* Took a rowboat across the Erhai
Lake
* Visited the muslim town of Dong Lian Hua, which is inhabited by the muslim Hui people
* ~45km (~28 mile) bike ride along the Erhai Lake and around Dali
* Saw the famous Three Pagodas, but got the great tip from Frank not to pay the exorbitant entrance fee to actually go into the park
* Stayed at the Inanna Guesthouse – owned by an architect/engineer who built this to showcase his capabilities, this hotel is close to the action of Dali but still far enough away so it’s quiet. It is beautiful on the inside and out, a wonderful place to stay.
* Visited the muslim town of Dong Lian Hua, which is inhabited by the muslim Hui people
* ~45km (~28 mile) bike ride along the Erhai Lake and around Dali
* Saw the famous Three Pagodas, but got the great tip from Frank not to pay the exorbitant entrance fee to actually go into the park
* Stayed at the Inanna Guesthouse – owned by an architect/engineer who built this to showcase his capabilities, this hotel is close to the action of Dali but still far enough away so it’s quiet. It is beautiful on the inside and out, a wonderful place to stay.
The Good:
* Rowing across Erhai Lake, especially interacting with the two local guys that came in the boat with us to row it back to the other side
* Bike ride along a portion of Erhai Lake
* The muslim town Dong Lian Hua – really fascinating to see the expression of religion here, and to hear the story of what happened when the Communist Party took over in the ‘50s
* Rowing across Erhai Lake, especially interacting with the two local guys that came in the boat with us to row it back to the other side
* Bike ride along a portion of Erhai Lake
* The muslim town Dong Lian Hua – really fascinating to see the expression of religion here, and to hear the story of what happened when the Communist Party took over in the ‘50s
The Bad:
* Still nothing (a good sign!)
* Still nothing (a good sign!)
Our first major stop was the city
of Dali, which is set between the towering Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake. The combination of the mountains and lake
make the city easily defensible, which is why Dali served as the capital of the
Nanzhao Kingdom, a conglomeration of Bai tribes that operated with a fair bit
of autonomy under the Tang Dynasty through 750 AD. The Nanzhao Kingdom eventually rebelled
against the Tang Dyansty, with some success, until it was ultimately defeated
by the ruling Tang Dynasty in ~900.
Today, Dali is a vibrant city and dominated by the Bai minority culture
– a people known for their agricultural skills (mostly rice but corn, tobacco,
and other crops too) and unique architectural style. Its history, along with its gorgeous setting
by the mountain and lake, make Dali an increasingly popular tourist destination…which
is forcing the city to confront the tides of modernity.
With this in mind, we set out to
row across the Erhai Lake, which provided for some great views of both sides of
the lake:
They gave us life vests, because
if there’s one thing I’ve learned, in Asia it’s safety first!
Frank started off rowing, but
eventually Carrie and I each got our chance.
And these are the local guys that
helped us row. By the end, we were fast
friends (I mean, with smiles like those you know they liked us)!
After rowing to the other side of
Erhai Lake, we met up with our driver (Mr. Yung – a decidedly quiet man from
Kunming) to travel to the muslim town of Dong Lian Hua. First, we stopped in a restaurant set in the
courtyard of one of the wealthier families that used to inhabit the town. The Ma Ru Qi family consisted of three main
brothers. When the Communist Party took
over in the 1950s, and with it an absolute intolerance for religion, the
brothers split up and fled to foreign countries: Burma, Thailand, and
Taiwan. Only one brother would make it
back to see their home again after religious tolerance became more accepted in
the 1980s under Deng Xiao Ping. The
courtyard provided a beautiful setting for lunch:
We then walked around town, and
got to go inside the mosque (notice the crescent star on the building):
After Dong Lian Hua, we traveled
back to Dali to see some Pagodas. First,
Frank took us to the Snake Bone pagoda, which is a little outside of town and
off the beaten path. No tourists here!
We then rented our bikes and took
a quick ride up to the Three Pagodas, which our guidebook tells us is one of
the most photographed sites in all of China.
Frank advised us not to go in, as the park is small and the entrance fee
is astronomical (close to US$40).
Our second day began with a ~45km
bike ride along the Erhai Lake. On our
way to the lake, we stopped at a Catholic Church in the center of Dali. It is still used today by the town’s few
hundred Catholic residents.
A few pictorial highlights from
our bike ride…
And here is Frank, communing with
local school children.
After lunch, we drove up to the
town of Shaxi, which is halfway between Dali and Lijiang. We took a ~2 hour walk into town before
settling in for the night. More on Shaxi
later.
To end, first a picture of the
outside of our hotel.
And, as those of you who know me,
I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this little puppy owned by the folks at
the bike shop. She was cute and feisty!
Follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214
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