teems with fish, such as mackerel, silver carp, crucian carp, stingrays, variegated carps(bigheads) and others. The lake shapes like an ear, and waves are big enough in the lake, hence the name.

The surrounding islands, temples and villages are worth visiting too. Golden Shuttle Island (Jinsuo Dao), and the nearby fishing community of Bai Minority do really deserve a visit with its attractive Bai culture and lifestyle, and because of the rare beauty of the lake and its surrounding scenery. The most unforgettable Xiaoputuo Dao, originally devoted to Bodhisattva Kwan-yin, can be traced back to the 15th century. Though tiny and called xiao (which means small in Chinese), one can still experience and see the typical ancient Chinese Buddhist temple's unique architectural styles of its buildings' pointed eaves and decorations on this peninsular.

To give the people and tourists alike the convenience of watching the lake, Erhai Lake Park was built. In spring, the place is transformed into a wonderland of flowers like camellias, azaleas and primrose, and abundant exotic trees.

Cang Shan (Jade Green Mountains), two km west of Dali, forms the backdrop for Dali City. Together with Erhai Lake, the imposing mountain range makes Dali a true vacation getaway. The stunningly beautiful mountain boasts high, snow-capped peaks, shifting clouds, and babbling streams. With an average height of over 4000 m, it has a cluster of 19 soaring peaks. The highest peak, Malong, spires 4,122 m high. On Shengying peak, there is a huge chessboard covering 460 square meters.

Streams trickle down between every two peaks. With thick forest and vegetation, the mountain also boasts a botanical garden and a zoo

Three pagodas, about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) northwest of the ancient city of Dali, have a history of over 1,800 years. They are among the oldest standing structures of southwest China. They are a symbol of the history of Dali City, and a record of the development of Buddhism in the area. As its name implies, Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle. This is unique in China.

These pagodas are situated north of Dali City. The three tall and ramrod pagodas stand at the foot of Lan Peak of Cangshan Mountain, making the landscape more beautiful and adding grandeur to the ancient city. The major pagoda, Qianxun Pagoda, was built in the period 824 to 839 in the Tang Dynasty. It is rectangular in shape; 69.13 metres high and divided into 16 tiers, while the two smaller ones, octagonal in shape have a height of 42.19 metres each and 10 tiers. In 1978 discovered during restoration efforts, are more than 600 cultural relics of the Tang and Song dynasties, including Buddhist scriptures. Buddhist status, Buddhist musical instruments and copper mirrors. The renovation was completed in December 1980.

Zhoucheng Village is the largest and the most northern village of Dali City. The village has 7,571 inhabitants of 1,470 families. The entire village is in a square shape with row upon row of houses. The Yunnan Tibetan highway stretches across the village.

Situated at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, the village is not far from the Butterflies' Fountain and Erhai Lake. Recently, a peasants' cultural centre has been set up. Handicraft and commerce here are constantly developing. The patterns of hand-made tie-dyed cloth, in particular, are pure and beautiful. Clothes of this material sell well. The yearly Torchlight Festival of the Yi and the Bai visitors with distinctive national feature, magnificent scope, and vivid atmosphere.

Zhoucheng and Xizhou are places that those who are interested in Chinese traditional folk culture must visit. These two places have the most typical and deepest cultural characteristics of the Bai nationality. Zhoucheng Village lies near Butterfly Spring, 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Dali on the main road, ruled by Xizhou Town. It is the biggest natural village of Dali, and is "the Hometown of Tie-Dying".

Located at only 18 kilometers north of Dali, Xizhou faces Erhai on the east and rests on Cangshan in the west. It's a historically famous city that contains incredibly well preserved Bai architecture. Examples are Yan's compound, Hou's compound and Dong's compound.

Bai houses are very distinctive. Entering Xizhou, capacious courtyards and peaceful streets treat visitors with the calmness and elegance that were typical in ancient times. The Yan compound lies in the central part of Xizhou. It is made up of five courtyards from north to south, including Sanfangyizhaobi (compounds with three houses on each side and a screen wall facing the main house), Sihewutianjing (compounds with four houses in the center and five light wells in each corner) and an independent three-storied western-style building. Each of the houses puts great emphasis on designing the front gate of the compound, because it shows the owner's economic status and also is the symbol of bringing honor to the ancestor. Doors, windows and walls are designed delicately and beautifully. The doors and windows are engraved with the figures of different birds and flowers. The walls are decorated with wash paintings. All of these reveal the superb skills and creative talents of the Bai Nationality.

Besides visiting Bai-style architecture, visitors also have chances to touch the living styles of the local people, taste their special food, and drink their unique tea. "Three Courses of Tea" is very dainty; it's different from other Chinese tea. The first course smells a little bitter; the second course is a bit sweet (adding candy and walnut pieces in it); and the third course is memorable (with condiments in it). Maybe you have drunk black tea, green tea, jasmine tea or other kinds of Chinese tea, but "three courses of tea" is a unique experience. It's just like life, bitter first and sweet later. One must taste slowly. One can also enjoy Bai singing and dancing performances, and take part in some local evening activities. In the daytime, visitors can go to the commercial center to buy what they want, such as marble wares, which enjoy great popularity among the visitors.