Located in the northwest of Yunnan Province, Dali City is the capital of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and also the center of politics, economy and culture of the prefecture. The city is a popular tourist city with its historic legacies and natural resources. Dali Old Town is one of the most famous ancient towns in China. Book a Local Tour

The history of Dali Old Town dates back to over one thousand years ago in Tang Dynasty. At that time, it was the location of the capital of Nanzhao Kingdom. The old town was built in the year of 1382 in Ming Dynasty. At that time, there were walls and gate towers. In 1950s, the walls were tore down. The South Gate Tower was rebuilt in 1982. The inscription of Dali(大理) on the tower was written by Guo Moruo, who is a famous writer and archaeologist in China.

The main inhabitants of Dali is Bai Minority, which has a number of 1.5 million persons. The Bai people have long-established roots in the Erhai Lake region, and are thought to have settled the area some 3000 years ago. In the early 8th century they grouped together and succeeded in defeating the Tang imperial army before establishing the Nanzhao kingdom.

Dali Attractions

Dali Old Town	Three Pagodas of the Chongsheng Monastery

 

Xizhou	Zhoucheng

 

Erhai Lake	Shuanglang

Hotel Accommodation

As a famous tourist city, there are a lot of hotels of different star-rates. If you would like to enjoy a local atmosphere, there are also many home inns available. Book a hotel in Dali

Getting Dali and Away

Flights and trains are available in Dali. There are flights between Dali and Kunming, Jinghong, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Beijing. Flights within the province are usually available everyday. Most tourists would like to arrive at Kunming first and then visit Dali. Flights between Dali and other major cities in China may not available every day, but a few days in a week maybe.Book a Flight Ticket

There are trains available between Dali and Lijiang, Dali and Kunming. It takes about 7-8 hours to arrive at Dali from Kunming. Overnight trains is very convenient and time-saving. It takes about 2 hours to travel between Lijiang and Dali. Book a Train Ticket

Some tourists would like to travel to Dali from Kunming, click here to view how to travel from Kunming to Dali.