AB Butterfly | Encountering a Folded World

The first time I came to Dali was 15 years ago. I vaguely remember the ancient town having a proper gate, square and small, with many local elderly sitting quietly by the roadside, watching the few passersby or speaking unintelligible words as they went about their business. I liked it very much.

For the past two years, I have been going to Tengchong repeatedly for a comfortable escape. Several times I thought of stopping by Dali, but I was afraid that it would be too bustling and noisy, ruining my vague but fond memories. This time, I made up my mind to detour from Tengchong, but again I didn't make any plans and just wandered aimlessly.

The ancient town has become so big. It's indeed full of colorful people and colorful shops, but since I was here, I decided to go with the flow. Riding a tourist open-air sightseeing car was quite enjoyable, but I couldn't imagine living that kind of life.

I thought about visiting Cangshan. I casually signed up for a hike on a regular website, originally to warm up my legs for Yubeng later, because I'm really out of shape. But when the cable car was about to reach the top, I was startled to see someone sitting on the mountain, and the magical journey began.

The guide, Wangwang, was that person sitting on the mountain. The paths we walked and the words he spoke had a calm sense of disorientation from start to finish. From then on, I finally found the feeling I wanted in Dali. I silently thanked him very much—I didn't come in vain.

It was my first time climbing over a railing, and I was the first guest who couldn't climb over and had to crawl. I felt very embarrassed. The whole way was full of surprises and wonders. While sitting to rest, Wangwang took out a book and said he was going to read. Then he mentioned that a friend of his also loves reading strange books and runs a small bookstore at the foot of the mountain, also making botanical handicrafts. After the hike, we were full of wonder.

I took a taxi to a winding village and entered the shop of the plant craftsman. There are too many similar shops in Yunnan, but this was the most high-end shop I have ever seen... the most high-end... How can I put it: when you have seen many things, you can recognize good stuff at a glance. Aesthetics, skill, and a special perception of something are necessary to create a sense of high quality. When you are fortunate enough to encounter it, you feel very happy and moved. Unfortunately, the piece I wanted most was not for sale. I still think about how that thing looked these past few days, but she understood what I wanted instantly. I look forward to her work for me.

Next door was the bookstore of another owner, even more interesting. After talking for a long time, he finally agreed to sell me a book. I was a bit embarrassed, and then he gave me another book as a gift, and then pushed another one—a messy book that I really liked. While waiting for the car, we chatted for about ten minutes. In just over ten minutes, he turned into a dense, relentless knowledge machine, outputting all kinds of miscellaneous learning. Every word he spoke was a precise cultural expression without emotion. It had been so long since I had seen someone like that.

Finally, the most magical part: when the owner of the whiskey bar I had missed for two days finally got to drink at, quietly pulled out a sign from behind the counter that said "Hiking Home" and said he was also a guide. I was speechless... It was a perfect circle... Haha. It was really too powerful... Enough said. I had five drinks last night.

This is not a serious review, but the main conclusion I want to express is that everything is very, very good. Experiencing the world is something everyone should immerse themselves in, feel, and experience. Life is all about continuous, unyielding experience and feeling.

Finally, I want to thank all the people who do this. An interesting original intention and a very, very attentive process in doing things can definitely be felt instantly. It's a pity there are still many things I wanted to experience but haven't, but I am grateful for the encounter. I'm a bit socially anxious and lazy, so writing this much truly comes from love.

Anyway, everyone come here and let them earn more money. So they can continue to play, buy books, do crafts, and drink. This will project and nourish more other people, and the world will become better and better...

AB Butterfly, May 15, 2025

"This is a review I stumbled upon on Dianping, hidden in a place called 'Folded Reviews.' When I opened it, there were many magical words inside. This is one of them.

'Folded Reviews,' in reality, means 'reviews with no reference value.' This is like many things in our lives: even if they are beautiful and unique, they can be labeled as 'waste.'"

Jason

August 14, 2025

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