I arrived into Dali (an historic town next to a large lake) on a brooding evening with the Cang Shan (Jade Green Mountains)  mountain fingers showing behind the three pagodas (San Ta Si) .
Chinglish   


These three pagodas are among the oldest standing structures of  Southern China, built in the 9th century. In good weather they reflect well on the lake (I stole the last image above from Sylvain who had visited the week before.) The city is likewise old and preserved, being the center of the Bai  people who have be central players in Yunnan for 3000 years, defeating the Tang (600-900 AD) imperial army and establishing their Nanzhao Kingdom here at the end of the Burma road. The kingdom fell to Kublai Khan and the Mongol hoards in the 1300's.
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The Bai are both Buddhists and polytheists - this statue is in the Chongsheng Temple behind the pagodas. We took a chair lift to the Zhonghe Temple where Bai guides led tours.
                 
The full lake at 2000m (6000') altitude looks like an ear and that is its name - Erhai Hu.
  
The old city has a massive wall.
    
Looking at Haidong across the lake. The Asia Star hotel had a 5 story mural of Bai Culture Symbols.
       
Old temple west of town.
  
The sky cleared in the morning, on the way to the airport.