US family follows its dream south of the clouds

Boutique hotel doubles as cultural center promoting ethnic group

Yunnan province has long been a magnet for travelers looking for a taste of China's exotic ethnic cultures. Few, however, have followed their passion as far as Brian Linden.

For a decade, he has devoted himself to promoting the arts, crafts and way of life of the Bai people. Visitors come from far and wide to stay at his Linden Center, an institution he has dedicated to the ethnic group in the small town of Xizhou. Along the way, he has forged links with top universities in both China and his native United States.