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.
WeiBaDa 维巴达 is a Dai ritual worshipping traces of Buddha, such as footprints and handprints, in Jinggu county 景谷县.
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.
Temple fair in the Fengyu basin.
This old caravan town on the Jinsha River is Yunnan's gateway to Tibet.
John Israel: Lianda: A Chinese University in War and Revolution
Everyone knows about the Mao's Long March, but a few years later another long march took place: that of Chinese students leaving their cushy campuses on the east coast, trekking all the way to Yunnan where their universities reformed as Lianda, the united university. Kunming, then a total backwater, became a hotbed for new ideas, not just scientific. We liked the section of east coast girls scampering around Mengzi in their latest fashion.
Temple fair at the Baohe Temple on the foot of Cangshan
Largest Miao village in the Kunming area with a large Christian community and a nationally-acclaimed church-choir.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Zheng He Cultural Tourism Festival | 11 Jul |
| Zhoucheng Patron Saint Birthday | 12 Jul |
| Danu Festival | 13 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 14 Jul |
| Southern Dipper Ritual | 14 Jul |
| Lizhi Festival | 16 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 18 Jul |
| Flowery Face Festival | 18 Jul |
| Sixth of June | 19 Jul |
| Waxberry Festival | 19 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 19 Jul |
| Benzhu Worship | 19 Jul |
Markets this Tuesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Zhongsuo | 中所 |
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Fuheng | 富恒 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Fengyu | 风羽 |
| Liandong | 炼洞 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Guanping | 关平 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Baofeng | 宝丰乡 |
| Madeng | 马镫 |
| Binju | 宾居 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Shuijing | 水井 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| 果城村 | |
| Liuchang | 刘厂镇 |
| Xinjie | 新街镇 |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Mizhi | 密祉镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Caoba | 草坝镇 |
| Mingjiu | 鸣鹫镇 |
| Wantang | 湾塘乡 |
| Wuwan | 乌弯 |
| Daheigong | 大黑公 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Dayangjie | 大羊街 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Nujiang | 怒江 |
|---|---|
| Gudeng | 古登 |
| Bingzhongluo | 丙中洛 |
| Lishadi | 利沙底乡 |
| Puer | 普洱 |
|---|---|
| Mangxin | 芒信镇 |
| Qiannuo | 千糯 |
| Meizi | 梅子镇 |
| Fubang | 富邦乡 |
| Mujia | 木戛乡 |
| Ankang | 安康佤族乡 |
| Wendong | 文东佤族乡 |
| Wenggake | 翁嘎科镇 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Zhonglu | 中路 |