| Dali City | |
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  Dali City
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| Coordinates: 25°42′01″N 100°09′23″E / 25.70028°N 100.15639°E | |
| Country | China |
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| Province | Yunnan |
| Prefecture | Dali Prefecture |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1,468 km2 (566.8 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| - Total | 590,000 |
| - Density | 401.9/km2 (1,040.9/sq mi) |
| Postal code | 671000 |
| Area code(s) | 0872 |
| Yunnan e-Portal | |
| Website | http://www.dali.gov.cn/ |
Dali City (Chinese: 大理; pinyin: Dàlĭ; Bai: Darl•lit; Hani: Dafli) is a county-level city in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan province, China.
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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 Yi minorities. It is also the capital of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture (Chinese: Dàlǐ Báizú zìzhìzhōu 大理白族自治州; Bai: Darl•lit Baif•cuf zirl•zirl•zox).
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" (Chinese: 大理石; pinyin: dali shi).
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 "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.
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 (rebuilt in 1999)
- Jianji Great Bell of Nanzhao (recast in 1997)
- Three Pagodas
- Surrealist Group
- Butterfly Spring
- Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils film city
- Shaxi, Yunnan: a historical town in Jianchuan County on the ancient tea route
Culture
- Third Month Fair (Sanyue Jie)
Economy
Transportation
Local transport
Local transport modes include buses (11 routes in the city proper), taxis, bicycles, and boat (on the Erhai Lake).
Air
- Dali Airport (destinations: Kunming 20 min, Xishuangbanna 25 min). 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 (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.
- China National Highway 214
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.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dali, Yunnan |
- Dali City Official Website
- Dali Marble Artifact
- Dali News and Information Network
- Dali travel guide from Wikitravel
Coordinates: 25°42′01″N 100°09′23″E / 25.70028°N 100.15639°E
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