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Published: July 27th 2008
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17/7/08
move on to Binchuan(@1600m) through Dali yesterday. Binchuan county live mostly Bai, Yi and Lisu, hopefully I could see their costume in the area. Like Weishan, the main scene in Binchuan is the Jizushan and its temple, only this one is more developed and more famous, they even got a cable car to go up hill. Jizushan is a huge area you could walk and hike, together with many temples and good scenery, but first you need to pay 60 yuans to get in. I never like the idea to pay to see nature, so...cheap or not cheap, think whatever you like, I kept my 60 kuai!
Instead I went to Zhoucheng, the old capital of Binchuan. Not much information, only heard you could see the old town. Walk through the drum tower which is the center of the village, built about 80 years ago, still in good shape, met an old man in the Guanyin temple, "I'm 76 years old" he said, asked him how old is this temple, more than 300 year he said, and he pointed to the wooden engraving broad on top of the door frame, "they are very old" he claimed, but then
I saw the date engraved on it was year 1991, "fxxk, it had been renew" he swear, then he pointed to another wooden plate, again it written year 2001, he seem embarrassed, and I told him many thing had been destroyed during the culture revolution, still he pointed to the pagoda hall said it was there since he was a kid. I won't argued, no matter what, this Guanyin temple did look old, and all the statues doesn't look ugly cartoon! The old man offered to showed me another historic site in the village, the Jinxun bridge, a single hole wind and rain bridge, original built more than 600 years ago, had been renovated 200 years ago during Qing dynasty. And the most important event happened here was the Red army marched into Binchuan through this bridge during the legendary Long March. That was about all you could see in Zhoucheng.
Binchuan was no different from any other town in Yunnan, bbq stands laid out by early evening, but they do have a lots of open space, so they all occupied comfortable location. The square was full of dancing figure, moving in rhyme with the music that came within their
quarter. The street was full of people, I quickly ordered my fried rice in a canteen, but forgot to said no chilli, I left with a small dune of red pepper on the table. Saw or was I actually smell the freshness of the peanut streaming by the street, grasped a bunch and pick up a bottle of beer on my way back to the hotel, it was my night out...in my room!
Note
Bus Dali(Xingsheng street station) to Binchuan 14 yuans
City bus no.5 & no.8 to Zhoucheng 2 yuans
18/7/08
Only hope of spotting any hill tribe costume should be around Pingchuan area, as everybody said so. As in the map, the area full of Yi state and Lisu state. The scene was rather pretty up the mountain for the 2 hrs trip yesterday, green hill full of pine trees, with the recent rain, many flying streams and falls whiten the mountainside with lines. Crossing the 2500m pass we rolled down the valley approached Pingchuan(@1800m), a small village with an nice old quarter just like many village in the area. Went to Gude for the market 8km away, the area was full of nice looking
villages, white houses with black roof tile. The market was quiet even well after 12, said it was because of the harvesting of tobacco at the moment. Actually it was a nice market even without and costume dress tribe woman, made shift stands laid the narrow lane in the village, canopies and umbrellas provided the temporary shade under the hot sun, I was wondering what it would be like when in busy season. Not much a market for foods like the others, the most popular place must be the barber shop as what I'd seen. Although all the villages around here are Yi, but everyone dress in Han style, enquired about the market scene in other market, not much positive feedback, perhaps Binchuan will give me a blank file of hilltribe costume.
Rain the whole night, this morning with slight drizzle and the market would got ready by none, as predicted the tribal scene was none, and the setting was in an open square, atmosphere couldn't compared with the one in Gude yesterday. With the rain stop and the bus started to run by none because of the landslide ,I better left the mountain before they rain again.
Note
Bus Binchuan to Pingchuan 11 yuans
Minibus Pingchuan to Gude 4 yuans
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