From Niujiaozhai to Yuanyang
Yuanyang county, south of the Red River in the province's southeast, is famous for its Hani rice-terraces. With its splendid vistas and ethnic mix it is also a great area for hiking. Here we describe a moderate day-hike starting at the market-town of Niujiaozhai, passing through Yi and Hani villages and ending with stunning sunset vistas over the rice-terraces of Longshuba.
Remnants of colour still show on the stone carvings at Shibaoshan, revealing that the Buddhist images were once brightly painted.
Jim Goodman: Living in Shangrila: Tibetans and Mosuo in Northwest Yunnan
Abstract: When Diqing Prefecture, opened its doors to foreign visitors in 1992, tourist agencies and government officials promoted Zhongdian County as the Shangrila of James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. In 2001 the city officially changed its name to Shangrila. On a high plateau of over 3200 meters, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, inhabited mainly by relatively prosperous, friendly and contented Tibetans, with beautiful monasteries, lakes, forests and summer flowers, the county’s scenery and lifestyle certainly bore a strong resemblance to that in the novel. Living in Shangrila describes the life and environment of the Tibetan people throughout Diqing Prefecture. It also examines their neighbors the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality, who adopted Tibetan Buddhism as their religion, but are still mainly a matrilineal society, unique to Yunnan, living around Lugu Lake, the most picturesque body of water in the province. The book includes over 200 photographs.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Special form of ham making in Nanjian.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.
A well preserved small town that grew rich on salt.
Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Worship | 01 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 02 Feb |
| Full Moon Ritual | 02 Feb |
| Start of Spring | 04 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 05 Feb |
| Temaoke | 06 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 10 Feb |
| Daba Spring Festival Evening Party | 16 Feb |
| Lunar New Year's Eve | 16 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship | 16 Feb |
| New Year Ritual | 17 Feb |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| 桥街 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Zhujie | 朱街镇 |
| Shuanglongying | 双龙营乡 |
| Lida | 里达镇 |
| Pingba | 坪坝镇 |
| Matang | 马塘镇 |
| Mugan | 木杆 |
| Zhulin | 珠琳镇 |
| Funing | 富宁县 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Luodang | 洛党 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |