A short drive north of Dali brought me to Xizhou — and once again, it felt like stepping into a different world.

This is the heartland of the Bai people, one of China’s recognised ethnic minorities, with a culture, architecture, and identity distinct from the Han majority.

And you see that difference immediately as the architecture here is deeply rooted in tradition.

Many of the homes are constructed using a mixture of earth, straw, and other local materials — a form of rammed earth or adobe — designed to regulate temperature and withstand the elements. 

In one wall, you could clearly see fragments of old pottery embedded within it — broken pieces reused as part of the structure. Whether for reinforcement, drainage, or simply practicality, it gives the sense that nothing was wasted. Materials were recycled long before it became a modern concept.

Over the top of these walls sits the defining finish: a white lime or chalk wash. This isn’t just for appearance — it acts as a protective layer, helping to seal the surface and reflect heat, preserving the structure beneath.

The result is the signature look of Bai villages — clean white walls, often contrasted with darker timber frames and intricate decorative details.

The Bai are also known for their indigo-dyed textiles — a tradition that goes back centuries.

Historically, natural indigo dye was extracted from local plants and used to colour fabrics in deep, rich blues. Traditional techniques often included resist-dyeing methods — where parts of the fabric were bound, stitched, or pressed before dyeing to create patterns.

What we commonly see today as “tie-dye” is actually a continuation and evolution of these traditional resist-dyeing techniques. While modern versions may be adapted for tourism and contemporary tastes, the roots are very much authentic.

So yes — while the patterns you see today might feel stylised, the underlying method and cultural significance go back generations.

What made Xizhou stand out most was the atmosphere.

Compared to Dali’s ancient city, it was noticeably quieter. Fewer crowds, fewer distractions — just narrow laneways lined with whitewashed walls, leading past doorways and into glimpses of everyday life.

Looking into the courtyards, you could see the care people put into their homes. Plants, decorations, well-maintained spaces — a sense of pride that’s hard to fake.

Some of the houses were genuinely beautiful — not in a polished, tourist-ready way, but in a lived-in, authentic sense.

Woven through the village are small lakes and waterways, softened by lotus flowers and crossed by elegantly constructed stone bridges.

These aren’t grand landmarks — they’re subtle, almost quiet features that add to the overall feel of the place. Reflections in the water, soft movement, the contrast between stone, wood, and greenery — it all contributes to a sense of calm.

It’s the kind of place where you naturally slow your pace.

On the outskirts of the village, the picture becomes more complex.

Some homes have been restored — carefully maintained, structurally sound, and still in use. Others are in various stages of decay or renovation.

And in those buildings, you can see the layers.

Older construction methods exposed beneath newer repairs. Different materials from different periods. Evidence of change, adaptation, and survival.

Xizhou doesn’t overwhelm you with scale or spectacle.

It draws you in with detail.

With texture. With quiet moments. With the feeling that culture here isn’t something being displayed — it’s something still being lived.

And after the busier stops along the journey, that made it stand out all the more.

After Yangshuo, the pace picked up again.

It was an early start getting back to Guilin, but once on the high-speed train, everything settled into that now-familiar rhythm — smooth, fast, and effortless. Hours passed as we cut across vast stretches of countryside, through mountains and valleys, a reminder of just how much China has invested in connecting even its more remote regions.

Rail lines, motorways, tunnels carved through mountains — it’s impossible not to be impressed by the scale of it all.

And then, we arrived in Dali — a place that immediately felt different again.

Dali isn’t just another stop — it carries a history that sets it apart from much of China.

For several centuries, this region was the centre of the Kingdom of Dali, an independent state that ruled much of Yunnan. While much of China was governed by powerful dynasties like the Song, Dali remained culturally and politically distinct, influenced heavily by the Bai people and with strong Buddhist traditions.

Its relative isolation, surrounded by mountains and far from the imperial centres of power, allowed it to maintain that independence — at least until it was eventually absorbed into the Mongol Empire under Kublai Khan in the 13th century.

Even today, that sense of being slightly separate still lingers.

The Dali Ancient City is vast — far larger than expected — and remarkably intact.

The old city walls still stand, complete with imposing gates and watchtowers that once guarded the kingdom. Walking through them, you get a real sense of scale — this wasn’t just a town, it was a significant regional centre with both strategic and cultural importance.

Inside, the streets stretch out in a grid, lined with traditional Bai-style buildings, various shops, and a steady flow of visitors.

It’s busy — very much on the domestic tourist trail — but it doesn’t take much to step away from the main streets and find something quieter.

Turn a corner, wander down a side alley, and suddenly the noise fades. You’re back to slower moments — locals going about their day, small courtyards, glimpses of everyday life tucked just behind the busier facades.

Near the centre of the old town stands the Wuhua Tower.

At first glance, it feels like it should be part of the city’s defensive system — but it wasn’t.

Historically, Wuhua Tower dates back to the Nanzhao Kingdom (which preceded the Kingdom of Dali) and served more as a ceremonial and cultural structure than a military one. It was used as a place for gatherings, receptions, and entertainment — a symbol of prestige rather than protection.

What stands today is a reconstruction, but it still reflects that original purpose — positioned prominently, not for defence, but to be seen.

It’s a small detail, but it says a lot about the city: not everything here was built for war. Some of it was built simply for life, culture, and display.

Dali is full of contrasts.

Modern shops sit beside traditional homes. Tourist-heavy streets give way to quiet, almost untouched corners. Old stonework meets neon signs.

At times, it feels curated. At others, completely genuine.

But that blend is part of what makes it interesting.

It’s not frozen in time — it’s evolving — yet still holding onto enough of its past to remind you where it came from.

And like much of this journey, the more you wander, the more those layers begin to reveal themselves.

Leaving the intensity of Guangzhou behind, we boarded a high-speed train bound for Yangshuo — and in just a couple of hours, everything changed.

At times the train was pushing close to 300 km/h, yet inside it felt effortless. Smooth, quiet, almost disconnected from the speed. It was a fitting transition — from megacity to countryside in what felt like no time at all.

And the first thing we noticed stepping off the train? The air.

It was like perfume. The surrounding trees were in full bloom, and after the density of Guangzhou, it felt fresh, almost surreal — like we’d stepped into a completely different world.

Waiting for us in Yangshuo were familiar faces — Sacha, Mavis, and their daughter Sammi. From here on, the trip shifted. It wasn’t just the four of us navigating something new anymore.

Yangshuo is famous for its karst landscape — those dramatic limestone peaks that rise almost vertically from the ground, scattered across rice fields and rivers like something out of a painting.

The best way to experience it is simply to get out into it.

So that’s what we did.

Everyone grabbed bikes — except for Kim and me, who opted for an electric scooter (a wise decision, given the distances and the terrain). With Kim on the back, we set off, following winding roads out of town and into the countryside.

It didn’t take long before we got lost. But in Yangshuo, that’s kind of the point.

We drifted through small villages, along narrow paths, and eventually found ourselves surrounded by rice paddies and towering limestone stacks in every direction. The scenery didn’t feel real — it felt too perfectly composed, like a traditional Chinese landscape painting brought to life.

At one point, we hit complete gridlock in a village — cars, scooters, pedestrians, all tangled together in a standstill. What should have taken minutes stretched out endlessly as we tried to push through.

Thankfully, being on bikes worked in our favour. Slowly, carefully, we squeezed through gaps that cars simply couldn’t.

The kids handled it brilliantly. It was a long day, and at times the traffic got chaotic, but they rode with confidence — listening, adapting, and just getting on with it.

There was one moment of tension when Mavis was nudged over by a car in the congestion, but thankfully she came away shaken more than anything else.

Somewhere along the ride, as we moved between villages and open countryside, we passed something that made us slow down.

An elderly man — well into his eighties — sitting quietly outside his home, weaving hats by hand.

There was nothing staged about it. No performance, no attempt to attract attention. Just a simple, repetitive motion, practiced over decades. His hands moved with a rhythm that didn’t need thinking — strip by strip, shaping something both practical and beautiful.

We stopped for a while, watching.

In a place where so much is changing so quickly — high-speed trains, digital payments, modern cities rising almost overnight — this felt like a direct connection to something much older. A way of life that hasn’t entirely disappeared, but is slowly becoming harder to find.

There was a calmness to it.

No rush, no urgency — just time, skill, and patience. The kind of work that carries quiet pride, even if it goes largely unnoticed.

For us, it was a reminder that not everything moves at the same pace.

And in that brief stop, somewhere between getting lost and finding our way again, we found one of the most genuine moments of the journey.

Next day it was a short trip out to Xingping that brought one of the most recognisable scenes of the trip.

Just outside the town lies a bend in the Li River that’s instantly familiar — even if you don’t realise it at first. It’s the exact landscape printed on the back of the Chinese 20 Yuan note.

And once you see it, it clicks.

The same karst peaks, the same river curve — a view that’s been quietly circulating in millions of wallets for years.

What followed was a su

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3. December 2010 07:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden's first visit to the hospital

3. December 2010 07:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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Today was Aidens first visit to the hospitals Emergency Room.

When I got home from work this afternoon Kim said that Aiden had been unsettled all afternoon. He would be crying/screaming when we were holding him and initially I thought he was hot (it was a warm day). I took him to the shower to see if that would calm him down...it did a little bit.

Afterwards we had him on the bed and we noticed that he wasn't moving his left arm and leaving it limb down his side and when we touched it he started screaming...so off we went to the hospital.

We were lucky that they could take us almost right away to have a doctor examine him. He made the same observation that there was something wrong with his arm and ordered some X-Rays. The X-rays didn't show any fractures or anything (pheeeww...) so they gave him some pain killers. Aiden was so brave having his Xrays taken and being at the doctors. Once the pain killers kicked in he started moving his arm a little.



We were waiting for quite a while for the doctor to come back and when he did Aiden had started moving his arm more. The doctor re-examined the arm and twisted the elbox and bit and said "oh...I felt it pop". Aiden started screaming again, but the doctor said that the arm now should be ok and that he would come back in 10-15 minuted to check.

Surely enough Aiden was a very happy boy when he came back and we think his arm now if back to normal...he had just pulled his elbow.

Apparently it is quite normal for kids. The doctor said that he gets about two cases like that every day.

Thank you Doctor!

1. December 2010 08:32
by Rene Pallesen
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1st December 2010

1. December 2010 08:32 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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It is now the 1st December and the Month of Christmas has officially started. The christmas decorations in the shops here in Sydney went up a little later this year (November) compared to last year (October).

Kim and I have already bought all the christmas presents and this weekend we will put up the Christmas tree. It will be Aiden's first Christmas...he is still a bit too small to understand what christmas is...but at least he will have the photos to remember it by.




Merry Chrismas everyone!

24. November 2010 09:00
by Rene Pallesen
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24th November - One month to Christmas

24. November 2010 09:00 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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It is now exactly one month to Christmas...the silly season has started.

Kim and I are kicking off the season with some photos of Aiden...it is afterall his first Christmas. He may not remember it later, but at least he will have some photos to look at.

Next week on the 1st of December we will set up the Christmas tree...and I will take some more photos. Already got some ideas...

7. November 2010 02:35
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden 5 Months

7. November 2010 02:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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Today it is Aidens Birthday....he is now 5 Months old (when you are less than 6 months old you get to have birthday every month).



He is a good/easy little boy. He is now able to keep his head up, but still unable to sit or roll around onto his tummy. He sleeps through the night and wakes up around 7.30 to get a feed. On weekends he is happy to go back to sleep so his Mummy and Daddy can sleep in.


He is very quiet when in crowded places and likes to just sit and observe (Kims dad is saying that he has got that after me).

It has taken me a long time to get this photo done. I had to wait for him to keep his head up and even then it was pretty hard to get hime to look in the right direction.

3. November 2010 11:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Water Portrait

3. November 2010 11:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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I have now finished the second portrait in the series of the four elements...just Fire and Air left. This one is "Water". The yellow blob is a Weedy Sea Dragon.




...Really helping my Photoshop skills. Not sure if anyone else thinks these photos are cool...but they are cool to make and are different from what I'd otherwise be doing.

1. November 2010 09:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Fame - the musical

1. November 2010 09:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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This weekend Kim and I went to see the musical Fame at Capitol theatre with a couple of friends Audrey and John.

Most of the cast was made up of dancers from “So you think you can dance” so there was a potential for a really good performance with some excellent dancing.


Our friends had organised a babysitter for the night and Aiden was being looked after by Kim’s dad and sister.

The performance was good (but not great). I think we were expecting more singing and dancing (It was a musical) and less dialogue. The second half of the play was a lot better than the first half with more dancing.

Unfortunately our friends missed this part as she was worried about their kid left alone with the babysitter (that is kinda the point of getting a babysitter) and left during the intermission.


At the end they got everyone in the audience up from their chairs for the famous "Fame" song.


Kim and I however had a good night out…and she looked smashing!

20. October 2010 11:11
by Rene Pallesen
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Self Portrait

20. October 2010 11:11 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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Lately I have been playing around with Photoshop a lot more going through different tutorials.

Main purpose is to enable me to manipulate photos and add a different dimension to these photos. I have especially been trying to create some interesting profile photos that I can use of facebook and the like.

The portraits don't necessarily mean anything...mainly created them to see if I could do something out of the ordinary.The plan is to see if I can make a series Earth - Water - Fire - Air following the four basic elements.


It was really hard to get the starting photo right in my studio. It is almost impossible to do a photo of one-self and have it in focus...eventually Kim had to step in a help me (which I am very grateful for). In total it took me about 2-3 hours from start (taking the photo) to the finished result.

18. October 2010 09:19
by Rene Pallesen
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Maroubra

18. October 2010 09:19 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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Yesterday we went to the beach to have a coffee with a couple of friends. While Kim was catching up on all the gossip I went out to see if I could get some good photos of the surfers (The surf was pretty good that day).

18. October 2010 09:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Where to...Daddy???

18. October 2010 09:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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On the weekend I had a bit of fun with Aiden. I bought a world map on email just so that I could take the following photos of him...







And this last photo I call "Is this where you grew up daddy??"




He is now 4 months old and still doesn't like being on his belly...so I had to be pretty quick with the setup.

18. October 2010 08:46
by Rene Pallesen
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Family Portaits

18. October 2010 08:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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Sunday night Kim and I was looking after Ethan and Kayla while Chong and KC went out for dinner.

Kims dad and Dylan popped over for a couple of hours (Kims dad wanted to see Aiden ;-)) and after dinner and after Aiden was asleep I set up the studio to take some portraits of the kids. Main purpose was to experiment a little to improve my photography skills...especially my study of shadows (It is easy to light, but harder to create meaningful shadows).

Lately I have been doing more photography using all my flashes with wireless triggers to get interesting angles and effects. A couple of days ago I bought a couple of pieces of fabric in different colours (blue and red) to use as backgrounds and the following photos are a result of Sunday nights photoshoot.












I used one flash camera right in a 60*60 softbox, Hair light behind camera left snooted. In retrospect I should have taken my 3rd flash and used this to light the coloured backdrops to create better seperation...the highlights above are done in Post processing.

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