Nestling in the arms of the statuesque Cangshan Mountain, and skirted by a wall eight meters in height and 3.5 kilometers in circumference, Ancient Town of Dali was first built in 1683, the 15th year of the Hongwu Reign of the Ming Dynasty. Featuring stone walls, grey-tiled roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix patterns, and gardens of varying sizes, the dwellings of Dali evince an air of classic sanctity. The entire city is covered by a maze of streams, fed by runoffs from the Cangshan Mountain. Hence the saying, “The gurgling of water can be heard in every house, and flowers are planted in every family”.

    Tourist buses leave Kunming for Dali sometime around 8 to 9 am every day. It takes about 7 hours one way by bus and it costs RMB 100 yuan.