Dali City, formerly known as Tali, is the county-level seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan, China. The city is not a single city but a county-sized area called a city for administrative purposes. Travelers to and discussion of “Dali” usually refers to the old town located about an hour away from the modern industrial city called Xiaguan. The old town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Yunnan, known for its natural scenery, historical and cultural heritage, and vibrant nightlife.
The old town was the medieval capital of both the Bai kingdom Nanzhao (fl.9th century) and the Kingdom of Dali (937–1253). It was organized in the late 14th century under the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It became significantly Muslim under the Yuan and Ming and was the center of the Panthay Rebellion against the Qing from 1856–1863. It was severely damaged during a massive earthquake in 1925.
Dali is located on a fertile plateau between the Cangshan Range to the west and Erhai lake to the east, and has been traditionally settled by the Bai and Yi minorities. Dali is one of Yunnan’s most popular tourist destinations, with sights such as Dali museum, Chong Sheng Temple, Guanyin Palace of Copper Rain, and Three Pagodas. The local economy centers around tourism and services catering to travelers, with historical trades such as woodwork and marble still prominent. Local transportation includes buses, taxis, bicycles, and boats on Erhai Lake.
Dali Airport services Kunming, Xishuangbanna, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Guiyuan. Dali is connected to Kunming and points east by the Hangrui Expressway and to Lijiang by the Dali Expressway. Railway service is available to Kunming via the Guangtong-Dali Railway and Lijiang via the Dali-Lijiang Railway, and will soon expand to Shangri-La County and Ruili. Dali has a mild subtropical highland climate with short, mild, dry winters and warm, rainy summers.
Posted by Manfred Sommer (348 Mio. Views) on 2014-06-28 14:19:41