Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture (Chinese: 大理白族自治州; pinyin: Dàlǐ Báizú Zìzhìzhōu; Bai: Darl•lit Baif•cuf zirl•zirl•zox) is an autonomous prefecture of northwestern Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China. 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. Most areas do not experience extreme heat in summer or severe cold in winter, covering a total area of 29,459 square kilometers. By the end of 2023, the permanent population of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture was 3.342 million people. As of March 2023, the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture governed one county-level city and 11 counties, with 110 townships, and the People's Government of the Autonomous Prefecture is based in Xiaguan, Dali City.

The Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture has a long history. As far back as the Neolithic Age, the ancestors of ethnic minorities such as the Bai people and Yi people and thrived here. During the Tang and Song dynasties, local governments such as the "Kingdom of Nanzhao" and the "Kingdom of Dali" emerged. In 1956, the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture was established. The capital, Dali City, is the intersection of the Yunnan-Burma Road and the Yunnan-Tibet Road, historically an important transit point for the "Shu-Sindu Road" and the "Tea Horse Road," and now is planned by Yunnan Province as the central city of Western Yunnan, a regional transportation hub, and the logistics center of Western Yunnan.

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. The Cangshan and Erhai are national-level scenic spots, and "Cangshan Nature and the Cultural Relics of Nanzhao" are dual national natural and cultural heritages.

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.

Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture is bordered by Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture to the east, Pu'er City and Lincang to the south, Baoshan, Yunnan and Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture to the west, and Lijiang to the north.

In the twenty-sixth year of the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (221 BC), the Dali region was incorporated into the unified feudal state of the Qin dynasty.

In the second year of the Yuanfeng (元封) era of the Han dynasty (109 BC), the Western Han dynasty dispatched tens of thousands of soldiers from Ba and Shu to attack the Laojin (劳浸) and Mimu (靡莫) tribes, "advancing with troops to Dian," (以兵临滇) where the "King of Dian" (滇王）submitted to the Han. The Western Han dynasty established the Yizhou Prefecture in the area ruled by the "King of Dian." In the same year, the Han dynasty sent Guo Chang (郭昌) and Wei Guang (卫广) to attack the "Kunming" tribe in the Dali region that had obstructed the Han envoys. In the fourth year of the Yuanfeng era (107 BC) and the sixth year of the Yuanfeng era (105 BC), Guo Chang led troops twice more to attack the "Kunming" tribe, and "a few years later, they also annexed the land of Kunming." Four counties, Ye Yu (叶榆), Yunnan (云南), Xielong (邪龙), and Bisu (比苏), were established in the Dali region, under the jurisdiction of Yizhou Prefecture, and since then, the Dali region was officially incorporated into the territory of the Han dynasty.

During the Eastern Han period, the Dali region was under the jurisdiction of Yongchang (永昌郡) Prefecture, with the four counties of Ye Yu, Xilong, Yunnan, and Bisu established during the Western Han period remaining unchanged, and a new county, Bo Nan (now Yongping County), was added.