Walking Along Dali Ancient Town’s Old Streets
I was only too glad that the ancient town of Dali in Yunnan province wasn’t as massive as Lijiang further up north. Dali is a royal city which made it all the more surprising to know that it isn’t much larger than Lijiang. It used to be the capital of the Nanzhao kingdom and subsequently was its own kingdom itself. This probably explains the city walls which border the city. I was exploring the old town of Dali but you might end up in the newer side of Dali. There is actually a new city which most of the buses go to, Xiaguan 下关 which buses routes confusingly refer to as Dali as well. Xiaguan is much further down the road and that place isn’t what I was interested it.
Closer Look at Wuhua Pavilion 五华楼
I think I can explore the newer looking are of Dali later, since the old parts seems far more interesting. The main road of the ancient town is lined with willow trees and complete with its own waterway, much like Lijiang. However, the waterways of Dali are nowhere as plentiful as Lijiang, it doesn’t make it much more attractive. At least it doesn’t look like a drainage canal since it is so wide, just be careful not to fall in.
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