Dali City, Yunnan Province, China

🇨🇳 Dali City (大理市) is the county-level seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in north-western Yunnan. Dali City is administered through 12 township-level districts, two of which are also commonly referred to as Dali. Xiaguan (下关镇) formerly known as Hsia-kuan, is the modern city centre and usually conflated with Dali City by virtue of being its seat. This town is the destination of most long-distance transportation heading to Dali and is sometimes referred to as Dali New Town (大理新镇) to avoid confusion. Dali Town (大理镇) formerly known as Tali,[a] is another division of Dali City, located 10 km (6.2 mi) to the north of Xiaguan. This town, commonly referred to as Dali Old Town (大理古城) to distinguish it from the city seat in Xiaguan, is usually the Dali referred to in tourist publications. The old town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Yunnan, known for its natural scenery, historical and cultural heritage, and vibrant nightlife.

Dali City is located in western Yunnan, approximately 250 km (160 mi) north-west of the provincial capital of Kunming.

Dali is situated in the transition area between the dramatic valleys of the eastern Tibetan Plateau and the distinctive mountains of the western Yungui Plateau. The county-level city surrounds Erhai Lake between the Cang Mountains to the west and Mount Jizu to the east. The county seat at Xiaguan is located at the outlet of the lake into the Yangbi River. Dali Old Town is situated on a fertile plain between the Cang Range and Erhai. This plain has traditionally been settled by the Bai and Yi minorities.

Administrative divisions Dali City has 2 subdistricts, 10 towns and 1 ethnic township. 2 subdistricts • Dali Jingjijishukaifaqu Tianjing (大理经济技术开发区天井街道) • Dali Jingjijishukaifaqu Manjing (大理经济技术开发区满江街道) 10 towns • Xiaguan Town (下关镇) • Dali Town (大理镇) • Fengyi Town (凤仪镇) • Xizhou Town (喜洲镇) • Haidong Town (海东镇) • Wase Town (挖色镇) • Wanqiao Town (湾桥镇) • Yinqiao Town (银桥镇) • Shuanglang Town (双廊镇) • Shangguan Town (上关镇) 1 ethnic township • Taiyi Yi Ethnic Township (太邑彝族乡) Former Qiliqiao Town (七里桥镇).

Economy Much of the local economy now revolves around tourism and services catering to travellers.

Historically, Dali was able to control some of the trade between India and China and independently famed for the woodworkers of the town of Xizhou and for its high-quality marble, used both for construction and decorative objects. It was so prominent in the latter that the modern Chinese word for marble is literally "Dali stone" (大理石; dàlǐshí).

There is also local tea.

Transport Local transport includes buses, taxis, bicycles, and boats on Erhai Lake. Local busses 4 & 8 provide service from Xiaguan to the old town (1 hr). Tourists often rent bicycles from one of

the many rental stores in the old town and explore the region by bike, for instance on a special bike trail around the Erhai lake.

Air Dali Huangcaoba Airport (DLU) is a domestic airport about 13 km (8.1 mi) east of Xiaguan on Weishan or Airport Rd. Taxis run about 60 RMB to Xiaguan or 90 RMB to the old town. It services (as of 2014) Kunming (20 min), Xishuangbanna (25 min), Chongqing (70 min), Chengdu (80 min), Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Guiyuan.

Road Dali (i.e., Xiaguan) is connected to Kunming and points east by the Hangrui Expressway (G56), which also runs west to Ruili on the Burmese border. The Dali Expressway (G56₁₁) is a spur connecting it with Lijiang. The road to the old town is China National Highway 214, which connects to the expressway to Lijiang north of the lake. It also runs south from Xiaguan to Menghai near the Burmese border.

Long-distance busses run from the old town's west gate to Kunming (about 4½ hrs), Lijiang, and Shangri-La. Every Monday, service is also available to Shaping for its market. Long-distance busses run from Xiaguan's stations on Jianshe Road.

Rail Dali has its own railway station with daily services to Kunming and Lijiang. Service to Kunming used to consist of one train during the day and two trains running overnight, with sleeper cars. Per July 2018 Dali is connected to Kunming with a modern high-speed train link with a frequency of one train per hour. As the railway network expands in Yunnan, train service will become available to Shangri-La County and Ruili in the future.

Tourist Industry Dali is one of Yunnan's most popular tourist destinations. Sights include: • Dali Municipal Museum (大理市博物馆): This centrally located museum houses permanent exhibitions on archaeological findings from the region, on paintings and on Buddhist sculptures. • Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple • Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils film city • Xizhou: a historical town famed for its architecture and woodwork • Shuang lang: on the east side of the lake, once a small fishing village, now a rather high-class tourist destination, most buildings and businesses having overtaken the village since 2012. The coast is now completely built up by tourism estates. • Cang Mountain, west of the Old City and the Three Pagodas • Stele in memory of Kublai Khan's conquest of Yunnan (元世祖平云南碑), erected on top of a large stone tortoise in Sanyue Lane (三月街) at the foot of the Cang Mountain, west of the Old City.