Xu Jiarui 徐嘉瑞, born in Dengchuan in 1895, died in 1977, was one of the most influential scholars of Dali. His Cultural History of Dali remains one of the most influential works on the region.
A seminal study of Cultural History of Dali, starting from the earliest times, by one of Yunnan's leading historians. This book was first written in 1944, published in 1949 and has been republished with revisions ever since. While certain conjectures in the book remain controversial, it is nevertheless the most important overview of the culture of Dali.