Yunnan - China's most beautiful province


The Bai in Early Chinese Minority Film

After Liberation in 1949 Chinese cinema became a propaganda medium for the New China. The 1950 saw cinemas spreading to all towns, showing movies meant to increase the socialist spirit and fostering national unit. China's ethnic minorities often featured in these films before the Cultural Revolution. Only after its end played ethnic minority themes a role again. Here we look at films from before 2000 that feature the Bai minority.




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


Brenda McLean: George Forrest, Plant Hunter

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George Forrest, perhaps the most successful plant collector of his time, left little written about his numerous journeys to Yunnan, so this well-illustrated book fills in much needed detail about his life.


A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.

Fog swirling on a cold winter morning over endless rice-terraces, the red of the early morning sun reflected in the flooded paddies: this is the classic view of the Hani Rice Terraces of Yuanyang, now of UNESCO World Heritage status.


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.


The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.

Markets this Tuesday

Kunming 昆明
Jiulong 九龙乡

Dali 大理
Zhongsuo 中所
Fuheng 富恒
Liandong 炼洞
Yongping 永平县
Fengyu 风羽
Wanqiao 湾桥
Haidong 海东
Longjie 龙街
Guanping 关平
Longjie 龙街
Baofeng 宝丰乡
Madeng 马镫
Binju 宾居
Shuijing 水井
Huangping 黄平镇
Zhongjiang 中江
Jindunjiecun 金墩街村
Puping 普淜镇
Deju 德苴乡
Beiya 北衙

Lijiang 丽江
Shunzhou 顺州

Honghe 红河
Niujiaozhai 牛角寨
Caoba 草坝镇
Wantang 湾塘乡
Mingjiu 鸣鹫镇
Longwu 龙武镇
Sankeshu 三棵树
Dayangjie 大羊街
Dixibei 地西北

Wenshan 文山
Badaoshao 八道哨乡
Jiayi 稼依镇
Heizhiguo 黑支果乡
Boai 剥隘镇
Dongma 董马乡
Xinzhai 新寨乡

Chuxiong 楚雄
Gaoqiao 高桥镇
Shizhong 适中乡
Dalongkou 大龙口乡

Baoshan 保山市
Zhonghe 中和
Bawan 坝湾镇
Mangkuan 芒宽彝族傣族乡

Lincang 临沧
Menglai 勐来乡
Fengqing 凤庆县
Yalian 亚练乡

Qujing 曲靖市
Baiwu 白雾
Daba 大坝
Daqiao 大桥乡
Leye 乐业镇
Malu 马路乡
Zhehai 者海镇
Zhichang 纸厂乡

Zhaotong 昭通
Linfeng 麟风
Shuitian 水田

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
Gudeng 古登
Bingzhongluo 丙中洛
Lishadi 利沙底乡

Puer 普洱
Donghui 东回镇
Meizi 梅子镇
Menglian 孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县
Xuelin 雪林佤族乡
Mengsuo 勐梭镇
Wenggake 翁嘎科镇