South Gate of Dali

The South Gate is the ceremonial entrance to the old town of Dali and its most recognisable silhouette. The stone base with its wide arch was laid under the Ming dynasty in 1382, when the town was enclosed by a new wall, while the wooden pavilion above it was rebuilt several times, the last of them in the 1980s. Above the arch hangs a board with the characters for Dali, written, by tradition, in the hand of Guo Moruo. A stair leads up onto the wall, from where Fuxing Street can be followed as far as the North Gate. In the evening the gate is lit, and the square in front of it becomes a gathering place for visitors.

On the map