The ancient city of Dali is located in Ye Yucheng and Zi Cheng. In 779, the ancient city was moved to Yangzhou City by Yi Mouxun, the king of Nanzhao, and the history of the city was 1200. The ancient city of Dali, which we see now, was restored and rebuilt on the basis of Yangmaocheng in the early Ming Dynasty. The ancient city faces the rippling Erhai Lake in the east and the towering Cangshan Mountain in the west, forming an urban pattern of "one water surrounds Cangshan and Cangshan embraces the ancient city". Coupled with the monsoon climate in the subtropical plateau, the ancient city has a mild climate, moderate heat and cold, and no obvious winter heat.
The ancient city of Dali is square, with four gates with towers and three streams in the north and south as natural barriers. The roads in the city still maintain the checkerboard grid structure since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, criss-crossing, and are known as "Nine Streets and Eighteen Alleys". The north and south doors are symmetrical, but the east and west doors are staggered, which adopts the principle of "east, west, north and south do not take the right" in white buildings. The architectural style in the city is unified, and the old houses with blue tiles are patchwork, simple and chic. There are many shops along Fuxing Road across the north and south, and the specialties are dazzling; The East-West "Foreigner Street" is a combination of Chinese and Western, full of charm; The mountain springs on Cangshan Mountain run through the streets and lanes, passing in front of every household, and the fragrant flowers in the courtyard pervade the whole city and last forever. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the ancient city of Dali had beautiful flowers and flowing streets. Today, the scenery of "three families look at a well and one family has several potted flowers" remains the same. Planting flowers and trees has long been a traditional custom that people in the ancient city talk about.
Looking at the ancient city of Dali from Cangshan, we can see its charm and brilliance. The famous three pagodas in Dali are far from the one in Hongsheng Temple. The Bai people's houses on both sides of the street are antique, and the remains of ancient buildings such as Literature Building, Wuhua Building, Yun Xi Academy, Catholic Church and Taihe City Site are dotted with them, which is magnificent. As the capital of Nanzhao and Dali, the ancient city of Dali has a history of more than 500 years. It has long been the political, economic and cultural center of Yunnan, with a relatively complete urban pattern and numerous cultural relics. As an important gateway for cultural exchanges and trade between China and Southeast Asian countries, or as research materials of China's ancient military history and urban history, it has irreplaceable historical value and great historical significance.
Dali is the only Bai Autonomous Prefecture in China, and the ancient city of Dali, as one of the settlements of ethnic minorities, is naturally a place where multi-ethnic cultures blend and develop. With the collision and exchange of various cultures, the ancient city of Dali has formed a rich ethnic customs and splendid cultural landscape. Someone sang: "Dali has beautiful scenery in March." Every March and April, the Bai residents in the ancient city hold many festivals and grand activities, such as "March Street" and "Around the Three Souls". We can have a meal in three tea, receive full blessings from Bai friends, watch a white play in Dali, learn about the local folk culture, and bring two extremely exquisite Jianchuan woodcarvings to our relatives to show our appreciation of friendship. Of course, you can't miss the delicious food in the ancient city. Fresh fish caught from Erhai Lake, Dali casserole fish stewed with Xiangyun casserole and secret ingredients, with fresh fish and fresh soup, are known as "perfect diet", as well as sour and appetizing Mugua chicken, Midu curly hoof with a long history, sweet and sour salty milk fans, etc., which can definitely satisfy your taste buds.
The ancient city of Dali bears the historical culture, religious culture and national culture of Dali, and the grass, trees, bricks and tiles here are worthy of our careful taste. Years are quiet, that is comfortable and carefree, maybe this is what a good life should look like.