SHOPPPING in DALI
Shopping Guide for Dali: Things to buy in Dali
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SHOPPPING in DALI
Daily consumer goods should be bought in Xiaguan rather than in Dali,since there are no big department stores in the ancient town. The Dali Shopping Center on Jianshe Lu offers the best shopping in Xiaguan.

On the other hand, a trip to Dali (Gucheng) without bringing back any local and ethnic souvenirs is a trip wasted! Small souvenir shops cluster in Dali Gucheng on Bo'ai Lu, Huguo Lu,and Fuxing Lu. The ancient town of Dali is filled with interesting and ethnic shops to explore.

Also, every March around the 15th to the 21st on the Bai lunar calendar, the Bai people celebrate their annual March Fair . The festival is not only a gathering of merchants selling exotic local arts and crafts, but also an opportunity to witness the culture of the local Bai peoples. Even if you are not able make a trip during the festival, the regular Bazaars in Shaping and Wase are similar opportunities to see a local market with its myriad unique shopping opportunities.
Bai Teas
Since the Ming Dynasty, it has been common practice for Bai ethnic group people to receive and show hospitality to guests by serving three cups of their unique Bai tea (Sandaocha), which literally means "treating guests with three cups of tea". The first cup of tea is made with Tuo tea (Tuocha), reportedly the best tea in all of Dali, which tastes a little bitter. The second cup is made with sweet ingredients, like milk fan (a local dairy product similar to cheese), walnuts and brown sugar. The third and last cup is made with a kind of green tea. What makes this special is the Chinese prickly ash, ginger and cinnamon are added to the tea. If the guests are especially important, then this offering of tea may be accompanied with Bai dance and song.
Wax Dyed Cloth
Wax-dyed cloth is a folk handicraft of ethnic groups in Yunnan Province which is made by applying wax to white fabric in order keep sections undyed when the fabric is dipped in blue dye. This rather plain, yet charming handicraft shows off various local cultural symbols including animals, flowers and legendary personages. The cloth is made into garments, handbags, tapestries or simply sold as wall hangings.
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