Learn Shaxi cooking with our temple chef Madam Yang

Duration: 4 hours

Start off on a bike ride with Chef Yang through Shaxi Valley to learn about the foods that have been grown here for millenia. Stop to pick your own vegetables from the fields, grown by local farmers for their own families and who use no pesticides. If you choose to do the cooking class on a Friday, Chef Yang will take you on a tour of the Friday Market where you will buy ingredients for your dishes.
Head to the Pear Orchard Temple, a recently restored 500 year-old folk temple where we have build a new kitchen just for cooking classes. Here you'll spend the next 2-1/2 hours preparing and enjoying four dishes you will cook yourself. Gaze out over the Shaxi Valley from our dining terrace (weather permitting) and enjoy a complimentary pot of tea.
For reservations, speak to Sam at Old Theatre Inn +86 872 4722 296 or email us in advance of your stay to reserve places in the class.

Ancient religious traditions meet at the Pear Orchard Temple

Dali has a unique form of Tantric Buddhist practice called Acarya, which dates back to the 9th century, traces its origins to India, and features prominently the goddess of mercy Acuoye, represented at Shibaoshan's grottoes carved 1,100 years ago.

Where did it come from?

Buddhism originated in northern India in the 5th century B.C.E., tracing its roots back to Siddhartha Gautama, typically referred to as the Buddha. Over its 2,500 year history Buddhism has evolved and spread throughout Asia, with three main branches of the tradition: Theravada (in south-east Asia), Mahayana (in north-east Asia) and Vajrayana (in Tibet). Buddhism came to Dali along the Tea Horse Road, also known as the Southern Silk route, which linked India, Tibet and south-east Asia. Dali played a key role in the spread of Buddhism from India to China, and its Nanzhao (738-902) and Dali (937–1253) kingdoms were notable for preserving Buddhism and also constructing large temples including the Dali Three Pagodas and Shibaoshan grottoes near Shaxi, which became important centers for Buddhist teaching.
According to ancient documents, a mystic Indian monk called Zhang Tor Jie Duo is credited with bringing Buddhism to Yunnan's Nanzhao kingdom in 840. From the 9th century onward to the end of the Dali kingdom in 1253, a brand new powerful branch of Tantric Buddhism formed and developed into a kingdom-wide religion. Later, Zhang Tor Jie Duo became regarded as a manifestation of the 'lord of compassion' Acuoye. Avalokitesvara (dubbed the Dali Guan Yin or goddess of mercy), who is the main religious figure worshiped throughout Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms. The Acarya branch of Tantric or Esoteric Buddhism originated from India, and it was mixed with where in its early stages was fused with Brahmanism, the early priestly religion in India which evolved into Hinduism.
Acarya belongs to the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism was a more liberal, accessible interpretation of Buddhism, open to people from all walks of life, not just monks or ascetics. Acarya is a Sanskrit word, meaning teacher or victorious, and in Dali it became known by the Bai minority term 'A-Zha-Li'. A-Zha-Li initially referred to the master who conducted rituals and ceremonies of this branch of Buddhism, but later the name was used to locals to refer to this practice.

What is unique about Acarya Tantric Buddhism?

1. Devotion to Acuoye
Many Buddhist cults developed during the almost five centuries of the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms, but Acuoye Avalokitesvara in various forms was the dominant figure and the focus of devotion. One of the reasons for this was the key role of Acouye in both political and spiritual affairs. There was a strong linkage between the rulers of the Nanzhao kingdom and Acuoye in establishing both state and religion, with Acuoye featuring in the founding stories of the kingdom, helping legitimize the royal line. According to folk stories, Acuoye arrived in the Dali area even before the establishment of the Nanzhao Kingdom, appointing its first ruler and providing protection for the kingdom. There was a belief that the royal lineage was approved by Acuoye, and that the rulers and their descendants were related to Acuoye. The ruling class built the iconic Three Pagoda temple in honor of Acuoye. Acuoye is regarded as the first god to manifest to bring Buddhism to the Bai people, but there is debate about where Acuoye actually came from. While many scholars think Acuoye is just another manifestation of the Mahayana bodhisattva from India, there is conjecture that this figure of compassion came from south-east Asia instead. Some researchers speculate that Acuoye came from Malaysia or Indonesia, when in the 9th century one of Nanzhao kings received a bride from 'the realm of Kunlun'.

2. Black Sky god
While Acuoye holds a central position in A-Zha-Li, other cults of Esoteric Buddhism developed under the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms, including protective and wrathful divinities. Second only to Acuoye in popularity and devotion is Mahakala, the Black Sky god in Chinese, a divine demon and protective deity for Acarya Tantric Buddhism. Makakala is in fact the manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva. Throughout the Dali region many villages regard him as their local protector, or 'ben zhu'.
3. Unique role in society and inheritability of status
While many Buddhist traditions required a separate life for religious disciples from lay people, A-Zha-Li practitioners were able to get married and maintain a normal family life. One of the reasons for this might be traced back to the establishment of Acarya in Dali, with Nanzhao king Qu Feng permitting his sister to marry Indian missionary Zhang Tor Jie Duo who brought Tantric Buddhism to the region in 840 AD. A-Zha-Li masters and their descendants were able to continue this lifestyle with its integration into normal life. In Feng Yi village near the Erhai lake this bloodline tradition lasted for 42 generations among the Dong family, only ceasing with the founding of Communist China in 1949.

4. Variety of Practice
There were three main ways of practicing A-Zha-Li: masters teaching students from scriptures in secret, and using mantras and magic spells; adoption of body postures and hand positions to practice; and meditation. In addition to the various Buddhist texts, we know that the Buddhists of Nanzhao and Dali cherished spells and mantras of any kind, and for any purpose. Many were engraved on stone slates and impressed onto clay and bricks. Later, mantras and spells were engraved on wood and printed on paper. This practice probably dates back to the 9th century in Nanzhao. Interestingly, these mantras and spells were written in Sanskrit. In the rest of China, mastery of Sanskrit was the domain of only a few select educated people, while around Dali it appears that the links with India and understanding of Sanskrit were maintained.

5. Death rituals
The A-Zha-Li practices also included death and burial rituals, to guide the deceased along the right path to Nirvana. Even today this aspect of tradition is well preserved and plays a very fundamental part in the funeral rites of Bai people.

6. Hybrid of religion appears
Buddhism under the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms wasn't exclusively Esoteric in nature. Before Buddhism established and spread in the 9th century, the local people practiced a more nature and spirit-based shamanism similar to Bon Buddhism found in Tibet. Daoism, a Chinese-rooted philosophy, was founded in the 6th century.some of the Dao core concepts get mixed with in later practices too. After the end of the Dali kingdom by Khubai Khan's army in 1253 the Chinese influence increased in the Yunnan region. In the Ming and Ching dynasty Confucianism became the dominant system for social order, weakening A-Zha-Li. Another important factor is the Southern Silk route, also known as the Tea Horse caravan route, which brought traders and merchants from different nations holding a wide range of beliefs and practices. This led to the enrichment and development of A-Zha-Li, as it took on-board these influences, reflecting the diversity of peoples and thought.

What was the impact of A-Zha-Li on Bai society?

The A-Zha-Li Esoteric Buddhist practice was quite widespread during the second half of the 9th century and flourished until the end of the Dali kingdom in 1253. A Chinese scholar Xu Xiake visiting the region before the fall of Dali described Buddhist practice as 'common in every household, no matter whether they are poor or rich, there is Buddhist ritual space in every family s living rooms. No matter whether they are young or old, everyone carries a talisman with them. There are many regular days throughout the year when people fast or refrain from eating meat or drinking alcohol. The number of visible temples and monasteries on hillsides is uncountable.'

A-Zha-Li and politics
A-Zha-Li participated directly in the political life of the region. Governance and religion became one. Zhang Tor Jie Duo was appointed as strategist of the kingdom after his marriage to the king's sister. Notably of the 22 kings of the Dali kingdom, nine gave up their royal life and retreated to monasteries to live a monastic life as ordianed monks. A-Zha-Li practices were a vital part of local identity and a source of guidance in turbulence, warring times, with Tantric rituals carried out to provide supernatural aid in battle.

A-Zha-Li and economics
Large donations and land were made to build and maintain monasteries and temples by the royal family. The monasteries and temples also held large portions of land and collected wealth. In Dali, the Three Pagodas temple alone had 890 buildings, with 11,400 Buddhist statues made up of 20,295 kilograms of copper.

A-Zha-Li and culture and education
Monks and monasteries became the first schooling system, tutoring students to learn Buddhist texts and classic Confucian teachings. All the artforms including paintings, architecture and carving show strong influence of A-Zha-Li.

Why did A-Zhal-Li Decline?

Following the conquering of Dali kingdom in 1253 by Kublai Khan, for the first time Yunnan becomes included on maps as part of Greater China. This marked the end of the independent kingdom. After this historic event, A-Zha-Li faced many challenges and gradually declined in strength and prominence. Several reasons for this were because the new ruling class – Chinese – forbid the open practice of A-Zha-Li and sought to reduce its practice and power. The Qing government also suppressed the A-Zha-Li practice, describing it as 'not true Buddhist, not true Daoism, and not true Confucianism, so it confuses and misleads ordinary people to wrong ideas', causing social instability and anarchy. The form of Tantric Buddhism was also frowned upon, particularly as monks were allowed to have families, eat meat and drink wine. The Zhengde emperor banned A-Zha-Li in 1507. Zen Buddhism became popular and also led to the decline of A-Zha-Li, as well as the dissemination of Confucianism by the Ming dynasty. These pressures pushed A-Zha-Li from the ruling and upper classes to common people, where it became a folk religion. Fortunately the ordinary Bai people's preservation of A-Zha-Li and its blending with other religious practices and beliefs kept it alive through the centuries.

The local people who manage the temple on a daily basis are committed to its continuity as a place of workship as well as a window for visitors to better understand Shaxi cultural traditions. The village functions as an informal Visitor's Centre, with maps on Shaxi Low Carbon Tourism, as well as bike rental and horse trekking (Coming 2018). The temple's mission is to first serve the spiritual and community needs of Diantou Village while promoting responsible tourism through those activities where villager's share most of the benefits. These include cooking school, village tours, ceremonial and traditional dance performance, mushroom picking and other local tours organized by hosts from Diantou Village.

The perfect setting for your remote campus

The Pear Orchard Temple is a recently restored Ming Dynasty temple in the heart of Shaxi Yunnan China. In addition to operating as a place of worship and community center for the elders of Diantou Village, it also features separate classrooms for study and activities. The temple is 10 minutes by bike to family homestay housing in Xia Ke Village, and other housing options are available with local families. Historic Shaxi Old Town, one of the last intact market towns on the Tea Horse Road in the green foothills of the Himalayas, is just 15 minutes by bike. The temple microcampus features:

• Three classrooms for 12-15 students in a quiet courtyard overlooking the valley
• Meditation and reading rooms
• Broadband WiFi
• Use of the kitchen or prepared meals
• Activity room for up to 20 students
• Vegetarian kitchen and restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining
• New modern public restrooms
• Radiant heating in Winter

STAY TUNED FOR 2018 HOLIDAY AND ACTIVITY SCHEDULE

MORE SOON
Prince's Day, Torch Festival Big Buddha Day, Singing Festival

The rebuilding of the Jade Emperor Hall and history of The Temple of Sheltered Mercy

How Buddhism arrived in China 2000 years ago
Buddhism first arrived in China during the reign of Emperor Han Ming (28-75 CE). But it was not until a few hundred years later, when the Indian missionary Bodhiharma traveled to China that the religion spread across the country. Wherever Bodhiharma went, he gathered great numbers of followers, won over by the ideas of karma, the will of the universe, fate and destiny; the belief that good will be rewarded in heaven and that evil will suffer in hell after death, and that one can seek one’s true nature by clearing the mind of everyday distractions.
At first there were no religious books or scriptures available to Chinese Buddhists. People had to learn the teachings by heart and transmit them by word of mouth. The faithful built many temples, but the practice of making statues of deities only appeared in the Jin dynasty (265-420 CE). From then on, it developed into the standard temple art form we now see everywhere in China.
In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) the valley of Shaxi was flooded and became part of the river bed of the great Yangtze, the third longest river in the world, which flows for 6300 kilometers through 11 Chinese provinces. At some point the river was blocked upstream by unknown geological events, and its course was diverted to the South from the steep valleys of the West. Half of Shaxi was covered in water, and the valley was left uninhabited for ages. The southern part of the valley was eroded into a flat, low plain. As time passed, the waters receded and land appeared. Eventually, during the Ming dynasty, a small group of people originally from Henan settled in the area. These first inhabitants named their settlement Diantou, which simply means “The spot at the head of the valley”.
Thanks to the influence of Bodhidharma and his teachings, it became the custom that wherever there was a village, there must be a temple. Wherever there was a temple there was a need to create statues of the various deities, who varied from village to village. Our own temple in Shaxi was relocated three times before being rebuilt on its current location.
Looking at the outline of the Bell Mountains that surround the valley one cannot help imagining them as a peaceful green dragon, whose spirit guards the villages to the West as he gazes North. The dragon keeps the water flowing and the forest green, preserving the beauty of Shaxi’s mini-paradise.
The current temple was built in the late Qing dynasty (1616-1912 CE) and is dedicated to the Bodhisattva Guanyin, the Goddess of Compassion, whose statue is in the central position of the main hall. To the right is the Big Black Sky God, a local deity of the Bai people, and to the left is Bodhidarma. The temple attracted many pilgrims and the local community raised funds for a community of nuns to maintain the temple and conduct religious ceremonies.
The nunnery is close to Taibai mountain with the Tianyian hills to the North, facing the jade pagoda to the south with the river visible in the distance. At night, villagers would fall asleep to the sound of the ancient bell’s muffled tolling. On religious festival days the whole village would be full of music as the villagers celebrated. It was like stepping into an enchanted realm. Travelers who stopped by to enjoy the beauty of this old nunnery, were assured of a welcome from the head nun, a kind soul who always left the door wide open.
Once, an elderly man arrived carrying statues of the Jade Emperor. He told the head nun he needed a bed for the night but had to leave early the next morning to deal with an urgent matter and asked could he leave the statues in her safekeeping. But after he left he was never seen again so the nun thought to herself that it was the Jade Emperor himself who had visited the nunnery. Believing it must be the will of heaven, she decided to build a permanent shrine to the Jade Emperor.
She called a meeting of all the villagers to discuss the project, and everyone agreed to support it wholeheartedly. The rich donated money, the poor people donated their labor, and they completed the temple in less than six months. The shrine was consecrated to the Jade Emperor in 1917 and on that day everyone from the area came to pay their respects and celebrate. They planted holy pines all around it so that it became a kind of heavenly place. I was well educated from a young age, and now I am an old man, I still come here from time to time to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. But before anyone knew it, the Cultural Revolution broke out. People were scared and confused and took leave of their senses. The nuns disappeared. Some returned to their families or married. The nunnery was left in a derelict state. People smashed the windows, tore down walls, and threw the gods into the street. Finally someone set it on fire and everything disappeared.
On the night of the fire, some outlaws planned to steal the statue of the Jade Emperor because it was made of gold, thinking no one would dare to stop them. I was outraged and together with my older brother went to the temple after midnight and took the statue back to our house where it remained hidden for more than 40 years. We did not even tell our parents about it. Years later when I heard at a government meeting that the policy towards religion was changing and people would be free to worship again, we decided to rebuild the temple.
Once the news spread, a group of village elders met to discuss how to go about reconstructing the village temple. Everyone agreed it was a good idea so we approached the rest of the villagers. Every family gave us strong support, so we started to collect donations of food, money and labour, and chose auspicious dates to start work. We restored the Guanyin hall first, then repaired the Jade Emperor’s palace. Finally, of course, we would have to replace the missing statue of the Jade Emperor. We decided to wait until after the rice harvest and stage a grand opening to coincide with the harvest festival.
I told everyone not to worry about the statue of the Jade Emperor, saying I would make a statue myself and bring it to the grand opening. As the time drew nearer my friends kept asking me when I was going to finish the work on the Jade Emperor. I told them not to worry and when the day arrived I went to temple very early in the morning before anyone was up and about, and carried the Emperor back to his temple. The opening day went really well. My long years of waiting were over and my wishes had come true. I was a happy man again.
But less than six months later I was thrown into shock and despair when someone stole the golden statue. We never found out who did it. So we had to replace the original with a copy made of clay.I just had to accept how things had turned out, but it was a terrible loss.
Because our temple is located in the main village in Shaxi it attracts almost every traveler who visits Shibao Mountain. Not just Chinese but also overseas tourists stop to rest at the temple. So we put a great deal of effort into maintaining its structure and appearance. We will always value and protect this sacred place and maintain our faith in the gods. The local people here are devoted and generous and are always willing to work hard to help each other and all the people who pass by.
--As inscribed on marble tablets by a Diantou Village elder - 1982