This free trail in Dali is amazing

Today, let's explore a "Moonlight Secret Path" cherished by poets at the foot of Cangshan Mountain and the west bank of Erhai Lake in Dali — the Moonlight Trail! 📍It’s not an official scenic spot but a roughly 3.5-kilometer coastal ecological trail between Gusheng Village and Cai Village in Wanqiao Town, Dali City. It starts from the "Longkan Pier" extension of the Erhai Ecological Corridor in the north and connects to the Cai Village Wetland Viewing Platform in the south. The entire route hugs the east shore of Erhai Lake, sitting at an altitude of only 1,970 meters, yet it boasts three stunning views: on the left, the mirror-like clear blue of Erhai Lake, ink-wash-like in the morning mist, reflecting the nineteen peaks of Cangshan Mountain under the clear sky; on the right, rolling pastoral hills changing with the seasons — spring brings waves of rapeseed flowers, summer shows layers of green rice paddies, autumn paints the ginkgo trees golden, and winter reveals swaying reeds like flying snow; the most enchanting is at night when the whole trail is gently lit by warm yellow street lamps, reflections flickering with the waves, resembling a "moonlight ribbon" floating on the water. Whether cycling, walking, or sitting quietly, it feels like traveling between the stars and the lake’s light. There are no entrance fees or fences here, only Bai ethnic grandmas selling plums with baskets and children chasing windmills along the field paths. This is the most relaxed, authentic, and healing corner of Dali. Itinerary: 1-day Erhai Moonlight Tour | Cycling + Sunset + Fishing Lights + Bai Home Cooking Total Budget: Under 400 RMB (about 386 RMB per person) Transportation | ¥40 Rent an electric bike in Dali Ancient Town round trip ¥40 (including deposit, WeChat deposit-free supported | about 25 minutes one way) Entrance Fee | ¥0 ✅ The Moonlight Trail is a free section of the Erhai Ecological Corridor | Please take your trash with you and avoid stepping on farmland Highlights | Be a night traveler of Erhai! ✅ Morning: Cycle along the trail, stop at the "Little Putuo" viewing platform to take photos of Cangshan and Erhai together 📸 ✅ Afternoon: Feed seagulls at Cai Village Pier (bring your own bread), browse handmade stalls, pick up an Erhai stone ✅ Evening: Find a waterside bench and wait for a breathtaking sunset of "Cangshan dressed in gold, Erhai melting silver" 🌅 ✅ Night: Switch to moonlight mode — ride through the interplay of lights and water, listen to the waves, watch fishing lights, count stars ✨ Meals | ¥346 Lunch: Bai courtyard in Gusheng Village — sour and spicy fish + rǔshàn rolls + bitter buckwheat cakes ¥88 Afternoon tea: Cai Village café terrace for iced drip Erhai special + rose baked cake ¥42 Dinner: Old shop in Wanqiao Town for "Erhai dried shrimp fried rice + cold seaweed salad + sour plum soup" ¥76 Snacks: plum wine jelly ¥28 | rǔshàn ice cream ¥25 | grilled rice cakes ¥12 | wild mushroom jerky ¥35 Drinks: Bring your own thermos to fill with mountain spring water and brew Cangshan green tea ¥6 | local honey water ¥10 | rose tea ¥14 ✅ Total cost breakdown: Transportation ¥40 + Meals ¥346 = ¥386 (leftover ¥14 can buy a handmade tie-dye bookmark) Best Time: 16:00–20:00 | Sunset + lights + breeze = the golden four hours of Moonlight Trail Essentials: comfortable sports shoes/sandals, sunscreen, power bank, waterproof phone pouch (to protect from Erhai splashes) Off-the-beaten-path tip: Bring a Bluetooth speaker to play "Bamboo Under the Moonlight," and record ambient sounds by the water. When the wheels roll over the light and shadow, I suddenly understood — Dali’s romance is never about searching deliberately; it’s when the moonlight falls, and you’re already on the road.