古镇: Death-knell for Yunnan's Historic Towns
In China even the 'old towns' are new. Under the 古镇, or ancient town, moniker old towns are razed and their population driven out to make space for sanitized versions of Chinese history that drive the tourist dollar.
The temple in Mangdao 芒岛, built in 1899, is one of few surviving examples of Dai Buddhist temples having survived the Cultural Revolution by being converted into grain storage.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
A traditional technique making little figures etc from cloth, in Jianchuan county.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China
Even if Chinese civilization has developed more against than with nature, the Mao years were a particular exercise in environmental destruction. In one case-study Shapiro tells the story of the draining of the northern part of Dianchi Lake, one of the first steps turning Kunming's lake into the fetid cess-pool it is today.
Sculpture making in the Dali region.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Litang Horse Racing | 01 Aug |
| Mizhi Torch Festival | 07 Aug |
| Worship the Tree God | 07 Aug |
| Zhoucheng Torch Festival | 07 Aug |
| Dragon Boat Races | 07 Aug |
| Shaxi Torch Festival | 07 Aug |
| Haixihai Songfest | 07 Aug |
| Dengchuan Torch Festival | 07 Aug |
| Changmei Festival | 07 Aug |
| Benzhu Worship | 07 Aug |
| Start of Autumn | 07 Aug |
| Dali Torch Festival | 07 Aug |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Wanqiao | 湾桥 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| 桥街 | |
| Caifeng | 财丰 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Miaojie | 庙街镇 |
| Houshancun | 后山村 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| 三胜 | |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| 三鹤 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街镇 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Pingba | 坪坝镇 |
| Matang | 马塘镇 |
| Shadou | 沙斗 |
| Nijiao | 腻脚彝族乡 |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Tienpeng | 田蓬镇 |
| Donggan | 董干镇 |
| Jiumo | 旧莫乡 |