Dally in Dali

In 1959， the Chinese romance film Five Golden Flowers， set in Yunnan Province， created a huge sensation throughout the country. For many years afterwards， the film continued serving as publicity for Dali， the ancient village where the story took place. Strong ethnic flavor， breathtaking scenery， and centuries-old structures – to this day， Dali remains a mustvisit as it has been for centuries. And a song from the film notes the best time to visit：“Dali in March brings the best scenery.”

Actually， “Dali” as a place name can refer to multiple locales. Generally speaking， it either means Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province， or Dali Ancient City administered by the prefecture. The prefecture is one of the cradles for Yunnan culture. According to historical records， ancestors of the Bai ethnic group began inhabiting this area around the 4th Century. Dali Ancient City， nestled between Erhai Lake to its east and Cangshan Mountain to the west， boasts an illustrious history of 1，200 years as the former capital of an ancient empire.

Tourism in Dali is accented by imagery of wind， flowers， snow and moon， symbols of romance in Chinese culture. The winds in Dali’s Xiaguan area every spring and summer are the most notable in the literal sense. Many are surprised to find this wind blowing their hats off in front of them instead of behind. Flowers are best represented by manglietia fordiana， a common local variety of magnolia. Snow is no stranger to residents of Dali， who live in the shadow of Cangshan Mountain， with peaks averaging an altitude of about 3，500 meters. The mountaintop is perpetually white with snow， even in summer. Moon hearkens to Erhai Lake. The lake is like a pearl sandwiched between Cangshan Mountain and the valley where the ancient town sits. In the evening， one moon dusts the sky with pale light and the other shines from the water. Thus， those visiting Dali in March have the opportunity to see “wind， flowers， snow and moon” all in a single visit.

Also， a number of festivals of the Bai， the major regional ethnic group， occur in March and April， and the town has recently added more choices for “modern” tourists. Dali Ancient City welcomes travelers with laidback cafés， friendly guesthouses and easy access to the beautiful countryside. Most attractions in the ancient town can easily be explored by bike， and good food and cheap drinks abound under time-hon- ored structures.

Traditionally， July and August is the peak tourism season for Dali. But due to warm weather compared to the North and affordable accommodations， more are starting to visit Dali in spring.