Dali City is a county-level city and the seat of the Dali Bai(minority) Autonomous Prefecture, northwestern Yunnan province of Southwest China.
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.
The Dali government's urban planning keeps its old
and new districts separate. 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. Those coming here for the first time often feel they have entered a
time tunnel.
