Exploration and discovery at Yunnan's Erhai Lake

For me having grown up in a seemingly sterile urban environment back in the UK here was the reality of upland rural life where technology was low or intermediate. Initially it felt l was looking seemingly at a ‘time warp’ where a culture or lifestyle was ‘frozen in time’ but every return visit showed a progression towards the technological and commercial norms of contemporary society.

Back in Dali, I would spend all evening in a cafe on Huguo Lu, writing notes while trying to recall fascinating moments from the market.

Although I enjoyed Dali, it was suggested I take a trip 20 km north to the small town of Xizhou, where Bai domestic architecture had been carefully preserved. The journey involved taking a bus along the main highway and alighting at a road junction to continue by "horse-bus" into town. Heading straight for the market square, I sat for a while taking in the scene watching people gather, including many women in traditional ethnic dress. Compact restaurants and food stalls prepared simple snacks such as fried potatoes and the cheese for which the area is famed — a legacy of the 13th century invasion by Genghis Khan's forces.