At the foothills of the Himalayas, along the shore of the Erhai Lake, stands Dali, a picturesque town known as a Mecca for those fleeing the pressure and bad air of life in urban centers. Dalifornia : the city’s nickname is a homage to California, and the easy-living, tree-hugging, sun-soaked stereotypes it evokes. These “refugees” have left behind jobs in tech, finance, education, or real estate and opened bars or bookstores, make jewelry or recycle clothes, cultivate organic rice, give, or take Yoga lessons and often attend healing sessions. The attraction of Dali, only grew in recent years especially among young people tired of the high cost of living, cutthroat competition, record youth unemployment and increasingly suffocating political environment. They have made Dali, China’s destination of the moment.
Aerial view of Erhai Lake and Dali
Li Xiaoxue with a group of recent Dali settlers in a dance helping to to “embrace one’s inner child”. Li moved here in August 2023, after returning to China from Los Angeles. Ms. Li says Dali’s diversity and open-minded culture reminded her of California.
A follower of the Buddhist faith, praying at the entrance of a vegan supermarket. The complex also hosts a vegan canteen, yoga studios, gong lessons and a dye workshop. Newcomers to Dali, settle there in search of a healthier lifestyle, both physically and spiritually.
Qixiu (standing) a former rapper and Xiaoran (sitting), leading a private gong healing session at a newly built guest house. Both moved to Dali from Hangzhou, a provincial capital and powerhouse. The owner of the guest-house herself, also moved to Dali from there, where she was a real estate agent.
A man singing during an evening of Indian religious music at the NCC centre, a hub for digital nomads.
New residents of Dali have gathered for a “bonfire healing session”. The small event was sold out. Healing sessions of different types are popular among people who have recently settled in Dali.
A Chinese fire dancer gyrating to the drone of a didgeridoo, an Indigenous Australian instrument, in the courtyard of Yotam Sivan, Israeli musician who settled in Dali in 2021. In the 90s, Western backpackers were the first outsiders to make Dali a popular travel destination planting the seeds of an alternate new age culture. A few Westerners still live there.
People standing outside a makeshift bar where a small concert is taking place.
“City Life Sucks” says a banner over the stage of a bar popular with both young tourists and locals.
A student from Jiangxi province (right) selling jewellery to tourists on the street of Dali. She is planning to stay in Dali for a month before returning to her studies. Many young new comers try and sustain themselves by setting up booths on the streets or at markets.
At a market fair, a former computer engineer sitting by his coffee truck branded “The Wild Coffee”. He occasionally still does computer jobs and travels regularly to Tibet with his van where he sleeps. He uses Dali as his base.
Along the shore of Erhai lake, tourists having their photo taken at an open air photo studio. The owners charge $3 for the entrance and $6 for the rental of dresses and $59 for a package different accessories, sets and the services of on-site photographers. Millions of tourists come to visit Dali every year. Selfies are a big part of their activities and locals have been prompt to cash in on it.
Around Erhai lake, young tourists driving colourful convertibles they have rented for the day and use to take selfie’s. Convertibles rental is very popular in China’s tourist spots such Hainan Island and Dali.
Joey Chen, a 22-year-old freelance writer who had dropped out of college and moved to Dali a month earlier from Jiangxi Province, reading “All Men Are Mortal” by French philosopher and feminist theorist Simone De Beauvoir, in the reading lounge of Hideway Bookstore, a small bookstore recently opened in a village on the outskirts of Dali. Bookstores opened by newcomers are plentiful in Dali and often used for salons on a variety of topics. Local officials keep an eye on them, and occasionally check the books on display.
Liao Zhili, 23, a digital nomad who settled in Dali from the industrial city of Tianjin, doing some work outside a music bar. Digital nomads like him are drawn to Dali, where they can work remotely in a picturesque location.
On the rooftop of 706, a youth hostel working as a hub for many of Dali young newcomers, “digital nomads” at their computers. On the right Huang Yi, an artist who relocated from UK to Dali. He works there as an art teacher to fellow digital nomads. He says he prefers Dali to London where the cost of living is too high. 706 was renamed and its management replaced since this photos was shot. Books by China leader Xi Jinping, are now prominently on display on the book shelves of the centre.
A local is showing an old house to a family who settled in Dali from Shanghai. They are looking for a place to renovate and make their home. Locals are happy to see this influx of urbanites settling in. It increases the value of their properties.
Children of the Sun Duo kindergarten, a progressive school, during a daily outdoor activity at the school farm. On of Dali many draws for well off families, is the number of progressive schools that allow a more relaxed curriculum compared to public ones.
Zhou Qiaolin with her son Maommao during a home schooling class in her bedroom. Zhou moved with her family to Dali, a few months before. They can’t afford the local liberal private school and don’t want to enroll him in a pubic school.
Posing for photos along the shore of Erhai Lake. Dali is a popular destination for wedding photo shoots.
Tourists on rented scooters outside one of Dali’s historic gate. The bandana and colored dreadlocks are the cool outfit of the moment for Dali hip tourists.
A group of Bai women, dressed in traditional clothes, at a wet market. Ethnic Bai are the indigenous inhabitants of the region, and the preservation of this group traditions is of the appeals of Dali.
A musician singing for tourists along the shore of Erhai Lake. Many of Dali young new comers make try to make a living singing for tourists in bars or outdoor.