Dali Bai Nationality Autonomous Region History - Page 2

Dali in History

Dali culture is long in history. As early as in the years of the Hanwu Emperor of 109 DC, Yeyo County was set up here. In the Song and Tang Dynasties, Nanzhao kingdom and Dali Kingdom were set up here, lasting over 500 years. Once it was the center of politics, economy, and culture for Yunnan. The name of Dali originated from the Song Dynasty Kingdom. It means ruling the county by regulations and laws. In the ancient times, Dali was the relay station to go India and Burma. Now the Yunnan-Tibet road and the Burma-China road cross here. There is a magnificent four-lane hi-speed expressway linking Dali to Kunming. The old road requiring a 12 grueling hours now can be driven by car in 3-4 hours depending on how you value your life. We took the trip by car and it was a most enjoyable scene the whole trip. On the way are many good restaurants where you can feast on good food while they wash your car for free. The road is a wonder of engineering as it cuts through the mountains and you look at the hundreds of stone handwork on the cut hillsides. Scenes of the Chinese rural countryside with their fields and villages dot the side of the road. Rail and airplanes are also available to get to Dali.