Dali
The City
For many centuries, Dali was the principal city of Yunnan, far
more important than Kunming. Dali was the capital of the Nanchao Kingdom
which made its power felt deep into China. Much later, in the mid-19th
century, Dali was a Muslim stronghold from were the Yunnan
capital of Kunming had been raided several times.
Still now, Dali is predominantly inhabited by Bai people, one
of the strongest ethnic minorities in Yunnan province. The Bais
are closely related to the Thais of Thailand, as well as
to another ethnic minority in Yunnan province, the Dais.
Actually, the Thais of Thailand only became an ethnic group distinct
from the Bais and Dais of Yunnan after Kublai Khan had defeated
the Nanchao Kingdom. At that time, a large number of the Nanchao
aristocracy, together with many of their subjects, migrated south, into
Southeast Asia and present-day Thailand where they dislodged the
Khmers who at that time were ruling over much of Southeast Asia.
The Thai group of people now classified as Thais, Dais, Bais, and under
various other names, had been settling the Dali area for more than 3,000
years. Even today, there is much awareness among Thais that Yunnan
is where they originate from.
Like Kunming, Dali, some 400 kilometers to the west, is located near
a major lake, Erhai Lake. And like Kunming, Dali lies at an altitude
of about 1,900 meters.
The main attraction of Dali is probably the surrounding countryside.
To the west lies the Cangshan Mountain Range with peaks well above
4,000 meters and a large number of most picturesque Buddhist temples. Unlike
the Han Chinese, the Dais and Bais of the Dali area are Hinayana
Buddhists, so one may see saffron-robbed monks.
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