Cycling through villages and villages | Explore local culture with Brother Ding

67-year-old Brother Ding comes from a village near the Longshou Pass. He is familiar with the surrounding mountains and rivers and has his own understanding of the local plants, forests, and routes. Unlike other leaders, he carries the mark of the previous generation and has worked for the NGO "Green Kunming" for many years. The hiking and cycling he leads in his hometown has its own unique atmosphere.

This was Brother Ding's cycling tour, where we cycled through villages to experience the local rural customs and traditional culture. We passed Nanzhao Longshouguan, a wetland where the Luoshi River flows into Erhai Lake, where thousands of migratory birds from Siberia come to spend the winter. Along the rural roads, we visited natural villages, Benzhu Temple (a local shrine), Baijie Madam Temple (related to Nanzhao history), the thousand-year-old Qingsuo Village (famous for the villagers placing lanterns under the Qingsuo Bridge during the Zhongyuan Festival) and the historic Beihai Guanyin Pavilion.

The terrain we passed by resembled the golden-winged roc in the traditional Buddhist culture of Nanzhao and Dali. Brother Ding shared local legends and stories. If you choose to come on Saturday, you can also experience the weekly "Jiangwei Market".

The itinerary of this trip:

Starting point: Brother Ding’s home (30km from Dali Ancient Town)
The journey starts from Dingge's home, which is in the alley, and you can also visit a modern Bai family courtyard.

First stop: Luo Shijiang Wetland <br>We rode along the shore of Erhai Lake and soon arrived at Luo Shijiang Wetland, where the water of Erhai Lake flows into the lake, located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain.

Second stop: Lady Bai Jie Temple in the village <br> Lady Bai Jie is a historical figure. According to legend, when the leader of Mengshe Zhao burned down Songming Tower in order to unify the six Zhaos, she jumped into Erhai Lake regardless of everything and died for Zhao. The local people admired her courage and commemorated her, and even associated her with the Torch Festival. The area around Longshou Pass was once part of Shilang Zhao, and there is a temple dedicated to Lady Bai Jie.

There is a spring in the temple. As long as you shout "Duohua" (Bai language, meaning "boiling water"), the spring water will gush out. Brother Ding calls this spring "Gulu Gulu Spring".

Third stop: Zhaoyi Benzhu Temple <br>We continued to ride along the country roads. Due to urban development, there are fewer and fewer country roads, and many of them have become concrete roads. However, Dingge is familiar with these roads, so we are happy to follow them. We passed the lakes and fields where the locals fished, and finally arrived at Zhaoyi Benzhu Temple.

The fourth stop: the thousand-year-old Qingsuo Bridge on the Miju River <br>Qingsuo Village is said to have been named after Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period, who used green vines to build a bridge across the river. Every year during the Zhongyuan Festival, a traditional river lantern festival is held here.

Fifth stop: Jiangwei Market (every Saturday)
Every village or town in Dali holds a weekly market, similar to a temple fair, with food, drink, clothes, pets, flowers, etc. Some markets are based on the lunar calendar, others on the solar calendar, but the Jiangwei market is held every Saturday. If you time it right, you can attend the market on this day. The more rural the market, the more traditional the people's clothing.

We cycle alternately along the Miju River and the Yong'an River to the Jiangwei Market, where we see villagers using traditional fishing nets and going to the market.

We will have lunch at a local restaurant or at the market, which will cost about 10-15 RMB per person.

Stop 6: Beihai Guanyin Pavilion <br>The Guanyin Pavilion by the Erhai Lake is easily overlooked by passers-by, but it was recorded by French explorer Delaporte 150 years ago (1868) when he was traveling upstream along the Mekong River (Lancang River in China). As the years passed, the lake water gradually receded and the pavilion is now about 10 meters away from the lakeshore. The original stones in the lake have been moved away, and the tree on the pavilion has grown from a small tree to a towering tree.

The seventh stop: Cycling along Erhai Lake and returning via the village road <br>The scenery along Erhai Lake is very beautiful. Then we go back to Brother Ding's home through the natural country road. You will definitely like it.

notes: This cycling tour starts from the Shangguan Longshouguan Ruins, 28 kilometers from Dali Ancient Town. You need to drive, take a taxi or take public transportation to get there.

• Place: Longshouguan Ruins
• time: 10:00 AM
• End Time: Around 3:00 p.m.
• distance: About 19 km
• Carry water and personal belongings
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Brother Ding’s background:

"I have been working in finance in Kunming for 40 years. My life was very monotonous and I was stuck in a routine of going to and from work most of the time. Twenty years ago, the work atmosphere was too bad and I decided not to live in a negative environment anymore. So in 2004, I chose to participate in outdoor activities."

I quit my original job in 2010 and stayed at home for two years. Then a friend recommended me to work in a private enterprise, where I worked until retirement.

After I joined the outdoor activities, I would look at the map and go exploring whenever I had free time. I have walked most of the areas around Kunming. In the early years, I would hike for one day, then tried hiking for two days, and then hiking for seven days (because my parents were old and dared not hike for more than two days). I have participated in three 100-kilometer two-day hiking challenges.

In 2006, I read an article about organic vegetable cultivation in the Spring City Evening News, and I joined the organic vegetable cultivation (Green Kunming), which had a great impact on my life, making me more positive and proactive, and I devoted myself to many activities such as poverty alleviation and volunteer services. Looking back, I was helping others on the surface, but in fact I was helping myself.

I worked with Green Kunming (an NGO) on groundwater surveys near Kunming, and later spent eight months leading volunteers to survey ancient trees around Dianchi Lake. From 2009 to 2017, I led volunteers to patrol the 36 rivers that flow into Dianchi Lake on the last Sunday of every month, identify problems and report them to the Kunming Dianchi Lake Management Bureau.