Cangshan Mountain is a high mountain rising above the city of Dali in the southern province of Yunnan that borders Vietnam. It is a scenic spot and a good hiking area where hikers may bring tents. There are 18 peaks on this mountain that are all over 3,500 meters in altitude, and the highest summit named Malong is 4,122 meters (13 524 feet) high. The mountain is next to a blue lake called Erhai. The mountain is noted for its very rich and diverse flora. The local government has designated it as a scenic area. Travel up the mountain is easy. There is cable car up the mountain, and a road connects various sites of interest. On Cangshan Mountain, the ecological zones are obvious. There are more than 3,000 kinds of plants on the mountain. The mountain is a highlight of the Dali area, with numerous springs, ponds and waterfalls, beautiful scenery, hiking trails, a range of ecological zones with thousands of plant species, and scenic views of lakes and the city of Dali.
Cangshan Mountain enjoys great reputation for its snow, clouds, springs and marble.
The unmelted snow on Mt. Cangshan is top of the Four Famous Scenes (wind, flowers, snow and moon) in Dali. The snow is so dazzling and splendent when the sun rises, especially in March. On a moonlight night, the snow reflecting off the mountain makes one feel that they are in a crystal world. The Bai People have many beautiful stories about the snowcapped mountains. One story goes that a plague god intruded the city of Dali and the local people suffered from endless plagues. In order to save them, a brother and sister went to a place named Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to learn magic. With their magic skills, the twosome beat the plague god and forced him to stay at the top of Cangshan Mountain. There he was frozen stiff. The sister became the god of snow at Xueren Peak in order to keep the plague god under control. Since then the mountain has been adorned by shiny and amazing snow.
The clouds here changes often - sometimes the clouds are thin as silk, sometimes they are as dark as ink. The most magical and beautiful clouds look like Yudai Cloud (a jade belt) and Wangfu Cloud (a woman who expects to see her husband). Yudai Cloud looks like a fairy holding a jade belt and usually appears after rain in the late summer or early autumn. It is said to be the sign of good harvest for the Bai People. The offwhite Wangfu Cloud emerges at the top of Yuju Peak in spring and winter. Legend has it that it is an avatar of a girl of Bai Minority Group.
Cangshan is in the west bank of Erhai Lake
The springs here are also famous. Besides the eighteen streams, there are still many lakes over the altitude of over 3,800 meters (12,467 feet). The lakefronts are densely covered with forests, which include valuable medicine materials, rare species of trees and many kinds of flowers. The flowers add even more beauty to the mountain and help attract tourists.
There are many Buddhist temples in the area. They include the Three Towers of Chongsheng Temple, Buddhist Picture Tower, Inaction Temple, Taoxi Zhonghe Temple, Nine Dragon Virgin Pool, Three Pools of Clear Green Temple, Three Pagodas and Enlightenment Temple. The famous Three Pagodas are only about a kilometer from the ancient city of Dali. They were built by a Nanzhou Kingdom King during the period of the Tang Dynasty. The Three Pagodas are one of China s best preserved ancient Buddhist structures of that era. The central pagoda is over 1000 years old.
Mt. Cangshan is a famous manufacture center of a smooth marble, named Cangshan Stone. The Caihua Stone distinguish itself by its unique patterns. Natural scenes of mountains, flowers, birds or people appear once it is polished. What's more, the exquisite craftworks made of marble are sold here and abroad.
Besides the natural scenery, visitors can see cultural relics of the Bai people here. Three Pagodas, Inaction Temple, Three Pools in Qingbi Temple and Zhonghe Temple are all tourists attractions.
If you don't want to climb the mountain, take the ropeway or rent a horse in the nearby town. Make sure to prepare enough food and water and to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, for it's a rather challenging journey with no restaurants on the mountain.
From the old sector of Dali, one can simply hike up the mountain for two or three hours to reach Zhonghe temple. From there, trails branch off to the rest of the mountain. There is a cable car from the ancient sector to the top of Zhonghe peak and Zhonghe temple. The cable car is a half hour ride. You may also go on horseback from Dali. A tourist road has been built to connect all the spots in the area. Following the road, travelers can easily reach every attraction. A tourist road has been built to connect all the attractions in the area. On the road, travel on the mountain is easy.
Admission Fee: CNY 30 (Resource Protection Fare)
CNY 60 (through ticket for Zhonghe Temple Telpher)
CNY 80 (through ticket for Gantong Temple Telpher)
Recommended Time
for a Visit: Two hours
Opening Hours: 08:30 to 18:00