Day & Night: Dali Ancient Town

After hours in Dali consist of a totally different realm. As the sun starts to set at 8PM, the vibe in this ancient town has changed. We had already returned our bicycle to the shop and walked from the hostel to the night market in town. It was a cool night, with our mini groceries in hand - we stepped into almost night time Dali and it was something unimaginable. (Its night, but still bright though.)

Scroll on and enjoy the photos i took in Dali.

Just some tips for you:
On food, if you are a Muslim - there are several Muslim restaurants along an entrance of the ancient town. We settled in eat at a noodle shop. Generous servings and even though the taste is not to my palate, it is definitely different and i was appreciating every bite as much as i could. Oh, don't forget to try their flower pastry! 
If you are not on any strict diet (kosher/halal/vegetarian) - eat e v e r y thing.

The freshly made noodles i ate were sweet and sour.

Like any other night markets around the world, an abundance of handmade crafts were displayed on top of small wooden tables along the cobble stoned streets. Everyone starts getting ready for the night market from hand-painted tote bags, custom metal bending wires to beaded jewelries - its like you fell into an Art & Craft town. Aesthetically pleasing shops light up like it came out straight from Tumblr. I was taken aback by all the creativity here. 

As the night darkens, this beauty came to life. From one end to another, there were this beautiful stone walled entrance that lights up inside and outside beautifully. One could have mistaken it as a mini Great Wall of China even. Even their McDonald's has a touch of ancient architecture that complement well with the surrounding. The dogs in here are super big though, i was surprised. I thought they were a whole other creature.

 Just some tips for you:
On transport, if you have bought your train tickets and need to collect it or you want to buy it - head to their main post office in the town area. Its where all the night markets are at. Just get there before 6PM before they close for the day. Most importantly, bring your passport. Alternatively, you can collect/buy your ticket at the train station. For moving around town, get a bicycle as explained on my previous post.

Other than that, Dali is pretty amazing and if you have time do drop by this city. Stick around for my next post on another ancient town for my trip across China.

Don't miss my previous post on China here. Thanks for reading!