Community Guide | Where do we come from
Guide introduction:
Our guide buddies although most have their own things like Honghong makes cold dishes Xiao Jing is a photographer Aruna does baking Wanwan is a makeup artist Xiaochun runs a whiskey bar Yanzi sets up a stall on March Street selling books and cloth Guo Ying does pottery Xiao Li is a surfing instructor chef Huanhuan runs the restaurant "Huanque"... but they all love nature and travel and are simple and willing to share
Here's what you can see: "Other work of the guides"
Our team members were not professional tour guides or leaders in the past, but because of this, they all have distinct personal characteristics and unique life paths. Our activities do not focus on intense outdoor experiences, as we started with the intention of sharing our love for local life and landscapes. We hope that through participating in our trips, you can experience the diverse personalities and lifestyles of our team members. They are very different, yet share common traits: simplicity, friendliness, and sincerity.
Jason , A person from Shanghai who settled in Dali twelve years ago Having run a "late-night食堂" for many years upon first arriving in Dali With over twenty years of experience in outdoor hiking camping and traveling including completing the Sichuan-Tibet route by bicycle and swimming across Erhai Lake Due to a personal love for mountains and waters became familiar with the Cangshan hiking trails and some of the natural landscapes around Dali After an injury mainly responsible for public platform construction occasionally leading teams and opening new routes Capable of communicating in English
Click on the blog tag: Jason Read all the records about him.
Jason | “Zayaa Cafe and Mountain Nature Studio”
Hong Hong a native of Shanghai who has been living in Dali for ten years warm and sincere in treating people loves learning and has an independent mind full of energy with a wide range of interestsCrossFit Enthusiasts, teach many people to swim, set up and operate Dali fish & chips Having worked in restaurants for many years and traveled extensively to organize cold buffet events I mainly lead light hiking and in-depth travel experiences I can lead teams in English In the past year I have frequently traveled for an organization leading summer camps across the country and was responsible for logistics It has been a learning experience and an attempt at self-breakthrough
Jason | "an unusual cold buffet"
Honghong | "3 restaurants I have opened"
Tailor A native of Fujian who has lived in Dali for ten years He has a gentle personality and was once the second manager of our late-night canteen His "garlic fried chicken nuggets" are loved by many He has founded and run a ramen shop called "Tailor's Home" An IT enthusiast he provides technical support for our circle of friends Mainly leads light hiking long-distance hiking and in-depth travel
Caifeng | "Old Songs Time and Love"
Xiaochun | "Caifeng and Xiaoshuang"
Michael, a native of Qingyuan, Guangdong, is the owner of Hanju Inn and has been settled in Dali for over a decade. He has a gentle and friendly personality and treats people with sincerity. Mainly, he leads paddleboarding and camping activities. Since he runs his own inn, he is quite busy but often comes to help out during the summer vacation.
Weeds scene A native of Hunan who has been living in Dali for five years is an independent photographer with a unique aesthetic sense running their own personal portrait photography business Also an enthusiast of forest foraging enjoys picking raspberries on Cang Mountain during different seasonsvegetables wild mushrooms enjoys drawing naive little pictures of her feelings and also likes making pottery firing the kiln in her own courtyard and giving tattoos to friends mainly leads photography foraging for wild mushrooms collecting pine nuts from Cang Mountain picking wild vegetables and eco-printing has already established her own foraging team and often exchanges with wild mushroom enthusiasts from all over the country her ability to identify wild mushrooms is quite remarkable even the local mushroom-picking sisters will ask Xiao Jing when they encounter unfamiliar mushrooms
Click on the blog tag: Weeds scene Read all the records about him.
Jing | Deep Mountain Mushroom Picking
Lao Li (Little L), a native of Eryuan, Dali. The youngest among us, a post-00s. He used to be a chef at several well-regarded local Western restaurants (Moon, Pushi). Passionate about outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and paddleboarding, he is young and energetic. Mainly leads forest hikes and camping boat/paddleboard trips. Xiao Chun commented that his youthful energy is captivating. After returning from Hainan where he worked as a surfing instructor, he took charge of the paddleboarding group, being not only energetic but also approachable, steady, and meticulous, traits rarely seen in his peers. It's rare for someone to have both a youthful spirit and a natural inclination to care for others while maintaining their own identity. He also leads the weekly Fengyu market trip on Tuesdays and picks green plums in the summer to make plum wine. Recently, he has been learning bird watching from Wang Bin and has gained a good understanding of the birds around West Lake.
XiaoLi | “Fengyu Countryside Market”
Chen Paris, a native of Yueyang, Hunan, is a good friend of Old Li. Initially, Old Li asked him for help when he was too busy, and later, even when not busy, Chen Paris enjoyed going out to play together. Every summer after performing backflip dives, Old Li would call him "show-off." When Old Li was in his teens and first started setting up a stall on the streets of Dali Ancient City, Chen Paris was a big brother on the street, looking after him for many years, and they later became good friends. He appears to be the most socially adept leader among us, but in reality, he can settle down and study, loving to learn day and night, with strong execution skills. Soon, most of our fancy aerial shots were done by him. MRS, after seeing the sample footage, also invited him to shoot a rather challenging rafting event, which he meticulously prepared for. At the end of the homepage of the mini-program, there is a link to his sample footage, feel free to contact him for activity documentation.
Xiaochun is from Xingtai, Hebei. He is now the owner of Chunlu Bar. We are the founding partners of Midnight Canteen, humorous and sincere. Mainly leads stream tracing, Hushan sunset, and camping. Literary and humorous, a folk song lyric written in his youth has been heard by many guests.
Xiaochun & Jason | "Old Times · Rainy Season in Dali"
Swallow, from Fujian. Elegant and handsome. Has a strong interest in plants and historical culture, and treats people with enthusiasm and sincerity. Often sets up stalls at various markets to sell handmade products, and her presence can be seen at the March Street Market. The main group activities she leads include mushroom picking, pine cone collecting, and dyeing by the stream. She is already an expert at mushroom picking and is very popular among many guests. This year, she has been driving around in a minivan. She left home at a young age and lived in Lhasa and Lijiang for several years. Very hardworking, she goes to set up a stall on every March Street day, selling some local cloth from Lijiang and second-hand books she has sourced from other markets. However, she does not like it when others introduce her as a potential partner because of her hard work, "That's just wanting me to work for free."
She tells stories very well Every time we go camping outside I always listen to her tell many stories about her hometown by the campfire completely engrossed There are also some stories from her travels over the years but unfortunately she didn't write them down She said many of them are other people's stories private matters and she feels it's not appropriate to write them out
Xiao Jing | The conversation in the car
Yanzi | "Beautiful creatures"
Wang Yue (Tianqiao Frank) is from Xi'an, Shaanxi. He has a rich background in reading about humanities and history. Ten years ago, he lived an idealistic youth life in a hostel with friends like Xiaochun, then ventured into business, opening several indigo dye shops. Now he has settled down and started a family. He still maintains his sensitivity and is willing to share and communicate. Mainly leads: Huoshan sunset, medium-distance hiking. He continues to have a deep interest in historical reading, striving to balance outdoor activities, reading, and family life. Recently, he has developed a strong interest in Persian culture, influenced and inspired by Dr. Zhang Zhan, and has started learning Persian, reading about Persian history and culture, preparing to delve deeper and open up travel routes in Iran. WeChat official account: Agaozu Explains the Babylonian Captivity
He Chen, a native of Xi'an, Shaanxi. Once not adept at socializing, he can now speak fluently and sincerely with a detailed heart. In his younger days, he traveled long distances both domestically and internationally by bicycle in a frugal manner for a long time. He managed a late-night diner for many years. He loves peculiar music, and the activity videos he shoots and edits have their own unique style. The main activities he leads are: camping supervisor, stream tracing group. According to guest feedback, during the journey, he can discuss a wide range of cultural and ethnic historical content and also take meticulous care of others
Hechen writes some poems and strange stories
Hechen (贺晨) | A Home That Never Was
Hechen | When time is no longer sticky
Jingshan, a native of Beijing. We all arrived in Dali in 2012, she and Cheng Chang opened a cafe, I ran a late-night食堂 in the cafe at night, later they started Xunguang Farm. Now dedicated to pottery making, Jingshan founded the Jingshan Pottery Studio. Guo Ying, who studied art, uses her skills for pottery painting. Main activities: Jingshan Pottery, stream stone painting, light hiking, and leaf printing. During the off-season, continue to deepen the study of pottery, starting to be able to use more and more forms of pottery. Foreign language: English
Jing Shan | A Connection to Clay and Memories
Wang Wang, from Zhejiang. Has a gentle and introverted personality, enjoys reading, and likes long-distance hiking. Therefore mainly leads medium to long-distance hikes fern forestsJiZu Mountain Pilgrimage route. Enjoys leading smaller groups and has developed a strong interest in the plants of Cangshan. Currently serves as the lead guide for the hiking group. Over time, has gradually developed increasingly diverse hiking routes, with the most recent one being: the Meixi Canyon hike. Foreign languages: Korean, English.
Wangwang | the happiest job in the world
Aruna is from科尔沁右翼中旗in Inner Mongolia She rides a motorcycle runs a highway coffee shop and bakes at a restaurant She is a free kind enthusiastic innocent and independent girl When she works she is full of energy and focus with a strong infectious spirit Guests call her the "multi-talented Aruna" and she drives a white van Main activities include bagel baking camping stream tracing light hiking on Cang Mountain Eryuan countryside and Huo Mountain She can speak Mongolian English
Ato, from Inner Mongolia. Astronomer. Professional straightforward and cool Has an extraordinary love and innocence for the starry sky Main belt: Stargazing The others are long-time companions while Atu is the first leader met through an event and they have come to recognize each other over time Studied finance in university early on unsuccessfully raised pigs and ran a restaurant Now found his passion in stargazing which has become the main focus of life Founded his own stargazing organization: S&E Qitu Stargazing
Great Ocean Yang | Stargazing in Dali Filmed a Documentary
A documentary about **A Tu**.
Xiao Xi, a native of Wuwei, Gansu. She was a companion when He Chen was in charge of the late-night canteen, with a character that is innocent and meticulous, so she likes to play with children. Currently, she mainly leads stream tracing and medium to long-distance hiking.
Yang Min (Yang Mi) is from Zhumadian, Henan. After Xiao Jing got to know Yang Mi, he felt that her simplicity and innocence could move people and provoke self-reflection. Gentle but with clear opinions of her own, she also makes pottery as a hobby, working in a small corner of her rented room, with a teacher who is a master from Jingtian Village. Guests say that when she explains about plants, she "holds them gently, like treasures." Main activities: mushroom foraging, eco-printing, fern forest exploration
Wenwen, from Weishan, Dali. Wenwen is a photographer and makeup artist who works with Xiao Jing. She is willing to do a lot of extra work and thinks for others. So when the picking team needed more people, Xiao Jing invited her to join. Wanwan is kind, meticulous, and down-to-earth. Guest Xiaolin commented, "Wanwan provides 360-degree flawless security" Main activities: mushroom picking, eco-printing
Li Zhenhao (sai), a native of Enshi, Hubei. She has been in children's education and training for many years, running her own summer camp "sai Sai's Travel Activity Group". She is enthusiastic, capable, and pure. She is one of the members of the picking group. When driving her green minivan "A Sai", she appears heroic and dashing. Mainly leads: mushroom picking, eco-printing, Eryuan, Huoshan, light hiking. During the rainy season, she picks a lot of mushrooms, and in autumn and winter, due to her personal interests, she makes many plant specimens. Unexpectedly, these are very popular, especially the mushroom lamps she made. Recently, she established her own "Shanxia Nature Studio" in the village below Wuwei Temple, which houses plants and fruits collected from all over Yunnan.
Li Zhenhao | Where "Shanxia Studio" Began: A Chronicle of Village Life
Elephant, a native of Enshi, Hubei. A long-time friend of Xiaojing, she took great care of Xiaojing when Xiaojing was younger. She is warm, cheerful, and has a strong presence. She is a member of the picking group. Usually, she runs her own tea business and has extensive learning in tea and tea art. Mainly leads: mushroom picking, dyeing
Spring Rain, a native of the northeast. Beekeeping for 20 years has always been his way of making a living, diligently raising bees and selling honey. Customers trust him a lot because Spring Rain is simple and honest. A few years ago, Little Spring went to the March Street and met him selling honey; their brief encounter left a deep impression, and they exchanged WeChat contacts. This year, we started having the beekeeping experience with Spring Rain, and it turned out he is also an excellent teacher. His lectures are heartfelt, gentle, and eloquent, and the courses are very popular. Probably, apart from continuing to keep bees, explaining the world of bees is a job that suits him well. He also keeps recording his "Beekeeping Diary," with plain language and detailed content. Mainly in charge of: beekeeping experience. Due to his personality, Spring Rain does not advertise his activities; it's all through word of mouth from customers who find his knowledge greatly rewarding and appreciate his good character. Recently, I mentioned Spring Rain to Xiao Jun from Muye Campsite, and he said, "The long-haired Spring Rain, right?" guessing that most guests could not connect the image of Spring Rain in front of them. The latest plan is to travel in a caravan, taking beehives along, following the trail of flowers to collect honey.
Huanhuan is from Wenzhou, Zhejiang. She has been in charge of "Fly to the Moon" for many years and later founded and managed "Huanque Bistro," a well-regarded local establishment in Dali that offers high-quality brunch and simple Western cuisine. In her spare time from the restaurant, she leads outdoor activities as a way to balance life. She says: When she is outdoors in nature with traveling guests, she is not in her usual work role; she is just herself. She enjoys this relaxed state, which is why she likes leading groups. Mainly leads: light hiking on Cang Mountain, stream tracing, and can communicate in English
Huanhuan | Becoming an Outdoor Guide
Hua: Hua the leather craftsman is a friend of Xiaoli and he would help out with the paddle board business when it got busy, and later joined us. Hua has been a leather artisan for many years, always taking this as his main work and joy. He has a gentle and introverted personality, which is also a characteristic of most people who can do things solidly. His girlfriend Damao runs a community cafe called "Eat and Drink in Moderation" on Yincang Road, which is well-recognized by a group of friends.
Zhaoyi is from Zhengzhou, Henan. Zhaoxi is a friend I've played ball with in Dali for many years He has a very cheerful and optimistic smile and displays an agility and alertness on the court that belies his ageHe has been working in the field of nature observation but I didn't know much about this part of his work In Dali people usually play soccer and generally don't talk about work or origins It turned out he is one of the top nature observation teachers in Dali especially in the field of botany So one day we (along with Wang Bin) sat down in Zayaa's kitchen for a half-hour chat and our ideas clicked We decided on the spot that he and Wang Bin would create our natural history group Not only to start our natural history activities but also to lead other young guides to learn about plants birds and animals together enriching everyone's natural knowledge Foreign language: English
Wang Bin, a native of Tianjin. He is focused and conducts academic studies and explorations in his field of birds and animals. At the same time, he believes that leading nature observation activities can naturally instill a desire to protect nature in the hearts of participants. This practice has also helped him transition from a personal hobby to gradually participating in NGO public activities, improving his communication skills, and ultimately turning it into a way to make a living. This has also given him more energy to participate in the compilation of some reference books (currently working on: Chinese edition of the World Animal Directory). Leads: bird watching, night insect watching. Foreign language: English
Phoebe, from Jinhua, Zhejiang. She is a freelance translator for Japanese, French, and English. In her early career, she focused on "patent translation," but later chose only the topics she was interested in. Her life is relatively poor in material terms but rich in freedom. She enjoys drawing planners, learning about nature, and writing. Although she is not professionally trained in painting or botany and is uncertain about herself, I believe she would be the best leader for "nature observation and notes." Currently, she mainly leads: nature notes, mini nature observation. Official account: Phoebe's Wanderings in the World
Xiao Qi, a native of Zhangjiakou, Hebei, once worked at a late-night diner. After leaving, he went to a big city to work on game modeling. Although several years have passed, he has always maintained contact with He Chen and the others. Now, he has returned and started leading teams. With long hair and an outgoing personality, he is very hands-on and likes animals and plants. Surprisingly, he has a good foundation and learns quickly. He leads canyoning trips and also camping trips, including to Xipo, Eryuan, and Huoshan.
Captain Tie studied and worked in the UK in his early years, then traveled around the world to experience different cultures. Later, he got involved in sailing, engaging in long-distance voyages, and accumulated rich experience. He has been living in Dali for over ten years, where he got married and had children. Perhaps due to his closeness to Buddhism and broad horizons, he has a very inclusive personality. He is mainly responsible for the sailboat experience content. Foreign language: English
Deer: Deer is the captain's wife, an experienced traveler and photographer, providing photographic documentation services for sailing activities, as well as follow-up photography in natural wilderness settings.
Rini, from Huaihua, Hunan, is the captain's assistant, helping with sailing activities. She has a naive personality, treats people with much kindness and trust, and enjoys communicating with others. Recently, she has been live streaming at markets in various towns and villages. She plans to lead market tours near Dali.
Xiaobin, a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu, has been a long-time work partner of Huanhuan and is a capable member of the "Joyful Bar". He was also once a barista at "Big Bowl Island". With his own sense of fashion and aesthetics, he learned rope art on his own and started the "Wild Rope Art" experience activity.
Big Brother Ding from Dali Shangguan is 68 years old He loves nature and the wilderness and can walk briskly in the mountains Having served for many years with a nature conservation NGO he now leads hiking trips and countryside cycling tours near his hometown of Shangguan Town around Longshou Pass
Third-party cooperation studio:
Craftsmen's gathering: Cloud Craft Open World
Yungong Kaiwu is an independent collective of artisans. The principal, Master Deng (Deng Hucang), is a friend I met when I first came to Dali in 2012. He is simple and natural, not easily recognizable as an artist. He specializes in lacquerware and kintsugi for many years. Besides taking orders from customers, he also mentors long-term apprentices. This year, he has started to officially offer some experience courses, including lacquer bead polishing, kintsugi gilding, drift fan making, tile cat making, and beading by Kuang Xiaonuo. Starting from 2024, Yungong Kaiwu has established its own artisan platform:Cloud Workmanship Kaimu Handmade Experience Reservation dedicated to creating a platform for artisans in Dali. In the future, everyone can book Cloud Craftsmanship activities on our platform in one stop, and you are also welcome to book directly at Cloud Craftsmanship, it's the same.
Yao Wu Handmade: "Yao Wu Handmade" is a professional and diverse handicraft workshop based in Dali, including disciplines such as metalwork, plant dyeing, wax carving, and glass. The concept of diversity stems from the frequent integration of skills and techniques between different crafts and handmade products. The founder, Chen Ke (Coco), is very playful and also has an admirable passion for learning and dedication to work. In terms of skill, organization, and the refinement of various details in presentation, I find it all quite impressive.
Mocui Teahouse: Once, while hiking from Zhonghe Temple down to Taoxi, I reached the foot of the mountain and passed through a tea garden with winter cherry blossoms. A scene of a utopian paradise suddenly appeared before my eyes: in the valley, on both sides of the mountain path, there was a cherry blossom tree each, a large grassy area on the right side, with a house, a stream flowing gently in front of it, and a big tree by the stream, with tables and chairs set up below. Unable to resist, I pushed open the wooden gate and went in. Upon inquiry, it turned out to be Mocui Teahouse. Jianhui has been running Mocui Teahouse in Dali for 15 years, overcoming many difficulties, and finally settled down again in Taoxi Valley. To learn more about the story of Mocui Teahouse, you can visit the official account: Dali Mocui Teahouse. Jianhui's essays are written with great care, reflecting her personality.
Citywalk Group: Yu Bo and Yu Feng. Yu Bo has been doing travel in the northwest of Yunnan province, Covid During this period, the multi-day trip had to be stopped and started doing various towns in Dali. Citywalk is a person who believes in the travel values of LonelyPlanet and joined us in the previous period When not working on video processing at an institution Fengyu leads the Dali Ancient City Citywalk during his free time The two of them filled the gap we had in citywalks Although citywalks are not a popular project in Dali there is still inherent value in this type of travel content
Yu Bo's WeChat Official Account: Small-scale Travel in Northwest Yunnan
WeChat Official Account: Qiyinba
