9 September 2024
Dali (大理) is one of the most popular destinations in Yunnan and we had an enjoyable stay here.
Dali is located at a strategic point along the ancient Tea Horse Road with the Erhai Lake that naturally protects it on one side and the Cangshan Mountains on the other side. Dali (大理) once served as the capital of Nanzhao and Dali Kingdom (738 - 1253) and was the political, economic and cultural center of ancient Yunnan for more than 500 years. It thrived as the regional centre of commerce, being located at a crossroads of trade routes between Tibet, China, Burma, and Southeast Asia.
Much of the local economy now revolves around tourism and services catering to travelers. While high quality marble used to be its key produce, now Dali is known for its high quality silver, tea, and handicraft such as woodcarving, Bai tie-dyeing and embroidery.
Most of the local people in Dali are from the Bai ethnic group. Bai means white in Chinese. The Bai people are famous for their skills in crafting with silver, wood, marble and tie-dyeing.
Dali is a rather historical place and the best way to appreciate its history is to stay within the Dali Ancient City and have a local guide who was from the Bai ethnic tribe to tell us the history, customs and also the best things to do and see.
Bike Ride along the West Shore of Erhai Lake
Dali is famous for its natural wonders namely, 風花雪月 (wind, flowers, snow, moon) - the wind in Xiaguan, the flowers in Shangguan, the snow on Cangshan Mountains and the moonshine on Erhai Lake. Erhai Lake is in the shape of an ear, hence its name Erhai ('Ear Sea'). It is one of the most beautiful lakes in China, and it is the second largest freshwater lake in Yunnan Province.
The best way to enjoy views of the Cangshan Mountains and the Erhai Lake is to have a bike ride along the lake. With an elevation of about 2000 meters above sea level, the climate is nice and cool all year round. Perfect for outdoor activity.
After breakfast at the Dali Landscape Hotel, we met up with our local guide and driver who drove us to Caicun village which is near Dali Ancient Town. Here, we got to select our bikes from a local vendor.
Starting from Caicun village, we cycled on the well-surfaced cycle path by Erhai Lake towards the end point of the cycle way in Xiaguan District, a distance of about 12 km.
The cycle path is flat and the morning weather was perfect for cycling next to the beautiful Erhai Lake. The only hazards we had to watch out for are the motorised bikes and the occasional service vehicles on the path. And also other novice cyclists like us. 
There is much to see along the way. Here are some of the photos we took during our bike ride.
Overall, the bike ride was very fun and it was an excellent way to experience the beauty of Erhai Lake.
Lunch at a local traditional restaurant
Our guide brought us to a traditional local restaurant for lunch. This restaurant is family owned and we met the matriarch of the family who sat outside, fiddling with her mobile phone. China is so advanced in mobile technology and the people of all ages are adept in using them. 
The architecture of the restaurant is typical of a traditional styled Bai house called the “three rooms and one shining wall” (三房一照壁).
The style is the most common style of Bai houses. The house is made up of one main room and two long side rooms, which are arranged in a U shape with a fourth wall, known as the “wall screening” or “shining wall”. The wall typically faces west and acts as a reflector to reflect light into the yard, making the whole yard bright.
In a traditional Bai home, even the doors and pathways are works of art! We could see skillfully carved woodwork that are engraved with lively patterns of legendary figures, birds, animals, and flowers.
We were not shown the menu at this restaurant. Instead, we accompanied our guide to the kitchen where she showed us the local ingredients and suggested some dishes for us to try. 
Tiny local fishes from Erhai Lake. 
We ordered the following dishes as shown in the photos below:
We also tried the local potatoes, cooked in a pancake like a Swiss rösti. It was oily but quite fragrant and tasty.
Bai Minority Tie-dyeing DIY
Our next fun activity was to try our hands at the Bai people traditional art called Tie-dyeing.
The Bai ethnic minority art of tie-dyeing has a history of 2,000 years. The craft has been handed down from one generation to the next for centuries. The creation of tie dye fabrics is a complex process that reflects the enduring principles of the ancient Bai culture. Unfortunately, it is a dying art (pun intended). Today, only a few families still maintain this art.
We went to the house of one of these families in the Zhoucheng town, Xizhou County in Dali, which is also known as the “Bai Village of Tie Dye.” This town is located 23 kilometers to the north of the Ancient City of Dali. Zhoucheng is the biggest town of the Bai people in Dali with more than 1,500 Bai families.
Once again, the layout of this Bai family house is the “three rooms and one shining wall” (三房一照壁). We could see the effect of the shining wall as the whole courtyard was bright even with the numerous tie-dyeing cloths and art pieces hanging all over.
Our guide introduces us to the host and she explained the art and secret of the Bai dye. The dye came from plants e.g. the blue colour came from the indigo plant.
Traditional tie-dye techniques involve folding, twisting, and binding the fabric to create intricate patterns.
Patterns are first drawn on white paper, and then transferred to a plastic sheet by piercing holes in the paper, tracing the lines of the designs onto the plastic sheet. Holes are poked through the pattern to identify the stitching area of the fabric.
White cloth is placed under the plastic sheet and the dye is painted onto the plastic using a wooden tool. The aim is to allow the dye to flow through the holes in the plastic sheet onto the cloth beneath.
The cloth is then folded, twisted and bound together with threads and stitched. Depending on the method of folding and stitching, various patterns can be created. 
After the tying is completed, the next step is dyeing. The untied part will be dyed, and the knotted parts will retain the original color. The tighter the knots are tied, the better the effect of the coloring will be.
The completed cloth is washed with warm water and bleached to remove waxes and oils in the fabric. The cloth is placed into the dye solution, while stirring the dye until it reaches the desired shade. Then the fabric is pulled out of the dye. Excess dye is washed out of the fabric.
The newly dyed cloth is dried in the sunshine before the stitches are removed.
The stitches are carefully removed using a pair of scissors and the patterns are revealed.
Depending on the folding and tying, various patterns are achieved. 
The fabric is bleached to clarify the patterns and brighten the white areas of the design. In some cases, stitching is applied along the lines of the pattern, and the work is complete.
After learning the process, we had a chance to try it ourselves and tie-dye our own T-shirts. We each choose our own patterns and the tie-dyeing master will guide us to fold the T-shirt, tie it and dye it.
My wife used a wooden stick to twirl the cloth to create a whirlwind pattern at the lower half of the T-shirt.
Tying the cloth at the lower half. Only the lower half will be dipped into the dye later. 
My son chose the spotty pattern. The T-shirt is gathered bit by bit using the fingers.
The tied cloth is dipped into a vat of blue dye for a few minutes. To get deeper shades of blue, we had to dip more times and dip longer.
Once dyeing and washing is done, the next step is to cut the strings and reveal the pattern.
Overall, we had a lot of fun at the tie-dye workshop. We were actually quite impressed by the creativity and the craftsmanship spirit and sincerely hope the art-form is not lost over time.
To support the local community, we selected and bought a large table-cloth for our dining table from our host.
Visiting the afternoon market in Zhoucheng village
After the Tie-Dye DIY experience, we went for a walk through the Zhoucheng village and visit the afternoon market. Although it was a small market, there was much to see and learn about the life of the Bai people in the village.
The two huge ficus trees at the gate told us how old the village is.
It was fun to walk around the Zhoucheng afternoon market and see young and elderly ladies wearing their traditional dresses and local people selling their products in the outdoor afternoon market. 
Almost all elderly Bai woman folks in Dali are dressed in their traditional dress, complete with head-dress, silver bangles on the right wrist and jade on the left. 
The traditional stone wall architecture of the Bai is well preserved in Zhoucheng. We could see beautifully decorated and preserved old houses.
Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
On the way back from Zhoucheng to Dali Ancient Town, we made a brief stop at a small square to take pictures of the landmark of Dali, i.e. The Three Pagodas.
Located about 1 kilometer from the Dali Old Town, the Chongsheng Temple and the Three Pagodas stand at the foot of the Cangshan Mountains and look out over the Erhai Lake.
The main center pagoda was built during the time of Kingdom of Nanzhao (823-840 AD). The 16-story tower is about 70 meters tall, one of the tallest pagodas ever built in China.
The other two smaller, 10-story high pagodas are twins. They were built about a century after the main pagoda was constructed, during the Kingdom of Dali (937–1253).
Exploring Dali Ancient Town
The last activity for the day is to explore the Dali Ancient Town where our hotel is located.
It is one of Yunnan's most popular tourist destinations with a history of 1,200 years. It was the capital of the Nanzhao kingdom (AD 738–902). The Bai and Yi are its main ethnic minorities.
In terms of orientation, Dali Old Town is laid out in a grid. Four main city gate towers stand on the axes. The “main street” is called Fuxing Road and it links the North Gate to the South Gate. The architecture along the road keeps its Ming and Qing Dynasty (1368–1912) styles and rivers flow at both ends of the street outside the town walls.
The old town is small enough to explore on foot. The other busy streets are the Foreigners' Street, Dali's oldest commercial street. In the early 1980s, when Dali tourism was just emerging, this street was the most visited place by foreign visitors, hence its name.
The longest street in the Old Town is the Renmin Road or People’s Street. It is the most bustling street at night with many nice restaurants and bars there.
The town has historical sites, medieval buildings, temples, and streets lined with shops, restaurants, bars, and hotels.
The ancient and historic buildings are one of the highlights in Dali Old Town. One of the must-see buildings is the Catholic Church of Dali Ancient Town. The official introduction of Catholicism to Yunnan was in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The church was built in 1927.
The architectural features of the church are unique and regarded as the national treasure that blends the characteristics of the local Bai culture with the Han and Western architecture.
On the way to the church, we saw the Dali Number 1 Middle School that has quite impressive architecture as well.
Arriving at the church, we came to a quiet alley along Renmin Road and saw an arched stone gate. There is a cafe below the arch gate where my son had his caffeine fix before we entered the compound of the church.
The Catholic Church shows the harmony of Chinese and Western culture, with a combination of the features of Bai, Han and Western architecture.
After viewing the church, we had time to explore the town. Many of the traditional-style houses in the Ancient City have been repurposed into shops and eateries.
My wife was keen to shop for silver after learning that the silver has health benefits and that the local Bai women all wear silver on their right wrist. In fact, silver is more valued than gold in historical China and is traditionally used as a form of money. Silver has many uses in the old days. A pair of silver chopsticks was used by the emperor as it will turn black if the food served is poisoned.
Not all silver sold in Yunnan are worth buying. The cheaper products are usually fake and not worth the trouble. Our guide recommended a highly reputed shop that sells quality jewellery made from 99.9% pure silver. The next activity we did in the old town was tea tasting. We are not avid tea drinker but it is good to learn more about the tea grown in Yunnan. Yunnan is famous for its pu’er, a type of black tea. The trading of pu-er tea for horses with Tibet has a history spanning over a thousand years. This trade route, known as the Ancient Tea Horse Road passes through Dali. 
It was a fun and relaxing watching the host of the tea shop brew and served us 3 different types of tea. As we sampled the unique tea flavours, we learnt about the process of tea making and the difference between the shēng (raw) pu'er; and shóu (ripe) pu'er.
Pu’er can be stored and permitted to age and to mature, like wine, in non-airtight containers before consumption. We like the flavours of the tea we sampled and bought some to bring home. It was almost 6.30 PM when we finished our tea-tasting. We spend the rest of the day exploring the old town on our own.
We went to check out two of the landmarks that are recommended photo-spots in the old town, namely the Wuhua Tower and the South Gate.
The Wuhua Tower is one of the tallest structures in the old city and it is the best place to view the entire old town from above. Historically, it was a state guesthouse of ancient Nanzhao king in the past. Since Nanzhao, Wuhua Tower was burned down many times, and rebuilt many times. The Wuhua Tower we see today was rebuilt in 1998. It is a four-storey building with a height of more than 20 meters.
From the top of the tower, we could get good views of the whole ancient city.
The South Gate, with a history over 600 years, is also a good photo taking spot. This gate is the oldest building of Dali Old Town and is the symbol of the ancient town.
The sky opened up and began to pour when we were on the South Gate. Like magic, the streets below us cleared as people took shelter. This is a testimony that the weather in Dali is very unpredictable.
The rain lasted quite a while. Some of us were desperately needed to go to the toilet. We decided to brave the rain and head to the restaurant where we had planned to have our dinner.
Fortunately we were well prepared and had carried our weatherproof hiking jackets in our daypacks.
Crossing-the-bridge noodles (过桥米线) for dinner
Crossing-the-bridge noodles is one of the best-known dishes in Yunnan province. A must try when visiting Yunnan. We did not have the chance to eat this dish in Kunming, so we requested our guide to recommend a restaurant for us to try this dish in Dali.
The dish is served with a large (I mean really large!) bowl of boiling hot broth, made from chicken, pork bone and seasonings such as ginger and other herbs. A layer of chicken fat is also used to insulate the soup and keep it warm.
We ordered 2 standard sets and a premium set for the 3 of us. We could also specify if we wanted a spicy broth or normal broth. 
The ingredients are served separately on a cutting board or plate and include raw quail eggs in a bowl, thin slices of ham, chunks of chicken, chicken skin, strips of bean curd sheets, tomato, chives, sprouts, and rice noodles (米线).
We are to quickly add the raw eggs and meat first into the boiling broth, followed by the vegetables.
Once added into the broth, the ingredients cook quickly, with a layer of melted chicken fat and oil on top. And finally, mix in the cooked rice noodles.
Legend has it that the dish started this way:
“Once there was a scholar who studied for the imperial exams on an isolated island. His loving wife would cross the bridge every day to bring him lunch, including his favorite rice noodles. Keeping the noodles from getting cold or mushy after the long walk could be challenging. So she came up with the idea of keeping the cooked noodles separate from the broth and adding them right before serving. This would retain their fresh and lovely texture. Also covering the broth with a layer of fat on top would keep it hot for a longer time and hot enough to cook vegetables and thinly sliced meat or fish when they are mixed in.”
Exploring Dali Old Town at night
The rain had stopped by the time we finished our dinner, giving us an opportunity to go explore the beautifully lit old town, especially along the “main street” which is Fuxing Road that leads from the North Gate to the South Gate, with the Wuhua Tower along the way.
The shops open till about 10 PM, so there was plenty of time to explore the lively town. 
Would you believe me if I tell you that rain started to pour again shortly after I took the above photo?
The rain signaled the end of our exploration of the Dali Ancient City. Overall, we had a fun filled day exploring Dali Ancient Town and the surrounding area. We will be exploring more of Dali on our road trip to Lijiang the next day.
Next Post: Visiting Dali’s Xizhou Old Town on our way to Lijiang.
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