Dancing under the Moonlight: the Costume Festival of Zhizuo
As villages go, Zhizuo could hardly be more remote. Some 70km from the county town, first along a winding mountain road, then on a deeply rutted track without public transport: even in the dry season it takes several hours and a bit of stamina to reach. Yet, at least on the first full moon of the year, the effort is worth it, as Zhizuo holds one of Yunnan's most colourful festivals, the Dress Competition Festival or Caizhuangjie 赛装节.
The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Fog swirling on a cold winter morning over endless rice-terraces, the red of the
early morning sun reflected in the flooded paddies: this is the classic view of the
Hani Rice Terraces of Yuanyang, now of UNESCO World Heritage status.
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.
Mountain area north of Erhai.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| Temple Fair | 28 May |
| Walnut Valley Culture Festival | 28 May |
| Manlong Buckwheat Festival | 30 May |
| Butterfly Festival | 31 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 31 May |
| Full Moon Ritual | 31 May |
| Butterfly Spring Meeting | 31 May |
| Yongping Wenbi Pagoda Ceremony | 31 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Midu) | 31 May |
| Benzhu Worship | 01 Jun |
| Guniangjie | 03 Jun |
Markets this Friday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Xiangtu | 象图乡 |
| Hecun | 萂村 |
| Jiancao | 捡槽 |
| Waxi | 瓦溪 |
| Gunipen | 沽泥盆 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Pingchuan | 平川 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Wuxing | 五星 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Yangbi | 漾濞彝族自治县 |
| Baidangping | 白荡坪 |
| Shaxi | 沙溪 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Yousuo | 右所镇 |
| Xishan | 西山乡 |
| 大栗树 | |
| Jijie | 鸡街乡 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| Wachang | 瓦厂乡 |
| 汤涧 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Xinhua | 新华乡 |
| Lengdun | 冷墩 |
| Lengquan | 冷泉镇 |
| Dongshan | 东山镇 |
| Shalatuo | 沙拉托 |
| Shitouzhai | 石头寨 |
| Panzihua | 攀枝花 |
| Tongchang | 铜厂 |
| Zhemi | 者米拉祜族乡 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Jiangcheng | 江城哈尼族彝族自治县 |
| Jiahe | 嘉禾乡 |
| Meizi | 梅子镇 |
| Yongping | 永平镇 |
| Meng'a | 孟啊 |