between longitudes 98°52′ to 101°03′ east and latitudes 24°41′ to 26°42′ north, it has a subtropical plateau monsoon climate with distinct dry and wet seasons.

The Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture boasts more than 130 scenic spots and historical sites, including the Buddhist holy land of Mount Jizu, the famous Taoist mountain of Weibaoshan, the magnificent stone carvings of Shibaoshan, and the plateau pearl of Erhai Lake.

In 2022, the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture achieved a regional gross domestic product (GDP) of 169.96 billion yuan, growing by 2.4% compared to the previous year.

In the fifth year of the Kai Huang era of the Sui dynasty (585 AD), Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, dispatched Wei Chong as the governor of Nan Ning (南宁州) State, and established Gongzhou (恭州), Xiezhou (协州), and Kunzhou (昆州) in Yunnan.

In the seventh year of Wu De (624 AD), the chief commander of the prefecture, Wei Renshou, (韦仁寿) led five hundred soldiers to the Western Erhai River, "by imperial authority, established eight prefectures and seventeen counties, and appointed their leaders as chiefs and governors."

In the following 40 years, Nanzhao continued to expand outward, expanding its territory and establishing a multi-ethnic state that included eastern Guizhou, northern Vietnam, southern Xishuangbanna, northern Myanmar, northwestern Tibet's Shenchuan神川 (now Lijiang), and northeast to Xuzhou戌州 (now Yibin) in Sichuan.

In the first year of the Baoyou era of the Southern Song dynasty (1253 AD), Kublai Khan led the central road army, crossed the Dadu River, "traveled through the mountains and valleys for more than 2000 miles," passing through present-day Yanyuan and Yongsheng, and directly reached the Jinsha River, "crossing by leather bags and rafts," arriving in the territory of Lijiang today.