How do you know when an attraction is worth it?
The Three Pagodas, Dali China
How do you know whether it’s worth it or not to pay the entrance fee?
There are four major attractions in Dali. The first is the old town which regardless one will walk through and see. The second is Erihai lake and is pretty obvious because Dali is sandwiched between the mountains to the West and the lake to the East. We went there on our first day although it was cloudy so it looked like any old lake. The third, and probably most popular, is Mt. Cangshan where a few movies have been shot and which gives an impressive view of the surroundings. While it apparently has some very nice scenery, we only had two days in Dali and both were cloudy. We considered going up the second day but when we woke up it was raining so we slept in. The fourth is the Three Pagodas.
There are several ponds from which to get reflections of the pagodas, Dali China
The Three Pagodas are is a national treasure. The first and tallest was built between 823–840AD and stands 69.6m high. It is square and although hollow for the first 8 stories with walls 10 feet thick. Apparently it’s one of the largest pagodas in China. The other two pagodas are shorter (42m) and octagonal in shape. One of them is tilted but sitll standing after several earthquakes.
Trip Advisor reviews were pretty good for the Three Pagodas but when we were wandering around the old town we talked to some other tourist who said that it wasn’t worth it. They, like a taxi driver, recommended that we go to the front of the park and take pictures there for free. We did that with our new friends but there wasn’t much to see because the park walls are pretty high.
The Three Pagodas, Dali China
When we woke up the rain had stopped but it was still overcast but going to the Three Pagodas was a good idea. Although I had battery issues with my camera and it died before the end of the day, we got some good pictures and had a pretty fun time.
The three pagodas are a pretty popular photo spot but there are also several temples along the 2 km long path up the mountain side cumulating in a lookout tower at the the end. We didn’t spend much time in any of the temples past having a quick walkthrough.
Sometimes what people say is the best advice for where to go. Othertimes, advice must be taken with a grain of salt. In this case, I think people focused on the three pagodas as the main and significant part of the attraction without considering what else was there. Apart from being an excellent photography site, there were a lot of temples and quiet corners to wander about. In this case, I’m glad that we went and saw it for ourselves because it was worth it.
The Three Pagodas, Dali China
I suppose it was also an excellent lesson on using the camera that’s with you. When my DSLR died, I took all my photos with my phone. It wasn’t as nice, but atleast I had something. As they say, the best camera is the one you have with you so it’s good to have a backup plan.
