The history of Dali State is long, as early as in 109 B.C., there were 5 counties that were Yeyu which is Dali now, Yunnan which is Xiangyun now, Xielong which is Weishan now, Bishu which is Yunlong and Cuitang which is parts of regions of Caojian of Yunlong and Baoshan. They were governed by Yi State. Bonan Country which belonged to Yongchang was established in Yongping Country in 69 A.D. In the March of 225 A.D., after Zhuge Liang fight in Yunnan, established Yunan country which governed 7 countries, there were 3 countries which were Yunan, Xielong and Yeyu in Dali State.

There were 3 countries which were Bonan, Bishu and Shitang in Yongchang country. There were 6 countries in Dali State. In the period of Jin Dynasty, Yunping Country which belonged to Yunnan country was established in Yichuan Country, at that time, there were 7 countries in Dali State. In the South and North Dynasty, Dongheyang Country was established in region of the east of Eel Lake and Yichuan Country of Dali City, it belonged to Dongheyang country. At that time, there are 3 counties which were Xiheyang, Dongheyang and yunnan and 8 counties which were Yunnan, Xielong, Yeyu, Bonan, Bishu, Jingtan, Yunping and Dongheyang in Dali State.

In Sui Dynasty, the Yuexi State was established in Dali, the countries didn¡¯t change. At the beginning of Tang Dynasty, the Manager Mansion of Nanning State was established in Dali, Dali belonged to the Manager Mansion of Nanning State. The Manager Mansion of Nanning State was discarded and Dali belonged to the Dudu Mansion of Rong State in 627 A.D. The Dudu Mansion of Yao State was established; Dali belonged to the Dudu Mansion of Yao State in 664 A.D. There were many states established that are Langqiong State which is Eryuan now, Dengfu State which is Dengchuan of Eruan Country now, Yuexi State, Shahu State, Yanggua State, Mengshe State which is in Weishan and Nanjian now, Shuangzhu State, Jiangdong State which is Midu now, Kuangchong State which is Xiangyun now, Zeng State which is Fengyi now, Jikang State in the region of Dali.

At the beginning of Tang Dynasty, in the region of Eel Lake in Dali, six bigger tribes appeared at the same time, which were called Six Zhao in the past, they were Mengshe Zhao which was also called Nan Zhao because it was the west of six Zhao, Mengshou Zhao, Shilang Zhao, Langqiong Zhao, Dengfu Zhao and Yuexi Zhao. In 737 A.D., under the support of Tang Dynastic, Nan Zhao unified six Zhao, built up the political power of the Nan Zhao and belonged to Tang Dynasty, it was the same as Tang Dynasty, there were 13 emperors of Nan Zhao, it had 253 years from 649 A.D. to 902 A.D. If from 737 A.D. when Nan Zhao was established, it had 165 years.

In Song Dynasty, a person whose last name was Duan built up the Dali Country, which belonged to Song. It lasted 317 years from 936 A.D. to 1253 A.D. There were 3 brief places of country of political power which were Dachanghe Country, Datianxing Country and Dayining Country before Dali Country. In Yuan Dynasty, Yunnan Province was established, the political center of Yunnan moved to Kunming from Dali. At the beginning of Yuan Dynasty, Dali set Dalishangwanhu Mansion and Dalixiawanhu Mansion, they are equal to first-degree organization of state now, later they were chang Dalilu. The Junmin Mansion of Heqing Road which governed Jianchuan Country was established in Heqing.

In Ming Dynasty, there were 3 mansions which were Dali, Menghua and Heqing, 4 states which were Binchuan, Yunlong, Zhaozhou and Dengchuan, 6 countries which were Taihe, Langqiong, Yunnan, Jianchuan, Dingbian and Yongping, 1 Shierzgangguansi which is Chuchang of Xiangyun now in Dali State. In Qing Dynasty, basic hand down the mansion, state and County of the Ming Dynasty, Dingbian Country which is Nanjian now that belonged the Chuxiong Mansion was given to Menghua Mansion which is Weishan now.

In 1914, cut the mansions and states as counties, there were 12 countries in Dali State. They were Dali, Fengyi, Eryuan, Jianchuan, Heqing, Yunlong, Yongping, Yangbi which was established lately, Menghua, Midu which was established lately, Xiangyun and Binchuan. At the late period of Minguo, 3 administration specialist official bureaus were established in now Weishan, Dali and Heqing. Weishan governed the most countries of region of Linchang, Dali governed the most countries of Dali State and Heqing governed the countries of region of Lijiang River.

In January of 1950, in the Dali and Menghua each established the Dali specialty area specialist official bureau and the Shenxi people administration specialist official bureau receives to turn the area office, which belonged to the people's government of Yunnan Province. The Dali specialty area governed Dali, Dengchuan, Eryuan, Fengyi, Yangbi of Binchuan, 7 counties of Yongping and the Xiaguan area; The Menghua area office governed Menghua, cancel to receive to turn to do the place particularly, merge to establish the Dali specialty area specialist official bureau with Dali specialty area, allot Mianning and Jingdong 2 counties to think the Simao specialty area, take Menghua, Shunning and Yunxian 3 counties in Dali specialty area, at the same time, take the Yunlong of Baoshan specialty area , Xiangyun, Mindu of Chuxiong specialty area to Dali specialty area.In 1956, take Yunxian, Fengqing to the region of Linchang, take Heqing, Jianchuan to Dali specialty area. In November of 1956, canceled the Dali specialty area and established the Dali Bai Nationality Autonomous State.

In 1965, cut the south region of Weishan County, established Yi Nationality Autonomous Country of Nanjian. In 1983, Dali Country and Xiaguan City were mergered to establish Dali City. In 1985, cancel the Yangbi County, establish the Yi Nationality Autonomous Country of Yangbi. In 1997, the Dali Bai Nationality Autonomous State governed 1 city and 11 countries which were Dali City, Yi Nationality Autonomous Country of Yangbi, Xiangyun Country, Binchuan Country, Mindu Country, Yi Nationality Autonomous Town of Weishan, Yongping Country, Yunlong Country, Eryun Country, Jianchuan Country and Heqing Country.