Participated in Teacher Phoebe's Nature Notes. Insect and plant observation experience. Special thanks to all the teachers for today's lively and unique outdoor classroom. It was the most impressive and interesting half day of our Yunnan trip. We learned so much about the treasures of Cangshan. Thank you all!
I really enjoyed her tour! She speaks really good English and Japanese. I totally recommend you. It was really fun to learn about Chinese plants, especially original plants from Yunnan or Dali. It was also great to experience the life of Dali's farmers. The place she took me to was an area of vegetable and tea fields; it was truly beautiful. Thank you so much, Phoebe!
An unforgettable day.
Swallows take us deep into the forest, where we feel the interplay of wind and light, the echoes of bird and frog calls. Life continues amidst growth and fall, with fungi quietly waiting for us to discover. On the way back, two little ones rested on me while listening to the chat between the swallow and me. Time passes too quickly.
Feel privileged to be the first participant to join this route. Grateful for the encounter, looking forward to traveling together again.
We booked Phoebe's natural plant observation tour, led by a young, knowledgeable female translator who softly introduced the local flora and fauna along the way. As city dwellers and migrating birds, we learned a lot about different plants and animals, realizing that life can be diverse. Surrounded by the natural environment, we experienced spiritual cleansing, and felt the energy of nature nourishing our bodies and minds—perfect for busy urban dwellers like us. Walking between mountains and fields, we saw mountains, streams, sunshine, and the energy of nature—that was truly wonderful.
The experience was perfect. Teacher Yangmi led our team, and we were accompanied by "Little Stream" throughout the journey, sharing laughs and interesting moments. We learned about the process of making milk fans and tasted some that weren't fully dehydrated yet, with a texture similar to burrata. We arrived at the edge of a village, walking and exploring plants and foraging for wild vegetables. The flavors of different wild vegetables were also very unique and fascinating.
The dyeing experience was also very special. We picked flowers ourselves and printed them onto small pouches. The overall atmosphere was very good, and Teacher Yang took great care of us. If given the chance, I would love to come back and experience more activities!
Our family of three, with a 7-year-old boy, chose the creekside plant dyeing activity. The team leader Yan Zi is a responsible and adorable girl, very dedicated in explaining the various plants we encountered along the hike. She also prepared raincoats, hot milk tea, fruits, and snacks for us. She even brought her adorable little dog, Dian, to keep us company. The kid was super happy, and it was a wonderful afternoon~ I will participate in other activities when I come back to Dali.
She also brought her adorable little dog to keep us company. The kids were super happy, and it was a wonderful afternoon~ We will participate in other activities when we visit Dali again.
Yesterday, I took the whole family to participate in Teacher Xiao Jing's creekside hiking and plant dyeing. Starting from the departure point, walking a short distance will lead to a beautiful mountain valley creek. We could sit on rocks, drink tea, eat fruits, and use collected plants for dyeing on cloth bags. Compared to climbing small slopes and being exposed to the sun during the hike, the creekside is cool and quiet with natural white noise. We could probably lie around all day with a folding chair or if we don't mind hard rocks.
Teacher Xiao Jing knows a lot about plants and explains them very interestingly. Throughout the entire trip, I didn’t encounter any plants she couldn’t identify. Very impressive. She has a gentle personality, speaks little but is very willing to chat, making it a very pleasant experience.
In short, this was my second day in Dali, and this activity is currently my number one favorite haha.
The activity recommended by friends at Cangshan Hiking House. After checking the weather forecast with rain expected, heading up the mountain and going to the beach are less suitable. Going uphill to pick tea was my choice.
This activity really suits me. I focus on finding tender tea leaves, and don't need to speak much along the way. Meanwhile, the team leader keeps intermittently introducing the flowers and plants encountered on the path. There’s eucalyptus, whose aroma is very fragrant, described as woody scent, but I think it smells like guava, getting more fragrant the more I smell. There are walnut trees, which produce many fruits with each bloom. There are spices for Tom Yum soup, green plants used in toothpaste (smelling like menthol), flowers that can be brewed for tea to reduce internal heat, and some whose names I can’t remember...
The new experience has added to my anticipation of drinking naturally air-dried white tea! I also drank white tea on the team leader’s vehicle, and I liked it!
I also envy the companionship between the team leader and the dog. The puppy is really adorable; as soon as it sees me, it comes over to say hello! No longer afraid of dogs, I gently stroke it and play with it.
