Thursday, April 6
Dali is a valley about 5,500 ft high surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It is the center of the Bai people who are related to the Thais and have a culture going back about 3000 years. The old town is mainly a pedestrian zone full of tourist shops. The local specialty is marble and there are many marble slabs, statues and other marble products for sale.
We went to visit a typical Bai village outside of Dali. Unlike the Han people who believe that white is the color of mourning, the Bai people use white on their houses as a symbol of purity. Their houses are usually in courtyard form with buildings on 3 sides – living quarters, animal pens (pigs, horses, chickens) and kitchen. The 4th side shades the main rooms from the sun in the morning and reflects light into the rooms in the afternoon. The Bai people make complicated batik clothes and materials. They first paint the pattern on the material, then sew it in bunches, dye it and then sew it into table clothes, bags, clothes etc.