Zhoucheng is a Bai village about twenty-three kilometres north of Dali, on the road towards Butterfly Spring, and it is the centre of Yunnan's tie-dye tradition. The technique is listed as national intangible cultural heritage, and much of the village is involved in it: men dyeing, women tying, cloth hanging to dry in every courtyard.
The process
Plain white cotton is folded, rolled, pleated or gathered and then tied tightly with thread, sometimes with beans, sticks or coins knotted inside to create resisted areas. The bundle is soaked and then dipped repeatedly in a dye bath. The traditional dye is indigo, extracted from a plant related to woad, which produces the deep blue that Bai tie-dye is known for; other colours come from other plants, bark and roots. Oxidation in the air turns the cloth from yellow-green to blue on contact. The final step is washing and untying, which is when the pattern appears - a genuine surprise even to people who have done it many times.
Making your own
Several family workshops in Zhoucheng teach visitors in a session of an hour or two: you choose a cloth and a pattern, tie it yourself, dye it, and take it away. It is a good activity for children and for anyone who wants a souvenir they actually made. Small pieces dry quickly and can be carried the same day.
What to buy
The village sells cloth by the metre and finished goods: scarves, tablecloths, shirts, bags, wall hangings and cushion covers. Prices are reasonable at the workshops themselves and higher in Dali's shops. Look at the back of the cloth and the evenness of the pattern - machine-printed imitations are common in the region, and they have a flat, regular look with no dye penetration through the weave.
Practical notes
Zhoucheng is reached from Dali old town by bus or taxi in about forty minutes, and there is no admission fee for the village. Go in the morning, when the dyeing and drying are underway and the light in the courtyards is good. Bring cash, and wear clothes you do not mind staining - indigo does not always come out.
