Xizhou, Dali
Xizhou () is a town located north of Dali Old Town in Dali City, part of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan, China. The town consists of 13 small villages with a combined population estimated at 2,500, mostly consisting of Bai people with a small population of Hui and Han residents. Xizhou is located about from the shores of Erhai Lake to the east, and to the Cang Mountain to the west. Xizhou has been historically important as a trading post along the Tea Horse Road, it was once home to a landing strip and radio station  for the Flying Tigers during WWII, has been home to notable rulers and governors of local polities past and present, and has gained notoriety in modernity for its high concentration of preserved and restored traditional Bai architecture and protected heritage sites. History. Although Xizhou's ancient origins are unclear, the fertile valley that Xizhou lies in has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years. The history of Xizhou dates back to the Sui Dynasty (581 - 618 AD) when it was first incorporated by General Shi Wansui. Soon after, the simultaneous creation of the Nanzhao Kingdom (737 - 902 AD) and the  formation of the Tea Horse Road (8th - 20th Century) in the 700s AD had a huge influence on the town's future. Xizhou was located only a few kilometers from the political and military capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, and benefited from the kingdom's expertise in architecture and engineering. During this era, it served as a military fortress and a temporary palace for the King on Nanzhao. The Yuan dynasty (1271 - 1368 AD) imported a sizeable Muslim population from Northern China and Central Asia to fill high political positions throughout modern Yunnan, and many of the region's Muslim  inhabitants can trace their ancestry back to these series of migrations. The Mongol Empire also brought the region their practice of making cheese from cow's milk and whey, a tradition originating in the grassland steppes of Mongolia but one that many families in Xizhou continues today. During the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) Xizhou prospered in business and trade on the Tea Horse Road. Bai merchants traveled extensively from Southeast Asia to Tibet, trading their region's tea, marble, and handicrafts. This era brought Xizhou a scholarly reputation, beginning a tradition of writing the names of students who passed the  national exam on a large gate in the town square, a tradition that continues today for Xizhou residents who have achieved success in academia, business, and politics. After the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1912) business thrived and it became common for children of wealthy families to go abroad for their studies. Xizhou again became a center of academia, gathering professors and intellectuals after Huazhong University relocated here from Wuhan, earning the nickname "Cambridge of the East." Yale-in-China also relocated to Xizhou during World War II to escape the Japanese occupation of eastern China. During World War II, the American  and Chinese armies cooperated in Yunnan as the Flying Tigers, uniting in their fight against Japan. The Americans had superior technology and the Chinese had strategic bases, so the two armies cooperated and shared supplies and materials, working together for several years from bases throughout Southwest China. Xizhou had a small base, airstrip, and radio station which was the first point of contact when planes carrying supplies from Burma first arrived over the Himalayan mountains. Geography. Xizhou is located north of Dali's old town and about from Dali's new centre, Xiaguan. It is located on a fertile plateau  between the Cangshan mountain range to the west and Erhai lake to the east at an elevation of 2,000 m. Culture. Raosanling () is the most important religious festival in the calendar of the Bai people. It takes place in three villages in the Dali valley during the fourth lunar month and lasts for three days, each major activity taking place at a different location. The second day's activity takes place in Xizhou. The Bai people traditionally serve a special Three Course Tea ceremony during weddings and as a welcome to their guests. The three courses include bitter, sweet, and  strange, which represent the different phases of a human life. Although men have abandoned traditional Bai attire in recent decades, many women still wear a distinctive headdress whose shape, materials, and colors correspond to a short poem about the natural beauty of the Dali valley. Wind, flowers, snow, and moonlight (风花雪月) are each symbolically depicted on Bai women's headdresses. The Bai traditionally practiced a matriarchal organization of society, which is still evident in their architecture and selected social gender roles. Under the eaves of many grand entranceways to homes and buildings, a golden phoenix (female) dominates a series of  smaller dragons (male) from above, representing the higher social position of women in society. Similar to Yunnan's Naxi and Tibetan matriarchal culture, Bai men traditionally were in charge of the home and raising children while women were the primary breadwinners for their families. Much has changed to Bai culture over the past century, and these traditional gender roles are far less discrete today. The best documented aspect of Bai culture in Xizhou is the traditional architecture. The history of world class engineering, architecture, and education Xizhou has enjoyed was combined with a period of great financial success in business  during the 19th century, and resulted in hundreds of tastefully constructed Bai courtyard style homes that merge traditional local structures with styles imported from across Lijiang, eastern China, and abroad. Many of the buildings were occupied by the Chinese military or served a purpose to local and provincial level governments and spared during the Cultural Revolution, a period of time that many old buildings in China didn't survive. Due to the shared values of Xizhou citizens, many of these structures have become protected heritage sites, some protected at the national level like the Great Wall. An iconic and important  attribute of Bai architecture is the inclusion of a large, white reflecting wall in courtyard homes. Wealthier homes will often designate one wall to be a reflecting wall while the other three serve as living spaces (三房一照壁). The reflecting wall serves a practical and symbolic purpose; the white color creates a lighter space in the courtyard especially in the afternoon, it typically faces west in Xizhou to reflect evil spirits that dwell in the depths of Erhai lake away, and it reflects luck and prosperity into the room directly opposite, which is considered to be the most important room in  the courtyard. The use of marble in Bai architecture is commonplace due to its abundance and easy access. Marble is incorporated into many courtyard homes' floors, stairs, pillars, and is commonly used as artwork or decoration. Unlike many other parts of the world, when marble is used as art or decoration the price is not decided by its quality but by its aesthetic. In Chinese, the word 'marble' is '大理石' which literally means 'Dali stone.' Marble is found in other parts of China, but the production of marble in the Dali valley has been famous for many years. Unusual for  China, the Bai people produce and eat cheese (乳扇) made from cow's milk and whey. Usually made in small batches and stretched out like a fan over parallel bamboo poles to dry in the sunlight, this cheese is eaten like a snack or used in cooking. It is also a main ingredient in the second course of the Three Course Tea ceremony. The Bai's cheese can be eaten fresh, dried, or fried and is usually served with a sweet sauce, sugar or rose jam. Erkuai (饵块) is a locally produced rice product bought as a brick and served  as either flat strips or noodles. Traditionally, making erkuai was very labor-intensive and only manufactured in large groups for festivals, but with the introduction of machines the production process became efficient enough to produce large amounts of erkuai for cheap consumption, and it can now be found and purchased at Xizhou's market every day. Tie dye (扎染) is a specialty handicraft product produced in nearby Zhoucheng. The Bai people have been making tie dye fabric for generations with naturally rendered dye. It's common to find a temple in Xizhou that hosts statues depicting gods and spirits from  different religions coexisting harmoniously. Even symbols from contradictory systems of belief like Confucianism and Taoism can be seen side by side, along with those from Buddhism and the Bai Benzhu (本主) folk religion. There is a small mosque in Xizhou in the Northwest corner, but even this place of worship has evidence of cultural exchange in its traditionally Bai architecture, much of which bears heavy Benzhu influence. Economy. The local economy is mostly agricultural, many of Xizhou's local farms grow rice and corn in the summer rainy season and garlic and broad beans during the dry season the rest  of the year. There are two growing seasons and the entire valley grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and many families raise their own chickens, pigs, cows, and sheep for personal use or for the market. Like many other rural agricultural communities in Yunnan, some Xizhou farmers are starting to realize the potential of organic practices and the incorporation of green technology like solar and wind power to cut costs. In addition to farming, construction and skilled production of marble and wood make up a majority of the economy. Marble production and refinement has a long history in  the valley, due to its abundance and easy access to reserves in the Cangshan mountains. Its proximity to Dali's old town has also exposed modern Xizhou to a daily dose of tourism. Many locals have taken advantage of this opportunity and cater to the emerging tourism industry by opening up restaurants, coffeeshops, and guesthouses in town. Transportation. Xizhou is a short bus ride from Dali's old town, accessible by buses from both the 214 highway and the Dali-Lijiang road (大丽路). Buses from old town should take about 30 minutes and cost around 7 RMB. Xizhou is small  enough to walk through its entirety in a few minutes, but horse carts and bicycles are a popular mode of transportation. Education. Xizhou's history has a deep focus on academic success and has hosted temporary campuses for Huazhong University and Yale-in-China during the past century. Today, the town is home to public schools for locals year round, and several times a year the students of Sidwell Friends School from Washington, D.C. and Shanghai American School use Xizhou as a satellite campus to study Chinese history and culture and undertake research projects on a variety of subjects. Xizhou