Dali, Yunnan
Encyclopedia
Dali City is a county-level city
in and the seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture
, northwestern Yunnan
province of Southwest China
.
, which reigned from 937-1253. Situated in a once significantly Muslim part of South China, Dali was also the center of the Panthay Rebellion against the reigning imperial Qing Dynasty
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" ' onMouseout='HidePop("16218")' href="/topics/Pinyin">pinyin
: dali shi).
Dali is now a major tourist destination
, along with Lijiang, for both domestic and international tourists.
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 "new city" is known as Xiaguan and is south of the old city. The old city was built during Ming Dynasty emperor Hongwu's reign (1368–1398). Owing to the distance between them, the old city is still peaceful and quiet.
minorities. It is also the capital of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.
Cwb), with short, mild, dry winters, and warm, rainy summers. Frost may occur in winter but the days still generally warm up to 15 °C (59 °F) or more. During summer, a majority of the days features some rainfall, and daytime temperatures rise to 24 °C (75.2 °F). A great majority of the year's rainfall occurs from June to October.
).
via the Guangtong-Dali Railway and Lijiang via the Dali-Lijiang Railway. Daily train service is available to and from Kunming (1 day-train and 2 sleeping trains) and to Lijiang. As the railway network expands in Yunnan, train service will become available to Shangri-La County
and Ruili
.
County-level city
A county-level city is a county-level administrative division of mainland China. County-level cities are usually governed by prefecture-level divisions, but a few are governed directly by province-level divisions....
in and the seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture
Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture
Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Yunnan Province, China. Dali has an area of 29,460 km² and its capital is Xiaguan.-Subdivisions:...
, northwestern Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
province of Southwest China
Southwest China
Southwest China is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing, the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, and the Tibet Autonomous Region.-Provinces:-Municipalities:...
.
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 DaliKingdom of Dali
Dali or Great Li was a Bai kingdom centred in what is now Yunnan Province of China. Established by Duan Siping in 937, it was ruled by a succession of 22 kings until the year 1253, when it was conquered by an invasion of the Mongol Empire. The capital city was at Dali.- History :The Kingdom of...
, which reigned from 937-1253. Situated in a once significantly Muslim part of South China, Dali was also the center of the Panthay Rebellion against the reigning imperial Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
from 1856-1863.
Dali is also famous for the many types of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
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" ' onMouseout='HidePop("16218")' href="/topics/Pinyin">pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: dali shi).
Dali is now a major tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
, along with Lijiang, for both domestic and international tourists.
Old Town and new city
Dali and Yunnan's capital KunmingKunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
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 "new city" is known as Xiaguan and is south of the old city. The old city was built during Ming Dynasty emperor Hongwu's reign (1368–1398). Owing to the distance between them, the old city is still peaceful and quiet.
Geography
Dali 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 YiYi people
The Yi or Lolo people are an ethnic group in China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Numbering 8 million, they are the seventh largest of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China...
minorities. It is also the capital of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.
Climate
Tempered by the low latitude and high elevation, Dali has a mild subtropical highland climate (KöppenKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cwb), with short, mild, dry winters, and warm, rainy summers. Frost may occur in winter but the days still generally warm up to 15 °C (59 °F) or more. During summer, a majority of the days features some rainfall, and daytime temperatures rise to 24 °C (75.2 °F). A great majority of the year's rainfall occurs from June to October.
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 museumDalí MuseumDalí Museum may refer to:*Dalí Theatre and Museum*Dalí Universe*Espace Dalí*Salvador Dalí Museum...
- Chong Sheng Temple
- Guanyin Palace of Copper Rain (rebuilt in 1999)
- Jianji Great Bell of Nanzhao (recast in 1997)
- Three PagodasThree PagodasThe Three Pagodas are an ensemble of three independent pagodas arranged on the corners of a equilateral triangle, near the town of Dali, Yunnan province, China, dating from the time of the Nanzhao kingdom and Kingdom of Dali....
- Butterfly Spring
- Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils film cityDemi-Gods and Semi-Devils film cityThe Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils film city is an artificial Chinese ancient city built in Dali City, Yunnan, China.-History:The city was originally built to accommodate the shooting of the television series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils . The city cost 110 million RMB to construct. The park covers an...
- Shaxi, YunnanShaxi, YunnanShaxi is a historical market town in Jianchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan province, China.The town is located roughly in between Dali and Lijiang....
: a historical town in Jianchuan County on the ancient tea routeAncient tea routeThe Ancient Tea Route was a network of mule caravan paths winding through the mountains of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It is also referred to as the Southern Silk Road and Tea and Horse Road... - Shuang lang: on the opposite side of the lake, a small fishing village where the guesthouse owners of Dali come to take a break of the busy life in Dali.
Local transport
Local transport modes include buses (11 routes in the city proper), taxis, bicycles, and boat (on the Erhai LakeErhai Lake
Er Lake, Chinese Erhai , is an alpine fault lake in Yunnan province, China. Its name means "Ear-shaped Sea", due to its shape as seen by locals and travellers. Er Lake was also known as Yeyuze or Kunming Lake in ancient times. A commonly-seen mistranslation is Erhai Lake.-Geography:Erhai is...
).
Air
- Dali AirportDali Airport-Airlines and destinations:Flight time to Kunming is 20 minutes; to Xishuangbanna 25 minutes.- References :* - Reference* from AirfieldMaps.co.uk*...
(destinations: Kunming 20 min, Xishuangbanna 25 min, Chengdu 80 min, Chongqing 70min). The airport is 13 km to the east of Dali City, taxi fare Y50.
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 CountyShangri-La CountyShangri-La County is a primarily Tibetan county in northwestern Yunnan province, Southwest China and is the location of the seat of the Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.-Name:...
and express buses to KunmingKunming' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
. Travel time by road to and from KunmingKunming' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
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 (the "new city") are all located on Jianshe Road. There are daily trains and long-distance buses to Xiaguan from Kunming. From Xiaguan, there is a direct bus (No.4) to the Old Town of Dali. The bus No.8 links the railway station, the East and the North bus station of Xiaguan with the old city of Dali.
- China National Highway 214China National Highway 214China National Highway 214 runs from Xining, Qinghai to Jinghong, Yunnan. It is 3,256 kilometres in length and runs south from Xining towards Tibet, and ends in Yunnan Province.-Route and distance:-External links:*...
Rail
Dali has rail connections to KunmingKunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
via the Guangtong-Dali Railway and Lijiang via the Dali-Lijiang Railway. Daily train service is available to and from Kunming (1 day-train and 2 sleeping trains) and to Lijiang. As the railway network expands in Yunnan, train service will become available to Shangri-La County
Shangri-La County
Shangri-La County is a primarily Tibetan county in northwestern Yunnan province, Southwest China and is the location of the seat of the Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.-Name:...
and Ruili
Ruili
Ruili City is a county-level city in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan province, southwest China.It is a major border crossing between China and Myanmar, with Muse town located across the border.- Name :...
.