Dali Ancient City

Dali Ancient City, located 3 kilometers (8.1 miles) away from Xiaguan in Dali City, Yunnan Province, is one of the 'Three Ancients' together with the Ancient Pagodas and Ancient Steles of the Dali Scenic Spot. It is a city that is famous for its literature, historical records, cultural of heritage and richest relic in Yunnan Province.

It can be dated back to the year 1382 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and has been among the top listed historical cities of China since 1982. With Erhai Lake to the east, and Cangshan Mountain to the west, its grand city wall, traditional Bai ethnic minority folk houses and marvelous scenery have been attracting many visitors.

The circumference of Dali Ancient City was 6 kilometers long. The City Wall is 8 metres high and 7 meters thick. The interior of the wall was filled with rocks and the surface was bricked over smoothly. The four gate towers in the east, south, west and north are named Chen En, Tong Hai, Cangshan and An Yuan respectively. There are also 45 battlements and 1560 crenels on the walls. A defensive river was surrounding the city. The streets and avenues in the city now are crisscrossing each other, typical of chessboard pattern. The buildings are all covered with dark blue tiles and pebble-staked walls. All look very pristine and delicate.

The residents all like to plant trees and flowers. There are garden in every house. The famous Dali camellia, azalea and orchids are competing to show their beauty, blooming against snow on Cangshan Mountain. Red flowers and green grass are coming out from wall, making up flowers streets. Streams from Cangshan Mountain come into the city, going across the streets and visiting every family with their happy sound and sweet taste, running eastwards to Erhai Lake. The whole city looks fresh and wet, without any dust.

Today Dali Ancient City is one of the most important historical, cultural heritage sites in China, it is one of the first group of historical site declared protected by the State Department of China.