In July 2006 I made my first trip to China, on yet another shopping safari, looking for handwoven silk and cotton fabrics for our "Lanna Charm" website. My destination was Dali, in the mid western region of Yunnan province.
I flew to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan, from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, with Thai Airways, a 90 minute flight. Kunming is a big, modern city, with a population of over 5 million people. It is famous for it's all year round temperate climate, probably because it sits at an altitude of almost 1900 meters, and is known as the "Spring City".
I did not find much in the handwoven fabric department, but had a good look around for the 2 days I spent there. One day I was looking for something to eat, and I found myself in a back street called "Shuncheng Jie", just across the street from the museum. There are quite a few Muslim restaurants in this area, so I thought I would try it out. The food was great, the people treated me like a king, and it was so cheap. I went back every day for more, as the bread they make is addictive, you can eat it like cake, and the rice was the best I have ever tasted. They slow cook the rice in a huge wok, with legs of lamb and carrots for the flavor. Enough of this talk, I am getting hungry just thinking about it.
I also went to my first Walmart, and that was an experience, I think the entire population of Yunnan province decided to do their shopping that day, it was a madhouse. Good place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and about half the price you pay on the streets. There I go, talking about food again.
Following are some photos I took around Kunming, and after that some more of the trip up to Dali, and beautiful Dali itself. If you need any first hand information about this area, feel free to contact me via our "Lanna Charm" website. Also, if you would like to see some of the bounty I bagged in Dali, please visit the website.
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Dali is a magic place, dripping in history, with a special atmosphere of it's own. It is well situated between a huge lake, Erhai Hu, and an impressive mountain range. It is a walled city, within a square, each side about 2 km long.
Unfortunately it is a victim of it's own attraction, rapidly losing it's old buildings to cater for the onslaught of tourists, most of them Chinese. Even so, it is a wonderful little place to go and chill out for a while, and savour the culture. It has an abundance of good guesthouses and restaurants, and there are some good bargains to be found in the shops, as long as you are prepared to haggle, otherwise you will be overcharged. I picked up some beautiful handwoven cotton scarves, and some old style embroidered table covers. I stayed at the Tibetan Lodge guesthouse in Renmin Road, in the center of Old Dali town. I would recommend this guesthouse to anyone visiting Dali, great lodgings, food and hospitality Tibetan style.
Following are some of the many photos I took while in Dali:
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