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Published: September 30th 2007
Bamboo Temple - Kunming
Inner courtyard of Buddhist templeApologies, in advance, to any interested readers that much of this may sound like a lesson, but this is essentially a record for my own keeping & will probably contain some dry stuff for others.
You've been warned!When originally planning this holiday we chose to visit the Yunnan province as it is renowned for its diversity of local nationalities. This SW area of China borders Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and has, since ancient times, been a overland trade link through Asia, so it probably isn't that weird that there are something like 24 different ethnic groups in this region. A consequence of this fact, is that there is a rich mix of cultures, foods, religions, costumes & appearances to be found here.Kunming is the capital of this province, at an elevation of around 2000m, & it alone has a population of 4 million. It did not strike us as the typical asian city (from our past experience). This city was very clean - no litter to be seen; populous - very many high density flats (most common size ~7 levels); quiet - little traffic chaos or constant use car horn & the very many motor scooters are more like stealth vehicles with their
Buddhist Monk
This monk wrote quite a long story in Sue's handbook - no idea what it's all about. quiet electric motors; attractive - broad tree-lined streets; & modern - with many sky-scrapers, many solar panels, trendily dressed citizens & little structural evidence of its ancient history. We stayed here at the Camelia Hotel, Marg & I paying 220Y ($37), per night. We walked heaps around the city and found we were mostly ignored by the locals. Very few English speakers made it very interesting & difficult at times, not getting complete explanations of things. Meal times have continued to be an adventure, often not entirely sure what we've ordered & then finding we've over-catered again. But haven't had a disappointing meal yet!
We headed to Dali by bus on Thursday 27/Sep, a trip of around 400km west & taking about 4hrs. It was quite a pleasant ride on a freeway the entire distance skirting round the mountainous terrain & even through it quite a bit. That is, there were a dozen or so tunnels cut through these hills to achieve a more efficient & direct route. We passed lots of fields under one of maybe 4 different crops, mostly stepped pastures, of course - I only recognised corn! Lots of these pastured areas were associated with a village,
The Yunnan Express
Marg about to board our bus to Dali. or vice versa, and these were mud brick, I'd say, but typically had tiled rooves with the curvy roofline you might expect. Many of these little villages had the odd satellite dish and some were fairly well fitted with solar panels (for hot water, I think).
I was, for some reason, expecting an overtly smaller city then we had just come from and had to adjust my thinking to China-size to appreciate the magnitude of Dali city. We passed a massive hospital, many sky-scrapers, many car-yards, etc, as we entered the place. We hopped a taxi & headed to Old Dali City, another 20min on, & found accom at MCA Hotel for 100Y ($13) a night right near the ancient walled city.
Dali is a city dating back probably something like 3000 years when the Bai people first established themselves, but it has had various names and been a party to many warring episodes since then. It was, perhaps, at its zenith at around 1000AD (Tang/Song dynasties) when it was a capital to the the area. There are something like 1.5 million Bai people in the area nowadays. The walled city was re-built in 1382 as much had been destroyed
Bai Bai
These are Bai girls dressed traditionally for the Dali Old City precinct. by wars. It is still undergoing renovations with intensive efforts since pre-1998 to re-establish the bluestone streets & buildings in the same ancient style. It is a very impressive city these days, very attractive with lots of shops, tour groups, welcoming committees of attractive young Bai girls, in costume, and many shop keepers wearing special gear too (a la Sovereign hill). The main street has taken on a bit of a theme park feel to it but the other areas, which we walked through, still possess some genuine historical character. It genuinely touristy here, though, with touts accosting you to provide a service you really need. Room here for haggling as well.
Old Dali City is nestled in between the Cangshan (Jade Green) Mountains, which rise abruptly to 4000m, and Erhai Hu (Ear-shaped Lake) at an elevation of 1970m. Such a position must provide some very interesting weather conditions. We have had quite a bit of rain in the couple of days we've spent here, and it can move in or out very quickly. Yesterday (Sat 29/Sep), started off very wet, causing us to limit our movements, but by the afternoon there was sun enough to get burnt by (&
A Great Wall in China
Sue's walking the wall that (part) surrounds old Dali city. indeed I did!). We headed to the Cangshan Ropeway (cable car, for the uninitiated) & what a delightful surprise this turned out to be. Getting only a passing mention in our Lonely Planet, this 2.6km long ride (operating since ~2003) rises, I'd guess, another 500m into the mountains providing tremendous views of old & new Dali, Erhai Lake & the cropped fields beyond. It could provide some nervous moments for the acrophobes as there is a great stretch from its highest point to the top station where the land drops away in the form of a valley to accentuate the height effect/illusion. There were still some steep walks to do and some well presented facilities once you reach the top station.
Today (Sunday 30/Sep) we organised a minibus tour around much of Erhai Lake, working clockwise from old Dali & heading round to the eastern lakeside for a boat return to Dali. It was a great experience. We visited a (touristy) Bai household to learn more about the working involved. many of these places are three houses, on three sides of a square & the missing side a wall. The houses have no external windows & face the morning sun
Happy Hour - a daily routine.
Local beer continue to provide much fascination. & afternoon light & warmth is provided by reflected light from the wall which is whitewashed. We were provided with the traditional Bai 3-tea ceremony set amid some hammed-up dance and antics - all very amusing. The 3-tea ceremony is a metaphor for life with the first course being bitter (tasted like ash-tray tea) to represent the early struggle life provides; the second course is sweet to represent the easier life resulting from those early efforts and then, the last course, was sweeter still, and smooth, to represent the latter stages of life where one can take things easier and enjoy the fruits of their lifes work.
Next stop round the lake was, for want of a better term, a textile workshop, where several women made sheets and the like based on their tie-dye work. Intricate sewings & tying offs were first done & then steeped, several times, in the blue dye from a local plant before unpicking those earlier tying to reveal these fabulous patterns. What fine needlework, eyework & fingerwork needed here!
On we went, through some of the Bai fishing villages living on the banks of this lake. All along this drive we were passing fields of
Lunch time
One of our best lunches was from a simple sidewalk vendor - potatoes! (Marg's photo) crops, I think they were mostly rice, but in different stages of maturation, & so offering different greens to the observer. Many of the pastures were large but always worked as a patchwork of smaller rectangular regions. Many workers were working the fields and we saw the entire process of cutting, threshing, winnowing and drying by passing these various fields. There was also many gravesites amid the working fields or overlooking the fields from nearby high ground.
Our lunchtime stop was at Wase, a Bai fishing village, and were able to over-indulge again, but this time we didn't have the ordering hassle as we had our English-speaking guide with us. I think we've finally taken to the chopsticks in the same fashion as the locals, gone is that reserve that stifles the enjoyment of a meal for the supposed sake of good manners/etiquette. It was a fabulous meal involving dishes of shrimp, fish, mushrooms, eggs & cabbage. After lunch we were able to become part of the hussle and bustle that is the Wase market. A very busy fresh meat, vegie, cereals & anything else you want market. The day was especially enjoyable as we were able to ask many
Dali Old City
Inner temple/building at night. questions of our guide for the day, an asset we've not had and sorely missed at times.
There seems to be so much building and development going on, in and around Dali. The place seems to be seeking an even greater tourist market but I hope 'progress' does not spoil the relaxed Old Dali we came to know and enjoy so much.
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