🏛️ 5A National Attractions · Dali
Last verified 22 Jul 2025
Dali Prefecture now counts two officially rated 国家5A级 scenic areas. Together they wrap every postcard image of Yunnan's most famous lakeside town—snow-capped Cangshan, mirror-flat Erhai and the white-walled Bai courtyards of Dali Old Town—into one easy weekend loop.
1 Quick Metrics
Total 5A sites
2
Source: wlt.dali.gov.cn
Altitude spread
1 974 m Erhai lakeshore → 4 100 m Malong Peak cable-top
Elevation range
Ticket range
Free (Old-Town gate) → ¥125 peak (Cangshan cable + eco-bus)
Entry fee variation
Real-name booking
Required for Cangshan West Line and Three-Pagodas Temple (ID + health QR)
Passport/ID mandatory
ECO transport
Both areas use mandatory electric eco-buses; private cars banned beyond gate
Environmental protection
2 Why It Matters
Capital of the Bai Kingdom — Dali Ancient City still follows the 836 AD chessboard grid, watched by the iconic Three Pagodas that survived nine earthquakes.
"Silver Cang, Jade Er" postcard — the Cangshan–Erhai Scenic Area puts you on a 3 000 m cloud-boardwalk above a mirror lake the size of 8 000 football fields—hang-gliders, cherry trails and snow patches in one panorama.
One-ticket loop — a 16 km e-bike ride takes you from pagoda sunrise to lakeshore sunset without ever leaving 5A-graded infrastructure.
3 Pro Tips
1
Three-Pagodas sunrise – book 07:30 slot (mini-prog "崇圣寺三塔") for gold-leaf reflection in moat; jets arrive 09:00.
2
Cangshan cable maths – West-Line combo (eco-bus + Gantong Cable) ¥125, last return 17:00; gloves helpful even in July.
3
Erhai eco-ring – hire e-bike at Old-Town North Gate ¥60/day; follow blue "环海西路" lane—car-free, 45 km loop.
4
Drone permit – apply 24 h ahead via "大理白族自治州低空空域服务平台"; police patrol lakefront.
5
Dress code – shoulders covered inside Chongsheng Temple halls; loaner shawls ¥10 deposit.
4 The Full 5A List
🏰
Dali Old Town & Chongsheng Temple, 4 km N
Dali Ancient City–Three Pagodas Cultural Tourism Area / 大理古城—崇圣寺三塔文化旅游区
Free Old-Town gates 24 h • Pagoda ticket ¥75 • Ming-brick walls, Bai courtyard museums, night drum-tower show 20:00.
⛩️
Cangshan West-Line cable (Gantong) • Erhai West Shore
Cangshan Mountain & Erhai Lake Scenic Area / 苍山洱海景区
Eco-bus ¥40 • Cable ¥85 rtn • 18 km Cloud-Tour boardwalk 3 000 m alt • Erhai ring-road e-bike lanes, shad-net photo piers.
Two 5A heavyweights—snow-ridge mornings to lantern-lit soupbread nights, all within a ¥40 Dali bus pass. No Tourist Traps. No BS.