The famous Dali three towers[Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

The most exotic, wonderful time we have spent in China during this trip was spent in the fascinating, magical city of Dali.

Dali is one of Yunnan's most popular tourist destinations, both for its historic sites and the 'Foreigners' Street' that features Western-style food, music, and English-speaking business owners. It attracts travelers from all over, mostly from China and other parts of Asia, but also many others from Europe and the Americas.

The night on which we arrived, we stayed in a bar. The owner of the bar was a middle-aged woman. She was thin, tall and sexy. She smiled gently and invited us to drink wine. Jazz, Rock and Flamenco poured out of the speakers, mingling with the local music, which is played on a pipe made from a fluted, two-lobed, dried gourd. It was an experience that we'd never had before and it was a side of life that was rarely seen in big cities like Beijing.

The next day we rose early to get a glimpse of this ancient city in southwest China. We found it was possible to eat all kinds of food, Tibetan, local, Chinese, Korean and Pizza! Many travelers walked around with surprised, excited looks on their faces. The smiles and endearing good nature of the native people could be felt all around.

To promote the 7th flower expo due to be held in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, we carried out a Happiness Survey. We asked residents about their ideas of happiness and whether they felt happy or not. Through the survey, we found that people in Dali were satisfied with their lives. They lead a simple yet comfortable life there. Unlike in big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, or commercial cities such as Wenzhou and Shenzhen, the pace of life is enjoyably slow.

It was a pity that we only stayed in Dali for one night before we headed towards another city. Dali left a splendid impression on us and we hope the city can avoid becoming too much commercialized. There has recently been a new street built in traditional style, as well as a traditional temple. People are determined to rebuild the old charm that they are destroying elsewhere.