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Ancient Town of Dali Nestling in the arms of the statuesque Cangshan Mountain, and skirted by a wall eight metres in height and 3.5 kilometres in circumference, the 600-year-old city of Dali was first built in 1683, the 15th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty. Featuring stone walls, grey-tiled roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix patterns, and gardens of varying sizes, the dwellings of Dali evince an air of classic sanctity. The entire city is covered by a maze of streams, fed by runoffs from the Cangshan Mountain.
At present, only the south and north gate towers remain standing. Within the Old Town of Dali, there are well-preserved traditional houses of the Bai people. The cute courtyards and peaceful streets treat visitors with calmness and elegance which were typical in the ancient times. Within the town, the "Foreigners' Street" is the favorite place of the overseas visitors to relax and chat over their tourist experiences. Hence the saying, "The gurgling of water can be heard in every house, and flowers are Planted in every family ".
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