Dali City

Dali
大理市 · Dallit sil
View of Dali City
Erhai Lake in Shuanglang
Yunling Avenue
Xi'er River
Locations of Dali City (red) and Dali Prefecture (pink) within Yunnan and China
Dali
Location in Yunnan
Dali
Dali (China)
Coordinates (Dali Prefecture government): 25°40′52″N 100°18′1″E / 25.68111°N 100.30028°E / 25.68111; 100.30028
CountryChina
ProvinceYunnan
Autonomous prefectureDali
Municipal seatHaidong
Area
  Total
1,738.63 km2 (671.29 sq mi)
Elevation
1,975 m (6,480 ft)
Population
 (2021)
  Total
771,128
  Density443.5/km2 (1,149/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code
671003
Area code0872
ClimateCwb
Websitewww.yndali.gov.cn
Yunnan e-Portal
Dali City
Chinese大理
Literal meaning"Great reason"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinDàlǐ shì

Dali City (Chinese: 大理市, Bai: Dallit sil or Guiphet) is the county-level seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan, China. Dali City is administered through 12 township-level districts, two of which are also commonly referred to as Dali.

Xiaguan (下关) is the modern city centre and usually conflated with Dali City by virtue of being its seat. This town is the destination of most long-distance transportation heading to Dali and is sometimes referred to as Dali New Town (大理新镇) to avoid confusion.

Dali Town (大理镇), formerly known as Tali, is another division of Dali City, located 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Xiaguan. This town, commonly referred to as Dali Old Town (大理古城) to distinguish it from the city seat in Xiaguan, is usually the Dali referred to in tourist publications. The old town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Yunnan, known for its natural scenery, historical and cultural heritage, and vibrant nightlife.