Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


The Old Bridges Across the Longjiang

The Old Bridges Across the Longjiang

Many old bridges still span the Longjiang River in western Yunnan. 




The watermills in Fengqing's Gumo village operate just like a thousand years ago.


Jim Goodman: Children of the Jade Dragon: the Naxi of Lijiang and their mountain neighbours the Yi

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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.

Dali's dragon boat races were held on the day of the Torch Festival.



Best surviving station on the French-built Vietnam-Kunming railway.


Judith Shapiro: Mao's War Against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China

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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.


Traditional Bai vernacular architecture with buildings to three sides and a screenwall.



The turn of the Yangzi made Chinese civilization possible and was the location of many important battles.

Markets this Thursday

Kunming 昆明
Banqiao 板桥乡

Dali 大理
Nanxin 南新
Yangcen 羊岑
Niujie 牛街
Wanqiao 湾桥
Maidi 脉地
Qinghua 清华
Gudi 古底
Taiyi 太邑彝族乡
Qiaohou 乔后
Daying 大营
Huangping 黄平镇
Niujie 牛街
Zhongjiang 中江
Puping 普淜镇
果城村
Qiaodian 乔甸镇
Beiya 北衙
鲁庄
Liuchang 刘厂镇
Xinjie 新街镇
太和社区
Mizhi 密祉镇
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村

Lijiang 丽江
Shunzhou 顺州

Xishuangbanna 西双版纳
Xiding 西定哈尼族乡

Honghe 红河
Nafa 那发
Dianwei 甸尾乡
Heping 和平乡
Jiache 架车
Longwu 龙武镇
Zhongzhai 中寨
Baixian 白显

Wenshan 文山
Puyang 普阳
Funing 富宁县
Shupi 树皮彝族乡
Xichou 西畴县

Chuxiong 楚雄
Jiyi 己衣乡
Shizhong 适中乡
Tanhua 昙花乡
Sanchahe 三岔河乡
Dongpo 东坡傣族乡
Guanglu 光路镇

Baoshan 保山市
Hehua 荷花傣族佤族乡
Xinzhai 新寨

Lincang 临沧
Luodang 洛党
Mengding 孟定
Nanmei 南美拉祜族乡
Banhong 班洪乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Wopo 窝坡
Dahai 大海乡
Huohong 火红乡
Nagu 娜姑镇
迤车

Zhaotong 昭通
Shuitian 水田
Linfeng 麟风

Yuxi 玉溪
Mosha 漠沙镇
Yani 亚尼
Yuanjiang 元江哈尼族彝族傣族自治县
Nanuo 那诺乡

Nujiang 怒江
Jiakedi 架科底乡
Pihe 匹河怒族乡
Dimaluo

Puer 普洱
Nuofu 糯福
Dashan 大山乡
Mengma 孟马镇
Fubang 富邦乡
Mujia 木戛乡
Ankang 安康佤族乡
Wendong 文东佤族乡