Plan your Weishan Tour?Located in Weishan county about 61km south of Xiaguan, Weibao Mountain (Weibaoshan) is one of the most renowned scenic spots in the Dali area. It is also one of the 13 China's most famous Daoist holy mountains. Here is the birthplace of Xinluo, the first legendary King of Nanzhao Kingdom.

‣Where Weshan Is

The Weishan Yi and Hui Autonomous County is located in the south of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in the west of Yunnan Province. Lying in the upper section of Ailao Mountain and Wuliang Mountain , Weishan is more than 54 kilometers from Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan, and 54 kilometers from Dali City, the seat of the prefectural government. It has under its jurisdiction nine villages, two towns and 82 village offices.

‣Basic Information

●Chinese Name:巍山 ●Key Words:The Cradle of Nanzhao Culture ●Area: 849 m² ●Population: 304,400 (2010) ●Province: Yunnan ●Area code: 0872 ●Prefecture: Dali

‣Weishan History

Plan your Weishan tour?Weishan has a long history and numerous historic sites and scenic spots. Sixteen sites of the Neolithic Era have been discovered in Weishan. The county has preserved more than 2,100 cultural relics in museums at different levels, and boasts 30 plus cultural relics sites under province, prefecture and county level protection. Since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the place has turned out more than 20 successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations, and over 200 successful candidates in the provincial level imperial examinations, who left many precious calligraphic works here. In the reign of Emperor Qianlong (qián lóng 乾隆) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Weishan was conferred the title of Famous State of Literature by the emperor. As the birthplace of Nanzhao (nán zhào 南诏), a local regime in ancient China, there are a lot of relics and stories of Nanzhao in Weishan County. The Weishan ancient county, built in the 23rd year of the Hongwu (hóng wǔ 洪武) reign in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), has ancient buildings here and there.

‣What to Visit in Weishan

●Xinggong Tower(星拱楼) & Gongchen Tower(拱辰楼):As the remarkable building in Weishan Old Town, the Xinggong Tower is built in the center in Ming Dynasty

●Weibao Mountain(巍宝山):Weibao Mountain was the birthplace of Nanzhao State and well-known for its sacred Taoist site. And it is also one of the famous mountains in southwest China with a good reputation of “the quietest place being in Weibao in the world”.

●Yuanjue Temple（圆觉寺）:Yuanjue Temple is shaped by trees with a long history of more than 500 years. Famous scholar Yang Shen in Ming Dynasty has lived here. With Mountain in the back and old town in the front, it is a beautiful tourist attraction.

‣Weishan Ethnic Groups

Weishan is a place inhabited by ethnic minorities and takes on dense ethic folk art of primitive simplicity. There are altogether 23 ethnic groups in Weishan County, among which 6 ethnic groups have settled there for more than 100 years, including Han ethnic group, Yi ethnic group, Hui ethnic group, Bai (bái 白) ethnic group, Miao (miáo 苗) ethnic group and Lisu (lì sù 傈僳) ethnic group. The Dage (dǎ gē 打歌) collective dance of the Yi ethnic minority is very elegant accompanied by a kind of a reed pipe wind instrument that makes sound pleasant to listen to. The Firebrand Festival (huǒ bǎ jié 火把节) is a festive day after a bumper harvest.

‣Weishan Festivals

Different festivals and folk performances, such as folk dance of Yi people, The Firebrand Festival, lion dance, are available for tourists in the old town all year around.

A 7-day snack festival is held here in the 8th day of the second month in the Chinese calendar every year, offering people with famous Weishan snacks, indlucing stewed fruits, bean-made cake, and noodles.

‣Where to Stay in Weishan

‣Weishan Transportation:

Get to Weishan Old Town:

From Xiaguan, the big town just south of Dali ancient town, take a bus from the Southwest bus station (西南站), there is bus every 15 minutes, so you won’t have to wait to long. It’s a one hour drive. Once at the bus station, take a tuk-tuk for 5 RMB to the Weishan Old Town. The driver will drop you at the Gongchen Tower Gate, in the middle of the ancient town.

‣Weishan Travel Tips:

The preeminence and quintessence of the Yi's Dage in Weishan live in its long history, integrated configurations, rich cultural connotations, different values and functions. In Torch Festival, people from all directions gather together and sing around the torch. Moreover, the Dongjing Music enjoys good frame.