Programme: Dali Cultural Experience and Learning Camp
Partner Institution: Yunnan University
Period: March 2 - 9 , 2023
This Dali Cultural and Learning Camp was a travel experience that was both relaxing and meaningful. I not only felt the free and slow pace of life in Dali but also experienced its deeply rooted ethnic culture.
Dali's Erhai Lake, ecological farms, and tie-dye workshop all made me feel the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of life in Dali. Erhai Lake is beautiful. Riding electric bikes around the lake and capturing the beautiful scenery with my tour group, I could feel the pleasant breeze brushing against my face. The rustic decorations and fields full of crops at the ecological farm emitted a different vibe than the urban setting of Hong Kong. As for the day I spent at the tie-dye workshop, it further helped me understand what "slow living" really means: chatting and working under the sun, playing with the cats after meals, and sitting in the courtyard watching our dyed fabrics dry in the wind. This kind of life rhythm is hard to experience in the fast-paced Hong Kong city. For me, it was a precious experience of slow living.
Dali's various museums, ancient towns, and cultural lectures all made me feel the cultural heritage of this city. The Jima Print Art Museum creatively displayed the local traditional culture and art, which taught me about many unique ethnic cultures. Among the three ancient towns we visited, Weishan Ancient City left a deep impression on me. It was a town that had not been occupied by tourists or outsiders; entering this city was like entering a time tunnel. While wandering around the ancient city, I noticed that they still retained many old cultures, such as funeral bulletin boards on the walls, white spring couplets posted due to deaths in the family, and the old-fashioned calligraphy and breakfast shops run by the elderly. These cultures are no longer found in highly urbanized Hong Kong. They once shocked me. In the Bai cultural lecture, I also learned that the Bai people in Dali still have a cooperative relationship with nature. They use Phalacrocorax carbo to catch fish and will mourn after their death. This is a scene that I can never see in the city. I am grateful to have encountered these experiences on this trip, which broadened my understanding of China and even the world.
Overall, this was an unforgettable trip.
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