Dali

Dali, People's Republic of China

Morning sun illuminates the traditional whitewashed houses and stone-paved alleyways of Dali Old Town, with the Cang Mountains rising in the background.

Dali offers a walled-town atmosphere, a big lake and mountain views, and a slower pace than most of China's famous destinations.

The place

Dali sits in the northwest of Yunnan, on the western shore of Erhai Lake at an elevation of 2,007 metres. The name covers two places that are easy to mix up. Xiaguan, where the lake drains into the Yangbi River, is the modern city centre. It handles most long-distance buses and trains, holds the government offices and carries the newer development, and it is what the city of about 660,000 people looks like on a map. Dali Old Town lies about 10 kilometres north and is the Dali most travel writing describes. The old town is a compact grid of stone lanes, low tiled roofs and whitewashed walls. Building rules here require new work to follow the traditional style, so the skyline has stayed fairly even, while industry has been kept in the newer townships. The setting does most of the work. To the west the Cang Mountains rise above the lake, and to the east Mount Jizu closes the view. Erhai is broad and bright, with boats, villages along its shore and islands that hold temples. The weather follows the seasons closely. Winters are short and dry, while summers are warm and wet, with most of the rain falling from June to October. Many visitors settle into the old town for a few nights and make day trips to the lake and the western villages, which gives the place a slower rhythm than the big cities of the region.

Its story

Dali was known in earlier times as Xiemie, and its old town became the medieval capital of two successive kingdoms. The first was Nanzhao, a Bai kingdom that ruled from 779 to 902. The second was the Kingdom of Dali, which held the region from 937 to 1253. When the Yuan dynasty conquered it, the city was flattened and its documents were lost, so much of the early written history survives only in fragments. The present old town was laid out under the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty, in the late fourteenth century. Under the Yuan and the Ming the area became largely Muslim, and Hui communities have been part of its story since. Dali was also the centre of the Panthay Rebellion against the Qing, which ran from 1856 to 1863. A severe earthquake in 1925 damaged the town heavily. Access changed in the twentieth century, when rail and later air links brought tourists. The town has since become a favourite stop on China's tourist circuit, often paired with Lijiang. To protect the old town's character, industry was directed to newer townships such as Xiaguan, and new building in the old town must follow the traditional style, with tiled roofs and brick, plaster or whitewashed walls.

What to see

Culture

The Bai are the local ethnic group, and their customs shape much of daily life in Dali, from the architecture of courtyard houses to the dishes served in local eateries. The Third Month Fair (Sanyue Jie) is one of the traditional festivals of the area, held in the third lunar month. Hui Muslim communities have lived here since the Yuan and Ming periods, so mosques and Muslim eateries sit alongside Buddhist temples and Bai houses. Religion is part of ordinary life, and temples are places of worship as well as sights. Some towns around the lake are conservative; Wase is described as a traditional and conservative Bai town. Daily life moves at a steady pace, with markets early in the morning and quiet lanes in the evening. Ask before photographing people, especially at markets, and keep voices low in residential lanes after dark.

What to wear

Traditional Bai dress in the Dali area is built around blue and white. Women's costume has traditionally used indigo-dyed cloth, with white collars, embroidered trim and a wrapped headdress, while men's dress is plainer. Hand-dyed and hand-stitched textiles are the heart of the look. Today most people in the city wear ordinary modern clothes, from jeans and jackets to work wear, and the full costume appears mainly at festivals, performances and family occasions. Visitors may see some women in traditional dress for photographs in the old town, so ask before taking their picture. A visitor should pack in layers. Days can be warm, evenings cool, and the rainy months bring showers, so a light waterproof is useful. Comfortable closed shoes suit the stone lanes and the lake paths. At temples and shrines, cover the shoulders and knees and keep hats off indoors. Sun protection matters at this altitude of 2,007 metres, where sunlight is strong on clear days.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. March to April and late October to November are the easiest months, with mild days and clear skies. Most rain falls from June to October, so expect showers in late summer, and winters are short and dry but can bring frost.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Fly or take the train to Kunming, then a bus of about 4½ hours from Kunming West Bus Station to Xiaguan, where most long-distance buses arrive. From Xiaguan, a local bus or a white minibus takes about 45 minutes to Dali Old Town.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources