Located about 23 kilometers away from the north of the Ancient City of Dali, Zhoucheng Town is the home of tie-dyeing. It is About 5km further north from Xizhou, a town renowned for its batik cloth – you can buy it cheaper here than in Dali.

Zhoucheng Town is the biggest town of Bai people in Dali. There are more than 1,500 Bai families live altogether in the Town, where you can see typical houses of Bai people with close courtyards, “three rooms and a shining wall”, and “four rows of houses and five dooryards”. Bai people pay special attention to the decorations of the shining walls, windows, doors, the frontispiece and the gate-towers. The shining walls are the necessary building of the construction style of one major house, two wing-rooms, and courtyards.

For some of the houses, one family with one courtyard; while others have several courtyards in one family. These houses have a plane of a square. The roof contains two layers of eaves made from green tiles, and is designed in the shape of the Chinese character. There are three to five major rooms which are facing east or south. They are built with bricks and stones with the wooden frame. The wooden frame is assembled through tendons. One courtyard, and sometimes several courtyards, connect with each other and make a whole. The walls outside are washed with lime upside and fine mud downside.

In Zhoucheng Town, you can see the rich ethnic tie-dyeing products. Tie-dyeing is a traditional folk craft of Zhoucheng Town Bai people since the seventeenth century, which sets cultural and art as a whole. Ikat tie sutures by hand, repeatedly cold dip dyed crafted, color emerald green inner tube, dignified elegance. The crafts make from tie-dyed cloth is both filled with deep ethnic flavor and a modern flavor.

There are all kinds of snacks in Zhoucheng Town, such as fish casserole, hot and sour fish (made by carp , add into papaya), Dali erkuai, cold chicken noodle, frozen fish, Nanjian rice crust soy flour, casseroles tofu, mountain jue vegetables, kneading bait fast, pot noodle, broken crisp Baba, ersi (similar with noodle), small white rice cakes , hot soy flour, tofu, rolls, steamed cake, pink cake, Baba, carved plum, sheep rawhide, fire pork and so on.

Travel tips

The best way to visit Zhoucheng is by bicycle from Dali Ancient City, or hire a carriage to get around the town.