Dali Butterfly Spring Area

The Dali Butterfly Spring Area is a natural spring and cultural site near Dali city in the Bai Autonomous Prefecture of western Yunnan Province, China, where bicarbonate mineral waters emerge from the ancient limestone and marble geology of the Cangshan Mountains — the marble-clad range that gives Dali its historical fame as China's center of marble production — alongside a scenic pool famous for the annual gathering of butterflies in spring. Dali is one of Yunnan's most celebrated destinations, a historical capital of the Bai kingdom and later the Dali Kingdom (937–1253 CE), with the atmospheric ancient walled city, the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, and the vast Erhai Lake framed by the Cangshan peaks creating one of China's most picturesque scenic and cultural landscapes. The mineral spring and butterfly gathering at this site reflect the Bai people's deep spiritual connection to water and nature, where the annual butterfly congregation has inspired countless Bai folk legends and artistic traditions.