The town was established as the seat of the Dali kingdom and given its present walled form in the Ming dynasty, when the grid of streets, the gates and the drum tower were built. It sits on a plain between the Cangshan range and Erhai Lake, a position that gave it control of the route between the Tibetan plateau and the lowlands and made it a trading center for centuries.
The layout
The old town is roughly square, with four gates and the main street running north to south, sloping gently downhill toward the lake. Side lanes branch off in a grid, and many of them dead-end in small squares. The surviving sections of the wall and the reconstructed gate towers frame the main approach, and from the south gate the view down the street with the mountains behind is the classic Dali image.
What to see
The main street is commercial, with shops selling silverwork, marble pieces, tie-dyed cloth and tea. The interesting parts are the side lanes, where courtyard houses with carved wooden screens and painted eaves are still lived in, and a few small temples and guild halls survive. A number of courtyards have been converted into cafes, guesthouses and small museums. The town is also a base for hikes up the Cangshan range, where a cable car and a long walking trail offer a full day out.
Practical notes
Dali's old town is about forty minutes from Kunming by high-speed rail plus a short transfer from the station. Go early morning or late afternoon; the middle of the day is crowded in the peak seasons. Evening is lively and the town is very safe to walk at night. Allow half a day for the town, and a full day if you add the mountain.
