Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


The Bai in Early Chinese Minority Film

After Liberation in 1949 Chinese cinema became a propaganda medium for the New China. The 1950 saw cinemas spreading to all towns, showing movies meant to increase the socialist spirit and fostering national unit. China's ethnic minorities often featured in these films before the Cultural Revolution. Only after its end played ethnic minority themes a role again. Here we look at films from before 2000 that feature the Bai minority.




WeiBaDa 维巴达 is a Dai ritual worshipping traces of Buddha, such as footprints and handprints, in Jinggu county 景谷县.


Brenda McLean: George Forrest, Plant Hunter

Cover Image
George Forrest, perhaps the most successful plant collector of his time, left little written about his numerous journeys to Yunnan, so this well-illustrated book fills in much needed detail about his life.


A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.

Fei Hsiao-Tung and Chang Chih-I: Earthbound China: A Study of Rural Economy in Yunnan

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Fei is the father of modern sociology in China: western-trained, he came to Yunnan at the end of the 1930s when China's eastern universities relocated west. In "Earthbound China" he applied modern empirical techniques that he had pioneered around Shanghai to the Chinese hinterland. The economical development, and subsequent societal changes, of three un-named, but typical villages in Yunnan is analyzed in great detail in this fascinating study.


This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.

Markets this Friday

Kunming 昆明
Wumeng 乌蒙乡
Tuanjie 团结
Jinsuo 金所乡

Dali 大理
Duomei 朵美
Xiangtu 象图乡
Hecun 萂村
Junhua 均化
Jiancao 捡槽
Waxi 瓦溪
Gunipen 沽泥盆
Pingchuan 平川
Wuxing 五星
Caicun 才村
Dali 大理
Liuhe 六合
Heqing 鹤庆县
Baidangping 白荡坪
Yangbi 漾濞彝族自治县
Shaxi 沙溪
Yousuo 右所镇
大栗树
Jijie 鸡街乡
果城村
Wachang 瓦厂乡
Xinjie 新街镇
Mizhi 密祉镇
龙洞村
Shalong 沙龙镇
汤涧
Xiazhuang 下庄镇
Xishan 西山乡
Liuchang 刘厂镇

Honghe 红河
Xinhua 新华乡
Lengdun 冷墩
Lengquan 冷泉镇
Dongshan 东山镇
Shitouzhai 石头寨
Mengping 勐坪

Wenshan 文山
Lida 里达镇
Zhujie 朱街镇
Shuanglongying 双龙营乡
Mugan 木杆
Zhulin 珠琳镇
Funing 富宁县

Chuxiong 楚雄
Dalongkou 大龙口乡
Qianchang 前场镇
Mixing 弥兴镇
Jiuchang 九厂
Guihua 桂花乡

Baoshan 保山市
Zhonghe 中和
Bawan 坝湾镇
Mangkuan 芒宽彝族傣族乡

Lincang 临沧
Luodang 洛党
Menglai 勐来乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuanghe 双河

Yuxi 玉溪
Chahe 岔河
Dalongtan 大龙潭

Nujiang 怒江
Chenggan 称杆
Daxingdi 大兴地乡
Zilijia 子里甲乡

Puer 普洱
Donghui 东回镇
Fubang 富邦乡
Meizi 梅子镇
Menglian 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县
Xuelin 雪林佤族乡
Mujia 木戛乡
Mengsuo 勐梭镇
Ankang 安康佤族乡
Wendong 文东佤族乡

Diqing 迪庆
Zhonglu 中路