China: Our journey began with bang
Our adventure in China began with a bang. After four flights (MSP to LA to Ghangzou to Kunming to Dali) and about 24 hours, we stepped out of a bus on the outskirts of Xizhou, a village of about 2,300. We were surrounded by fragrant, blue-green garlic fields. On the far side of the field, a funeral procession of 30-some people slowly walked down a dirt road, setting off firecrackers enclosed in red paper with gold Chinese characters. They were escorting the deceased to burial in tombs among the foothills on the other side of town. The firecrackers warded off evil spirits. Our host told us it was good luck to see a funeral when you arrived somewhere.
Xizhou was on the ancient Tea and Horse Trail, which traded China’s tea for Tibet’s horses. The horses were bred to be small, to be steadier on mountain trails. So it was fitting that the final leg of our journey to the Linden Center was on foot, our baggage carried by horse carts. The street was filled with a cacophony of pedestrians, bicycles, horse carts and electric motorcycles; the latter apparently run only when the driver honks the horn.
Western China was the last region to see Western influences and an opportunity to see old China. Yunnan is the most diverse province, with 25 of the 56 recognized minorities and multiple religions.
