WALLED CITY (Dali)

TRAVELLERS FREQUENTLY compare Lijiang and Dali and so we decided to go. Australian tourists say they prefer Dali to Lijiang because it is more 'authentic'. The truth is, its not as slick - and so the Chinese tourists stay away in droves, hence its appeal for culturally overwhelmed Australians.

Could also be something to do with 'foreigner-street' - a string of Glebe-style cafes - a feature noticably absent from Lijiang.

Dali's main attraction is a city wall - medieval style. A wall 30 feet high - and deep enough for two cars to pass each other and still leave room for a pedestrian in the middle.

It would appear the locals worked out that the heady medieval days of roving Mongol hoardes were long gone - and so in their infinite pragmatism - decided that the bricks could be used elsewhere. Today the city wall covers 1/4 of its original ground - but local buildings look very solid.

Not much more to write home about - except that the excellent MCA hotel offers guests unlimited internet access.