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The Dali Scenic Region lies in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in the northwest of Yunnan Province. The name Dali comes from the Chinese word for marble. For centuries, Dali has produced the best marble in China. Tourism is the overwhelmingly dominant industry in the area. With many historical sites, colorful minority culture, and beautiful natural setting, the area is listed as one of the top tourist destinations in the country.
Other important industries are mining, building materials, machinery, and textiles. Rice, wheat, rapeseed, sugar cane and flue-cured tobacco are grown in abundance.
Dali is located in the center of Yunnan Province. It has a unique plateau climate, which is spring like all year round, warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The average temperature is 15.1C. The coldest temperature is 8.7C in February, and the hottest is 20.1C in July. The yearly precipitation is 1,100 mm. It is called the "Sweden of the East." It has 230 frost-free days and 136 days of rain. The yearly sunshine time averages 2,276.7 hours. In this favorable climate and environment, animals and plants thrive, especially on the Cangshan Mountains and in Erhai Lake.
Dali has a population of 480,000, and is home to more than 20 ethnic groups, including the Bai, Han, Hui, Yi, Tibetan and Naxi. The Bai accounts for 65 percent of the population. The official Language is Mandarin, and the language of business and administration is English and Mandarin. Some ethnic nationalities speak their own language. Bright and cheerful in disposition, amiable and easy to approach, the Bai people are very hospitable. The main religion is Buddhism.
Primitive humans lived in the area of Erhai Lake 3,000 years ago. As early as the 2nd century B.C., Dali was on the map of the Kingdom of the Central Plains as Yeyu County. In 738, Pilouge, a chieftain of the Bai Tribe, united the six tribes of the Erhai region, and established the State of Nanzhao, which was destroyed in 902. Duan Siping, also of the Bai Tribe, established the State of Dali in 938. During the 500-year period of Nanzhao and Dali, Dali City was the political, economic and cultural center of Yunnan Province.
