Weishan Ancient Town

Former Heartland Of The Nanzhao Kingdom; National Famous Historical And Cultural Town · Weishan, Yunnan

A quiet grid of old streets in the hills south of Dali, and the place the Nanzhao kingdom began before it grew to rule most of Yunnan in the eighth century. Weishan kept its Ming street plan almost intact: two axes crossing at the Gongchen Tower, a heavy timber gate tower topped with sweeping eaves, and around it lanes of tiled courtyard houses where families still live, with old shopfronts selling cloth, herbs, tinware and noodles rather than souvenirs. There are no ticket gates, few tour groups and none of the polish of Dali or Lijiang; on an ordinary afternoon the loudest thing is a mahjong game. Above the town rises Weibaoshan, a Taoist mountain of pines and cloud with more than twenty temples scattered along its ridges, one of them holding a celebrated Qing mural of dancing immortals; it is also where Nanzhao's founders are honoured. The town is a centre of Yi culture, and the local speciality is a one-pot rice noodle dish eaten with a dozen small side plates.

Gongchen Tower, Weishan Yi and Hui Autonomous County, Dali, Weishan, Yunnan, China

Town streets open and free; ticketed halls and Weibaoshan about 8:00-18:00, extended to 7:30-18:30 on holidays (check).

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