Qibla · Yunnan
Qibla direction in Dali
To face the Kaaba in Dali, turn to 279.2° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (9.2° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 6,123 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Dali should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Dali as a needle at 279.2°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 279°. A traditional magnetic compass also works, provided you allow for the local difference between magnetic and true north.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Dali
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 9.2° towards north: the result is the bearing of 279.2°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 9° off.
The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Dali, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Dali to Mecca points to 265.7° (west), 13.5° away from the correct 279.2°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 50 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 279.2° is the direction in which the shortest route from 25.5847° N, 100.2123° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.
Distance from Dali to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 6,123 km from Dali as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 6,051 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 7 h 42 min, although most pilgrims from Dali connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Dali run 5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Dali rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Dali
On 132 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Dali while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 1 May 2027 it happens at 18:31 local time.
On 219 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in May (31 days), for instance on 15 March 2027 at 08:32.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | — | — |
| 1 March 2027 | — | — |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 08:32 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 09:20 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 09:59 |
| 1 May 2027 | 18:31 | 10:45 |
| 15 May 2027 | 17:50 | 11:25 |
| 1 June 2027 | 17:10 | 12:08 |
| 15 June 2027 | 16:52 | 12:31 |
| 1 July 2027 | 16:59 | 12:32 |
| 15 July 2027 | 17:25 | 12:10 |
| 1 August 2027 | 18:10 | 11:26 |
| 15 August 2027 | 18:49 | 10:44 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 09:49 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 09:02 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 08:07 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Dali: at 17:18 and 17:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Dali compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Beijing (278.9°), and Mecca is 1,262 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Xiangcheng (38 km), prays towards 279.4°, a difference of 0.2°.
Across the 612 cities in China on this site, the Qibla ranges from 249.0° in Tacheng to 286.5° in Suifenhe, a spread of 37.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for China.
Qibla in cities near Dali
- Xiangcheng279.4° · 38 km
- Baoshan, Yunnan, China279.2° · 118 km
- Lushui278.6° · 138 km
- Lijiang278.3° · 143 km
- Chuxiong280.0° · 147 km
- Jianshui280.4° · 178 km
Qibla in Dali: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Dali?
It is 279.2° from true north, which is west: 9.2° north of west.
How far is Dali from Mecca?
6,123 km in a straight line over the globe, and 6,051 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Dali?
On 132 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Dali not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 265.7°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Dali at 279.2°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 279.2° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.