Dali Pottery and Cooking Class: Learn with Local Masters

Make pottery by hand, then cook a meal with a local family in one afternoon

A six-hour pottery and cooking class in Jingtian Village near Dali where you learn from local artisans and a family cook, make a ceramic piece to take home, and prepare a meal together. You choose pottery alone, cooking alone, or both experiences in a single day. A live English-speaking guide leads the class.

The experience

Six hours gives you time for both a pottery session with a local master and a cooking class with a family, or you can go deep into one. The pottery part is hands-on: you work clay at the wheel or by hand, learning the techniques the Bai ethnic potters have used for generations. What you make is yours to carry home. The cooking class happens in a family kitchen where you prepare dishes alongside someone who cooks this way every day, with all materials provided.

Jingtian Village is built around traditional craftsmanship, and the setup lets you move between two different skills without rushing either one. The guide speaks English throughout, so you understand what you're doing and why. You're not watching a demonstration. You're the one shaping clay and chopping vegetables. Infants can sit on an adult's lap, and specialized infant seats are available if you need one.

What’s included

• Pottery experience with a local master.
• cooking class with a local family and all cooking materials.
• your handmade ceramic piece to take home.
• live English-speaking guide for the full six hours.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to1h before

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Infant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Discovery more

Is this one for you?The six-hour length fits both pottery and cooking into one afternoon, but leaves the morning and evening free for other parts of Dali. If you want to spend the whole day on a single craft, you can book just one and use the remaining time elsewhere.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can I do just pottery or just cooking, or do I have to do both?

You choose. The six-hour window lets you take the pottery experience alone, the cooking class alone, or both in the same day. You decide at booking which one fits your schedule.

What exactly do I make in the pottery part?

You work with a local master to shape clay, either at the wheel or by hand depending on what you want to try. The piece you make is yours to take home as a souvenir.

Is the cooking class a real meal or a demonstration?

You cook alongside a local family member in their kitchen, preparing dishes together with all the ingredients and tools provided. You're doing the work, not watching.

Do I need any experience with pottery or cooking?

No. The local master and family cook teach from the beginning, and the guide in English helps you understand each step. The class is built for people trying these skills for the first time.

How do I get to Jingtian Village?

Public transportation options are available nearby. The class does not include hotel transfer, so you'll arrange your own way to the village or use local transport from central Dali.