In Xizhou, Dali, a 77-year-old man is shopping for online celebrity food and enjoying a leisurely half-day tour! In the warm winter season of 2021, I took my 77-year-old mother-in-law to visit Dali for the first day. Go to Xizhou Ancient Town, shop for online celebrity food, and have a leisurely half-day tour. Everything is just right.

After having breakfast at "Yuanwuwei B & B", I originally planned to take my 77-year-old mother-in-law to leisurely go to the "Baohe Temple" at the foot of Cangshan Mountain in Dali and have a vegetarian vegetarian meal. Due to the fire prevention and closure of Cangshan Forest, the road leading to Baohe Temple is unsafe, and motor vehicles have been banned. The round-trip journey from the checkpoint to "Baohe Temple" is about 7 kilometers. Considering that the old man might not be able to walk, he had to go to Xizhou for a half-day tour.

Baohe Temple in Cangshan, Dali:

Chicken Foot Land, also known as Baohe Mountain, is located at the foot of Cangshan Lotus Peak. Three branches move forward and one straight back, similar to Jizu Mountain in the east of Erhai Lake, so it is called Chicken Foot. There is a temple in the mountains called Baoqing Temple, which is quite quiet, surrounded by ancient trees and pines, supporting the glory and shade. Later, the name of the mountain where the temple was located was changed to Baohe Temple.

Baohe Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty, and most of the existing buildings were rebuilt on the basis of the past in modern times. The temple is built against the mountain, sitting north to south. It consists of the Front Hall (Gate), Guanyin Hall, Daxiong Hall, Wuji Palace and other buildings. It is magnificent and ancient. Coupled with the surrounding trees and flowers, it is even more tranquil.

The 77-year-old mother-in-law is kind and often goes to the temple to worship Buddha and eat fasting in her hometown in Xiangyun. This time I came to Dali to stay in our house for a few days. I just had time to be a tour guide and take her around for a leisurely tour. Originally, he planned to take his mother-in-law to Cangshan Baohe Temple to worship Buddha and eat vegetarian food. Due to various reasons, he had to choose to visit Xizhou Ancient Town.

Since ancient times, Xizhou has been said to be "poor Dali, rich Xizhou" and "small Dali, big Xizhou". It has always been a good place where both culture and business are equally important. In Xizhou Ancient Town, there are many Bai characteristic buildings such as ancient houses and courtyards and former residences of historical and cultural celebrities, such as Qiao's Courtyard, Yangpinxiang's Residence (Xilin Garden Inn), Dong's Courtyard, Yinfu Courtyard, etc.

I found a parking lot on the edge of "Dali Road" in Xizhou and parked my car. The parking fee of 5 yuan did not feel too expensive. I got off the bus and told the old man to wear a mask. I entered Xizhou Ancient Town from Zhengyi Gate, leisurely. The half-day tour of Xizhou Ancient Town began.

During the epidemic control period, there are control measures to measure body temperature and scan health codes at the door. Follow Qingshiban Road and move slowly towards Sifang Street, Xizhou Ancient Town. There are many shops on both sides of the street, and occasionally a few closed their doors to say goodbye, which is probably related to the impact of the epidemic.

Pass by Da Banyan and Xizhou Primary School. On both sides of the street, there are many sellers selling tie-dyeing handicrafts, hanging on walls or in stores. It is also a beautiful scenery, which explains the Bai nationality tie-dyeing craftsmanship to the elderly. Passing through the "Cool Cabin", the door of the more delicious Internet celebrity old popsicles was closed due to the cold weather.

When I arrived at Sifang Street, I found a warm place where I could bask in the sun and arranged for the old man to sit down, and I went to buy Xizhou Baba. While tasting the authentic Xizhou Baba, he introduced some ancient buildings around her.

After tasting the delicious food and having almost rested, we went to Yuanyulou to check in on the Internet celebrity. Come to the Corner Building and then walk down to the Internet Red Wall (where Xilin Garden is located). After taking photos and checking in, I never forget to tell her about history. However, the old man was most concerned about the crops in the field. She said that when she looked at the rapeseed seedlings, she knew that they were sown too densely, which would affect their growth. When it comes to growing crops, the old man is an expert, so I can only say it well.

Looking at the horse-drawn float in the ancient town of Xizhou, the old man thought it was very beautiful and liked it very much. I invited her to sit up and stroll around the ancient town. As soon as I heard that I would pay, she refused. The old people are used to frugality and are reluctant to spend money when they go out to play. Following the old man, she did whatever she said and continued to tour the ancient town leisurely.

Continue to wander leisurely in the ancient town. Tourists come and go on the streets, but there are still fewer tourists compared to the tourist season. From time to time, there were cries coming from the street. Some sold grilled "milk fans", some sold roasted tofu, some sold rolled noodles, some sold Xizhou Baba... The cries came one after another. She originally wanted to buy some delicious food for the elderly to try, but she said she had a bad stomach and refused perfectly.

Strolling around the streets of the ancient town casually, I also visited the Internet celebrity check-in spots, and tasted the delicious food. After walking nearly 6 kilometers, I saw that the old man's physical strength was almost exhausted, so I decided to return for dinner.

Near lunchtime, I originally planned to taste the Bai ethnic specialty delicacies of rawhide, but later I was worried that my mother-in-law was older and her stomach might not be able to withstand it, so I finally gave up tasting it. She ordered three dishes she liked, ate three bowls of rice, and got lunch for 67 yuan.

We stayed in Xizhou until 2 p.m., and we leisurely returned to the "Yuan Wu Wei B & B" place, ending the first day of leisurely sightseeing in Dali.

While we are still young, we should take time to spend more time with our parents. According to their wishes, going leisurely at will is the best happiness.