Fishermen’s Tea Ceremony Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience

Today, let me take you to dock at the most poetic ferry terminal on the west shore of Erhai Lake — Longkan Pier! 📍 Located between Haidong Town and the Old Town of Dali City, Yunnan Province, about 3 kilometers northwest of Dali Old Town, backed by Cangshan Zhonghe Peak and facing the northeast bay of Erhai Lake, it is one of the oldest and most original waterfront piers in Dali. During the Tang Dynasty’s Nanzhao period, it was known as the “Longwei Pass” water post station. It still retains bluestone steps, mooring posts, and century-old huanglian wood. Unlike the bustling Caicun or the flashy Shuanglang, it exists with a nearly humble quiet beauty: in the early morning, mist floats like gauze over the water, the reflections of the nineteen peaks of Cangshan gently ripple with the waves; at noon, sunlight pierces through the clouds, spreading a golden fragmented path across the blue water; at sunset, the entire Erhai Lake is dyed molten gold, and the dark wooden posts of Longkan ancient ferry become the most steady measure between heaven and earth — their shadows slanting onto the water, swaying with the silhouettes of returning boats, egrets, and grandmas drying fishing nets. The most touching is its “unfinished feeling”: no fences, no signs, only wind, water, trees, people, and an orange cat always napping on the stone steps, as if time here is willing to pause a little longer. Itinerary: 1-day Longkan Pier · Erhai Lake Breathing Memory | Sunrise Viewing + Handmade Tie-Dye + Fishermen’s Tea Ceremony + Ancient Ferry Cycling Total Budget: 394 RMB (strictly controlled under 400 RMB) Transportation｜¥6 Take bus C2 from the South Gate of Dali Old Town to “Longkan Village Station” ¥2｜8-minute walk to the pier｜round trip ¥4｜reserve shared electric scooter ¥2 Admission｜¥0 ✅ The pier and lakeside trail are completely free｜only the nearby tie-dye workshop charges a clear price Highlights｜Be an Erhai Lake color master! ✅ Morning Ferry Watch (6:00–7:30): Bring a thermos and a small cushion, quietly wait for the Erhai sunrise — watch golden light pierce the clouds, the snowy peaks of Cangshan gradually awaken, the first fishing boat cuts through the mirror-like surface, egrets fly over the top of the wooden posts 🕊️ ✅ Afternoon Tie-Dye (10:30–12:30): Enter the “Amei Tie-Dye Courtyard” beside the pier, use fermented isatis root liquid + Cangshan spring water to handcraft a “Longkan Ripple” scarf (master teaches the “deer pattern tie” technique, finished product can be taken home) 🌿 ✅ Fishermen’s Tea Ceremony (14:00–15:30): Sit under the old locust tree at the pier, brew Xiaguan Tuocha with Erhai water, paired with roasted milk fan rolls, plum sauce, freshly shelled walnuts, and listen to grandmas drying fishing nets tell old stories of the “Erhai fish season” 🍵 ✅ Ancient Ferry Cycling (16:00–17:30): Rent an electric scooter and slowly ride along West Ring Road, passing Longkan ancient ferry → Caicun → Majiuyi, capturing a moving scroll of “Cangshan as the backdrop, Erhai as the mirror, bicycle as the brush.” Meals｜¥388 Lunch: “Pier Grandma’s Small Stove” — sour and spicy fish + milk fan rolls + plum rice wine balls ¥62 Afternoon tea (included)｜Additional purchases: Tie-dye experience fee ¥80｜Longkan Ripple scarf (including dye/fabric/packaging) ¥48｜Plum sauce ¥12｜Roasted milk fan rolls ¥10｜Erhai water brewed tea bag ¥18｜Cangshan pine needle scented tea ¥10｜Small bag of walnuts ¥8｜Xiaguan Tuocha sample gift box ¥20｜Longkan sunrise postcard ¥8｜Hand-painted fishing season notebook ¥12 ✅ Total cost breakdown: Transportation ¥6 + Meals ¥388 = ¥394 (remaining ¥6 can be exchanged for a Longkan wooden post rubbing bookmark) ✅ Must-choose time: Arrive before 6:00 AM｜the light before sunrise is softest｜water surface like a mirror｜can shoot empty scenes without people｜avoid crowds after 8 AM Essentials: Windbreaker (lake wind is strong), soft-soled cloth shoes (stone steps are slippery), plain cotton-linen clothes (tie-dye won’t stain), thermos (for self-brewed tea), cash (grandma’s stall only accepts cash) Hidden gem: Bring an excerpt from “Dali Prefecture Gazetteer · Jinliang Records,” and at the base of the third mooring post on the far east side of the pier, identify the small engraved characters “Repaired in the 23rd year of Guangxu” from the Qing Dynasty (need to squat and look closely, partially covered by moss) When the first ray of light kisses the Longkan wooden post, I suddenly hear — The oar sounds of the thousand-year water post, the hoofbeats of Nanzhao envoys, the songs of Bai grandmas, all transform into that long and gentle breath over Erhai Lake at this moment.