Dali City, formerly known as Tali, is an administrative area located in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan, China. It is not a single city but rather a county-sized area. Travelers visit and discuss “Dali” usually referring to the old town which 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 and the Kingdom of Dali but was razed and its records burnt during its conquest by China’s Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. Today it is a preserved area with industrial development restricted to areas such as Xiaguan.
Dali City is located on a fertile plateau between the Cangshan Range to the west and Erhai lake to the east. It has traditionally been settled by the Bai and Yi minorities.
Sights in Dali include the Dali museum, Chong Sheng Temple, Guanyin Palace of Copper Rain, Jianji Great Bell of Nanzhao, Three Pagodas, Butterfly Spring, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils film city, Xizhou, Shaxi, and Shuanglang.
Tourism and services catering to travelers form the basis of Dali’s economy. Historically, Dali was able to control some of the trade between India and China and is known for its woodworkers of Xizhou and its high-quality marble, used both for construction and decorative objects.
Local transport includes busses, taxis, bicycles, and boats on Erhai Lake. Dali has a domestic airport about 13 km east of Xiaguan and is connected to Kunming and points east by the Hangrui Expressway. It also has rail connections with daily service to Kunming via the Guangtong-Dali Railway and Lijiang via the Dali-Lijiang Railway.
Dali has a mild subtropical highland climate with short, mild, dry winters and warm, rainy summers. A great majority of the year’s rainfall occurs from June to October.
Posted by Manfred Sommer (348 Mio. Views) on 2014-06-29 18:02:00