The Eight Great Bowlteen kings of Jianchuan（剑川八大碗 ） have a long history. It is said that they were originally a state banquet hosted by King Duan Bai of Dali to entertain sixs from neighboring South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other regions. As most of these countries believe in Buddhism, they are a combination of meat and vegetables. Due to the fact that Duan Bai Wang was a resident of Jianchuan Temple, he later spread to the people of Jianchuan and became a popular delicacy for entertaining guests, which has been passed down for nearly a thousand years. Eight bowls of meat and vegetables are paired together, and the cooking process is delicious and suitable for all ages. The deep affection of the people of Baixiang will also be embedded in the dishes, emphasizing the interest and reflecting the hospitality of the Bai ethnic group, which is rich in national characteristics.
Bai Ethnic Three Course Tea白族三道茶
bBai San Dao Tea is an important traditional etiquette and custom of the Bai ethnic group in Dali, with a long history. As early as the Tang Dynasty's Fan Chuo's "Book of Barbarians", there was a record of the tea drinking habit of "cooking with pepper, ginger, and osmanthus". From production to offering and tasting tea, there is a set of elaborate rituals, which are now mostly presented in the form of integrating traditional Bai ethnic songs and dances. Drinking slowly and carefully, the friendship between guests and hosts is fully expressed in the tea. Toudao tea, after being smoked and roasted with Chinese fire in earthenware jars, has a fragrance with a hint of bitterness, hence the name Ku tea. Erdao tea is prepared by adding walnut slices, roasted milk fan, and brown sugar. It has a sweet taste with a milky aroma, hence the name Sweet Tea. Three types of tea are infused with Sichuan peppercorns, ginger slices, and cinnamon, combining spiciness, sweetness, and tea aroma, hence the name "aftertaste tea". The three teas of the Bai ethnic group in Dali blend the Bai people's understanding and wisdom of life, with a lingering aftertaste of the meaning of "one bitterness, two sweetness, and three aftertaste" in life.