Ancient Towns of Dali
Home of the Bai minority and the artistic souls of China
Dali is the destination for many souls seeking reprieve from the speed and consumerism of many Chinese cities. In contract to its UNESCO-heritage listed, tourist-packed neighbour Lijiang, Dali has become destination for musicians, artists, designers and those whose souls.
Da Li really has everything: well-preserved ethnic minority villages; easy enough access to nature —being surrounded by Cang Shan mountain 苍山 to its west and Er Hai Lake 洱海 to its east; and a creative crowd that have made this place home. Overtime, Da Li has grown to be a commune offering stylish spaces (inns, cafes and restaurants), breathtaking views and ancient minority cultures. Here, you can stay anywhere between 3 days to 3 years, and just slowly enjoy life.
The History
This town was the capital of Nan Zhao 南诏 kingdom, built by the Bai people between 8th and 13th century. The kingdom was so large that it covered present-day Southern China, Laos, and Myanmar. It was only later replaced by Kunming as the capital of Yun Nan 云南 province in mid 19th century.
The People
We cannot talk about Da Li without mentioning the Bai ethnic minority 白少数民族 Bai shao shu min zu . While there is a large number of minorities who have been living in here for as long as history has been recorded, Bai people are the dominant ethnic group of Yunnan.
The most distinctive features of the Bai women are their headdress: the white fleece represents the eternal snow of Cang Shan; the red cord or handkerchief symbolizes the eye-dazzling Shang Guan flower; the handkerchief fashioned after the crescent indicates the moon hanging over Er Hai Lake; while the white tassels represent the Xia Guan wind.
If a girl is unmarried, her headdress will have some sort of fringe that mimics a ponytail.
All along the Erhai lake, Bai ethnic villages and ancient towns make the most unique landscape for its people’s long history, customs, ethnic songs and dances and architecture. Ride the electric motorbike to the surrounding villages. The cost in 2019 was ¥50–100 per day — faster ones cost more but are worth every penny. I don’t recommend bicycles since the distances are more than 10 km. Here are some of the unmissable towns around Dali:
Da Li Ancient Town 大理古城 Dali gu cheng
With pockets of creative boutiques and hip cafes, this is the perfect base. From here, you can rent an electric motorbike to Guan Yin Temple and hike along the Cang Shan mountains — an easy flat hike with a stunning view of the city and lake at 2600m. If you are coming in July, prepare yourself for the Torch Festival.
How to get here
Bus no. 4 or 8 to Dali Ancient Town (1/2 hour) from Xia Guan 下关 (the heart of new Da Li city ) train station, or minicar from Xia Guan to Li Jiang 丽江 along the Yun Nan — Tibet Highway.
西周古镇 Xizhou gu zhen
Located 19km north of Dali old town, Xizhou is full of typical Bai homes adorned with carved wooden arts, clay sculptures, paintings and marble sculpture, representing their beliefs and culture.
The first type of Bai home is 三房一照壁 san fang yi zhao bi, the layout of a central courtyard surrounded by rooms on 3 sides and on the 4th side, a white painted wall adorned with elaborate calligraphy and paintings considered as talisman.
The second type is 四合五天井 si he wu tian jing. Open to public, Yan’s Compound here in Xizhou is the most representative of Bai residence.
After wandering around Xizhou, you have the options to: Ride your motorbike to Sha cun 沙村 (lit: Sand Village); Return to Dali Ancient Town on the same day; or Walk 30 km from between Yunnong Peak and Cang Lang Peak of Xizhou Town to reach Huadian Plain, a perfect place for camping and picnics in spring and summer.
周城村 Zhoucheng cun
In Zhoucheng, almost every family practices tie dyeing. The Bai women here learn the skills since their early childhood. Many villagers can design their own patterns. Traditionally, the indigo dye is made from yang xin nian plants (Radix Isatidis in Latin) which have cooling and anti-inflammatory effects.
After doing a tie-dye workshop, you can stroll to the nearby Butterfly Spring 蝴蝶泉 Hu Die Quan, which origin lies in a local Romeo Juliet style folklore. Minicar from Dali direct to Xizhou will cost 5–8 RMB and take 1 hour.
While Xizhou and Zhoucheng are not too far from Dali, the next two: Jianchuan and Xinhua are slightly further (>120km, over half the distance to Li Jiang).
剑川古镇 Jianchuan gu zhen
Located exactly halfway between Da Li and Li Jiang, Jianchuan is famous for its marble and woodwork. All carved woodwork in Bai homes are made with wood produced here. Typical Bai folk house includes a gate with three dripping eaves and flying rafters seen in this photo.
新华村 Xinhua cun
Xin Hua village (122km north of Dali) is a place on Ancient Tea Horse Road where Bai people inhabit. As a region of rivers and lakes, it is also called the town of silver with rural scenery. It enjoys a thousand years of folk handicraft art and silversmiths.
Not-Forgotten Culture
3 Course Tea 三道茶 san dao cha
This ritual is a common sight at Bai festivals and marriages. To start the ritual, Xiaguan tea is placed into a tiny pot and baked over a charcoal fire. The pot has to be continuously burnt so the tea leaves don’t burn. As soon as the tea releases its fragrance, boiled water is poured into the teapot.
The term san dao literally translates to three pours — the host will pour the tea into each cup three times: the first bitter; the second sweet; the third is the aftertaste. This tea ceremony is also referred to as Thunderous Tea 雷响茶 Lei Xiang Cha due to the loud sound it makes when water is added to the tea leaves in the first course.
Er Hai Lake is a popular tourist destination. In fact, if you are up for an adventure, you can cycle around the 41.5km perimeter of the lake in 2–3 days. It is, however so popular that the waters of the Lake which had always been pristine, clear and full of fish, have recently been polluted by the proliferation of lakeside guest houses and bars as well as poorly enforced waste disposal regulation.
Cormorant Fishing
Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method where trained birds called cormorants, are used to dive into lakes and rivers to retrieve fish and bring them back to the fisherman.
The techniques used in cormorant fishing have been handed down from generation to generation back to at least to the 10th century. To keep the cormorants from swallowing the catch, a snare is tied around the base of the bird’s throat. This allows the birds to swallow smaller fish, but they have to return larger fish to the fishermen.
Well, the pollution had upset the natural ecosystem and caused algae to grow on the surface. In response to this, the central government ordered the closure of more than 1,000 lakeside businesses and vowed they will remain closed until they clean up their processes.
Tourism and Tradition
This intangible cultural heritage of cormorant fishing was actually one of the grassroots initiatives to provide solutions for socio-economic issues caused by environmental degradation impact. The pollution of the lake severely affects the practice of cormorant fishing. However, instead of waiting for the situation to rectify itself, a couple of cormorant fisherman families gathered, created an organisation and decided to train their cormorant to put on shows for guests. In the lakeside villages surrounding Dali, the cormorant birds now catch fish for the tourists instead of the market.
Dali’s booming tourism industry which initially harmed these fisherman’s livelihood has provided a different avenue for the rituals to survive. Similarly, with tie-dye and woodwork, tourism has provided a way for China’s minority cultures and traditions to be preserved and celebrated. Even if these traditions are not practised exactly for their authentic purpose, at least for the time being it is not forgotten.
This post is part of the Life in China series.1. China Survival Guide
Apps that will make your Chinese experience a whole lot better2. China Through Films
Cinematic trips into the voyage of the breathtaking world of traditional and contemporary China, and whatever lies in between3. Lijiang, The Gateway to Shangrila
For centuries, Li Jiang was a federation of closely-knit villages. Don't miss these 3 villages for a glimpse of old LijiangI hope they will help you begin to understand this mind-boggling country.
