Geography
Dali is located on a fertile plateau between the Cangshan mountains to the west and Erhai lake to the east. It has traditionally been settled by the Bai and minorities. It is also the capital of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture .
History
Dali is the ancient capital of both the Bai kingdom Nanzhao, which flourished in the area during the 8th and 9th centuries, and the Kingdom of Dali, which reigned from 937-1253. Dali was also the center of the Panthay Rebellion from 1856-1863.
Dali is also famous for the many types of marble it produces, which are used primarily in construction and for decorative objects. In fact, Dali is so famous for the stone that the name of marble in Chinese is literally "Dali Stone" .
Dali is now a major tourist destination, along with Lijiang, for both domestic and international tourists.
Old Town and new city
Dali and Yunnan's capital Kunming are only a 40-minute flight apart. Dali's newly finished administrative district that houses the newly opened Dali International Convention Center is in Longshan District. The Dali government's urban planning keeps its old and new districts separate, so those coming here for the first time often feel they have entered a time tunnel.
The old city, north of the new city, was built during Ming Dynasty emperor Hongwu's reign . Owing to the distance between them, the old city is still peaceful and quiet.
Sites of interest
Dali is one of Yunnan's most popular tourist destinations, both for its historic sites and the "Foreigners' Street" that features western-style food, music, and English-speaking business owners, making it popular among both western and Chinese tourists.
Dali museum
Chong Sheng Temple
**Guanyin Palace of Copper Rain
**Jianji Great Bell of Nanzhao
**Three Pagodas
**Surrealist Group
**Butterfly Spring
Culture
Third Month Fair
Economy
Marble
Tea
Transportation
Local transport
Local transport modes include buses , taxis, bicycles, and boat .
Air
Dali Airport . The airport is 13 km to the east of Dali City.
Road
There is a Freeway between Dali and Chuxiong.
From the bus stop near the west gate in Dali there are daily buses to Shangri-La County and express buses to Kunming. Travel time by road to and from Kunming is about 3 hours and 30 minutes. Express buses to Lijiang and minibuses also leave from here. A bus leaves for Shaping every Monday morning for the market.
The three biggest Long-distance Bus Stations of Xiaguan are all located on Jianshe Road. There are daily long-distance buses to Dali at all Bus Stations in Kunming. The buses from Kunming to Dali will stop at Xiaguan , but not the Old Town of Dali. From the Xiaguan Bus Station, there is a direct Bus to the Old Town of Dali.
Rail
Guangtong-Dali Railway is connected with Chengdu-Kunming Railway at Guangtong Railway Station. There are daily trains from Kunming to Dali or vice versa. Trains to other major cities including Lijiang, Shangri-La County also exist.
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