I write this entry from Dali, China (Yunnan province). Nestled in China's beautiful southwest countryside, Dali is an historic "backpackers paradise" according to the Lonely Planet travel guide, every China backpackers bible. My first visit to Dali was 10 years ago, when I was an exchange student in Beijing. I traveled to Dali during my winter break from Beijing University. Ten years later, I'm back in the small town that is drastically different than I remembered. There are several reasons behind this change. Namely, they are 1) the new railroad and highway connecting Dali to the Yunnan's provincial capital, Kunming and 2) the increased Chinese standard of living that allows greater numbers of China's middle class to be tourists in their own country.
This change is truly dramatic. When I was here 10 years ago, the only way in was by cramped, dusty, overnight bus from Kunming. Dali was overtaken by foreign backpackers in search of a sunny, relaxing place to spend a few weeks eating banana pancakes and drinking local beer. This time, I arrived by luxurious, high-speed overnight sleeper train. The backpacker cafes and hostels are still here, but even more have sprung up. The streets are still filled with foreign backpackers, but also with foreign tour groups. From the US, Australia, France, and elsewhere. And most notably, the streets are predominantly filled with domestic Chinese tourists. They come by the bus load, snapping photos with their digital cameras, buying local Dali crafts, and eating in the cafes.
Dali is no longer the "off the beaten path" destination it once was. China is a Lonely Planet no longer. This is just one of many indications of China's rising middle class.
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