The Bai people 白和 / 白族 are an ethnic group native to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan province, Bijie area of Guizhou province and Sangzhi area of Hunan province. They are 1 of 56 ethnic groups officially recognised by China.

From the 14th century to 1949, the Bai people were actually known as Minijia 民家. As the Bai people call themselves Baipzix / Baizi 白子, Baihuo 白伙 or Baini 白尼 = which literally means “white people”, in 1956 Chinese authorities decided to name this ethnic group Bai.

As you wander around Dali, you’ll notice there are a lot of white coloured buildings. This is because the Bai People hold the color white in high esteem.

Bai architecture is really unique and beautiful. The exterior walls, doors, windows and rooftops with upturned eaves are decorated with hexagonal honeycomb patterns made of white, black and dark blue glazed tiles. The interior walls, ceilings, balconies, and courtyards are designed with colourful paintings displaying legendary figures, animals and birds or flowers, marble ornaments, and stone inscriptions. Bai architecture is influenced by religious beliefs and showcases ancestral and nature worship. Totems of animals such as tigers, dragons and chickens can also be seen as they were believed to ward off evil spirits or natural disasters.

Attached are some of the buildings that I saw while travelling around Dali. Even modern or new buildings have been built with the Bai architecture style – see photo 2 with the China Fire & Rescue station. While some buildings have simple, hand-painted artworks with poetry, others have more a more traditional ornate style – see photo 12 which is in Zhouchengcun Village.

It feels depressing that there's so many interpretations of what it would look like (ie CGI, paintings at the location to show it's real size, sad miniature models on the original foundation) but no actual reconstructions. I think it would be awesome to see a real reconstruction of this palace one day in our lifetimes.

If they could put the in effort they throw into their infinite movie sets (looking at you Hengdian) then they could pull it off.

Chinese Name: 大理镇 or 大理古城.

Other Names: Dali Old Town or Dali Ancient Town.

Location: approx 5km west of Erhai Lake and 2km east of Cangshan Mountain, in Dali, Yunnan province. Approx 2,050m above sea level.

HISTORY: Dali Old Town was the ancient capital of Nanzhao Kingdom (738-902) and Dali Kingdom (937-1253). It was also an important part of the ancient tea-horse road where travellers and merchants would stop by to rest or trade. During the Ming Dynasty, around 1382, the walls were built to protect the old town.

Originally, the walls enclosed an area of approx 36 square kilometres and was about 7.5m tall (height) and 6m thick (depth), but over the years, sections were damaged due to earthquakes and war... What we see today are the remains of the northern and southern wall sections and five gate towers – see photo 13 for a map.

ARCHITECTURE: The Dali Old Town has been preserved in a 1.5km by 1.5km wide town-site surrounded by ancient walls. Its layout is in a square shape with four main city gate towers positioned in a north-south and east-west axis. It takes around 40min to walk from one end to the other...

The South Gate, also known as Double Crane Tower or Cheng’en Tower, is the oldest structure in Dali Old Town. The inscription “Da Li” on the city wall was inscribed by Guo Moruo, a famous writer. See photo 1.

Wuhua Tower, or Five Flowers Building, was built in 856 and as the state guesthouse for an ancient Nanzhao king. It originally had five floors but was burnt down and rebuilt many times... The last time it was rebuilt was in 1998 and is now a four-storey building, approx 20m tall. The tower offers panoramic views of the old town, Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake in the distance – see photo 4 to 6.

West Gate, also known as Cangshan Gate or Yongzhen Tower, is located about 2min walk from March Street and 2km from Cangshan Mountain – see photo 8.

North Gate, or Anyuan Gate, was built in 1382. Sorry, no photos...

The East Gate, also known as Tonghai Tower or Erhai Gate, is a popular tourist spot as its closest to Erhai Lake and is surround by food vendors and market stalls selling Bai style hand-dyed clothing, bags, jewellery etc. See photo 14 – 20. I visited this gate at night as it was closest to my homestay!

Hi all,

I'm in Zuhai for 1 week. I've done most of the obligatory exploration for Macau and Hong Kong will be next week.

What would you recommend I see in terms of the architecture, landscape, libraries or just historical buildings in Zuhai. I only have access to Alipay & Didi however.

Any suggestions would be amazing as Google maps seems to struggle a lot

The Dratsang Hall (in Songzanlin Monastery) is the main hall and centre of the complex, measuring approx 40m tall and with 1,500 sqm area. When you’re standing in the courtyard in front of the entrance, its not clear how many levels are in the building. There are no signs or maps to explain the layout or structure of the building. It appears there are five floors? but I was only able to wander around four floors including the rooftop.

As soon as you enter the building and before you walk into the prayer room, on both sides are a steep staircase. Climb those stairs on the left side (walk in a clockwise direction) and you’ll be on the second floor – which is currently being renovated when I visited in May 2026. Head to the back and look for another set of stairs. Make your way up to the next floor, wander through the hallways and keep going up til you reach the rooftop. Not only will you have a panoramic view of the area including Lamuyangcuo Lake and Dukezong ancient town in the distance, but you’ll also get to see some extraordinary Tibetan Buddhism architecture.

NOTE: The painting of Songzanlin Monastery (in the last image) is seen at the main entrance / ticket office foyer area.

Attached are images of Yangtang Khamtsen (#7 on the map), Gro Khamsten (#8 on the map) and Master Tsongkhapa Hall (#2 on the map) of Songzanlin Monastery.

Chinese Name: 噶丹松赞林寺 and 松赞林寺.

Other Names: Songzanlin Monastery, Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery, Sungtseling, Somtseling, Guihuasi, Guihua Temple, and its nickname is The Little Potala Palace.

Address: Jiantang, Shangri-La City, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China. Its located at the foot of Fopingshan Mountain, approx 6km from Dukezong ancient town and around 3,380m above sea level.

HISTORY: Songanzlin Monastery is consider as the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Yunnan province. It belongs to the Gelug school (Yellow Hat sect) of Tibetan Buddhism, Gelukpa order of the Dalai Lama and is known as the Little Potala Palace. This monastery was built from 1679 and completed in 1681, during the rule of Qing Dynasty Kangxi Emperor.

The 5th Dalai Lama chose its location through divination and gave its name Gedansongzanlin 噶丹松赞林 in reference to the Ganden Monastery in Tibet. Over the years, the monastery has been reconstructed many times. It was extensively damaged during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in 1983. The monastery once accommodated over 2,000 monks but is now home to around 700 monks.

ARCHITECTURE: This monastery is modelled after the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet – hence its nickname The Little Potala Palace. It now consists of twelve main halls and one pagoda (see photo 3 for the map), all built in the traditional Tibetan style. Like many Tibetan monasteries, this monastery was build on a steep mountainside and facing south; the buildings are painted red, yellow and white to represent the three spirits in Heaven, on Earth and below the ground; the walls are sloped inward at 10 degrees to help withstand earthquakes, the main halls have golden sloped roofs with two dragons while nearby buildings have flat roofs to conserve heat; there are multiple small windows to let sunlight in and window frames are painted black to ward off evil spirits.

Each hall is decorated with many Tibetan Buddhism auspicious symbols, religious art, statues, lined with prayer wheels and hanging prayer flags. One of the most distinctive features of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery is the Wheel of Dharma / Dharmachakra which is always positioned on the rooftop of the temple entrance. The Wheel of Dharma represents peace, harmony, compassion and refers to Buddha’s very first sermon given in the Deer Park at Samath, Varanasi, in India. The two deer, a buck and a doe, symbolise skillful means and wisdom, they are kneeling and looking at the wheel to remind followers that Buddha’s teachings apply to all sentient beings – not just humans.

Many of the buildings have thangka-style paintings or murals on walls; mandalas on ceilings; door frames are decorated with gold ornate patterns and colorful wooden carvings; endless knots (one of the eight Tibetan Buddhism auspicious symbols) on windows or curtains; lotus flower motifs on pillars; Tibetan prayers are written in gold above doorways or windows; the white dots on exterior walls, above windows and on beams are to honor deities and symbolise ritual prayers for longevity, good fortune and a bumper harvest.

WHEN YOU VISIT: The Dratsang Hall (marked #1 on the map) is the main hall and centre of the complex, measuring approx. 40m tall and with 1,500 sqm area. When you’re standing in the courtyard in front of the entrance, its not clear how many levels are in the building. There are no signs or maps to explain the layout or structure of the building. It appears there are five floors? but I was only able to wander around four floors including the rooftop.

As soon as you enter the building and before you walk into the prayer room, on both sides are a steep staircase. Climb those stairs on the left side (walk in a clockwise direction) and you’ll be on the second floor – which is currently being renovated when I visited in May 2026. Head to the back and look for another set of stairs. Make your way up to the next floor, wander through the hallways and keep going up til you reach the rooftop. Not only will you have a panoramic view of the area including Lamuyangcuo Lake and Dukezong ancient town in the distance, but you’ll also get to see some extraordinary Tibetan Buddhism architecture. See my next post for photos...

Chinese Name: 香巴拉时轮坛城文化博览中心 or 香巴拉藏文化博物馆.

Other Names: Shambhala Kalachakra Mandala Culture Centre or Shangbala Tibetan Culture Museum.

Address: Mancheng Plaza, Shangri-La County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China.

ARCHITECTURE: This building is 11 storeys high – approx 60m tall, covering an area of 22 acres, and with a floor area of 25,131 sqm. Its considered as the highest cultural museum, globally, sitting at around 3,200m above sea level. The architectural design of the centre holds a distinctive Tibetan style and was built on the concept of sky and earth, and the ideals of Shambhala / Shangbala / Shamballa.

The exterior showcases a combination of glass curtain walls and stone façades, wooden window frames with numerous patterns, ornately decorated pillars, and thangka-style murals at the entrance, creating a modern yet culturally traditional appearance. The tower-like golden dome and white pagoda-style golden roof can be seen from afar. The interior is filled with Tibetan Buddhism auspicious symbols lining the walls, colourful wooden carvings around door frames, altars and shrines, mandalas on ceilings, chukors (huge cylindrical or circular banners made of brocade fabric hanging from the ceiling), gyaltsens (silk and brocade canopies above statues of deities or on thangkas), etc.

The centre – more like a museum, opened in 2015 and has been built to showcase the best of Tibetan architecture, about medicine, history, flora and fauna of the region, art and Tibetan Buddhism. It’s considered an important establishment dedicated to preserve and promote Tibetan culture through research, exhibition and education.

Inside is a 21m high Kalachakra Vajra Buddha statue (the largest in the country), the world’s largest 3D Mandala (its in the Guinness World Records), the world’s largest collection of thankgas – 1,699 artworks (also in the Guinness World Records), nearly 2,000 cultural relics, antiques and artefacts including six national first-level documents, scripture storage rooms, display halls, a library and a handicraft workshop area.

Lanzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Hall serves as a prime window to learn about the thousand-year evolution of Jincheng or the Golden City (ancient Lanzhou) and the city’s development. Located on the north bank of the Yellow River, the building is designed after stones shaped by the Yellow River’s erosion, whose unique silhouette sets off the beautiful scenery of the Mother River.

Following a chronological timeline, the exhibition hall fully depicts Lanzhou’s transformation from an important commercial hub on the ancient Silk Road to a modern riverside metropolis, and systematically showcases its diverse culture integrating farming and nomadic civilizations. It houses abundant historical pictures, vintage urban sand tables and archives of urban construction relics, clearly illustrating the formation and evolution of Lanzhou’s distinctive urban layout "sandwiched between two mountain ranges with the Yellow River running through".

The viewing platform on the upper floor offers an unobstructed panoramic view of the Yellow River winding through the city, presenting a full vista of the southern and northern mountains as well as the Hundred-Mile Yellow River Scenic Belt. A permanent interactive zone for intangible cultural heritage is set up inside the hall, where visitors can try local folk crafts such as Lanzhou paper-cutting, clay sculpture and carved calabashes, and immerse themselves in the unique charm of Longyuan culture.

As a core external exhibition platform of the city, the hall combines historical documentation, Yellow River sightseeing and intangible cultural heritage interaction. It is a must-visit landmark for guests from home and abroad to quickly get acquainted with Lanzhou and deeply experience the culture of the Yellow River and the ancient Silk Road.

Chinese name: 香格里拉和谐塔中塔

Other names: Shangri-la Harmony Tower, Inner Harmony Stupa of Pagoda, Shangri-la Harmony Tazhongta...

Location: No. 1000 Kangzhu Avenue, Jiantang Town, Shangri-La City, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Its about 10min drive from Dukezong ancient town.

The Harmony Tower was built in 1997 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of Diqing Prefecture. It is the world’s tallest Buddhist white pagoda measuring 108m tall (to symbolise the 108 worldly troubles that devotees seek to resolve), with a smaller pagoda inside measuring 33m tall (to symbolise Heaven of 33 which is also the inner sanctum with a shrine). The design is basically a pagoda inside a pagoda and is filled with paintings of Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism Yellow Hat Sect, Gelug.

The Harmony Tower is the centre point of a mandala-like geometry design = it has a 4,900 sqm base and is positioned in the middle of a square courtyard that’s lined with prayer wheels and a canopy of prayer flags, surrounded by a wall-like building with Tibetan auspicious symbols and thangka style paintings, on a round block of land (where cars can drive around it in full circle – a roundabout). Tibetan Mandalas are an important Tibetan Buddhism meditation aid used to guide practitioners towards enlightenment and represent the universe and the divine palace.

I've added a screenshot of the map location in the comments so you can see its mandala-like geometry design from an aerial point of view. Drones aren't allowed in this area due to its proximity to the Shangri-la Diqing airport...

PHOTO 1 – 11 = Baiji Monastery 百鸡寺 or Baijisi or Temple of 100 Chickens is located about 30min walk uphill behind Dukezong ancient town in Shangri-la, Yunnan province. Some sources say it was built in the Ming Dynasty while others say it was from the Yuan Dynasty… and belongs to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. This monastery was named after the local traditional practice of releasing chickens as a form of offering – but when I visited, there was only one chicken along the stairs...

I arrived around 7pm and spent about 40min wandering around... You get a wonderful panoramic view of Dukezong. I only saw another 4 people here and no monks in sight. The main hall of the monastery was small but really beautiful – colourful, decorative, with over a dozen different Buddha statues and figures, thangka paintings, butter lamps, flowers and there was chanting and music….

PHOTO 12 – 20 & comments = Baita Temple白塔寺 is located about 20min walk from Tacheng Square in Shangri-la, Yunnan province. Its a local temple where you have to climb stairs to reach. There’s no information about this place online… I was in the area and decided to check it out. The stupas around the temple are really unique and worth the hike! Unfortunately, it was closed even though Amap said its opening hours are 8am to 6pm. I came here at 4pm... I will have to return to see the inside!

The No.1 Spring Under Heaven Scenic Area

Dukezong is a Tibetan town in Shangri-la County, Deqin Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan.  It is one of the largest and best-preserved Tibetan residence groups in China and not only played an important role in the Old Tea-Horse Road, but also serves as a corridor connecting Chinese and Tibetan language, people, religion and cultures.

Dukezong is over 1,300 years old. In 2014, a fire destroyed most of the town. Unfortunately, a number of cultural relics, precious Thangkas and Buddhist artworks were burned in the fire, many Tibetan-style buildings and historical sites. In 2016, Dukezong was reopened to the public.

Attached are photos of what Dukezong looks like now, in 2026. The Tibetan architecture style can still be seen throughout the ancient town and especially around the doors, windows, and on rooftops... There are prayer flags, prayer wheels, stupas, and Tibetan Buddhism auspicious symbols surrounding many buildings, in the courtyards and lining the cobblestone alleyways... these are all important features of Tibetan architecture.

Chinese name: 龟山大佛寺 and 龟山公园 Gui Shan Gong Yuan

Other names: Guishan Monastery, Guishan Hill Park Temple, Turtle Hill Grand Buddha Temple, Big Buddha Temple, Dafo Temple...

Location: approximately 3,300m above sea level atop Turtle Hill and inside Dukezong ancient town, in Shangri-la, Yunnan province.

HISTORY: it was originally built during the Kangxi reign, in 1667, of the Qing Dynasty. The Big Buddha Temple was destroyed in the 8th year of Tongzhi, 1869. The temple has been repaired several times but is not as large as it was before. In 2005, the Big Buddha temple was renovated and opened to the public.

ARCHITECTURE: The Big Buddha Temple is a three-storey, timber-brick pavilion with Han-Tibetan motifs, dragon-carved beams, and lotus-patterned eaves. The Chaoyang Tower features a triple-golden-roof pagoda and houses statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara. The complex is designed with Han-Tibetan architectural styles and Buddhist cosmology.

Unfortunately, you can't take photos inside - there are signs everywhere, but do have a look as its really beautiful!

The World’s Largest Prayer Wheel 世界最大转经筒 was installed here in 2002. It stands approx 21m tall and weighs 60 tons – at least 20 people are needed to turn the wheel, clockwise. This prayer wheel is bronze-gilded and inscribed with Four Great Bodhisattvas and Buddhist Eight Treasures, housing 1.24 million mantras. Therefore, every time it’s spun, it brings the merit of 1.24 million prayer recitations and if spun three times, its believed to also bring you good fortune.

At the base of the Big Buddha Temple is the Turtle Mountain Well, which once supplied fresh water to Dukezong. See Photo 15.

NOTE: if you climb to Bai Ji Si Temple 百鸡寺 – Temple of 100 Chickens, you can view the Big Buddha Temple and Dukezong ancient town from far... See photo 17, taken at 8pm in May 2026 for a panoramic view!