Dali Bai Nationality Autonomous Prefecture has one city and 11 counties within its jurisdiction. Its prefectural capital is Dali City ( including Xiaguan city and Dali ancient city ). There are four scenic areas in the Dali region, including the Cangshan Mountains, Erhai Lake, Butterfly Spring and other historic relics ( in Dali City ), Jizu Mountain ( in Bingchuan County ), Shibao Mountain ( in Jianchuan County ) and Weibao Mountain ( in Weishan County ). Among those areas, Dali City attracts the largest numbers of Chinese and foreign visitors.

Dali Ancient City is widely acknowledged as "Backpackers' Paradise" in China. Foreign visitors like to stay in Dali ancient city. Some of them live there for months or even years, to observe and study the fascinating culture of Bai nationality. In the so - called " Yangren Street (foreigner's street) " in the heart of ancient city where is always full of foreign visitors, there are several dozens of cafes, western style restaurants, and clothes shops offering services to foreign guests. And it seems that everyone of local Dali Bai peope in the Yangren Street is a multilinguist!

Dali is a famous national historic relic city and a national key scenic spot area. There, visitors can enjoy many historic relics, beautiful natural scenery and colorful nationality customs. Historic relics include the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple which are the symbol of the ancient culture of Dali, the ruins of Tianhe City ( once the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom ), the Dehua Stele, the ruins of Yangjuhu City ( once the capital of Dali Kingdom and later the new capital of Nanzhao Kingdom ), the Stele commemorating the conquest of the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty over Yunnan and the Gantong Temple.

Scenic spots include the beautiful Erhai Lake, the expansive and lofty Cangshan Mountains, and the charming Butterfly Spring. The newly - developed " jade belt tour " in Cangshan Mountains extends over 20 kilometers. The " March Fair " , held on every March 15 of the lunar calendar, the " Raoshanlin " ( a kind of Bai dance ) , held on every April 23 of the lunar calendar and the " Butterfly Meeting " , held on every April 15 of the lunar calendar are rare opportunities for visitors to experience the customs of Bai people.

With natural picture - like veins, marble of the Cangshan Mountains is of the best quality among all marbles in the world and therefore makes the ideal souvenir.

Butterfly Spring

Butterfly Spring Sequestered at the foot of the Yunlong Peak of the Cangshan Mountain, the Butterfly Spring is actually a pool four metres deep and 20 square metres wide. The gnarling boughs of an ancient silk tree stretch over its surface. In the fourth lunar month every year, the tree puts out butterfly-shaped flowers, and swarms of butterflies in twenty or so breeds descend on the tree, linking themselves head against tail into numerous coloured ribbon-like strings which keep dangling over the pool. For this annual congregation of butterflies, the silk tree and the Butterfly Spring have become a major tourist attraction of the Cangshan Mountain.

Erhai Lake

Erhai Lake in the shape of an er, meaning ear in Chinese, the Erhai Lake in the east of Dali covers 250 square kilometres at an elevation of 1,980 metres with water a storage capacity of 300,000 cubic metres. Its vast pool of water, shining under the sun like a sheet of vivid green, and the snow mantles of the Cangshan Mountain reflected quiveringly in it, combine to form a breath-taking sight known poetically as " Silver Cangshan and Jade-like Erhar ".

Erhai Park Also known as Tuanshan Mountain. the Erhai Park covers an area of more than 15,000 mu. The Mountain slopes are cocooned in luxuriant pines and cypresses and grass, and embroidered with clusters of camellias, azaleas, primrose, and exotic trees and flowers which can be found only in and around Dali.

The pavilions, chambers and corridors atop the Tuanshan Mountain provides an all-encompassing view of the Cangshan Mountain, shimmering on the horizon like an immense screen, the Erhai Lake, its vast expanse of liquid silver strewn with white sails and alive with darting gulls and swallows, and the ancient city of Dali and its trio of pagodas, which are faintly visible in the distance. It is, indeed, an ideal place to marvel at the famous scene titled " Silvery Cangshan Mountain and jade-like Erhai Lake ".

Cangshan Mountain

Cangshan Mountain Also called " Diancang " , the Cangshan Mountain thrusts up in the fashion of a huge screen wall in the west part of Dali. Malong, the main peak, soars 4,122 metres into the sky under a snow mantle that never thaws. Down the vales, streams flow with a rich susurrus, up the slopes, the blue sky is obscured by the dense foliage of clumps of ancient trees, atop the peaks, lakes sparkle like so many mirrors. With its vast collection of plants and trees, the Cangshan Mountain is also a veritable botanical garden.

Three Pagodas

Three Pagodas of Chongshen Monastery At the foot of the Zhonghe Peak of the Cangshan Mountain just one kilometre to the northwest of the ancient city of Dali stand three pagodas, which are an emblem of the city's venerated history. The tallest of the trio, which is 69.13 metres tall, was built in 836 AD, and the two smaller ones were built during a late period. No visit to Dali is complete with a call at these three pagodas.