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.
Since its foundation by the charismatic scholar Xuan Ke 宣科 in the 1980s, the Naxi Ancient Music Association has been performing regularly in the old town of Lijiang.
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.
Yi embroidery.
Yunnan's only Shui-Township with stunning karst scenery.
Liao Yiwu: God is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China
Liao Yiwu, one of China's most prominent dissidents, was driven out of China, but not before he used a period of internal exile to research Christian groups, mainly in Yunnan. In this book he tells the stories of the Christians of Dali and of Wuding county.
Nuodeng is an ancient Bai salt producing village in Yunlong.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Gedong | 14 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Jan |
| Pulling the Wooden Drum | 19 Jan |
| New Moon Ritual | 19 Jan |
| Great Cold | 20 Jan |
| Kuoshi Lisu New Year | 23 Jan |
| Wuxi Festival | 24 Jan |
| "Replenish Provisions" Ritual | 24 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 26 Jan |
| Lingshan Temple Fair | 26 Jan |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 27 Jan |
| Long Table Feast | 27 Jan |
Markets this Thursday
| Kunming | 昆明 |
|---|---|
| Banqiao | 板桥乡 |
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Nanxin | 南新 |
| Yangcen | 羊岑 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Maidi | 脉地 |
| Fengyi | 凤仪 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Gudi | 古底 |
| Yongjian | 永连 |
| Wase | 挖色 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Qiaohou | 乔后 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Daying | 大营 |
| Taiyi | 太邑彝族乡 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Zhongjiang | 中江 |
| Qiaodian | 乔甸镇 |
| 蛇街 | |
| 太和社区 | |
| Shidongcun | 石洞村 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| 果城村 | |
| 妙姑村 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Jindunjiecun | 金墩街村 |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Luming | 鹿鸣乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| 鲁庄 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Judian | 巨甸镇 |
| Xishuangbanna | 西双版纳 |
|---|---|
| Xiding | 西定哈尼族乡 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Dianwei | 甸尾乡 |
| Sancun | 三村 |
| Heping | 和平乡 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Baixian | 白显 |
| Yuxi | 玉溪 |
|---|---|
| Xingmeng | 兴蒙 |
| Hexi | 河西 |
| Fuliangpeng | 富良棚 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Weideng | 维登 |