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Dali is a small town situated in the west of Yunnan province, on a fertile plateau between the Cangshan mountains to the west and Erhai lake to the east. It is a famous historic city, and was the political, cultural and economic capital of Yunnan Province in ancient times. The majority of the local population are of the Bai and Yi minority groups. The layout of the ancient city resembles a humungous chessboard. There are five streets stretching from south to north, and eight lanes from east to west. Along each of them you will find the typical houses of the Bai minority people which have stone walls and are elaborately decorated with fancy paintwork and woodwork. The city walls rise to a height of eight metres on each side of the town, however these days only the south and north gates remain standing. Although becoming steadily more touristy, Old Dali City is still a great place to wander, to enjoy the unique architecture, drink tea and soak up the 'old town' charm. If you're feeling more adventurous, biking around Erhai Lake, visiting the minority markets in nearby villages and trekking up Cangshan Mountain (4000m) also make for great day trips. An interesting time to visit Dali is between the fifteenth and twenty-first days of the third lunar month (usually April) when the city transforms itself into one giant fairground for the Third Moon Festival. Originally a Buddhist festival, nowadays there are dances, races and singing, and a big market with many goods to trade or buy from as far afield as India and Myanmar. |
