It rained most of the night but after breakfast we decided to try to go to hike the mountain. After getting at the foot of the mountain, we were told the cable cars were not operating and then at the foot path entrance we were told that was closed as well. So we hiked to the three pagodas.
The three pagodas
About 1.5 km north of Dali Old Town, these pagodas are unique Buddhist towers. They were built 1,800 years ago. It is a symbol of the history of Dali City, and a record of the development of Buddhism in the area. The Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle. The middle pagoda is the tallest from the Tang Dynasty. Inside were Buddhist relics.
Some history of Dali
- In 738, the Nanzhao Kingdom was established with Dali as its capital.
- In 937, the Kingdom of Dali emerged.
- By 1000, Dali was one of the 13 largest cities in the world.
- In 1253, the Mongols conquered the city and ended the Kingdom of Dali.
- In the early 1400s, the old Dali City was rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), and it still stands in a similar layout today.
An alternative to hot pot
For dinner we went to a slate cooking restaurant. It is like hot pot where you order the basic ingredients then cook it on a stone. One of the servers helps with the cooking. You eat slower this way as you have to wait for things to cook. The sauces are amazing and not too hot.
City gates
There are four city gates. The east gate is near the guest house.
The south gate is over 600 years old and is the landmark of the town.
The north gate is a preserved palace building built in the Ming dynasty.
The west entrance that is not a gate
Fuxing street has architecture from the Ming dynasty.
It rained off and on through the day and it is forecasted to be the same tomorrow. We have more exploring to do in the area but hope for a break to hike the mountain.