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.
A Lahu minority Christian service in a hill village near Menglian.
Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi
In the first half of the 1990s Lijiang had barely made its appearance on the Chinese tourism stage, even less so the then remote mountains of Ningland and Lugu Lake. Jim Goodman's account of the Naxi and the Yi draws back to a time where not everything was staged for mass tourism: an account of a lost world.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Locally important temple.
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.
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.
Azhali is a historic branch of Buddhism with strong Bai local characteristics.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Dai New Year | 18 Nov |
| New Moon Ritual | 20 Nov |
| Anniversary of Dali Bai Autonomous Region Foundation | 22 Nov |
| Slight Snow | 22 Nov |
| Yiyi Festival | 22 Nov |
| Meige Festival | 27 Nov |
| Mother Earth Worship | 27 Nov |
| Yi New Year | 29 Nov |
| Street Banquet | 30 Nov |
| Hani New Year | 01 Dec |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 02 Dec |
| Full Moon Ritual | 04 Dec |
Markets this Wednesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Shunbi | 順濞 |
| Shaba | 沙坝 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Zhongying | 种英 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Shanglan | 上兰 |
| Zhouguanying | 周官营 |
| 龙街 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Shangcang | 上沧 |
| Gongguoqiao | 功果桥镇 |
| 顺荡 | |
| 西庄 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| 寅街村 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Zhicun | 芷村镇 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Baiyun | 白云乡 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Tutai | 土台 |
| Hongtian | 红田 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Kaifaqu | 开发区 |