Dali Ancient Town, also known as Yu Town, is 13 kilometers from Xiaguan with Taihe Village in between. This place, with imposing gate towers and beautiful scenery, lies at the foot of the Cangshan Mountain in the west and faces the Erhai Lake in the east. It was initially built in 1382 during the Ming Dynasty. According to historical documents, the town had great dimensions, extending for 12 kilometers. The wall was 2. 5 zhang roughly 8 meters) tall, and 2 zhang roughly 7 meters) thick; gate towers in the east, west, south, and north were called Tonghai, Cangshan, Chengen, and Anyuan respectively. Watchtowers at the comers of the city wall were named Yingchuan, Xiping, Kongming, and Changing respectively. This town had a chessboard layout with five streets from south to north and eight lanes from east to west. At present, most of these structures are extinct, and some are faintly visible.

The existing wall is apart from south to north, and the extant South Gate Tower was rebuilt in 1982. The word "Dali" at the top of the gate was inscribed by Guo Moruo, an eminent Chinese scholar.

Dali Ancient Town is one of the first 24 historical and cultural cities approved by the State Council in February 1982, and also one of the key 44 scenic areas nationwide. It is reputed as "a land of letters". There are many important cultural relics here including 4 ones under national protection, and 19 ones under provincial protection, which mainly go to the category of ancient towns, pagodas, and tablets.

Ancient towns include Taihe Town, Yangjumie Town, Dali Town the (present Xizhou), Longwei Town (the present Xiaguan), and Dali Town; ancient pagodas Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Monastery, Mono Pagoda of Hongsheng Temple, Python Skeleton Pagoda, and Fish Bone Pagoda; Ancient Nanzhao Stele, Tablet in Memory of the Conquest of Yunnan by the First Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, tablet clusters of Wuhua Tower, and Shanhua Tablet. 

Major tourist attractions around Ancient Dali Town include the Cangshan Mountain, Jade Belt Clouds, and Husband Expecting Cloud to the west; the Erhai Lake and the Jizu Mountain to the east; Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Monastery, Relics of Yangjumie Town the capital of Nanzhao Kingdom), and the Third Month Fair to the northwest; Mono Pagoda of Hongsheng Temple, Gantong Temple, Nanzhao Stele, and newly-built Nanzhao Cultural Town to the south; Butterfly Spring Park, and Xizhou( the mostly Bai town) to the north. In the town, tourists can visit the Yu'er Park, the Yang's Garden, the Foreigners' Street, and Xiyun Academy of Classic Learning (the present Dali First High School) etc.

International visitors often get together in the Foreigners' Street, the upper part of Hugu Road with a length of 185. 6 meters. In the 1980s most the overseas visitors stayed at Dali Second Hotel (the present Red Camellia Hotel). Later on, cafes, bars, shops, bike rental services, and photo studios have been opened to cater to their needs. These shops are very popular among foreigners with their good service and delicious food. Tourists will find cafes, beer shops, clubs, stalls with local flavors, and works of arts and crafts. In the evening, people from all parts of the world enjoy themselves here in twos or threes, chatting and relaxing. Besides, garden tea houses, local snacks, and restaurants with foreign flavors are also popular.

Photo Resource: Internet

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