Zhou Old Business Town
Located outside of Yunnan Dali City, the Zhou Village is a beautiful and unique village populated by the Bai Ethnic Minority Group. The village is situated at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, which adds to the beauty of it. The village is famous throughout China for its rich history of traditional Chinese tie-dying.
The tie-dying of Zhou Village uses needle and thread to dye the cloth and not knots. The cloth is pinched and creased into patterns and sewn together. The patterns can be incredibly detailed and range from simple flowers and birds, to complex depictions of mythological beasts, landscapes, Chinese characters and artworks. Once the white cloth is sewn, it is soaked in water and then dipped into a cobalt blue dye. The cloth is taken out, allowed to dry and the process is repeated until the desired color is achieved. Traditionally, only blue dye was used, but now other colors are sometimes used. The blue dye is natural and is made from the root of the Isatis plant. The dyed products include a huge range, including; bedding, clothing, bags, curtains, and wall-hangings.
