Xu Xiake 徐霞客 in Dali
Xu Xiake (1586 - 1641) was China's first travel blogger. During the third lunar month in 1639 he travelled through Dali and recorded his experiences in his diary, posthumously published as 徐霞客游记. Is it still possible to retrace Xu's steps on the Dali plain?
The firing of self-made rockets is one of the fun parts of the Dai Watersplashing Festival 泼水节.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Small Benzhu shrine, used for rituals on the third day of Raosanling.
An unspoilt Tibetan area along the Zhibaluo River.
Ronald G. Knapp: China's Old Dwellings
Few people know as much about Chinese architecture as Knapp: from palaces to humble homes he explains important building principles; the connection between environment and housing styles and the development of style over time. A section on minority housing styles complements the book.
Yi embroidery.
Unspoiled Weishan boast Yunnan's most beautiful county town, an important Taoist mountain and areas of strong Muslim and Yi tradition.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Walnut Festival | 01 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 05 Sep |
| Circling the Mountain | 06 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 06 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship | 06 Sep |
| White Dew | 07 Sep |
| Shibaoshan Songfest | 08 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 09 Sep |
| Sigunai Temple Fair | 09 Sep |
| Teachers' Day | 10 Sep |
| New Moon Ritual | 11 Sep |
| Benzhu Worship (Fengyu Area) | 11 Sep |
Markets this Sunday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Jiuzhou | 旧州 |
| Shanyang | 衫阳 |
| Sanying | 三营 |
| Xintun | 辛屯 |
| Qinghua | 清华 |
| Yunlong | 云龙县 |
| Songgui | 松桂 |
| Binchuan | 宾川县 |
| Beitou | 北头 |
| Liantie | 炼铁 |
| Lawu | 拉乌 |
| Changxin | 长新 |
| Jianchuan | 剑川县 |
| Caojian | 漕间 |
| Niujie | 牛街 |
| Pingpo | 平坡 |
| Eryuan | 洱源县 |
| Huangping | 黄平镇 |
| Junhuacun | 均华村 |
| Minjian | 民建乡 |
| Hedian | 禾甸镇 |
| Hongyan | 红岩镇 |
| 青苗 | |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| Niujie | 牛街彝族乡 |
| Qinghaiying | 青海营 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Shengcun | 生村 |
| Pingbian | 屏边苗族自治县 |
| Diema | 垤玛 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Mengzi | 蒙自县 |
| Liangdi | 浪堤 |
| Chake | 岔科 |
| Jiayin | 甲寅 |
| Azhahe | 阿扎河 |
| Jiache | 架车 |
| Baohua | 宝华 |
| Luoen | 洛恩 |
| Yongning | 永宁乡 |
| Zhongzhai | 中寨 |
| Laomeng | 老勐 |
| Wenshan | 文山 |
|---|---|
| Guangnan | 广南县 |
| Puyang | 普阳 |
| Banlun | 板仑乡 |
| Pingyuan | 平远 |
| Zhesang | 者桑乡 |
| Shupi | 树皮彝族乡 |
| Xichou | 西畴县 |
| Babao | 八宝镇 |
| Baoshan | 保山市 |
|---|---|
| Xiaopingtian | 小平田 |
| Wama | 瓦马彝族白族乡 |
| Tengchong | 腾冲县 |
| Diqing | 迪庆 |
|---|---|
| Shangjiang | 上江 |