The ancient town of Dali, known as the most blessed spot on earth, is located in the Yunnan province of southwest China. The Cangshan Mountains and a wall measuring eight meters high and 3.5 kilometers in circumference surround Dali. The city is located on an elevated rice plain and the ancient granite mountains yield some of China's finest marble. Dali was first built in 1683 during the Ming dynasty. The houses in Dali are remarkable. Stone walls, grey-tiled roofs, doors and windows carved with dragons, and gardens of various sizes make each house unique in its own way. Streams flow through the entire city coming from the runoffs of the Cangshan Mountain. The gurgling water can be heard in every house and flowers are planted everywhere.
The history of Dali dates back to 8th century A.D. Back then, Dali was the capital of Nanzhao which was a strong independent kingdom. It was able to conquer Burma, invade Thailand and Laos, and diminish the power of the Tang Emperor. It took the might of Kublia Khan in 1253 to bring this kingdom to a halt.
Dali is a relatively small town. Fuxing Lu is the largest street running from the south gate directly to the north, an approximate thirty-minute walk. The gates with arched entrances and towers are the most impressive parts of the walls. The houses inside the gates are double story structures that lean up against each other. Along Fuxing Lu, shops make up the lower levels of most of the houses.
Tourism is what Dali relies on. People from all over the world come to Dali to take in the atmosphere. The Triple Pagodas, Butterfly Spring, and the Cangshan Mountains are three popular tourist attractions. The Triple Pagodas are three emblems of the city's long and celebrated history. The Butterfly Spring is actually a pool that is 4 meters deep and 20 meters wide. A silk tree overlooks the pond. In the fourth lunar month every year, the tree puts out butterfly-shaped flowers, and swarms of butterflies belonging to 20 breeds descend over the pool. Other popular tourist sites include Dalis South Gate, the Bell Tower, the Chongsheng Temple, and Zonghe Peaks.
References
Winckler, Edwin. Transition from Communism in China. Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 1999.
http://www.berclo.net/page00/00en-china-9.html, 1 March, 2001.
Heaven May Still Smile on Dali. (August/September). http://www.dreamasia.com/aug2000/dali.htm, 1 March, 2001.
Sightseeing in Dali. http://www.traveloyunnan.com/dali/dali_travel.html 1 March, 2001.
Written by Marc Zika