Mei Zhang (author of Travels Through Dali and founder of WildChina Travel)

For our November book club, we’re be reading “Travels Through Dali: with a leg of ham” in preparation for our chat with the author, WildChina founder, Mei Zhang.

Yunnan, at the southernmost tip of China, is a cradle of cultural and culinary diversity. Many people know it as the origin of Shangri-La, but it is also home to the region of Dali, a place that has become synonymous with the province. If you go to Yunnan, you must go to Dali. The region is cherished for its unique food—famed ham, mushrooms varietals, cheese-making (a rarity in China), and rare herbs; temperate climate, surrounding rivers and mountains; ethnic diversity—bordering Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar it has been a cultural blotter; and overwhelming hospitality—many a traveler has settled in Dali having fallen in love with the Old Town.