Saturday, December 13th, 2003 – Day 298 – Irish Guy’s Round the World Trips

Saturday, December 13th, 2003 – Day 298

I had a poor nights sleep. I always do when I have to get up early. I was up at 6.50am and out the dorr of the YUNAN FANDIAN by 7.15am. I walked 12 minutes to the station where I was surprised to find my bus was a mini bus. There are severe warnings in the LOnely Planet: China guide about bags been robbed, backpacks been razored here so I was extra careful. There were about five people directly me into the van. I put my abg in te booth. I neer had such an uncomfotable time beacuse of the warnings. I was sure my bag had been pinched because I could hear it been opened and closed. Thanks to the LOnely Planet, I was paranoid. I did not sleep during the seven hour journey. We stopped once for lunch which was nice. I arrived in what I thought was Dali at 3.30pm. It was not. I was actuallyi n old Dali or Dali for non-tourists, a place called Xiaguan. I was lucky that a passerby told me to catch the Number Four bus. I did for 1.20 Yuan. It took a full 35 minutes to get to OLd Dali. I walked around for 20 minutes beforI founs a cheap (too cheap) single room (prefabricted) for 30 Yuan (3 Euro) per night. I was told the letricity was down for the day. It wa 4.30pm and I walked around town. It was full to the brim with Chinese tourists.

Many shops had generators. I found a Net cafe with one. It seems power shortages happen evey few days. I found a recent news story on it: Power Shortages Darken Southern China . This week, factories in Shanghai were ordered to shut down one day a week because of power shortages. Planners say it could be years before supply catches up with demand. Until then, millions will be coping with life without lights, at least part of the time.

It was quite atmospheric even with the noisy and smelly generators. The stars were out and there was a feel good factor.

Dali City, situated in the west of Yunnan Province, has an area of 28,500 square kilometers with a population of 3 million. Dali City possesses one of the country’s seven freshwater lakes – Erhai Lake. Dali City is a famous historic cultural city of China, once the capital city of Nanzhao regime and Dali Regime in the ancient China, a city of picturesque scenery. With the verdant greenery Erhai Lake as its center, the scenic spot and place of historic site of Dali constitute one of the major places of historic interest and scenic beauty of China. Dali is located at the foot of the Cangshan Mountain by Erhai Lake, Yunnan Province. It is an ancient city of the Bai Autonomous Region, is widely acclaimed as the “Oriental Switzerland” and the “Chinese Geneva”. Situated at the foot of Cangshan Mountain and on the bank of the Erhai Lake, it covers an area of 1,800 square kilometres, and has a population of 432,000 million.

Its name is originated from that of a local regime in history called Kingdom Dali, meaning “a state of great order”. Many of the architectures of the city were built of marble from the ore nearby, and that is why it is also called a city of Dali stone (marble). (Both Chinese writing and pronunciation of “great order” and “marble” are the same.) Marble buildings, marble streets, marble wall foundations and marble wells make the city so bright and limpid as if it is a tranquil fairyland. Each family loves door carving and wall-decoration; every household has a flower garden. While it is freezing season in the north, hundreds of flowers are in blossom here. Among them, camellia, azaleas and orchids are the most fascinating and enchanting ones.

In spite of all, the summit of Cangshan Mountain, 4,000 metres high, perennially covered with snow offers a beautiful sight. Though it is in winter, you could feel the spring in the air, at the same time enjoy the translucent snowy summit, glittering under the moonlight!

The Bai nationality having lived there for generations, is the chief inhabitant. Bright and cheerful in disposition, amiable and easy of approach, the Bai people are very hospitable and conversational. Their national costume looks neat and graceful. Both sexes have partiality for white color. A Bai man usually wears a short black gown over his white jacket with buttons down the front, whereas a woman, coiling up the hair over head, often wears a black or blue gown over her white jacket. The daily attire for a maiden is very attractive, i.e., a red close-fitting jacket without sleeves. The Bai girls like to wear one pigtail tied with red string with a colourful towel wrapped round and snowy teasels waving to and fro on the right.