Adventure Travel in China

Xi Zhou: remote but accessible China in Yunnan

Post by Marco FerraresecloseAuthor: Marco Ferrarese Name: Marco Ferrarese
Email: info@monkeyrockworld.com
About: Marco Ferrarese has been teaching English, living and travelling around East, South and South East Asia since 2007. An underground musician and writer for many years, he has lived in Europe, the USA, China and Australia and is currently based in Malaysia. He has explored 22 of the 34 provinces by train, foot, rickshaw and any other overland form of transportation. He writes for CnAdventure Blog and has published a book about his Chinese adventures in Italian language.See Authors Posts (32)

We have talked about Yunnan several times already, boosting its natural beauty and incredible scenery. Dali, one of the most visited but still authentic destinations, has definitely kept its charm, but has also changed a lot in recent years. Still perfect for relaxation and savoring most of those yummy backpackers’ comforts, Dali may disappoint a bit if you have come there to have a glimpse of real yunnanese life.

But fear not, because you will find it not too far away, on the flanks of Erhai lake: I am talking about Xi Zhou, and most particularly, the string of villages lining along the lake side. When I visited, I thought I had been brought back into a time when China was very diverse. The system of small cobbled lanes, traditional shops, people running their errands or zooming around on their bicycles, topped with the intensely beautiful landscape of the lake side, make a great getaway from the more developed and touristy scene of Dali Old Town.

If you want to get to Xi Zhou and the villages surrounding it, just get out of town on a bicycle or a motorbike if you have a Chinese driving licence starting from the main road leading to the Three Pagodas Temple complex. Be careful as the road here is heavily trafficked; just cross the main interstate and follow up on the left, until you see some small gravel roads going into the lakeside directions at your right hand side. Just take any of them, and pedal towards the lake until you will find another smaller road, partly paved, but mostly in good condition gravel, crisscrossing the countryside. The show of old, authentic yunannese traditional country life starts here. You will be equally mesmerized by the turquoise lake’s waters and its shores lined up with small trees and wooden fishing boats, and the series of curious farmers and locals who will show great surprise when seeing a foreigner venturing out on their lands. Abundant picture opportunities with friendly locals are guaranteed. In my experience, as I reached the center of a small village where the local market was being held, I became the center of attention, as the locals literally interrupted their activities to observe me for long minutes. Here it is the magic of China, once again!!

As you reach Xi Zhou itself, you will notice that the tourist development here is a bit more present, but not as much as in Dali. There is a chance to visit a cultural show with annexed tea ceremony, but besides, the charm of Xi Zhou lies in taking a relaxing stroll along its cobbled streets, losing yourself along its small lanes, and visiting some very well preserved old Chinese town architecture. Xi Zhou is a center of Bai minority, and this culture is prominent everywhere, from the handicrafts to the buildings, to the way the women dress in those beautiful and colored dresses, topped by a circular and colorful hat. Just take your time, enjoy the street life and breathe a more relaxed version of the central Yunnanese tourist trail without getting too much out of the beaten path, but definitely completing a very interesting and adventurous bicycle trip, which eventually may continue and lead you to circle Erhai lake with one overnight stop along its beautiful shores.

How to Get There: Besides the bicycle trip we described above, it is possible, but less adventurous, to reach Xi Zhou by local bus departing from Xiaguan city (the newer part of Dali, where the train station is located) or flagging down one on the main road just in front of Erhai lake’s shore. To reach the area of Dali, take a night train from Kunming city, or if coming from the North, there are several buses connecting with the other famous destinations in the area (Lijiang, Shangri La etc.).