We have been taking students to the Bai minority village of Shaxi, located in Jianchuan County for rural home stays since 2001 for the School for International Training. In the process we encountered the Shaxi Rehabilitation Project, conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, who have been working since then to restore in a traditional way the decaying but beautiful Bai houses around the historic square of what was once a center of trade on the ancient tea and horse caravan route linking Southeast Asia Tibet and on to India. Shaxi lies just below the forest covered hills of Shibaoshan, famous for its Indian influenced rock hewn sculptures and its Buddhist temples that date from the time of the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms (649-1053). After completing much of their work the Swiss are now leaving and Shaxi is becoming a new, if off-the-beaten track tourist destination, now a World Monuments site.
Shibao Mountain located in the northwest of Dali, contains Buddhist rock carvings and temples of over 1300 years old with, amongst others, images of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, and lady's produced organ. Local people often worship for pray for giving birth no pain delivery. They are art treasures of the Nanzhan Kingdom and the Dali Kingdom.
And we will visit the Center for Cultural Learning and Development in a courtyard structure we are renovating in the traditional style and conduct training sessions for local guides and interested residents in how Shaxi's tourism may be managed in a sustainable way that will best benefit the local people. This building will serve as a testimony to Bai culture and, replete with a library, serve as a resource center for scholars of the Bai, the ancient Nanzhao Kingdom and We hope by increasing awareness of the local residents to avoid the type of mass tourism found in nearby Dali and Lijiang whose primary beneficiaries are outside entrepreneurs. We are also outlining a three day hiking trail connecting Shaxi with a smaller Bai mountain village, Mapingguan, and the temples of Shibaoshan
Summer camps in Dali
Schedule
One week trekking around Dali, experience Bai ethnic culture, handcraft.
And studying Taiji & Kungfu & Chinese lessons,and try Rock climb near Erhai lake .
One week English Volunteer teaching, visit local Bai Ethnic family, deep experience Bai Ethnic village culture, home stay, research subject.
Details of Schedule
First week: Trekking week
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Monday
Dali Cangshan mountain trek
Tuesday
Taiji kongfu lesson
Wednesday
Taiji kongfu lesson
Thursday
Taiji kongfu lesson
Friday
Shuanglang village visit
Saturday
Rock climbing near Erhai lake side
Sunday
Shaxi mountain and village visit
Second week: volunteer English teaching in Shaxi local elementary school week
Monday
Shibao mountain
Free time or watch movie
Tuesday
Visit local Bai family
Free time
Wednesday
English teaching
Free time
Thursday
English teaching
Free time
Friday
English teaching
Free time
Saturday
English teaching
Free time
Sunday
Sum up, and visit Lijiang old town , Farewell day
Free time