Dali lies about 400km/250mi northwest of the provincial capital of Kunming with which it is linked by rail and overland buses.
Dali forms part of the autonomous region inhabited by the Bai minority, who form the bulk of the population. Dali is known both for its places of interest and for its
lucrative marble deposits. The marble quarried here is known as ''Dali Stone''.
History Dali's origins lie in the dim and distant past. All that is known is that it was the capital of the Nanzhao kingdom (738-902), when it was called Taihe. For centuries it was an important trading hub. During the Song period (960-1279) an independent kingdom existed here with the name of Dali. At times during the 13th C it came under the rule of the Mongols.