Dali has a long cultural history, as witnessed by the unearthing of bronze objects dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (11th century -771 B.C.). During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), local rulers of great talent and bold vision introduced the cultures of the central China plains, India and Tibet. The local culture still flourished after the founding of the State of Dali during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). This long period of development made the culture of Dali a brilliant unique flower in the Chinese cultural garden, and ancient Dali was famous for scholars and their works. Ancient cities, temples, steles, bells, pagodas, folk songs, music, dance and other folk art forms, including folk stories, legends, picture scrolls and grotto sculptures, demonstrate the long history and rich contents of Dali culture. Poems by Xun Gequan, Yang Qikun and Duan Yizhong were collected into the orthodox Poems of the Tang Dynasty, and Nanzhao Music was regarded as the best musical contribution by Yunnan during the Tang Dynasty, being appreciated as one of the 14 national musical genres by the Imperial Tang Court. The Picture Scroll by Zhang Shengwen and other artistic masterpieces from Nanzhao are famous both at home and abroad. Li Yuanyang and Yang Shiyuan of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and other scholars wrote histories of Yunnan Province. All these things constitute a rare and precious national cultural heritage.