The Spirituality and Temples of Dali Itinerary and registration information

Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true. -Buddha

Dali Temple

Trip Information

No matter the background or faith, there is a universal feeling that Asia’s traditional beliefs echo the sublime harmony found not only in nature, but also in humanity. Despite the ideological challenges throughout China’s history, and its rapid openness to Western business and social paradigms, there still exist places of deep and divine connections with the earlier traditions. The exploration of how these customs and beliefs have been able to survive through the millennia helps the seeker to better understand the basic humanistic values that may be universal to all cultures.

Nestled in the verdant vestiges of the Himalayas, the Dali region in China’s southwest Yunnan Province, has been one of leading centers of Esoteric Buddhism in Asia since the seventh century. Located just below Tibet and near the Theravada Buddhist Kingdoms of Siam and Burma, Dali served as a major crossroad for traders traversing the Southwest Silk Road. This constant flow of visitors, many of whom carried with them their spiritual traditions and iconography, helped Dali take on a mystical quality among its neighbors- becoming a Buddhist 'Shangrila' where spirits intercede to uphold the virtuous.

Travel with us on a journey into Asia’s spiritual past- where daily lectures by monks and scholars are followed by visits to ancient temples, mosques, cathedrals, and sacred mountains. Where the traditions of Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Islam exist alongside the Bai ethnic group’s indigenous Ben Zhu beliefs. It is in the Dali basin that the spiritual traditions from South Asia and the Middle East collided with the greater Sino-Tibetan religious beliefs. The result has led to one of the most vibrant spiritual environments in the world.

Spirituality and Temples takes place in a nationally-protected villa in the small historic village of Xizhou. The Centre is housed in the former home to one of the Southwest Silk Road's leading merchants and has been restored to its dynastic elegance. Brian and Jeanee Linden recently became one of the first foreign couples to take over a Type A Cultural Relic in China. They have garnered domestic and international media attention for the refined restoration of one of Southwest China's most important complexes. This elegant retreat is only open to a select group of visitors who participate in the Centre's programming. Come explore behind China's modern veneer and come away with treasures long buried. As Nietzche said, "Of all the mines of treasure, one's own is the last to be dug up."

Dali Temple

"Water everywhere over the earth flows to join together. A single natural law controls it. Each human is a member of a community and should work within it." - From the Yi Jing, Book of Changes

Proposed Itinerary: December 3rd - December 15th, 2009

December 3: All guests should arrive in Kunming on this day. We will meet you at the airport and transport you directly to the four star and centrally-located New Era hotel. We will meet in the hotel lobby at 6:30 pm for dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance. Kunming's most elegant shopping streets are right outside the hotel's front entrance.

December 4: After breakfast, a comfortable, private bus will take us from our hotel for the 41⁄2 hour ride through the mountains and Yi tribal areas to the Dali Valley and the Linden Centre. After settling into your rooms, and a meal, we will introduce the history and intimate details of our Centre on a walking tour and bring everyone up to speed on the programming in the days to come.

After our first Centre dinner together, prepared by our experienced two in-house chefs, there will be an evening reception accompanied by complimentary wines, teas and fruits which will be served in our café and terrace in order to relax from the travel and enjoy the company of your hosts and peers.

December 5: Today, after the first of our daily Western and Chinese breakfast, guests will be taken on a short walking tour of Xizhou village, including a stop at Da Ci Si temple that formerly housed the Yale-in-China university during WWII, and at a local ancestry hall that was the regional base for the Flying Tigers. Guests will also drop in on some local farming families and be guided through the fields and introduced to the myriad of vegetables indigenous to fertile Yunnan.

This afternoon, we will enjoy a lecture by local experts that will focus on the philosophies and beliefs of the ethnic minorities of this region, as well as an introduction to the Benzhu beliefs, literally meaning ‘Ancestral God’, and the importance it uniquely plays in every village. This will be followed by optional massages by local masters before dinner. Massages can be arranged upon request throughout the program.

This evening, after dinner, we will be treated to a song and dance performance by local Bai people, and then relax under the stars until retiring.

December 6: This morning marks the first day of Tai Chi lessons, traditionally taught in the early light before breakfast for those who wish to participate. Every morning from now on at the Centre a Tai Chi elder will be on hand to introduce and reinforce techniques and training.

Before lunch, we will also teach you basics of Chinese calligraphy which is a form of meditation and relaxation in addition to being a highly cultured activity. This may help prepare our guests in understanding characters they may encounter in temples further on in the program.

After our meal, we will depart for the village of Zhoucheng, just north of Xizhou. Here, we will witness a demonstration of the traditional batik tie-die methods of the Bai people as well as a visit the village square and walk the curved streets towards the village temple. We also will visit a local kindergarten and interact with the children before returning to the Centre for dinner.

December 7: Guests can wake up early and participate in Tai Chi in the courtyard. After breakfast, guests will accompany the chefs to the local outdoor market where we will introduce the various foods and you can help select interesting produce for the evening dinner. Before returning to the Centre for lunch, we will explore more local temples in Xizhou itself, including the lesser known ones, before returning on a new path back towards the Centre.

In the afternoon, we will take horse cart rides to the village of Jingui and the tongue of the lake. This will take us to a series of timeless temples, including the Eight Mothers Temple, for unforgettable interaction with local village elders.

Later in the day we will enjoy the first of our meditation sessions with a local master, where he will introduce us to simple meditation techniques and explain the importance of centering oneself in everyday life. Depending on the group size, this may be done in seperate gatherings. Dinner will consist of the foods the guests picked out earlier at the market.

December 8: After Tai Chi and breakfast, we will travel to the old walled city of Dali, where we will visit a tea plantation to trace the growing and harvesting process and taste the diverse varieties of teas. Lunch will be had in one of the many diverse and quaint cafés in the old town, near Foreigner Street. We will have a few hours in Dali to visit its galleries, marble cutters, local artisans and stone craftsmen, and traditional antique and textile shops. Dinner will be preceded by a lecture on the therapeutic and religious qualities of tea and tofu. Our dinner will be taken in a vegetarian restaurant accompanied by historical and nutritional introductions to each unique dish. The chefs will also give a demonstration on how to cook one of their signature dishes.

December 9: After Tai Chi and breakfast, we will take a pilgrimage for the day to Jizu Moutain (Jizushan), departing in the morning. Today there will be longer hiking, including stops at the numerous local temples and monasteries that surround the peak. This will be supplemented by a final cable car ride to the top, and horseback riding nearer the foothills. Known for its breathtaking views of much of Yunnan, including Dali and Erhai Lake themselves, Jizushan is one of the most important Buddhist mountains in China. The mountain evokes a spiritual resonance and beauty unseen in other places, including a large influence of Tibetan Buddhism. It is even told that one of Buddha’s disciples actually arrived from India at this place nearer the end of his life, and entered into a hidden gate on the cliff side where he has been ever since in enlightened contemplation. Lunch will be had along the path towards the pagoda, and we will return via comfortable bus in the evening for a dinner and storytelling at the Centre.

December 10: Today we will drive to the immediate south of Old Dali to visit the historic Gantong temple and interact with the still present monks residing there. Constructed during the Tang dynasty, Gantong has always been a scenic spot amidst flowers and trees and is considered a sacred place of Buddhism. Here we will learn about the history of prayer and worship, and the proper technique to show respect in temples in Southwest China. Then we will take the cable car up to the base of Cang Mountain (Azure Mountain) and leisurely walk the Cloud Path and visit the waterfalls, streams, and caves. The scenery of the valley is at its most picturesque from this view. This day will include light walking, as opposed to our previous day at Jizushan.

We will also have another meditation session and lecture with a local master to build upon earlier taught principles. In meditative practice, it is important to diligently train in order for the mind to further quiet down and to open a new level of awareness.

December 11: We will pack up our bags for a two night stay up north. After breakfast we will drive 3 hours to Lijiang, stopping at the famous Buddhist region of Shibaoshan to see the 1200 year old stone carvings. Lunch will be picnic style at the park. We will have to walk about 1 hour up and down stone stairs to get to the grottoes. This area is unusual, for the carvings exhibit a Hindu sensibility which demonstrates the cosmopolitan nature of old Yunnan where Chinese and Indian culture collided. Furthermore, the top of the grottoes signals a contrast in Tibetan and Chan (Zen) Buddhist beliefs, as this place was considered a middle ground between the respective spheres of influence. Many a meeting took place here on commensurate doctrine, yet the conclusions of which are highly contended amongst both traditions.

Continuing on our adventure north on our scenic trip and will stay in Lijiang for the night. Dinner will be in the old town of Lijiang, and the evening will be capped off by a pleasant stroll through the vibrant city.

December 12: We will spend the day in Lijiang, a city recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In the morning, we will take those interested to the Dongba Cultural Museum and the Black Dragon Pool to interact with the few remaining scholars of Dongba to learn about this unique, religious tradition. You are also free to explore the streets, visit the many shops, cafés and museums on your own. In the afternoon, we will go see a beautifully choreographed show directed by the Beijing Olympic Opening/Closing and China’s most renowned movie director, Zhang Yimou. The show’s backdrop is the towering Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with a cast of 500 actors and 300 horses. Today, lunch will be on your own. Almost all restaurants in the old part of Lijiang have Western food and English menus.

December 13: We head back south on a different road stopping to visit antique shops in the old village Heqin, a scenic and old trading stop along the Silk Road. We will visit the famous silver shops nearby where they make all kinds of jewelry. Lunch will be in Heqin before we head back to Xizhou and the Linden Centre.

After arriving in the afternoon, we have an optional teaching from a yoga master at the Centre to teach us the origins of yoga and some basic techniques that can help relieve anxiety and stress and relax the body. We will also treat guests to a private Three Tea course ceremony infamous in the Bai tradition, which marks the path of life and the sweet and bitter that accompany it.

December 14: For our last day at the Centre, we will take the time to do reflection and sharing with each other. There will be a final Tai Chi lesson in the morning, prior to breakfast. We will take the morning to visit Sha Cun and its temple, a village to the north of Xizhou nearer the Erhai Lake, again using horse cart as our transportation.

After lunch we will trace the origins and making of incense and learn of its importance in the regions temples. We will also be treated to our final meditation lesson from our returning teacher. After another filling and delicious meal from our chefs, we will be treated to a small group of local Bai musicians who will play for us as we host our final reception in the gardens and courtyards to a toasting of complimentary wine, coffee, and tea.

December 15: On this day, our program ends. After breakfast, guests will be driven to the Dali airport in time for your connecting flight through Kunming to your origin or next destination. Extended stays can certainly be arranged at the Centre, or we would be happy to help plan a further visit throughout China.

Details:

December 3-15, 2009 - 13 Days, $4270. Fare includes international flight from LAX to Dali and all domestic travel, all accommodations, most meals, medical travel insurance, and all activities and cultural services. Optional or extra-itinerary activities will be offered at basic costs to those who choose to participate. The Centre hosts 14 double occupancy rooms.

Maximum Group Size: 20

While the Linden Centre can comfortably accommodate 30 people, this group is limited to 20 to ensure that all guests can receive personal attention from the Centre's teachers and the Lindens. Many workshops will be hands-on, thus the lower number of guests will ensure ample participation.

To ensure that all can stay within the Centre, we highly encourage double occupancy with a loved one, friend, or colleague, but can assist in finding you an appropriate roommate. While single supplements are possible, space is limited due to lack of availability within the Centre. All rooms are non-smoking.

Summary:

What — 3 day cultural excursion in Yunnan, China.

When — December 3rd – 15th, 2009

Who — Anyone who wishes to experience the romanticism and spirituality of the true China. The traveler who hopes to experience many different facets, customs and culture of Yunnan.

Cost — $4270 Includes all domestic travel after arrival in Kunming, all accommodations, most meals unless specified, all activities and cultural services. Round-trip, international airfare to Kunming from LAX is included. The Centre hosts 14 double occupancy rooms. Single supplement is an extra $500. Medical travel insurance is provided in the price via AIG TravelGuard.

Additional costs — Guests are also responsible for their own Chinese visa, costs related to alcohol, beverages not included in regular meals, laundry, personal items, souvenirs, and long distance telephone calls. Airfare to and from Los Angeles is not included. Trip interruption and cancellation insurance. For this insurance, refer to tour contract.

Group Size: Our tour groups are limited to fewer than 28 people due to the size of the Centre and to ensure that all participants receive more personal attention from the staff. Our minimum group size is 5 people; we will cancel any tour if the minimum size is not met. All rooms are non-smoking.

Reservations — Call 920-388-4391 or email info@barnsitegallery.com. Non-refundable $500 deposit. Pay your deposit online here.

The Lindens have been living in China since 1984. Their twenty-plus years of contacts will ensure that all participants see and experience aspects of China unknown to other visitors. For most of their previous guests, the experiences throughout these regions of China have been among the most memorable in their lives. Please come and enjoy an indigenous travel experience to one of the world's most storied cultures.

How to reserve space for the tour:

Call 920-388-4391 or email info@barnsitegallery.com for more details on how to reserve space while there are still spots available.

Download your registration packet.

Pay your deposit online.