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?
Hand-made giant sparklers, called "Fire Flowers" 火花, are part of the firework displays for temple fairs in Menglian county.
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.
A number of Chinese historic texts covering life and politics in Yunnan have survived over the centuries. I have translated a few of them.
Large Benzhu temple above Shangyangxi village.
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.
Bai architecture style.
The Danxia, or red sandstore, cliffs around Liming are a hikers' and climbers' paradise that is just now being discovered.
Upcoming Festivals
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Hani New Year | 14 Nov |
| Meige Festival | 16 Nov |
| Mother Earth Worship | 16 Nov |
| Leonid Meteor Shower | 17 Nov |
| Dai New Year | 18 Nov |
| Benzhu Worship (Jianchuan Area) | 21 Nov |
| Anniversary of Dali Bai Autonomous Region Foundation | 22 Nov |
| Slight Snow | 22 Nov |
| Yiyi Festival | 22 Nov |
| Full Moon Ritual | 23 Nov |
| Benzhu Worship | 23 Nov |
| Yongning Mule Fair | 23 Nov |
Markets this Saturday
| Dali | 大理 |
|---|---|
| Junhua | 均化 |
| Zhoucheng | 州城 |
| Duomei | 朵美 |
| Yongping | 永平县 |
| Lijiao | 力角 |
| Paiying | 排营 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Shijing | 师井 |
| Longjie | 龙街 |
| Diannan | 甸南 |
| Liuhe | 六合 |
| Heqing | 鹤庆县 |
| Jiangwei | 江尾镇 |
| Puping | 普淜镇 |
| 西庄 | |
| 寅街村 | |
| Deju | 德苴乡 |
| Changyi | 长邑村 |
| 桥街 | |
| Midian | 米甸镇 |
| Lijiang | 丽江 |
|---|---|
| Jiuhe | 九河 |
| Honghe | 红河 |
|---|---|
| Xinansuo | 新安所镇 |
| Nafa | 那发 |
| Daheishan | 大黑山乡 |
| Leyu | 乐育 |
| Xinxian | 新现乡 |
| Sankeshu | 三棵树 |
| Xinjie | 新街 |
| Dixibei | 地西北 |
| Baoxiu | 宝秀镇 |
| Shaochong | 哨冲镇 |
| Xincheng | 新城乡 |
| Shayipo | 沙依坡乡 |
| Qingkou Xinzhai | 箐口新寨 |
| Dazhai | 大寨乡 |
| Zhaotong | 昭通 |
|---|---|
| Shuanghe | 双河 |