Xizhou Town, Yunnan, China

5sweetsophia L 5:00 PM Sep 18, 2012

Fatastic architecture, Eye-dazzling wood and stone sculptures, inviting foods and customs
Bai people are very romantic and creative, you can see this from their most breathtaking residences which claim vast territory of Xizhou town, which lives up to the name of "a treasure house of aged residence clusters of Bai Minority." Nourished by the aerial Mount Cangshan and the luring Erhai Lake, Bai people, one of the most innocent ethnic minorities on earth, has absorbed the essence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism which prevail, thrive and co-exist harmonically in center China and fostered a new discipline of architecture featuring stunning and poetic beauty. It is no exaggeration to say the Bai people's architecture is history preserved by wood, stones and bricks, poetry composed by the most fabulous sculptures, paintings, pointed eaves and wall sceens as well as philosophy highlighting the subtle relationship between man and nature. Its elaborate layout serves one purpose: help the dwellers to live poetically and to connect with nature. Corridors, patios and courtyards are built to strengthen their bond, without which the residence will lose half of its charm and spirit. Besides, i tasted the yummy Xizhou Baba( a snack made of various ingredients include pig oil and flour). It is named as Xizhou's pizza. I also appreciated the interesting Three Course Tea ceremony inside of Yan Family's residence. Here goes the useful Tips for tour Dali: Weather Dali boasts mild weather all year around. Spring comes as early as March and in May, it is already summer. From middle October to middle November, you can wear autumn clothes. If you visit Dali in middle of November, you had better bring a coat, just in case. The temperature in night can drop by 10 degree, thus, you are advised to bring some summer clothes and long sleeve shirts especially during the transitional period when autumn alternates with summer. Summer and fall are the rainy seasons here. Special Tips: Ignore those salesmen in the street, railway stations.... When you buy the silverwares, pay attention if they are made of copper, and when you buy jewelries like jade, you should request the shop owner show you the certificate issued by authentic department first Bai people are usually warm hearted; you can ask them for help when in trouble Sunshine here is scorching, the UV can be very strong, thus, you are advised to wear hat and prepare sun screens. Best Travel Season: All year around. Since most festivals and events will take place during March to April (lunar calendar), you can drop a visit during this period. Besides, March is an ideal month to appreciate the legendary "Jade Ribbon Cloud" and "Wangfu Cloud" in Cangshan Mountain. Traffic How to Reach Dali? By air: Dali Airport is 12km from Dali Ancient City downtown. Dali is connected to cities include Kunming, Xishuangbanna, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chendu by flights. Flights from Dali to Kunming, in particular, will depart every 40 minutes every day. (after you get off, Bus 7 will bring you to downtown Xiaguan. Taxi is another choice, it will cost around 60RMB to take you to Xiaguan downtown or 90 RMB to Dali city downtown.) By Train: Dali Train Station is located in No. 261, Weishan Road. After get off the train, you can take Bus 8 to Dali directly. By long distances bus: each 30minutes, a long distance bus will leave from Kunming to Dali from 8am to 17:30pm, the cost is 105RMB. Besides, there are many buses connect Dali to other cities include Lijiang, Shangri-la and Tengchong. Transportation in Dali Ancient City Bus: You can take Bus No.4 and No.8 from Xiaguan to Dali Ancient City, the 40minutes’ distance will only cost 1.5RMB. (you need to prepare coins or charges by yourself.) Long distance bus stations include Dali Long Distance Bus Station( No. 372, Weishan Road, 0872-2310148); Dali Long Distance Bus North Station (No. 30, Yuhua Road) and Dali Xingsheng Road Bus Station( No.8, Xingsheng Road),etc. Taxi: In Dali city center, the minimum fee of taxi is 5RMB and within 3km you do not need to pay more, exceeding that, it will charge 1.4RMB per km. Santana's minimum charge is 6RMB, over 3km, you have to pay 1.6RMB per km. (Out of Dali, taxis does not charge according to distance, it usually cost 40 to 50RMB to Dali Ancient city.) Boat: if you want to tour Erhai Lake, you had better buy the ticket one day in advance and board at the Erhai Dock which sits at north of Xiaguan. It will cost 70RMB to 80RMB. Bike: in Boai Road, you can rent a bike to tour around, the fee ranges from 5RMB to 20RMB per day. Accommodation About hotels, those in Huguo Road (Foreigners’ Road) are your top choices. While the Young Hotel ( Qingnian Hotel) which charges only 15 to 40 RMB per day, is the top choice for those budget travelers.(Notice: during National Holiday (Oct 1 to 7), the fees may rise by triple.) Taboo of Bai People You are not advised to dig a big hole among the rice in the bowl when dining. Bai peole believe man and rice should not fight and are equal. You cannot drop rice when eat When you are invited into a Bai people’s family, fathers and sons as well as males and females cannot share the same table After you finishing the dining, you are expected to put the chopsticks around your bowl to show your respect Notice: all those residences will be closed after 18:00pm. Admission Fee: 10RMB. If you want to see tea ceremony, singing and dancing, it will charge50RMB

5Greggy 5:00 PM Jul 7, 2020

A Delightful Ancient City
I enjoyed wandering Xizhou Town. I have been to many ancient cities in China and this particular city has a beautiful backdrop that being the lake surrounded by rice fields. There is plenty to do and enjoy here. I suggest taking a morning and or afternoon to explore and enjoy.