Learning Bai
Bai 白族话 is the language spoken by the Bai people 白族 in the Dali area. While Chinese has become the lingua franca, Bai is still actively spoken by many, particularly older people, but it does not have a native written form and comes in many dialects. Here we list the available resources for learning this difficult language.
In Huize, the old capital of copper in Yunnan, many splendid guildhalls survive.
Jim Goodman: The Terrace Builders: The Hani and their Neighbors in Yunnan's Ailao Mountains
Abstract: The rice terraces of the Ailao Mountains in southern Yunnan province, China, are some of the oldest terraced farms in Asia. First mentioned in Tang Dynasty records, these farms, 80% of which are irrigated, with water running through them all year round, have been in continuous use for over a thousand years. In 2013 UNESCO declared the heartland of this area a World Heritage Site. The Terrace Builders is a detailed account of how these farms are made and used, the cities and mountains of Honghe Prefecture and the far north of Vietnam, as well as the various ethnic minorities who live there. The book pays special attention to the Hani people, the largest ethnic group in the area, and includes summaries of the culture and clothing of their neighbors the Yi, Miao, Yao, Zhuang and Dai. The book includes 300 photos of the land and its people.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Yunlong's famous bridges.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
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.
Sculpture making in the Dali region.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Miluoqimi Fair | 23 Feb |
| Benzhu Worship (Binchuan) | 28 Feb |
| Receiving the Village Protector | 28 Feb |
| Receiving the Village Protector | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Benzhu Festival | 28 Feb |
| Welcoming the Benzhu | 01 Mar |
| Dragon King | 01 Mar |
| Benzhu Festival | 01 Mar |
| Yang Village Songfest | 01 Mar |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| 青苗 | |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Niujiaozhai | 牛角寨 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Badaoshao | 八道哨乡 |
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Heizhiguo | 黑支果乡 |
| Boai | 剥隘镇 |
| Dongma | 董马乡 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Xinzhai | 新寨乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |