11 September 2024
After a day trip to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Blue Moon Valley, we made a stop at the Baisha Village (白沙村) on our way back to Lijiang.
The village, at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, is about 8 km to the north of Lijiang Old Town. It is much quieter compared to the Lijiang Old Town because it is not as commercialised. Known for its well-preserved Naxi architecture, traditional culture, and local crafts, it is a great place to experience Naxi embroidery and murals.
Baisha Old Town is one of the oldest towns in Lijiang. The town was named "Baisha", which means "white sand" because of the white sand on the ground.
Baisha Village used to be a Naxi settlement and the birthplace of local Mu family who governed Lijiang. There are many ancient buildings built during the Ming Dynasty, including Dabaoji Palace, Liuli Temple, and Wenchang Palace.
Our planned activity at the village is to see the famous Baisha Murals and visit a local Naxi family to experience making the Naxi pancakes.
Our first stop was to see the murals at Dabaoji Palace (大宝积宫). The place was few visitors and was quiet and peaceful. The palace houses several murals, which are the largest and best-preserved in Lijiang.
The most renowned mural, titled “The Buddha Giving Teachings” (如来讲经图) depicts a variety of activities and stories from Tibetan Buddhism, Han Buddhism, and Daoism, featuring over 100 characters with intricate details and vivid colors. The central figure is the Buddha in red robes, seated majestically with 18 disciples depicted above him, while the Four Heavenly Kings are illustrated on either side.
We saw a replica of the mural on the screen wall just after entering the place. The actual mural which measures 3.67 meters high and 4.98 meters wide is located in a building with quite dark interior. Photos of the actual murals are not permitted so I took a picture of the replica 
Our guide explained the religious stories of Taoism, Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism, most of which I failed to remember.
We then spent some time to explore the village and even made a brief stop at the Baisha Embroidery School which was quite similar to the one we visited in Dali’s Xizhou.
I enjoyed the walk through the village. It is like travelling back in time to ancient China or walking in a movie set for a period drama or movie. The views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background adds to the charm.
There are many ancient streets to explore, including a Sifang Street. The Sifang Street in Baisha Old Town was once a bustling trading hub along the Tea Horse Road and is the prototype for Sifang Street in Lijiang Old Town.
Our guide had arranged a visit to a local Naxi family for us to interact with the locals and learn how to make the Naxi pancakes.
Upon arrival at the home of the Naxi family, we were ushered to the simple family room for tea and snacks of walnuts while the lady host went to prepare the ingredients for making pancakes in the kitchen.
Once ready, we wore aprons and watched how the dough is knead and then ingredients added.
Once the dough is ready, it is cut into smaller chunks, flatten with a rolling pin and then ingredients added.
We made both the plain and savoury versions with meat inside. In the old days, the pancakes were cooked in charcoal fired ovens. Now, modern kitchen appliance is used.
The host also cooked some local Naxi dishes and served us butter tea from a beautiful yellow jug. The butter tea is a drink made from Pu-er tea, butter, and a pinch of salt. It is one of the favorite drinks of the Naxi people as butter tea provides plenty of energy and helps keep them warm in the high altitudes.
The taste of the butter tea was a little salty and oily from the butter. It is best to drink while it is hot.
It was a nice experience meeting and interacting with the local Naxi family and have a peek into their simple lives and home. We also had a chance to try the butter tea of the Naxi people.
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