1875: Death of a British Diplomat
After Britain's 1852 annexation of lower Burma lucrative trade with China through its back-door seemed more than a distant possibility. But after a successful first mission up the Irrawaddy and into Yunnan in 1868, the second British mission six years later ended in tragedy.
In Huize, the old capital of copper in Yunnan, many splendid guildhalls survive.
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.
Historic ancestral hall north of Pingchuan.
With its well-preserved architecture and tranquil atmosphere, Weishan's capital is Yunnan's most beautiful county town.
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.
Shaxi is the most complete historic ensemble of a caravan town in Yunnan.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Xiangtu) | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Festival | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship | 11 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 11 Mar |
| Tianmoya Temple Fair | 12 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 14 Mar |
| Zhaoxia Mountain Temple Fair | 15 Mar |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 16 Mar |
| Men's Festival | 17 Mar |
Markets this Wednesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Shunbi | 順濞 |
| Shaba | 沙坝 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Caicun | 才村 |
| Dali | 大理 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Dacang | 大仓镇 |
| Shuanglang | 双廊镇 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Zhongying | 种英 |
| Shanglan | 上兰 |
| Zhouguanying | 周官营 |
| 龙洞村 | |
| 西庄 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Shangcang | 上沧 |
| Gongguoqiao | 功果桥镇 |
| 顺荡 | |
| Xiazhuang | 下庄镇 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| 龙街 | |
| Shalong | 沙龙镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Liming | 黎明 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Zhicun | 芷村镇 |
| Mengla | 勐拉 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Baiyun | 白云乡 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Tutai | 土台 |
| Maandi | 马鞍底 |
| Hongtian | 红田 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Kaifaqu | 开发区 |
| 岩瓦 |