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Blondie In China travels through Dali in Yunnan, focusing on Weishan, a town with more than a thousand years of history. She tries Ersi noodles, including Guojiang Ersi, and visits restaurants whose names include 'Lao' (old). Her route also takes her to a tea house and Heron Valley, where a friend's friend named Yatou runs a horse farm. Blondie learns to ride a horse, then watches the Bai tradition of cormorant fishing on Erhai Lake. Dinner brings more Weishan dishes, including clay pot Ersi and stinky tofu, before she ends the day with a Shaokao barbecue.
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Weishan's streets and local food
Blondie In China begins this part of her Yunnan trip near Erhai Lake, then travels to Weishan, a town with more than a thousand years of history. Its grid-like street layout and local shops give her a chance to see daily life away from the main tourist routes. She starts with Ersi noodles at a restaurant whose name includes 'Lao' (old), a clue a local shared for finding an established place. The meal includes Guojiang Ersi, a dish that requires a long preparation: the noodles are steamed and pounded, and a sauce made after a 15-hour stew is added as part of the final preparation. She also tries pickles that are described as a local specialty.
Later, Blondie stops at a tea house and has roasted tea with toasted rice. She compares the experience with tea culture in Chengdu. As she walks around Weishan, she points out architectural differences between the town and other places in the Dali region. She discusses the town's full name and its connection to Yi and Hui ethnic minority communities, in contrast with Bai communities prevalent elsewhere in Dali. The walk gives context to the town's streets, buildings, and shops.
Heron Valley and cormorant fishing
The journey continues to Heron Valley, also called Canglu Gu, where Blondie visits Yatou, a friend's friend who runs a horse farm. The quieter setting is a change from busy city life. Blondie learns to ride a horse and talks about the connection with nature and the slower pace of life, comparing it with Beijing, where Yatou previously lived.
At Erhai Lake, Blondie watches cormorant fishing, a tradition associated with the Bai ethnic minority. She learns how fishermen signal to the birds and how the practice works: the cormorants bring back larger fish they cannot swallow whole and receive a smaller fish as a reward. The video also notes limitations intended to protect the lake's fish population. This part of the visit shows a fishing practice that depends on a relationship between the fishermen and the birds.
Dinner and Shaokao
Blondie's food exploration continues at dinner, where she tries additional Ersi dishes, including clay pot Ersi, as well as stinky tofu. She describes differences in texture and flavor and explains how the ingredients are combined. The clay pot dish includes noodles, lean meat, crisp pieces, soft skin, and pickles, which are mixed together before eating. Baojiangdoufu is another local specialty she discusses; it is ready when it makes a whining sound and becomes soft inside. The meal shows that Weishan's food includes more than the breakfast noodles.
The day ends with Shaokao barbecue, a casual meal and social setting. Across Weishan, Heron Valley, and Erhai Lake, Blondie moves between food, local architecture, a horse farm, and cormorant fishing. She reflects on seeking experiences outside typical tourist stops and on the particular details of the towns and traditions she encountered in Dali.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What's the best way to find authentic restaurants in Weishan?
- A: Look for restaurants with 'Lao' (old) in their name; the word can indicate a long-standing and reputable establishment, as Blondie learns from a local.
- Q: What's special about the Guojiang Ersi noodles?
- A: They take considerable preparation: the noodles are steamed and pounded, and a flavorful sauce made after a 15-hour stew is added. Blondie also mentions the dish's 'crossing the river' element.
- Q: How do the cormorants know when to bring back the fish?
- A: The fisherman makes a special noise to signal the birds. They bring back larger fish they cannot swallow whole and receive a smaller fish as a reward.
- Q: What's the deal with the Baojiangdoufu?
- A: Blondie says this tofu is ready when it starts to make a whining sound. At that point it is cooked and soft inside.
- Q: What's the best way to eat the clay pot Ersi?
- A: Mix the ingredients together, including lean meat, crispy pieces, soft skin, noodles, and pickles, so the different flavors and textures come together.
