Dali, Batik, Silversmiths and Birds

Statue outside military base in Dali

That's me standing in front of an ancient gate at Old Dali

An ad for a weight loss program

Brooms for sale - used daily by most women

Statues were beheaded during the Cultural Revolution

Garbage can for recycling

Chinese tourists get their photo taken

Local ladies sell pomegranite products on the street

A monk takes a rest

11/3
Tuesday, November 3
The next morning the weather cleared and we got a spectacular view of the nearby mountains. Cang Shan Mountain looms above Dali and David recalled that it used to be snow capped year round, but now that only occurs in the winter. Another causality of global warming.

Old Dali Goes to the Tourists
The museum in Old Dali was pretty interesting. Trade routes between India, Tibet and China sprung up about 2,000 years ago, often called the Southern Silk Road, or Tea Horse Road. A strategic spot along these routes, Dali became an important stopping place for travelers to replenish supplies and horses before they continued their journeys. When the Mongols invaded China from the north, Dali became the capital of Yunnan Province, so the city has a lot of history.

Parts of the original city wall still exist and there are many old buildings lining very narrow streets. It's very picturesque. Dali has succumbed to the tourist industry, which has been heavily invested in over the past 30 years, so along the main thoroughfares are hundreds of restaurants, bars, and shops hawking jewelry, food, souvenirs and clothing. I couldn't figure out the significance of the many drum stores blaring music that a bored shopkeeper keeps time with on the drum.

Goods are still carried in the traditional, yet,  practical way

Indigo Batik at Zhoucheng
On the way out of town we stopped at a roadside stand for a local delicacy - pancakes, either sweet and rose flavored, or onion flavored. They were delicious! Our next stop was to visit a Bai village, Zhoucheng,  known for its batik fabrics using the traditional method using dye from the indigo plant.

Dye vats of indigo - a natural dark blue plant dye

The grandmother sews intricate patterns before dyeing

We strolled through the village peering into small shops and courtyards, taking lots of photos, of course. We walked through a local market selling fruits, vegetables and meats. (No lives animals - so no poor pigs or chickens!) David led us to a local family whose business was tie dying cotton fabric creating beautifully intricate designs. A pattern is laid out onto the fabric, then small pieces of the fabric are gathered and sewed tightly before being soaked in huge vats of the dark blue liquid. We all decided to purchase a piece, so we uncomfortably bartered with the hostess until we reached an agreed price.

The Friendliest Village
Another interesting village, Songgui, we stopped in proved to be one of the friendliest that we had encountered. Surprisingly neat and clean, this village of about 1,000 people, had no piles of construction debris as in other places, the narrow cement roads were in very good condition, and the ditches along the roadsides, also cement, contained no litter. 

Incense offering at a home

The local "piggery"

The locals were friendly and cooperative as we strolled through taking photos. In fact one woman even invited us to come to her home for tea.  (We declined)  At one point we walked past a school and the children came to the second floor balcony to wave to us. Of course, we waved back and they cheered. Across the valley we heard firecrackers, which David informed us were part of a funeral.






Rice and Bark Paper Factory

The pulp is squeezed flat and each layer stacked

We continued walking until we reached a family run operation that manufactures paper from rice and tree bark. We watched as bark was soaked and churned up into a thick paste. A thin layer is sieved through a wide screen and that placed onto a block.

The tree bark on the right is made into pulp. Then each thin layer is carefully spread onto the drying racks to the left.

a thin layer of wet paper is peeled off the block and spread onto the drying wall

 The block is taken to a drying wall where each thin layer upon layer is stuck to he wall to dry for several days. I have actually used this type of paper for art projects from time to time with the kids at school.

A Little Birding to Finish the Day

The afternoon sun was getting low as we came to the Heqing Nature Reserve, a large lake near the town we were staying for the night. The lighting and the reflections were beautiful as we watched hundreds of ducks and other marsh birds just before sunset.