Butterfly Spring (蝴蝶泉)

Butterfly Spring (蝴蝶泉 Húdié Quán) sits 27km south of Dali Ancient Town at the foot of Yunnong Peak on Cangshan Mountain. The centerpiece is a jade-green pool shaded by an ancient acacia tree — its fragrant blossoms attract thousands of butterflies each April, creating the famous "butterfly chain" spectacle where they cluster head-to-tail on the branches.

The Bai people have gathered here on the 15th day of the fourth lunar month for centuries. The Butterfly Meet (蝴蝶会) is both a festival and a matchmaking event, rooted in the legend of star-crossed lovers Wengu and Xialang, who leapt into the pool to escape a prince and re-emerged as butterflies.

Three attractions beyond the spring itself: the Butterfly Museum houses 45,000+ specimens across 400 species, including rare golden-spotted swallowtails. The Butterfly World greenhouse keeps live butterflies flying year-round, useful because outside April–May the wild spectacle simply doesn't happen. Wanghai Pavilion, up 120 stone steps west of the spring, offers views across Erhai Lake.

Honest verdict: the park is commercialized and can feel like a Chinese tourist stop. If you're not visiting in April, the spring pool and museum are pleasant but unremarkable. Combine it with a Cangshan hike or Zhoucheng tie-dye village to make the trip worthwhile.