Dali City, Yunnan
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| Dali City | |
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  Dali City
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | China |
| Region | Yunnan |
| Prefecture | Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture |
| County | |
| 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) | 872 |
| 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 in the south of China.
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[edit] 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).
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 old city, north of the new 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.
[edit] 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
[edit] Culture
- Third Month Fair (Sanyue Jie)
[edit] Economy
[edit] Transportation
- Freeway between Dali and Chuxiong
- Railway between Dali and Guangtong
- Dali Airport (Kunming, Xishuangbanna)
Travel time by road to and from Kunming is about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Dali Government site
- Dali Marble Artifact
- Dali News and Information Network
- Dali travel guide from Wikitravel
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