Dali

My first trip to Dali was actually on my first trip into Mainland China while living in Hong Kong in 2001. I didn't make it back again until 2007 when we filmed the last few scenes of Zhang Yibai's new movie here. I stayed behind after we wrapped and Narenhua came down and met me to spend a week in this cozy little backpacker town nestled between the Erhai lake and a beautiful mountain range. We spent a day up in the mountains and a day down on the lake, and the rest of the week we spent roaming around the 'old town' and exploring the cafes and shops that have sprouted up in recent years to cater to the influx of tourists. Though it's been quite commercialized, Dali is still a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Chinese cities and the ubiquitous pollution that goes hand and hand with any metropolis in this country.