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.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
C. Patterson Giersch: Asian Borderlands: The Transformation of Qing China's Yunnan Frontier
Yunnan was not always China: indeed not so long ago large parts of Yunnan were only nominally part of the empire. To make Yunnan, outside the main Han cities, a Chinese province required significant effort. Here Giersch's study on Yunnan's hinterland makes an interesting if academic read.
The Dali history museum inside the headquarters of Du Wenxiu.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Third Month Fair | 01 May |
| Yangmei Festival | 01 May |
| May Day | 01 May |
| Migan Festival | 02 May |
| Start of Summer | 05 May |
| Yangbi Jijie Song Festival | 05 May |
| Start of Summer Market | 05 May |
| Start of Summer | 05 May |
| Smelly Water | 05 May |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 05 May |
| Zhetu Flower Street | 06 May |
| Lingbao Mountain Fair | 06 May |
Markets this Wednesday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Haidong | 海东 |
| Shunbi | 順濞 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Shaba | 沙坝 |
| Yinqiao | 银桥 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Zhongying | 种英 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Shanglan | 上兰 |
| Zhouguanying | 周官营 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| 龙街 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Shangcang | 上沧 |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| 西庄 | |
| Gongguoqiao | 功果桥镇 |
| 寅街村 | |
| 顺荡 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Shigu | 石鼓镇 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Zhicun | 芷村镇 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Baiyun | 白云乡 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Tutai | 土台 |
| Hongtian | 红田 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Manglong | 芒龙 |
| Lincang | 临沧 |
|---|---|
| Cangyuan | 沧源佤族自治县 |
| Yalian | 亚练乡 |
| Quannei | 圈内 |
| Shuangjiang | 双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县 |
| Junsai | 军赛乡 |
| Zhenkang | 镇康县 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Shangjiang | 上江 |
| Kaifaqu | 开发区 |