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Kunming to Dali, Yunnan, China

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A shopping safari to Dali, China, via Kunming

 

                         In July 2006 I made my first trip to China, on yet another shopping safari, looking for handwoven silk and cotton fabrics for our "Lanna Charm" website. My destination was Dali, in the mid western region of Yunnan province.

       I flew to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan, from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, with Thai Airways, a 90 minute flight. Kunming is a big, modern city, with a population of over 5 million people. It is famous for it's all year round temperate climate, probably because it sits at an altitude of almost 1900 meters, and is known as the "Spring City".

       I did not find much in the handwoven fabric department, but had a good look around for the 2 days I spent there. One day I was looking for something to eat, and I found myself in a back street called "Shuncheng Jie", just across the street from the museum. There are quite a few Muslim restaurants in this area, so I thought I would try it out. The food was great, the people treated me like a king, and it was so cheap. I went back every day for more, as the bread they make is addictive, you can eat it like cake, and the rice was the best I have ever tasted. They slow cook the rice in a huge wok, with legs of lamb and carrots for the flavor. Enough of this talk, I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

   I also went to my first Walmart, and that was an experience, I think the entire population of Yunnan province decided to do their shopping that day, it was a madhouse. Good place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and about half the price you pay on the streets. There I go, talking about food again.

   Following are some photos I took around Kunming, and after that some more of the trip up to Dali, and beautiful Dali itself.  If you need any first hand information about this area, feel free to contact me via our "Lanna Charm" website. Also, if you would like to see some of the bounty I bagged in Dali, please visit the website.
 

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

Kunming,China

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          Dali is a magic place, dripping in history, with a special atmosphere of it's own. It is well situated between a huge lake, Erhai Hu, and an impressive mountain range. It is a walled city, within a square, each side about 2 km long.

  Unfortunately it is a victim of it's own attraction, rapidly losing it's old buildings to cater for the onslaught of tourists, most of them Chinese. Even so, it is a wonderful little place to go and chill out for a while, and savour the culture. It has an abundance of good guesthouses and restaurants, and there are some good bargains to be found in the shops, as long as you are prepared to haggle, otherwise you will be overcharged. I picked up some beautiful handwoven cotton scarves, and some old style embroidered table covers. I stayed at the Tibetan Lodge guesthouse in Renmin Road, in the center of Old Dali town. I would recommend this guesthouse to anyone visiting Dali, great lodgings, food and hospitality Tibetan style.

       Following are some of the many photos I took while in Dali:

Kunming to Dali,China

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Lanna Charm, Handcrafted Fashion Accessories & Home Decor 

Genuine handwoven fabrics & handmade handbags, shoulder bags, totes

We specialize in hand woven silk, cotton and hemp fashion accessories and home decor products. Our hand crafted range includes handbags, shoulder bags, purses, scarves, wraps and shawls, wall hangings, tablecloths and runners, curtains and bedding. All of our products are hand made from genuine, hand woven, naturally colored fibers, by local artisans in northern Thailand.
We also source handwoven fibers from other Asian countries such as Laos and Myanmar.
All the prices shown on our website, "Lanna Charm", are retail prices, but we also cater for the wholesale buyer, providing they purchase a sizable order.

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Great Links ! 

Worth a click !

Henrietta's Handbags
One of the best "handbags" websites on the net. Well worth a visit !
Lanna Charm
Lanna Charm website. We specialize in hand woven silk, cotton and hemp fashion accessories and home decor products. Our hand crafted range includes handbags, shoulder bags, purses, scarves, wraps and shawls, wall hangings, tablecloths and runners, curtains and bedding. All of our products are hand made from genuine, hand woven, naturally colored fibers, by local artisans in northern Thailand.
Amy DiGregorio
Amy DiGregorio's passion for art and thirst for adventure have inspired this unique line of jewelry. Her nomadic spirit has been her guide through the exotic bazaars and enchanting village markets of four continents. These travel expeditions have exposed Amy to many innovative art mediums in their most raw form, helping to enrich and influence her own artistic skills.

New Product Released ! 

"Kapow Moto" Biker Bag

Some of our friends in Australia who ride motorcycles asked us if we had any shoulder bags that would be suitable for carrying their gear while riding. The only bag I could think of was the "Koh Samui" Beach Bag, but it did not quite suit their needs. I believe the reason for this was the bright colors the "Samui" comes in, like the pinks and light blues, but they assured me it was because the "Samui" has a coconut wood button closer, and they prefer a zip closer. So we went to see our friends at the weaving village, and ordered some black cotton, (these guys like any color, as long as it is black!) and when I was in Chiang Mai last, I picked up some heavy duty zippers. The result is the "Kapow Moto" Shoulder Bag. "Kapow" is Thai for "bag", hence the name. We produce these bags in the same manner as everything else we display on our website, using naturally colored, handwoven cotton fabric, and handcrafting each individual item. Some bags may look similar to others, but we can assure you no 2 bags are alike. Inside of bag is lined with machine made cotton fabric.

Dimensions: Overall Length - 33" Width - 10" Depth - 6"

To see our entire range of handcrafted bags and purses, please visit the bags collection pages on our "Lanna Charm" website.
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Mickmac

About Mickmac

Hi,  I am Michael, former Australian resident, but now living in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand. Happily married to Nancy,(she might read this Bio), who is from Chiang Rai. Together we created our "Lanna Charm" website, which focuses on handcrafted fashion accessories and home decor, all made from handwoven silk, cotton, hemp and straw materials. It began as just another website, but has become a way of life for us, interacting with the local people who not only weave our fabrics, but also hand make our range of bags and purses.

 

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