Testimonials from past tour group members

Please thank our embroidery teacher for the beautiful, double-sided embroidery project taught with such skill and patience. I felt I was there not only to learn the technique but also the teaching style.

My thanks also to Yang for the huge amount of effort required in preparing the curricula and materials for the classes on the various Miao embroidery techniques and in finding the artists/teachers to instruct us and the villages for us to visit to experience the differences in clothing designs and styles. It was an unforgettable experience, visiting and relating to the Miao people and their heritage.

Last, but not least, our thanks to Jin for his solutions to the intricacies involved in a complex itinerary, and for selecting the menu items for our lunches and dinners. It really was a gourmet experience. The meals were delicious, plentiful, varied and safe. All in all, it was a very special trip, well conceived and executed. Thank you for making it possible. I'm already envious of the people preparing for the next trip.

It was a dream trip for me after being away for 58 years. I can't wait to return again with Pat and Jin as my intrepid leaders. 

Betty Chen Louis
Westfield, NJ 
January 2004 traveler

After the stay in Beijing, we took an airplane ride to Guiyang, Guizhou and then a 3-hour bus ride on to Kaili.  Guizhou is one of the most remote provinces in China and it was the last one opened up to Westerners. So traveling there is still not easy. In Kaili, we learned 16 embroidery techniques in 4 class sessions and we traveled by bus out to Miao villages to see them wear their unique ethnic clothing, perform their music and dances, and see how they live.  And we had many opportunities to buy embroideries, textiles, and native jewelry. 

All in all, an experience I will always treasure.

B. Catherine Kozlowski
West Lafayette, IN
January 2004 traveler

Having just returned from 21 days on the Silk Road with Pat Dalton, I can say that it was the adventure of a lifetime. The theme of the tour was textiles and embroidery - and Pat clearly is expert -- but participants didn't have to be steeped in those subjects to enjoy the trip. I was particularly impressed with Pat's on-the-ground network of guides and Chinese friends. All were unfailingly informative, pleasant and professional. In a country where "relationships" are essential to getting things done, Pat enjoys friendships and relationships built over her 18 years of travel in China. This made for delightful visits with some of her friends. It also made logistics work smoothly - a huge statement, as anyone who has traveled abroad (much less, to the remote reaches of China!) can attest. Dalton's tour took us to exotic, remote places that would be extremely difficult to visit on one's own. The pace is grueling but totally do-able. You can sleep when you get home!

My interests were different from those who are interested in the fabrics and embroidery of China. But I found that I too became more interested and I think I'll at least start doing some beading when a class becomes available as I bought several beads and other items in the markets that I can take apart and use.

For me, the many cultures we saw and learned about was my peak experience.  It makes me want to read more about the minorities and their influence on China. I was not aware that such a small percentage of the population of China has such a great influence. It was good to know that the government of China is trying to preserve these groups. In fact, I'm very impressed with what I saw that the government is doing, especially in making tourism such a priority.  And, of course, our very special visit with Mr. He and purchasing his books added to my desire to know more about his Bai ethnic group.  And you , my friend, developed such a great tour and it cost us so little.  Carolyn and I had tea the other day and talked about the price of the tour, wondering how you were able to give us so much for so little.  

Thanks again for our wonderful tour,

It has been three months since we returned to Canada and we're already talking about when the next trip will be. Your China tour was an excellent introduction into a country that is filled with unlimited cultural experiences. The itinerary was tailored to all interests even though the focus was on the arts and crafts. Your choice of accommodation, restaurants, and guides was excellent. We have compared notes with friends who went on tours of China and the feedback is that we definitely received the best value for what we saw and did - and this was even after having to convert our Canadian dollars into US. We are normally independent travelers who are not prone to joining in with a group; however, your tour came with such a strong recommendation from a friend that we couldn't resist. Your web site was excellent in giving us the initial details and when we received your incredibly thick information package by mail, we were hooked. It is impressive to see how much personal attention you give to each participant. Thank you so much for a wonderful experience that will hopefully be the first of many in this fascinating country! 

Kindest Regards, 

I have been reflecting on my tour of China, looking at the pictures, reading Mr. He's book and feeling so fortunate that I had the wisdom to select your tour for my China experience. Nothing could have prepared me for the depth of emotions I felt in every city, village and the people I encountered throughout our journey. 

As I look at the faces of the elderly ladies and men and precious children we met in Dali and Kunming, my life has been enriched a thousand fold. I honor the Chinese people for their ability to have survived all the adversity they experienced during the rule of Mao Tse-Tung and Cultural Revolution. 

When I compare what the American people have experienced in our 200-year history, I feel we have little to compare with the cultural life in China. I can praise your choice of cultural exposure in a thousand words. Your planning and in depth program of travel far surpasses any other tour I have taken since my first tour in 1984. Your attention to details and the ease with which we were able to process each part of the trip was exceptional. There was both planned itinerary and flexibility on every segment of the trip. I had thought walking on the Great Wall would be the highlight of my trip as that had been a lifetime dream. 

Now, considering the overall journey, I find the trip to Lijiang and Dali, meeting Mr. He, meeting the people of Xizhou village and visiting the children's kindergarten, seeing Mr. Yang's bound foot slippers, and traveling the Wu Gorge and Yangtze River Gorge, barely opened my eyes to the diversity of the people of China. 

When my mind has time to digest and formulate all my feelings about this wonderful experience, I will write you a full account. I am happy with my photos and the gifts I purchased. 

You and your national guide, Jin Xu Tao made my experience of traveling in China the best trip a person could hope for. I hope we can find a way to bring him and his family to the USA for a visit. 

In love and appreciation, 

Dear Pat,
It's already been more than a month since we returned from our fabulous trip to China with you; it says something about the impressiveness of that experience that we 'still have China on our brains'! We find ourselves constantly talking about it, I suppose because of the deep and favorable impression it made on us. Having traveled in many parts of the former Soviet Union on five occasions (four times as a tour leader), to western Europe at least that often and recently to South America I can honestly say that our travel to China with you was one of the most memorable. You certainly deserve kudos for having arranged such a fascinating itinerary, and for having the kind of organizational skills that insures everything we expected, and more, came off without a hitch. I think the fact that you have an excellent and continuing relationship with Jin, our national guide, and the fact that your groups are much smaller than the usual China tours, contributed to the sense that everything was well planned. Well planned, yes, but not set in stone, so spontaneous changes were possible to meet fellow traveler's preferences. We have compared notes with friends who've visited China, and everyone turns slightly green when they hear about all the interesting and unusual places our tour included.

I also can't resist saying that when Thelma and I first discovered Dalton Textile Tours and began seriously comparing your tour with others, we of course were impressed by the fact that your costs per day were less than others (and you use five star hotels at most places!), and that your itinerary would take us to more places in China that could be characterized as 'off-the-beaten-path.' But, as a 'non-stitching man' I confess that I harbored a slight concern that the tour might emphasize textiles and embroidery so much as to lose my interest. On hindsight, though, I clearly recognize that neither I nor other men in our group ever felt that there was too much emphasis on embroidery and textiles. On the contrary, I felt that I learned a lot about this important art form in China, and developed a new appreciation for the exquisitely detailed needlework achieved by skilled artists/crafts people. The visits to the Textile Museum and to John Collin's workshop in Suzhou were truly eye-popping events. I didn't realize that a person such as myself, knowing nothing about the subject in advance, could develop a deep appreciation for these impressive works of art. I'll still probably not begin to fondle needles and thread, but I'm mighty glad I learned about the amazing double sided embroidery as well as other impressive Chinese textile art. 

There is much more I could say, but to avoid exhausting you with my words I'll remark on just a few other things. I'm really glad we went to the minority areas of southwestern China (Yunnan Province), and especially that we got to see places such as Kunming, Dali and Lijiang! Not only did those places impress me with their outstanding natural beauty but we also had the opportunity to see the Bai, Naxi and Tibetan peoples. Meeting one of the Bai leaders, Mr. He LiYi, in Dali at his cross cultural cafe was a highlight! In response to my emails I have received return mail from this gentle and brave man (author of "Mr. China's Son: A Villager's Life") and expect to remain in contact with him for many years to come. 

I also want to note how pleased both Thelma and I were to have such an interesting and comfortable cruise on the Yangtze River. It was a privilege to see the Three Gorges on the Yangtze as well as the gigantic Three Gorges Dam that will eventually flood the upstream gorges. We also will always remember the unusual adventure at Shennong Stream--being pulled through the sparklingly clear water by trackers heaving on ropes and skillfully using their poles. 

Finally, I'll add that, of course, everyone who visits Xian wants to see the terra cotta soldiers, horses, etc.; we too looked forward to and were quite touched by what we saw there. But Thelma and I feel we had another very special and unexpected experience in the Xian area; thank you for having arranged a visit to the village where we met farmer (peasant) painters. Seeing and being able to purchase some of their simple but beautiful work was valuable in itself; but even better was the very human., heart-warming encounter we all had with the beautiful, curious and friendly children of that village.

In sum, our April, 2001 tour with you was truly unforgettable and we'd recommend it with enthusiasm to anyone who wants a China tour filled with adventure, people-to-people contact, and beautiful scenery.

Best wishes in your future travel plans.

Sincerely,

Bill Wiest
April 2001 traveler
Portland, OR

In addition we visited three small villages in southwestern China where we experienced life with various minority nationalities: the Bai, the Naxi, and the Tibetans. What a privilege to visit the famous Buddhist Temple identified as Shangri-La--where we met two Living Buddhas. We were also able to see first hand the life style of those living in rural China; the farmers who still work the land in the traditional manner. In Dali we had a most meaningful experience: we had dinner at the cafe of Mr. He Liyi, the author of Mr. China's Son--his compelling autobiography of his life under the Cultural Revolution.

What makes Pat's tours special is the occasional "textile" experiences. Textiles and embroidery are an integral part of the Chinese history and culture and so any China tour should include these, but Pat has contacts that are off the beaten tourist track--and are of special interest to the needleworker. At the same time, those on our tour who were not stitchers found these stops edifying, too. We visited a tie-dye factory, rug making, a silk mill, the Silk Embroidery Institute in Suzhou, and for me the highlight of the trip, a visit to John Collins workshop in Suzhou where gifted embroiderers produce some of the finest double sided embroideries available today.

Pat Dalton has devised a most gratifying China experience, with excellent Chinese guides, a variety of travel experiences, well planned menus with various Chinese specialties, and a stop at everything one would want to see in China.

Gail Sirna
Rochester, MI
April 2001 Traveler